Architectural sound enhancement with test tone diagnostics

A sound distribution system for distributing masking sound, paging, and/or music to multiple zones within a space, said sound distribution system comprising:

• a processing unit having multiple inputs and multiple outputs, said inputs for receiving audio signals for selective distribution to said outputs, at least one of said outputs corresponding to each of said multiple zones within the space;
• said processing unit including a digital signal processor (DSP) for processing audio signals received at said processing unit inputs and selectively routing the audio signals to said processing unit outputs;
• a plurality of audio power amplifiers, each power amplifier having an input for receiving audio signals from a corresponding output of said processing unit and an output for driving one or more audio transducers;
• an array of audio transducers distributed through the space, at least one audio transducer being located in each of the multiple zones of the space, each transducer within a zone being connected to the output of a corresponding one of said power amplifiers;
• said DSP including a masking sound generator for producing masking sounds to be selectively routed to said outputs of said processing unit for producing masking sounds within selected zones of the space;
• said DSP further including an internal generator for producing a test tone signal and being programmed to allow selected ones of said processing unit inputs to be muted while routing the internally generated test tone signal to one or more of the processing unit outputs to be reproduced by corresponding ones of said audio transducers, thereby allowing for diagnosis of system problems including faulty connections between said audio transducers and said power amplifiers, and diagnosis of the general functionality of the transducer units themselves.

A process for determining system conditions including faulty connections between audio transducers and audio amplifier outputs and proper functioning of transducers in a sound distribution system adapted to provide masking sound, music, and/or paging within a space, said process comprising the steps of:

• (a) generating an easily discernable test tone signal internally within the sound distribution system;
• (b) routing the internally generated test tone to a selected audio amplifier output for reproduction by the audio transducers connected to the selected output while muting audio signals normally routed to the selected output;
• (c) listening to the audio transducers connected to the selected output;
• and
• (d) determining system conditions including the condition of connections between the listened to audio transducers and the selected output and the proper functioning of the transducers themselves based upon the nature of the test tone reproduced by the transducers.