Tech Trends: Audio Tech Makes a Bigger Push
Walking around ISC West this past April saw many of the same technologies that the security industry has offered for years; however, a closer look in many booths revealed a hidden gem that pointed to a new trend in the security industry – microphones and speakers.
You could find them offered by a wide variety of manufacturers. Sure, the security industry has had loudspeakers and speakers for a while, but this seemed different. Unlike the past, where a select few enterprise manufacturers or intercom manufacturers had unveiled a new audio component, audio was found with new use-cases almost everywhere.
These uses of audio differed from traditional mass notification systems. Many featured professional audio-visual (Pro-Audio) systems – 70VDC centrally amplified systems – being specified for edge deployments in 12 to 24VDC environments where the audio component is powered via a connected camera or peripheral IoT sensor. The introduction of audio analytics to camera and access control systems will bring even more value to these connected systems.
Digitized Audio
Most IP-based audio systems – including speakers and microphones – are now enabled by Session Initiation Protocol (SIP), and SIP-enabled devices can now be integrated with traditional Video Management Systems (VMS) as well as IP-based phone systems to transmit audio and messaging.
“The ability to have video/access/audio available in a digital format allows system designers to tie what has been called the ‘three-legged stool’ of security comfortably together,” Digitsal Acoustics Sales Director Doug O’Gorden told me on the show floor. “Going digital adds options for installing IP audio endpoints to security solutions via software integrations that tie-together sensors (cameras) and door relays (access/alarms) with real-time or automated audio messages.”
Said Cameron Javdani, President of SoundSecure: “The biggest trend for audio in the security industry is simply adoption. The past few years have shown accelerated use across commercial sectors, with security teams relying on audio for prevention, verification, and accurate accounting of events.”
Primary Uses
The simple message security installers should be asking: “What areas where there are already cameras and/or access could use audio to add value to the security end-user?” Here are some examples:
Corrections and law enforcement: Traditional uses for indoor audio have been in corrections and public safety, in areas where there is limited or no expectation of privacy. Most of these audio recordings are admissible in court. Additionally, integrators in this market should be familiar with audio applications in corrections and police department interview rooms.
Alarm monitoring: One of the driving forces of the adoption of audio is an influx of monitoring companies that provide video verification and security talk-down. Audio has become a game-changer for these companies, and intrusion monitoring companies have increasingly transitioned to offering these services instead of focusing solely on central station alarm monitoring. Like traditional alarm monitoring stations, these video verification monitoring stations must be UL 827-listed.
If a picture is worth a thousand words, a picture with audio is worth 10x as many. Video verification companies are now able to receive the intrusion alarm, associated video feed, and hear the incident. The added audio enables the operator to identify more information about the alarm to confirm its authenticity and pass that information along to the responding police. This gives responders better situational awareness.
Monitoring solutions also incorporate automated messages, talk-down, or two-way audio. Many times, these SIP-enabled devices enable operators to verbally interact with a person to challenge the person or verify intent. This advancement in alarm monitoring – although with a higher price tag – has reduced incidents and false alarms for many end-users and introduces RMR opportunities for security integrators.
Training: In public safety and retail industries, audio is being used for training applications to correct employee actions – in addition to providing customer responses. This audio is often coupled with body-worn cameras for officers, and a similar concept is being used by retailers to better train staff on customer interactions.
Emergency response: IPVideo Corp., which was acquired by Motorola Solutions in 2023, includes audio analytics on its HALO sensor that would automatically send an alert to an attached VMS when someone said “help” or other keywords. AmberBox, a gunshot detection company, deploys a similar application for aggression detection – audio is used to detect a fight. Of course, the company’s gunshot detection itself involves a combination of audio sensor inputs that detect gunshots, giving first responders much-needed time to respond.
The Concerns
While audio continues to find new places in security, it is not without problems; in fact, they are often the same issues that have caused audio to be left out of security designs in the past.
To begin with, audio codecs should be evaluated when selecting a camera and a microphone or speaker. Not all microphones will work with all cameras – some require MIC IN microphones that are powered by the camera, and others require LINE IN microphones that are powered by a separate power source. External speakers and horns, whether analog or IP-based, may have codec requirements to function properly for the intended use case.
Audio also introduces potential legal concerns. Before adding microphones to any installation, legal counsel should be sought to determine impacts, legality, and liability. Local laws may require certain signage, sounds, or restrictions on recording.
