NTI Introduces TalkBox for Speech Intelligibility Testing

Jan 5, 2006 8:00 AM

The TalkBox from NTI provides playback of intelligibility and other test signals without relying on optical discs, hard disks, or any other moving parts.

Speech intelligibility testing used to be the province only of large distributed paging or dedicated emergency systems. Although such systems are in place in many buildings, there are also typically far more larger venue sound systems in place at thousands of other locations. Local, national, and international regulations are now either requiring speech intelligibility testing for this critical aspect, or are gradually moving toward such testing requirements for reinforcement systems as well. We need look only as far as various club fires and other panic disasters of the last few years to see why this is wise, whether yet required or not. STI-PA testing as standardized by TNO meets ISO requirements and is the preferred method for testing amplified systems. Typical testing involves playing a special STI-PA intelligibility test signal through the system. But questions always remain unless the system is tested completely, starting at the microphone.

NTI's TalkBox, combined with portable STI-PA speech intelligibility measurements in the AL1 Acoustilyzer, allows sound systems to be tested for STI-PA speech intelligibility from end-to-end, where a simple intelligibility measurement could possibly make the difference between life and death—reducing injuries and mitigating potentially huge liability claims.

The TalkBox is an acoustically calibrated sound source that also includes digital playback of intelligibility and other test signals without relying on optical discs, hard disks, or any other moving parts.

STI-PA has been designed to simplify the mathematical challenging of STI measurements without ignoring the need for some correlation to other STI measurements. NTI's implementation is both truly portable and fully certified.

The recently introduced TalkBox offers a robust acoustical source enabling facilities' staff, contractors or government workers, and regulatory personnel to test the complete environment. Standard and raised test voices are available to cope with the Lombard effect.

“For the success in the installation market, it is extremely important to offer complete turnkey solutions that are foolproof and easy to operate. With the availability of these new-generation measurement systems, the intelligibility measurement market has just started to grow,” says Philipp Schwizer, CEO of NTI AG.

For further information, visit www.nt-instruments.com.