Lobby Chimes generator

[Nat Koren]

Esteemed List,

Our lobby chimes system is 20+ years old, based on an old BSS Soundweb system.  After some recent failures,  maanagement wants to replace it.  This is outside my knowledge, and the googlewebs are not serving up the goods.

We’re purchasing a new rack-mounted mixer in the realm of TF Rack/X-Rack/SQ Rack, so I’m thinking a standalone generator unit?

The current system is priority interrupt: box office pushes a button, relays in the amp rack switch from program to chimes, the button is released, the relays switch back to program.  

What is used elsewhere in the world?

thanks in advance,

Nat Koren
Head Sound Engineer
12 N. Eutaw St.
Baltimore, MD  21201

[TheChri...@aol.com]

We just opened a new flexible space.  All of the lobby/backstage page and program routing is built in and handled by a QSC Q-Sys Core device.  The lobby chimes are an audio file stored in and played back by Q-sys from a button on a touchscreen.

 

Otherwise, if you are updating your current system with a new mixer, just plug in a Mac with Q-lab, and use that to play your chimes, announcements, etc.  If you want to duck the program during chimes, just do that in the mixer by side-chaining a compressor or ducker on the program feed.

 

Hope this helps,

 

Chris

 

 

Chris Walters

TheChri...@aol.com

772-559-9392

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[Kyle Jensen]

We run an Allen & Heath AHM-32 in our main space which has a built in audio player for things like announcements and chimes. We use it exactly as you’re looking to. 

— Kyle

Sent from my iPhone

On Feb 27, 2026, at 15:32, Nat Koren <gn...@together.net> wrote:

Esteemed List,

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[Mike Glasspool]

Isn't retro in style? ;) https://reverb.com/item/93341818-j-c-deagan-four-bell-dinner-chime-1920-s

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[Nat Koren]

Kyle- you gave me the aha! moment.  SQ Rack will play audio files.  I can give the  box office a tablet to trigger the file and duck the program feed.  Thanks!

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[Jim vanBergen]

Hey Nat, 

There are so many ways to do this, depends on how you want to crack the egg. Personally, I'd use an off the shelf media player like the Brightsign AU335 (or if if you're handier with PCs, a raspberry pi) or a standard audio player. Some Toa 70v amps have modules specifically for this, or you could find an old computer with either a midi player or an audio player and write a control script or make a GPIO button, which is far easier IMO than the relay (another point of failure). YMMV. Oh, loopers, and sample players are quite cheap these days- most have MIDI or footswitch (gpio) controls. 

Best, 
JvB

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Jim van Bergen
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vanber...@gmail.com

[Nat Koren]

Hi Jim, thanks for the ideas.  You are right, there are many solutions.  

We’ve decided to get an SQ Rack to replace the old Soundweb system, for Page/Program, Lobby, and a few other odds n’ ends.  Soundweb was great at the time, but clunky to use and to program.  A&H AHM is sort of Soundweb-ish, sort of Gallileo-ish, very easy to use, but ultimately not right for this situation.

The SQ Rack is networkable, duckable, etcetera-able.  It’s got on-board file playback, one box to do what we need.

Someone mentioned QSys.  Good system, just too complex and expensive for this use.

-Nat

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[Mark Turpin]

FWIW, in bygone days (20 years ago) we used to use music-on-hold players for this.  The one we used to favor stored 99 tracks on USB and could play any of the first ten tracks (0-9) from RS232 commands.  There are a boatload of them available on eBay.  If you need to change/add/delete tracks, this is a bit easier than having to dip into the DSP regularly.  Using a direct command to call a file in the DSP is more common these days, though.

 

I have also seen music-on-hold players used as a secondary/backup playback path for small shows.

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