VAS Messages. Does Gender Matter?

[Messy]

Does anyone know of any guidance or research in relation to Voice Alarm Systems, with regards to the effectiveness of using a male or female voice?

Furthermore, I am interested in best practice/ guidance re the selection of male or female voices for particular messages? (Advice messages versus Evacuate messages)

Thanks

[colin todd]

Davey,  Have you looked at my excellent book on VA systems??

[Messy]

No Colin I am afraid I havent.

If you could please supply the title and/or catalogue details, I will do just that as my research has not provided any assistance so far.

Thanks

[colin todd]

To you, Davey, not just 10% discount, I am not talking about 20% discount, not even 30% discount , not 40% discount, but today for today only you, Davey, can have the book for a whacking, never to be repeated http://[color=red][b]humongous 50% discount.[/b][/color]

[wee brian]

in WW2 the RAF used female radio operators because they were easier to hear over the dodgy radios they had. Not sure how relevant this is to modern VAS.

[colin todd]

Brian, Probably because the information that the brain needs to decipher speech is carried in the high frequencies not the low frequencies.  Was it spitfires that you piloted or those Mosquitos.  Anyhow, I am even more grateful to you for your war efforts than for giving us ADB.

[kurnal]

So is there any advice on current best practice that we can offer rather than scoring points off each other?

[Messy]

So is there any advice on current best practice that we can offer rather than scoring points off each other?

Thank Kurnal: I am glad its not just me that is getting fed up with this nonsense

Colin, I have already said I would purchase your book and asked for details only to be met my another sarcastic reply. I do not understand why you have to stoop to this lowest level of wit when I thought I was asking a reasonable question and asking clarification as to what publication you were referring to.

I respect your considerable knowledge in technical fire safety matters and am grateful for your generosity when sharing that knowledge on this website. But I am saddened that you appear to be such an angry and bitter individual.

Mrs Messy is an accredited & registered psychotherapist and we don't live that far from your office. She has extensive professional experience in helping those with anger management issues. I might be able to return the favour and negotiate a discounted deal for you!

[kurnal]

I  note that the Gent SQuad uses a male voice for its pre-recorded voice message sounder option. I have found this to be clear in both office and quiet warehouse environments.  I would not have thought that the difference in frequency between male and female was a significant factor in the war years and a greater factor was more likely to be the roles played by the sexes in those days. Nowadays it might be more of  factor in respect that cheap plastic equipment is more likely to resonate at higher frequencies causing distortion.
As far as alarms are concerned building resonances and particular overlap and delays on the loop and phasing issues may combine to make signals unintelligible but I know nothing about voice alarms and have not read Colin's book.

[colin todd]

Davey, you are so cynical!!!  I offered to get you a copy of my book at half price, which is what we can buy it for.  We frequently do that for friends, particularly contributors to Firenet, so I thought you would be pleased, given that I don't really count you as a friend.  However, if you do not wish to take advantage of my generous offer, you can buy it at full price from the BSI shop or from Amazon.

[Messy]

So I will stand Mrs Messy down then? She'll be disappointed as loves a challenge.

Thanks for your offer but as the afd replacement project I am involved has a ?1.5m budget so I reckon we can manage a BSI publication.

[Owain]

in WW2 the RAF used female radio operators because they were easier to hear over the dodgy radios they had. Not sure how relevant this is to modern VAS.

For public address applications, most dynamic microphones and horn speakers lacked bass response, so female voices carried better. Nowadays frequency response is more even, and male voices may (still) be perceived to be more authoritarian.

If you could synthesise a voice then Margaret Thatcher sounded pretty authoritarian and would certainly get people's attention, although they might start throwing things at the VAS sounders rather than evacuating.

[Owain]

If you could please supply the title and/or catalogue details, I will do just that as my research has not provided any assistance so far.

A google for colin todd voice alarm produces

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Design-Installation-Voice-Systems-5839-8/dp/0580669637

near the top of the list. I presume this is the text heretofore referred to.

[Messy]

Thank you Owain. I am much obliged to you