Sanitarium distribution centre: background music and paging for a working warehouse

Project snapshot

• Client: Sanitarium Health Food Company, Auckland distribution centre
• Sector: Warehouse and logistics
• Scope: A ceiling-mounted background music and paging system covering two zones
• Completed: May 2026

The brief

Sanitarium's Auckland warehouse team wanted one system to do two jobs: play light background music for staff throughout the warehouse, and carry announcements. The music had to sit at a comfortable level without becoming a nuisance to neighbouring areas, and paging had to reach the main warehouse and the truck-driver area either together or separately. There was a short window to get the project approved and installed while a new storage room stood empty.

What we installed

• Sixteen Martin Audio Adorn ACP-55TW pendant loudspeakers, hung from the warehouse ceiling on drop cables. Pendants bring the sound down towards the floor in a high-stud building, so the level is even at head height without turning the system up.
• An Optimal Audio Zone 4 controller providing the DSP, zoning and source routing, managed through a web app.
• An Optimal Audio ZonePad 4 wall controller so staff can adjust levels and sources without touching the rack.
• An Optimal Audio Talk 8 digital paging station for announcements to the main warehouse, the truck-driver area, or both.
• A Martin Audio VIA2004 four-channel amplifier driving the loudspeaker zones.
• A Crowd DJ media player as the music source, connected via a 4G router and feeding the Zone 4 controller.

Background music and paging in one system

The same sixteen pendants carry both jobs. For music the system is designed for background level, not concert level: spreading the loudspeakers across the floor delivers the same modest volume everywhere, which is what keeps music pleasant for a full shift and stops it carrying into offices and neighbouring areas. For announcements, paging is routed with priority over the music so it cuts through, and the two zones mean a driver call-up does not interrupt the whole warehouse.

The install

Installation ran over a few days in May 2026 using a scissor lift to reach the ceiling, coordinated with the site's contractor induction, health and safety and insurance requirements. Sanitarium arranged the music subscription directly; once the player arrived on site we connected it into the system and set the levels.

A few weeks after handover the team asked for one more thing: a mute button on the outside of the rack so they can silence the music quickly when needed. We added it as a small follow-up job.

Our role

Site survey, system design and quotation, supply, installation and commissioning, followed by the mute-button addition. The project came to us by referral from Jansen Audio, the New Zealand distributor for Martin Audio and Optimal Audio.

Need paging or background music in a warehouse or factory?

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