Audio
The AGTS features an audio system which deliver station information, as well as arrival and departure information to passengers on the trains and platforms. The audio utilizes pre-recorded messages that are delivered by well known voice talent from the Denver area, and are each preceded by a variety of short musical sound effects. The voices and sound effects were recorded by Denver sound artist Jim Green, and they make up one of the airport's public art installations known as "Train Call." Jim Green is also known for recording the audio for the singing sinks in the restrooms at the Denver Art Museum and the "Laughing Escalators" at the Denver Convention Center.
The recordings currently feature the voices of former Coors Field announcer Alan Roach, and local KUSA-TV anchor Adele Arakawa. Denver Mayor Michael Hancock delivers a "Welcome to Denver" greeting that plays prior to arriving at the Terminal and Baggage Claim station. His welcome includes portions in both Spanish and English. The current sound effects feature a contemporary music theme, and include sounds from pianos, synthesizers, and electric guitars . The current audio debuted in June 2007.
With two separate voices, the stations are configured so that one voice delivers information for trains on one side of the platform, while the other voice delivers information for the other side. The trains are configured so that the voice alternates between each of the train's four cars, so that one voice is installed on the first and third cars, while the other voice is installed on the second and fourth cars. Mayor Hancock's voice delivers the "Welcome to Denver" greeting regardless of which voice is installed on the individual car. Each of the announcements is preceded by its own individual sound effect. There are even separate sound effects for the same message, depending on which voice delivers it. The exception to this is the message that announces that the doors are closing, which always has the same sound effect since it is a warning message.
Originally, the audio featured the voices of local radio broadcaster Pete Smythe and former KCNC-TV anchor Reynelda Muse, who was also the first African-American woman to anchor a local news program in Denver. The original sound effects featured a more whimsical circus-like theme, and some of them were based on western folk songs, such as "She'll Be Coming 'Round the Mountain" and "Home on the Range." The original audio had been used on the system since the airport's opening in 1995 and remained unchanged for 12 years, primarily due to the status of being a public art installation. The original audio was ultimately replaced due to various changes made at the airport since its opening. The most noticeable change made to the messages themselves was the reference to the concourse stations. The original audio announced "Please hold on. This train is approaching Concourse A," where it now says "Hold on please. We are approaching the station for all 'A' Gates." Station signage was also changed to reflect this. This change was made since some people found the term "concourse" confusing. Some information regarding Baggage Claim monitors in the Terminal station also caused confusion and needed to be removed from the messages, since the monitors themselves were removed from the station years prior.
The "Welcome to Denver" greeting was added to the audio along with the current audio in 2007. Although, it originally featured the voice of then-Mayor John Hickenlooper. In January 2011, the recording was updated to include current Mayor Bill Vidal, who replaced Hickenlooper after he was elected Governor of Colorado. Vidal's version of the spiel is identical to the original, except that he also says the Spanish translation of the phrase, "Bienvenidos a Denver," before giving the information about how to get to baggage claim and ground transportation (which does not get repeated in Spanish). After Michael Hancock was inaugurated as Denver's Mayor his voice replaced Vidal's. Hancock's greeting is "Welcome to Denver, the Mile High City."
Read more about this topic: Denver International Airport Automated Guideway Transit System