Are you preparing to deliver a big sound or a big speech to a big audience? If your answer is a resounding “Yes, and soon!”, it sounds like you could use a quality Public Address (PA) system. Think portable sound systems, powered sound mixers and handheld wireless microphones. With these, you can bring your event to life through crystal clear communication. However, before you pick the best PA system, it pays to learn the basics.
TIMES TO BE HEARD
Volume and clarity have a significant bearing on how well important vocal messages are received, particularly in wide open spaces or large venues such as auditoriums. Therefore, whether you’re hosting your own event, attending a major industry trade show or presenting to clients or team members, the right PA system can prove essential to success.
In the business world, PA sound systems are most commonly used to project speakers’ voices at conferences, business meetings and training sessions. Essentially, at any situation requiring sound to travel a reasonable distance and still be understood.
Beyond these typical corporate applications, PA systems are extremely useful for a huge range of public-facing indoor and outdoor events. It could be a public safety announcement, an awards presentation, a product demo, a Q&A session, a special talk or a dramatic performance. Wherever you are, whoever is speaking (or singing), and whatever they’re speaking about, it’s up to you as the organiser to ensure everyone’s words are audible and effective.
MAKE THE RIGHT SOUND
As with all tech, it’s about picking the right products for the job. With this in mind, let’s take a closer look at some of the options. From all-in-one portable PA systems with suitable speakers to amplifier technology like 12-channel or 16-channel powered mixer systems and stand-alone wireless microphones, there’s a rugged, compact and powerful piece of sound equipment for every scenario.
Simply connect (you may need to hire an adaptor) your audio source. It could be a CD player, media player, iPod or, most likely, a microphone before launching into speech, song or pre-recorded audio. You also have a choice between hand-held, lapel or head-set microphones, depending on your presentation preferences. And when it’s essential for the person on stage to enjoy sound of a very high quality, why not complement your system with an in-ear monitor?
Of course, even the best sound kit in the world can’t compensate for a sub-optimal stage setup. To avoid sound interference, buzzing, crackling, feedback and other issues, it’s essential to place your speakers in the best location relative to the performers (with the mic) and other large objects. For example, speakers generally belong in front of the performer and pointing at the audience. This arrangement prevents the speaker and mic from directly facing each other, which tends to cause feedback.
Furthermore, you should try to avoid having surfaces – like floors, walls and corners – close to your speakers. Surfaces can cause early reflections that can distort the sound. For this purpose, speaker stands are a fantastic idea. Stands are especially important for low frequencies, which are more sensitive to nearby surfaces than high frequencies. With a stand, you can reduce the low-frequency sound pressure that causes floors to vibrate. This will improve your speakers’ performance overall.
MIX IT UP
In addition to the core sound system equipment mentioned above, some novel new products are proving a huge hit on the live events scene. We’re talking about cool innovations like the BIG MIC BALL, a throwable colour foam ball that houses a lavalier microphone. Alternatively, there’s the awesome range of Catchbox wireless audience engagement solutions for venues of any size.
Get in touch with Hire Intelligence to find the best PA System for your next engagement.
