Whether it’s for a small group or a large audience, you’ll want to be heard clearly by everyone in attendance. The human attention span has shrunk over the last few years down to just a few seconds, which means if you can’t catch your audience’s attention in those crucial first seconds, you might as well be talking to a wall for the rest of the time you’re speaking.
This is why it’s necessary to have a quality sound reinforcement system prepared. This consists of a combination of microphones, loudspeakers, amplifiers, single processors, and even items like earphones in certain meetings. These items help in getting louder and more clearer sounds to reach audiences even those farthest away.
In a small conference room, it simply means connecting a microphone to one speaker and calling it a day. But sound reinforcement system becomes complex only when it is needed for huge events in venues like conference halls. Multiple speakers and some enhancements and alterations are necessary so that even those sitting in the back, although they can barely see you, can still properly hear your voice without the echoes and additional sounds that can disrupt their listening experience.
The Purpose of Sound Reinforcement Systems
The fundamental purpose of a sound reinforcement system is to receive the signal and then convert or amplify into a suitable enough for listening. Whenever you are consulting with the sound reinforcement system, you will be dealing with a lot of issues that will come up on a regular basis.
1. Tone
The moment you deal with the problems relating to the tone, the sound might not come out of the speakers as it is supposed to be. There can be many reasons behind it. For instance, poor selection of microphone, its placement, and issues related mixers and sometimes speakers. This will require some electronic effects.
2. Range
Every system is designed with a purpose. If you are having a system that is being used for broadcasting the announcements across a vast territory but is not loud enough to hear or perhaps have clashing frequencies, irritating sound – then always modify the system.
3. Stereo And Mono
This issue deals with the fact where the stereo or the listener when it is not placed correctly. If you possess, panned elements like a live gig planned at left and right. Then anyone has hearing issues. The simple way of dealing with the issue is by playing the audio at mono. It means even if the person is deaf or hard of listening, the person won’t miss a word by hearing it through the headphones.
Stereo means the sound is heard from the various directions. It becomes achievable by arranging different loudspeakers.
4. Factors Affecting Sound Quality
One of the most important issues to be considered when you are designing the sound system consider whether anything present in the room is reflective.
Also, always consider testing the sound system in an empty venue because it is going to sound different. Moreover, when you put in a room full of people that distinct sound.
Different Kind of Systems
1. Ground Stacked
In this system, speakers are stacked vertically that rests on the ground. Besides, they are placed at sub-bottom where a tweeter is placed on it. Most of the times, the ground stacked sound system in for small outdoor events and gigs where they are reinforced at the front of the stage.
2. Analogue and Digital Mixers
A digital mixer helps in receiving, balancing and equalizing the signals that are sent. For the management of physical hardware, the input signal is being controlled by the analogue mixing desk while for software it’s the digital desk. There’s no much difference except for an analogue desk will need outboard pieces of equipment while in the digital desk almost everything is inbuilt with the effects.
3. Line Array
A vertical strip of speakers that is being swung from top ceiling or top of the stage is called Line Array System. It consists of individually large speakers, used for large venues or outdoor events where it enables in reinforcing from middle to back areas of the crowd.
Applications
Sound reinforcement systems are used in different systems, each with its own challenges. If you are or are thinking about working within this field, it’s important to know all your available options.
Rental Systems
Events for professionals and non-professionals will require sound reinforcement systems, so that means having speaker cabinets, power amplifiers, and other effects that protect equipment and are easy to maintain. There’s a high demand for rental systems especially for touring acts and corporate events that do not have their own equipment.
Live Music Clubs
Sound reinforcements in clubs can vary because of the venue these clubs are set in. Some clubs are oddly-shaped, therefore making it more difficult to maintain sound consistency. There also has to be adequate coverage and a proper delay to ensure the audience and guests are not hearing the same sound at different times, causing an echo that can be hard for guests to appreciate.
Churches
Church sound systems have to balance between architecture and performance. In terms of architecture and design, most churches want their sound system to be unobtrusive and blend in with the woodwork and stonework, so customized speaker cabinets may be necessary to avoid making the sound system stick out against the more traditional and religious setting.
In terms of performance, the shape and size of the church can affect the ability for those in the back to hear, which can affect the hearing experience of those in the back. Installers also have to take note that churches are often run by volunteers with no audio experience, so it has to be easy to operate without professional experience.
Live Theater
Theaters also experience the same sound reinforcement challenges as churches in both performance and architecture. But an added challenge is the fact that performers are moving onstage, which will require wireless microphones attached to the actors. This should be done by professionals to get the best quality and avoid reception and interference issues during the performance.
Another issue is for higher-end theaters adding sound and music mixed in with the live dialogues and sounds. Before and during the performance, a theatrical mixer and a professional sound operator should be present to deal with all the aspects that come with staging a flawless show.
Lectures and Conferences
Lecture halls and conference rooms often have echo-producing surfaces, and picking up unwanted sounds like papers shuffling and other background noises in a lecture is the sound operator’s job to prevent audio feedback. This can happen whether a speaker presenting is wearing a wireless microphone or using a regular microphone.
Sports
There is much more to know about Sound Reinforcement system. But the above article sums up about it in a minimal way. A sound reinforcement system is used in enhancing the clarity of the original sound. Additionally, it also adds loudness, overlapping of echoes and vibration. So, next time you are planning to organize an event for outdoors, hire a firm for a sound reinforcement system.
