Professional Public Address Systems
A public address (PA) system describes an audio system used mainly for background music or public announcements. They are commonly seen in a variety of everyday locations including; shopping centers, airports, schools, hospitals, and churches. There are a wide range of PA systems available in many shapes and sizes to suit every setting.
The most common application for PA is for public announcement systems, with some of the largest buildings in the world using them on a day-to-day basis. With large public announcement systems such as those found in airports, speakers for different areas are required such as ceiling speakers for discrete sound, column speakers for long throw in large spaces in baggage halls and duty-free areas, and horn speakers outside in car parks and entrances.
These larger systems will generally all have a centralized management point using 100V line amplifier solutions to cover vast distances, or in the most modern of installations audio over IP technology which utilizes an IP network to jump signals from building to building.
There are several types of public announcement system available and each system has its own pros and cons depending on the scenario and budget. At the top of the tree is audio over IP which is seen by many as the future of public address systems because it can utilize your existing network to transmit audio, which not only makes installations far simpler but also gives you every possible option available in terms of usability. The flexibility of audio over IP systems is such that their price remains very high, and so only the largest budgets can afford it, but in some applications where there are multiple buildings, the solution is perfect.
Another type of public announcement system is using 100V line, which remains the most commonly used type of PA system. 100v line allows you to carry signals vast distances with very limited signal loss, and you can connect as many speakers as the power of the amplifier will allow you to connect all in one single line, making this type of public announcement system a favorite in larger premises and buildings where otherwise cable running and installation costs could spiral. Finally, we get to Low impedance systems, which are great for much smaller locations because of the limitations in the number of speakers you can have in the system and shorter cabling distances. Audio over IP is by far the most expensive, with 100V line and Low impedance public address systems about even in price depending on the zone sizes and speaker type required.
Small/Portable PA systems
Getting your hands on the best portable PA System is a no-brainer, but buying the best system for your needs might be a little tough. It’s even tougher if you don’t know what those needs are, exactly.
So, before investing in a high-tech portable PA System, you need to know how to get the best one for your personal preference.
A portable PA System aids your vocal cords by amplifying sound. You can speak to an audience without needing a whole nightclub speaker package.
Commonly, the user will find microphones, speakers, and an amplifier embedded into one Portable PA System. Some budget-breakers may include multiple microphone ports, other audio connection jacks, a mixer to tune your output, and more than one speaker to cover a greater sound distance.
Large Distributed Public Address Systems
Large distributed PA systems typically have amplifiers that output high power at high voltage through hundreds to thousands of daisy-chained small loudspeakers in various locations. Each loudspeaker has a transformer between its voice coil and the amplifier to lower the voltage on the speaker line. This configuration is called a Constant Voltage, Distributed Design loudspeaker system, or simply a Constant Voltage or High Voltage Distributed system.
The main components of a public address system are:
- Speakers: main speakers, subwoofers, and monitors.
- Amplifiers: Needed only if using passive speakers.
- Audio Mixer: Analog or Digital.
- Speaker Processor.
- Microphones: Dynamic or Condenser.
- Effects: only used if needed.
- DI Box : Direct Injection Box
- Cables and Accessories
