In the world of sound reinforcement, relying on one large speaker system with a high volume level is seldom the best approach. Deploying speaker systems for consistent audience coverage at a consistent level is much more critical in ensuring your performance is heard clearly. Strategically placing speakers around a room or venue, it’s possible to provide optimal audio coverage throughout the venue without resorting to excessive sound pressure levels that can cause hearing damage and nose complaints.
By spreading out multiple smaller sound systems, it’s possible to reduce acoustic feedback issues and minimize distortion caused by overdriving a larger system amplifier. With more evenly-distributed audio sources around the room, sound engineers can also achieve an improved overall sound quality. Using a distributed audio system allows sound engineers to tailor the system to site specific acoustic characteristics, such as room size, shape, and reverberation time. Now, it’s possible to create an amazing listening experience by evenly distributing audio throughout the space while still being able to adjust volume levels in certain areas if necessary. This gives sound engineers greater control over how their audience hears the performance or event.
Wow! I’m super excited that I came across this. I provide sound for a small festival in southwest Virginia each summer and for next summer the Town has asked me to “MAKE IT LOUDER”. So I literally was trying to figure out what was really being asked for, or what is really needed by that statement. Having done this festival several years using a ground stack system in a small outdoor amphitheater, I’ve always felt that the level of the sound was appropriate for the venue, in fact, sometimes even a bit on the loud side depending on bands. Most of the bands are rock to Hard Rock and the system we use is 2 JBL STX835’s per side stacked on top of two SRX728’s ground stacked. 2-Crown 4×3500’s are powering all the speakers, and the sound seems good all the to back of the amphitheater, then starts dropping off in the Main Street which is closed off for vendors. The music can still be heard there, but it is not so loud that vendors can’t talk to their customers. Those wanting the music louder get closer, those wanting conversation get further away. You can feel the subs at mix position which is about 60-70 feet away, and there has never been any “turn it up” complaints in the past 10 years. So, my thoughts might be translating this comment from making it louder to “increasing the coverage area” just as you describe. Maybe creating more zones further back? Or, would it be better to increase the sound from the main stacks by adding more speakers and amps? If I go that route then I would worry about cancellation issues i would think given the coverage pattern of both the tops and the subs. I’m not sure what we can add to that front system to increase the sound level there. We have 4 more SRX728s we could utilize, and a variety of smaller speakers that might work for zone coverage, although none as large as our mains (stx835s), but at this point I think I am still chewing on what exactly the client is asking for, and then, how we should approach delivering it. We could purchase additions to our system, but i dont’ think we could buy a totally new system. Any thoughts?