How to Choose an Effective PA System
How to Choose an Effective PA System Whether or not we realize it, PA (public address) systems are ubiquitous in everyday life. Retail stores, bars, restaurants, art galleries, schools, gyms, houses of worship, airports and music venues rely on PA systems to deliver music, speech, and other audio. Some systems are small, perhaps even hidden; other PA systems are built like virtual walls of sound intended to blast audio to millions. The Grateful Dead’s 1974 “Wall of Sound” is an iconic example. The Dead’s concert PA system included hundreds of speakers tethered together to produce over 25,000 watts of power. This was certainly a far cry from a 1920s-era Magnavox PA system capable of only 10 watts. “PA system” is a nebulous term that can include speakers, inputs, amps, preamps, mixing boards, etc., — whatever delivers live or recorded signals to an audience. PA Speakers and Subwoofers Speakers are the most prominent part of every PA system. They take electrical signals from an amplifie