Like buying any piece of technical audio or lighting equipment, selecting a PA system can seem like a daunting task.
� Different music requires different sizes of speaker. As a general rule: the bigger the speaker, the wider the range of frequencies it will competently reproduce. So large bass bins such as 18� subs are good for dance music, whereas compact 10� enclosures may be ideal for acoustic music, and simple horns are often a great option for basic speech reinforcement.� A pickup device (e.g. a microphone) that converts sound waves into an electronic signalIf your PA system is going to be used in the same way on an on-going basis then it is unlikely you will ever have to consider expanding or changing its components. If however you think your needs may evolve with time then you may want to consider buying a package that can be altered or grown.Up to 25ft deep, this stuff is one huge sponge, absorbing vast amounts of rainwater in wet spells and shrinking in dry ones.The chittering of the twite, the soulful bubble of the curlew and the 'go-back, go-back' of the grouse may be the only sounds that disturb the peace of a Pennines walker.Anybody who walks these desolate areas knows that they are special.Features you thought you knew like the back of your hand are wont to disappear without trace.The crashes are usually because the land rises imperceptibly into a largely featureless expanse, an area prone to sudden cloud, mist, updraughts and crosswinds.There is no denying it: the Pennine moors are bleak, you can so easily get lost.The expanse of moors south and west of Huddersfield are called the South Pennines.Bathed in a silver halo of light or bruised by rainclouds, our moors are still, compared to Lakeland, barren, bald and featureless.If you want to play music through your PA system it requires a different set of attributes to one which is simply used for speech.Alfred Wainwright, author of the famous guides to Lakeland, was seduced by spectacular peaks, towering crags, glittering tarns and the sort of scenery that goes well on chocolate boxes.It's true that an unusually large number of planes have crashed up there, but their wreckage has been found: not one has 'disappeared'.2. Music or speech?They are no doubt hiding many another secret - not least, sad to say, a body or two from the Hindley/Brady era.These blend seamlessly into the Dark Peaks of Derbyshire.At the end of the Ice Age, our ancestors used the moors as a route from one hunting ground to another, occasionally leaving spear and arrow heads behind.The peat also seems to preserve wreckage. The wrecks I've come across have parts with undamaged camouflage paint or identification tags and you almost expect to see the pilot and passengers stumbling about in a daze.That's one secret the moors are unlikely to reveal.For the walker, the layer of peat over much of the moors provides the final disorientating factor.If a portable PA system is required it often means the presenter will need to be mobile as well. In this case the system may need to support a wireless microphone or headset, something which should be considered when selecting your PA.I have sunbathed on Kinder Scout in February, and been plastered head to foot in snow in a blizzard in June on Margery Hill.� Speakers which will convert the electronic signal back into sound waves.Handles, wheels and cases become increasingly important design elements of more powerful and often heavier PA systems.3. Think portableHere Chris Tinning, Operations Director of pro audio and lighting retailer www.soundsavers.com, offers his top five tips on picking a system:My son and I were walking above the Derwent Valley a few years ago on a nice bright day when a 30ft-long silver and red tubular object floated silently past us and steered itself into the valley.Most systems will include essentials such as speaker stands and cables, but if you are planning on utilising additional speakers or inputs (such as a CD/MP3 player or computer) remember to have the relevant accessories available.Your compass tells lies. The mists come down. The sun breaks through to reveal a rock formation that could not belong to Earth.The best place to start is to think about a PA system as three simple parts:But will I ever find out what the UFO was?4. Expanding your system� Music is better in stereo. While a mono system may be okay for speech, music sounds better in stereo.PA systems can be expanded in a variety of ways. These include adding microphones, companion speakers, speaker stands, and additional cables. However, to make this possible the system will need multiple input and output jacks.
Overall the most important thing to consider is what features you will need. There is no point in paying for additional features that you are unlikely to use now, but at the same time try to pick a system to which you can add to in the future.
Author: Joel Turner
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