PA System
Everything about PA System and Its Classification:
What is PA System?
Among all the vocabulary that exists among professionals of concert production, the question of what is a PA system has had a wide variety of responses from specialized books to professionals with experience in tours and festivals. Before helping you understand what “PA” or “PA system” means and the elements that make it up, it is important to recognize that the more complex the application, the PA system is also.
In general terms, the PA system has been defined as a system of amplifiers, microphones, and loudspeakers used to amplify a music or speech in a space, whether indoor or outdoor. These systems are very common in schools, shopping centers, churches, transportation, auditoriums, bars, concert halls and even at an outdoor party. As you can see, PA systems are not exclusive to live music events such as concerts or festivals and depending on their application they can also be fixed or portable systems, and for musicians, there are very accessible PA systems.
The technology has allowed developing more efficient systems from the megaphone up to the speakers. So a megaphone could be considered a PA system? The answer is yes, at least conceptually speaking. If we can understand the system from the simplest point of view, we will be able to understand how complex the system becomes, the bigger the audience that needs to listen to us. Over time, the integration of technology and electronics into the concept of the PA system was evident.
Classification of Public Address System (PA System):
PA Systems Have Been Classified by the Size of their Application in:
Small Systems:
These systems are widely used because they integrate almost all the elements that make up a PA system in the same equipment. That makes it easy to transport and assemble in smaller scale presentations such as on the street, a cafeteria, a social outdoor party or simply in a rehearsal. They are widely used by musicians and artists who want to bring their music to the first public.
Medium Systems:
Medium PA systems are very common in rental companies to be used in different business, social and cultural events. They can also be posted in the establishment as in an auditorium, a conference room or a concert venue. If your musical project is in a growth stage, it is very common that in many establishments they do not offer PA and if it is only essential to play there, we do not recommend it because you will have to invest in renting the PA equipment.
Large Systems:
Very large establishments such as airports, shopping centers, universities or amusement parks, require more complex PA systems to cover all possible spaces and make announcements. In this classification, we can also locate the systems used for concerts in arenas or stadiums, as well as large-scale festivals.