3 Features That Determine an Excellent Portable PA System
3 Features That Determine an Excellent Portable PA System
Whether a portable PA or public address system is used during a school activity, a Zumba class in the park, or a weekend jamming in your home, you should always make sure that it is in the best shape to give the best satisfaction to all. A portable PA system has the benefit of having everything inside a single unit. This means that you can just carry it at the back of your car and it’s all set upon plugging in. But what really makes a good public address system?
For an all-in-one or portable public address system to be considered a good one, it should be loud and clear both to the operator and the listeners. This means that you should know how to determine a quality PA system when buying. Here’s what every buyer should check when purchasing a new portable public address system.
Speaker
When checking for the speaker, you should check for that wattage, size and shape, and sound quality. With a portable PA system has a higher wattage, you can increase the volume without getting fuzzy. The same is true with the size and weight of a speaker. The bigger the speaker, the more it can produce louder sounds. Testing for sound quality before buying should always be done. More often than not, it comes with a price to buy an all-in-one PA system with high-definition and clear sounds.
Other things to consider when checking the speaker is whether it is active or passive. Active speakers are usually preferred over passive versions as they are more flexible as their power amp is incorporated inside the unit. You should also inspect if the PA system uses the front of house speaker, which means that sound is directed to the listeners. Performers or the operator can use an in-ear monitor to listen to the sound more clearly.
Live Mixers
General live mixers are composed of higher, mid-range, and low to be able to produce a well-defined sound. The live mixer equalizes the signal to and from the microphones and balances it to produce a quality sound. Simple portable PA systems, which are used in seminars, Zumba classes, jamming, and other events may only have a few inputs. On the other hand, those used in concerts and other professional undertakings use multiple inputs for several microphones.
Microphones
When choosing microphones, you have to choose between condensers and dynamics. Condensers involve are very efficient with high frequencies, however, they are more prone to break if not handled properly. Dynamic microphones are mostly multi-patterned so they can capture sounds from different directions.
