Open Forum

Angela

The answer to your question is along the lines of "how long is a piece of string?"

One size does not fit all.

From my almost 40 years of of doing sound for all sorts of events and rooms I proffer the following:

• KISS - Keep it simple
• do not use speakers with large woofers - they nearly all sound "unnatural" when reproducing the voice
• never mount speakers flush with the walls - you are pointing the horns in the speaker boxes straight at the back wall - hugely increasing any echo effects and reducing the system gain (read volume) before the onset of feedback.
• if you have the height, a single cluster speaker array (tailored to the length and width of the room works much better than a "stereo" system placed on each side of the stage at head height - actually in all cases height is your friend as you have to point the speakers down into the audience - no reflections from the back wall, less "wasted space" filling the air above the audience head etc
• analog mixers provide the best value for money and are easier to understand and hence the fundamentals of mixing - that said digital mixers make all sorts of things possible that simplify the life of the sound engineer

If you provide more information I would be happy to provide a fuller recommendation.  Room dimensions, seating capacity, stage type, height from floor to stage floor, height from floor to ceiling at the stage lip, seating - racked or flat.  

Rod

Hi,

As Rod said, one size does not fit all (all venues, all applications).

In that this is going to be a major purchase for your school, I assume you will be getting bids on the project. Those bids should be based on a thorough inspection of your theatre by the bidder and should reflect your expressed needs and desires. Please do not buy a system without expert consultation.

Echoing Rod's comment, analog equipment is going to come at a lower price point than digital but digital soundboards can be very helpful to the board operator and often include effects units as well as signal processing. These features, as auxiliary equipment for an analog board, can drive up the price making a cost between analog and digital almost a moot point.

Best of luck.

Dana 

Big ticket items like sound, rigging, and dimming systems should be designed by an objective party that is only interested in the success of the system meeting your needs, and not by parties that have a conflict of interest between profit and your needs.  An independent consultant with good experience in designing auditorium sound systems can listen to your programmatic needs (what types of shows are you planning?, who will be running the system?), evaluate the physical space for the accommodation of the equipment (power availability, possible conduit routes, where equipment racks can and cannot go, access to equipment hanging points, etc.), and assess the room noise levels (HVAC noise) and room acoustics (reverberation time, reflection patterns, etc.).  This facilitates the development of a range of possible solutions that can be discussed and prioritized before the design is developed into a set of bid documents.

Sometimes this assessment reveals that the equipment is actually in good shape, but it has been installed incorrectly, and/or that maybe there are some room acoustics issues that are thwarting the proper operation of the equipment.  Sometimes it is a combination of these elements and/or some, but not all, of the equipment needs to be replaced.  This allows you to spend money on the items that will yield the best results for the limited funds that are available.  If the needs assessment reveals that the funding may be inadequate for the upgrades that are needed, a consultant can be very helpful in explaining the issues to the finance committee so that they can appropriate the necessary funding to make the project successful.

By advertising for bids based upon a common set of design requirements, all of the potential contractors can prepare pricing quotations that can be compared on an apples-to-apples basis.  Most states require that this process be used for purchases above a set value (typically ranging from about ~$2,000 to 20,000).  This is good stewardship of the public monies to be invested.  Part of the consultant's service is to assist the owner (school district or college) in evaluating any product substitutions that might be requested, and to review the shop drawings to see that the contractor fully understands their contractual obligations.  They also typically will make at least one job site visit during the construction to check-in and see that the installation is being properly executed, and then will come back once the contractor is finished to adjust the system so that it performs optimally.

Where owners solicit multiple contractors to each do their own design and installation, the results will vary wildly as no two companies are basing their design upon the same criteria.  Whom at the school is truly knowledgeable enough about sound equipment, acoustics, and construction trades to be able to figure-out which proposal is the best 'deal'?  All to often the 'best deal' is simply selected as the lowest bid, which may not be based upon the actual needs of the end users at all.

A sound system is a SYSTEM of components that all work together in harmony to provide the end-user with a working solution.  If the big picture of the needs is to myopic, then important parts can be overlooked and compromise the results.

A sound system has may sub-systems to consider:

• Microphones (different types for different uses, including wired and wireless).
• Mixing Consoles (simple for the principal to use for a meeting, complex for a theatre production).
• Signal processors (to protect the speakers from being over-driven, route the signals to the various components and spaces, to time shift the signal where necessary, and to filter the audio spectrum for each of the different types of loudspeakers in the system).
• Assistive Listening System (ADA requirement - not an option).
• Recording and Editing Systems (for post-show editing and archiving where copyright allows).
• Intercommunications System (belt-pack style intercoms and fixed speakers in support spaces and public spaces).
• Playback systems for prerecorded sources (may include audio reinforcement of video playback sources).
• Stage Monitoring and fold-back system for performers.
• Speaker systems for audience seating areas, support spaces, and public spaces.
• Portable equipment (Stage Monitor Speakers, Mics, Cables, Headsets, etc.) and storage for this equipment.

And each of these elements must be properly documented as to where and how they mount, and the interconnection between them (e.g. the wiring diagrams).  Lack of accurate documentation ("as-builts") is the downfall of many projects - and this can create tremendous headaches should the system ever need service or there are plans for future upgrades. - Don't give anyone their final paycheck until the completed documentation is handed-over.

Sometimes it is necessary to make changes to the building to correct acoustical problems, add electrical infrastructure, or accommodate moving the sound mixing position from back in a closed 'control booth' out into the audience chamber where the sound operator can hear the system as the audience does.  These changes may require the assistance of an architect to ensure that they are constructed according to Building, ADA, and Fire codes, and sometimes an Electrical Engineer may be required to certify the power improvements needed to properly energize a new sound / video system.  A well coordinated design will usually result in a good quality system that will meet a generation of student's needs (well, at least until the next whiz-bang sound miracle becomes a must-have).