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Public Address Systems for Schools: How to Choose the Right Public Address System

PA systems are essential equipment for the modern school. They serve a variety of purposes, such as playing music for school assemblies, making announcements at outdoor fun days, and providing sound reinforcement for concerts and plays. However, buying a system can be a daunting decision, leaving those unfamiliar with audio systems baffled by the double-dutch tech specs and cryptically labeled knobs and buttons. However, don’t let this put you off; Armed with a little knowledge and simple advice, you can make a confident decision about what to buy. In this article, we’ll take a look at some of the most common PA system solutions on the market.

portable PA systems

A portable PA is one of the most common options for schools due to its ease of use, versatility, and cost. Portable PA systems include everything you need in a box that can be moved around the school and installed in classrooms and hallways throughout the school, without hassle. These systems often integrate one or more wireless microphone receivers, a rechargeable battery for use away from the main sources, an MP3 player with SD card/USB memory, and audio jacks for connecting external sources such as iPods and CD players.

Installation of public address systems

For a permanent solution in school corridors and gymnasiums, installing a PA can often be the right choice. The speakers can be mounted to walls and ceilings to keep them out of the way and free up floor space. The mixer/amplifier to which the speakers connect can be rack mounted along with any other equipment such as a CD player or wireless microphone receiver. Once installed, you’re ready to go, simply power up the system when needed, no setup or fiddling with cables required. Installation systems often use 100V line technology, which means multiple loudspeakers can be used in large areas and in separate rooms if required.

Outdoor PA systems

For outdoor events, such as sports days and fun days at school, an outdoor PA system may often be required. Because PA is exposed to the elements and is often required to reach a large area, a more specialized solution may be necessary. Outdoor PAs use weather-resistant speakers and are designed to be heard from a distance. Like the installation systems, they use 100V line technology to use 3, 6, 8 or more speakers for maximum coverage. They can be used with microphones to provide announcements and CD players or iPods to provide background music.

band PA systems

For school plays, concerts, and other performances, you need a PA that can take multiple inputs and mix them into a single source for amplification. Band PA systems include a large mixer that has 2, 4, 8, or more microphone channels for amplifying multiple performers, and one or more stereo channels for playing music and other audio from external sources. They can be used with wired or wireless microphones as needed.

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