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Sound Reinforcing Systems: Audio
Sound Reinforcing Systems: Audio
S
OUND REINFORCING
strict sense of the word, public applicable primarily to large halls and on, and surely the illusion would not be
address. I t is an electro-acoustic outdoor places of entertainment. It is preserved if the sounds appeared to
system of amplifying and converting also interesting to note that the art of come from any spot other than where
sounds into acoustic energy in such a sound reinforcing is relatively young. It they are produced. The last requirement
fashion as t c aid the uriginal sound and has ,originated since the advent of tlie of a sound reinforcing system--one
to permit comfortable listening. A sound microphone, loudspeaker, and amplifier. without which an otherwise good sys- ,
reinforcing system i i not a reproducer tem will cease to be good--concerns the
As a matter of fact, to the writer's
of sound, nor is it a producer of sound. acoustics of the hall in which the system
knowledge, no outstanding installations is to be installed and the attention of the
Fundamentally, the approach to a sound of sound reinforcing systems were in
reinforcing system and the analysis of a design engineer to these acoustic prob-
use prior to 1931. Our forefathers were lems.
sound reinforcing problem depends on able to get around this fact by develop-
sound reproducers and sound producers. I t is not possible to install a perfect
ing people with high acoustic output, sound reinforcing system for many
A sound reproducer is something and we cherish the memories of such
which picks up a sound, amplifies it, and reasons, and numerous con~promises
porducers of sound as Caruso and Wil- must be effected. In order to get suffi-
reproduces it so that the sound is as liam Jennings Bryan. Now, through the
near to the original as possible. I n this cient amplification before feedback, the
efforts of sound engineers, we have dc- characteristics of the microphoncs
process no latitude should be taken by veloped a crop of singers who croon and
the engineer or the user to modify the should be such as to limit their range
politicians who whisper into KB2C9s.
original sound, even though this mdifi- of pickup to the area in which the
cation may make the sound more pleas- System Requirements sounds are being produced. In general,
ing. I n a case where latitude is taken directional microphones are needed with
Let us now consider the requirements norillal pickup from the stage side and
to modify the nature of the original
of the so-called perfect sound reinforc- little from the audience side. These go
sound, th'en the instrument is no longer
ing system, or at least the requirements
a reproducer of sound but becomes a a long way toward increasing the maxi-
of a system that would fill all the desired
producer of sound. For instance, Ham- mum usable gain.
and ideal functions. The first require-
mond organs and electric guitars are
ment is for a system to amplify all
essentially producers of sound, whereas Loudspeakers
sounds on the stage regardless of whcrc:
broadcast studios, transmitters, and ra- On the speaker side, a directional unit
these sounds originate, and to amplify
dio receivers are essentially reproducitig is required so that the sounds produced
them with sufficient intensity for the
networks. can be directed into the audience area
audience to hear comfortably before
A sound reinforcing system, how- feedback occurs. Feedback, of course, with a minimum of sound being returned
ever, is neither one of these, but a com- occurs when the sound returning to :he to the microphone. However, a dircc-
bination of both in view of the fact that microphone frbm the loudspeaker is tional horn to cover the low end of the
it is necessary to add to the original equal to the original sounds. The second spectrum is impractical because of ~ t s
sound so that the original sound plus requirement of the perfect sound reiii- size. Fortunately, this limitation is not
the amplified sound will make it sound forcing system is that all sounds he serious in view of 'the fact that most.
to the auditor as if it were all original amplified and reproduced equally insofar sounds below 150 cps produced in the
sound. Therefore. in the ~ e r f e c tsound theater are of a sufficient intensity as
as the frequency response is concerned.
reinforcing system, this blending of the The third requirement is that the wave not to require much sound reinforcing.
amplified sound plus the original sound form characteristics of the sound he Therefore, ySru will find that in most
gives the auditor a feeling of comfort- preserved, that is, that the reproduced sound reinforcing systems the emphasis
able listening without his realizing that sounds be relatively free from distortion. is laid on those frequencies extending
amplification is being made. The fourth requirement is that the illu- upward from the fundamental of the male
From these statements it is readily sion be preserved. This, of course, is a voice. At the high-frequency end of the
most important factor when it comes to spectrum. some compromises have to be
* General Manager, Commercial Radio- show business. The basic reason for effected in the loudspeaker design. Se-
231 E. 47tk s$.,New Yo,,k 17,
N. Y. people going to theaters is to lose them- lection is limited, in view of the fact