I enjoy posting about technologies that are take for granted. This week I would like to focus on one that amplifies the most ancient instrument, the human voice. The technology responsible for projecting and amplifying the voice is called the Public Address System, most commonly referred to as a PA system. The PA system has revolutionized many aspects of music performance. It has also created new opportunities for any kind of situation that involves addressing a large crowd.
Remember in elementary school when we used to play telephone and pass on a message throughout the class? By the time the last person was done trying to decode the message they announced it out loud to the class to see how distorted it became over time. This is how I imagine the process of presenting a message before the invention of the PA system. Now in every school auditorium, concert hall, or public speaking venue there is sure to be a PA. A modern variation is generally composed of: a mixing board which gets plugged into a power source, two or more speakers to project the sound, and a single or multiple microphones. Being able to use and manage the technology during a performance has even called for the creation of a new job; the sound engineer. It is amazing how many ensembles utilize this technology and are in need or a good sound engineer.
Not only does the PA amplify the voice of singers and speakers, the microphones plugged into the PA can also project choir sounds and give instruments a boost. Live recordings through the PA mixed well enough can even be used for distribution and for profit. In most modern schools PA’s are used for theatrical productions, musicals, concerts, and speeches. Professional venue productions call for the PA too (like Broadway, PNC arts center, Madison Square Garden) and their versions may differ slightly from my earlier description. At these venues, the PA is perhaps the most important piece of technology being used, and has to have the ability to reach a very large audience. These PA’s generally have hundreds of speakers set up around the stage and multiple microphones being utilized. I can’t even imagine what the mixing board would look like or what size of a team is required to keep the sound levels working!
I very much enjoyed reading your thoughts on the PA system. Its very much an amplifier for the oldest instrument to date. It has many uses both musically educationally and for anything with the tag performance before or after it. I have a 600I from yamaha and I love it. i sing in a rock band and the effects that come in the mixing board are pretty awesome. there are 4 channels for mic'S and another 4 for instruments. there is a little distort button. Each channel has high mids and lows plus reverb. there is the overall master button and a few other effect, Depending on what you get there is a lot of options for a vocalist.
ReplyDelete