Mixing, matrix, multi-room: these are the options which state-of-the-art PA amplifiers provide

How many rooms, zones and floors do you want to cover with one single amplifier? That is the first and foremost parameter you have to consider. Additionally, you have to take into account whether different music or announcements are required or if it is sufficient to reproduce the same sources at different volumes. You have to be sure about these aspects before you select a multi-room solution or an amplifier.

A mixing amplifier features several inputs for different audio sources and is able to reproduce them via one output. A typical application is the playback of music with occasional announcements. Using a mixing amplifier you can e.g. play music via USB or SD interface and at the same time transmit a microphone signal. It is not possible to transmit individual signals for different zones, since the term 'mixing' does not refer to the zones but only to the sound source. The differences between mixing amplifiers are mainly in the power rating.

As the name already indicates, you can control different zones with a zone mixing amplifier. Just as with a mixing amplifier, the sound sources can be mixed. However, you can transmit only one type of mixed sound sources to different zones, e.g. the same mixture of music and speech reproduction in several guest rooms.

Here, we have to distinguish between 2 concepts:

• PA amplifiers with up to 10 adjustable zones
• PA amplifiers, where you can only switch the zones on and off but cannot control them. Here, you can only adjust the input channels, yet these PA amplifiers support up to 20 zones.

Yet what is required to distribute various sources differently in various zones, i.e. to realise a mixed multi-room solution? A possible scenario would be a restaurant or a pub. In one room screenings e.g. of sports events are displayed, while in another room guests are enjoying their dinner accompanied by quiet background music. In addition, the host may want to make announcements, such as paging a number plate.

A crossbar or matrix, which distributes the audio signal from the input to a random number of outputs, could be the solution. Thus, zone matrix amplifiers allow for maximum flexibility. For only then the installer is able to configure which zone is to reproduce which source.

 

For this example we choose the following configuration of channels:

• Input 4 for background music via CD in the dining room
• Input 1 for a microphone for announcements
• Input 5 for television sound of public streaming

In this example, we additionally decide to provide the following rooms simultaneously with sound:

• Zone 1 as the main dining room
• Zone 4 for the event room

You assign the respective zones on the front of the device when everything on the rear panel is cabled, i.e. the amplifier's 3 inputs are loaded.

Using the example of the PA-4040, this can be done as follows:

• Press button 'Z4' in section 'CH5' on the front panel of the amplifier
• Respectively press 'Z1' in section 'CH4'
• For the microphone to be heard everywhere, press 'Z1' and 'Z4'

• Via one amplifier, you can provide a conference centre with 4 meeting rooms and one zone paging microphone with PA application.

• You can provide gyms with PA applications in different zones

• You can provide large hotel complexes with various rooms and areas flexibly with PA application

• You can provide lounge areas in clubs with PA applications. However, the power of zone matrix amplifiers often is not sufficient for clubs and an additional power amplifier may be required.

The concept is simple: the incoming audio signal is amplified at the output. This is the basic definition of a (power) amplifier. Amplifiers like these are still indispensable today. Zone power amplifiers have to be selected carefully, for often they rather meet their power limit in large PA applications than that the number of zones is not sufficient. Some zone matrix amplifiers only provide a low power rating of 40 watts per zone. That may be enough for a dental practice with 3 treatment rooms and one waiting room but not for a large night club. This does not mean that the PA-4040 (see picture above) is not a good choice, for you still have to distribute various sources into separate rooms. The power amplifier just ensures that enough power will be transmitted to various zones.

Big halls or hotel complexes sometimes require even more than 10-20 zones. Audio matrix systems provide that option. The devices often feature 8 inputs and 8 outputs. However, they can be cascaded to allow for even more zones, i.e. the number of outputs can be increased by connecting more audio matrix systems to the device. A master/slave function determines which is the 'main unit' controlling additional devices and which are the 'slave units' being controlled by the master. Up to 3 additional equal audio matrixes can be connected. With 8 inputs, this results in 4 x 8 outputs, i.e. 32 zones. This is usually sufficient even for the most extensive PA scenarios, e.g. multi-room solutions in large wellness facilities. In addition, these audio matrix systems provide further features.