PA application in leisure facilities

PA application is not an end in itself. PA application should not be implemented in a building or rooms just for the sake of it. And just because similar leisure facilities are also modernising their PA application, doesn't mean your customer needs new PA technology. There must be a reason. For installers, this means involving customers in the brainstorming process to ensure a more satisfying result:

• What should the PA application achieve?
• What is the desired outcome for the operator of the facility? For example: a certain atmosphere, visitors staying for a longer or shorter time?
• If there is already a PA system: what makes it inadequate?

A rough checklist is the first step towards the specification. As a first step, you should be able to answer these questions:

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Looking for inspiration for a PA system? We have best practice scenarios in our Audio Solution Guide:

Whether it's a youth centre, a fitness centre or a sports field, leisure facilities are often louder than offices or lecture halls. It is therefore essential that installers in the rooms of these projects measure the everyday sound level beforehand. Ideally, this should be done over several days to get an objective result. You should also ask yourself: are there acoustic errors such as echoes or flutter echoes. An appropriate measuring microphone can help you find out which amplifiers and speakers you need. A high volume capability is thus vital, especially in areas where children or young people are active, since background noise levels are usually high. Just like in sport, which always has a certain background level.

Looking for inspiration for a PA system? We have best practice scenarios in our Audio Solution Guide:

Customers often lack this awareness—where should they get it from?  Especially in leisure facilities, which are legally required to have a voice alarm system, acoustic measures for speech intelligibility are indispensable.  Make it clear from the start that speech intelligibility is a measurable metric that you should definitely pay attention to. And very important—you probably know this, but not your customer—speech intelligibility is not only the acoustics of the room, but also the interaction between the microphone and the speaker. You don't need to defend yourself here; just propose a better solution confidently.

Don't limit yourself to 100-volt PA system. Make it clear when you need more power

Yes, 100-volt technology has an excellent price-performance ratio. And even if modern 100-volt speakers have already improved significantly in terms of sound quality, they are not optimised for medium and loud music. If you want to play music that is more than just a quiet background noise, you need PA speakers with low-impedance technology  If music is an important part of the concept of the leisure facility, for example in many indoor sports facilities, the speakers should definitely have a 2-way bass reflex system. PA technology rarely makes compromises. Offer low-impedance technology if 100-volt technology is not enough, even if this increases the budget.

Depending on your budget, an additional wall-mounted subwoofer is also a good idea. Our experience shows that the subjective difference in quality is enormous when these low frequencies are more clearly audible to the visitor, but only if these basses fit into the concept of the leisure facility. A subwoofer can be easily integrated into any room and has a very wide radiation characteristic.

Leisure facilities are among the most diverse PA applications. An important factor is the interaction between customer expectations and the planning and execution by the installer. We are proud to have been a partner for installers and expert planners in the field of PA technology for decades, and strive to help make such projects even more successful. Contact our technical project management team or browse through our magazine to find out more about planning PA systemsor ceiling speakers.