Chapter-7 Public Address

systems

 It is necessary to address large gatherings. Such as public meeting or auditorium.

(‫)قاعة محاضرات‬.
 The voice of the person making the speech has to be amplified and distributed
over a large area.
 Public Address systems Requirements
1. Reverberation
“effect of echo”
2. Acoustic feed back
3. Direction of sound
4. Sound intensity
5. Ambient noise
6. Level limitation & speaker
drawbacks
7. Phase delay
Slow fading of sound due to reflection from other loudspeakers. The
reflected waves reach the listener later than the direct sound causing
interference.
Some sound waves from loudspeaker reach the microphone causing very
irritating sound and should be avoided.
Sound should reach the listener directly from the speakers.
As the sound travels, high notes suffer more attenuation than lower
notes. So, large number of small size loudspeaker is better than small
number of high power loudspeakers.
High frequency notes are affected by noise than low frequency notes.
Most P.A.S are equipped with high level limiter to keep output constant.
Phase delay between sounds from different loudspeakers affect the
intelligibility.
Public Address systems Block diagram
 Mixer

 The fixed resistors provide isolation of different channels.

 Better mixer uses pre-amplifier ( emitter-follower) is used for impedance
matching.
 Block diagram Cont.
Voltage amplifier:
When a mixer is just a fader, a separate voltage amplifier is necessary.
Impedance matching amplifier:
Using emitter-follower to ensure the output impedance matches the input
impedance of the power amplifier.
Power amplifier:
Provide sufficient power amplification with minimum distortion. Push pull
amplifier is used. It may be necessary to use transformer to match impedance
between the power amplifier and the loudspeaker.
 Amplifier power output

 An estimate of output power of power amplifier is essential.

 Once this rating is known , the rating of other component of public address
systems can be easily calculated.
 The loud speakers should be connected in series and parallel to provide
impedance matching to ensure maximum power transfer.
Examples
 Rules for problems
 From the value of area covered, efficiency, and required sound level. The amplifier
power output can be calculated.

 Efficiency = Sound Power at a distance r / power amplifier output

= Pi x 4∏ r2 / P

 Sound intensity in dB = 10 log10 (sound intensity/threshold of hearing)

 Output resistance at power amplifier secondary of transformer is

output power / N2 .

 Sound intensity in dB = sound level + sound level more than P + power absorption.