Provisions for Public Address in New Construction of Campus Buildings
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DOCUMENTRESUME ED 025 910 EF 002 252 By-Palmer, Fred M. Public Address Systems. Specifications InstallationOperation. Pub Date Jan 66 Note-5p.; Presented at the Fifteenth Annual Meeting, Eastern Regional Croup, National Association of Physical-Plant Administrators, Hotel Biltmore, N.Y.C., Jan. 1966 EDRS Price MF-$0.25 HC-$0.35 Descriptors- Acoustics,*AudioEquipment.BuildingDesign,*BuildingEquipment,*Campus Planning, *Communications, *Construction Programs, Facsimile Communication Systems, Microphones Provisionsforpublicaddressinnew construction of campus buildings (specifications, installations, and operation of public address systems), are discussed in non-technical terms. Consideration is given to microphones, amplifiers, loudspeakers and the placement and operation of various different combinations. (ES) all 1.pem to have different resonantpeaks which clash in the vicinity of 4i;,c;-loudSpeakers. Also, it V bad practice tohave live mikes around where 04Ahey'tin pick up conversation or sounds thatare/not meant for thepublic. :.:liiAhe classroom, laboratory or lecture roomthat is large enough to exists. It is )7;imie,Votce 'amplification desirable,quite another condition gimpraotleal;to have an operator for everysession where the p.a.is used AW,Pso some:compromise must be made toenable the professor toactivate the Wbuilt-in'system with a minimum oftechnical know-how, He is usually will- plug it in ingto bring a neck microphone fromhis office, put it on and 4C:and,that is about all that thespeaker himself can beexpected to do except ',!A:fitill[the plug and return the miketo the office. I have here the Palmer ,':proftssor-proof switch which I designedand built for the specificsitua- into the jamb, a micro- tioniust described. As the mike plug is inserted What :...switchAs activated which turnsthe a.c. on for theamplifier power. is.mo're important, when the mikeplug is removed, the amplifieris auto- x.Maticallyiturned off -- a chore thatthe professor has troubleremembering to a mike ttv.ifo. The concealed amplifierhas been adjusted previously I attention Y:.ietting well below the feedback pointand should need no further utless tamOered with. : . :Incidentally, this professor-proof switch wonsecond prize in the dgets, gimmicks and witchcraft contestat the annual meetingin Raleigh whichYgave me quite a thrill as well as$30, in Yankee money. '-We will discuss the placing ofmicrophones a little later sothis might be a good place to stop forquestions that you mighthave relative to microphones. r, A relatively new unit, designedfor the border-lineapplication where , amplification is needed, combines alectern with a -v on y a little speech transistorized amplifier to ,- columnarloudspeaker and battery operated, reinforce the voice enough for upto 500 people whereacoustics are good, that this unit will is now available as shown. Don't let anyone tel you audiences out-of-doors ,,. take the place of a publicaddress system for large This is an Ampli-Voxunit selling A orwitere there is competitive sound. for about $350 complete withbatteries. Choice of an amplifier isdictated by the variousacoustical require- and the area to be ments, the type and number ofinput devices to be used dining hall, a two covered with sound. Assume t't we are planning a new story building with a largelounge on the ground flooralong with public dining room for seat- rest rooms and storage, etc.The second floor has a It is desirable ing 500 and an adequate kitchen andfood preparation area. building all day and an to have back-ground FM radiomusic in all of this banquets and adeqUate p.a. system for announcementsat meal time and for We immedi- special occasions that may forcetheir way into thisfacility. ately realize that the only way todistribute the sound isthru numerous loudspeakers located in the acousticalceilings.Using of rule of roughly discover that twice the ceiling height for spacingof these speakers, we in the a total of twentywill be required, ten inthe dining room: four In this kind of lounge, two in.the serving area andfour in the kitchen. application', indoors, five watts perspeaker should be amplevolume for should be adequate anroCcasion and therefore, 100watts of amplifier power for.this entire.system. PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEMS SPECIFICATIONS - INSTALLATION -OPERATION Fred M. Palmer a systems and Jty, Certainly all of you have beenexposed to public address have had, but we hope to vou may have had asmuch experience as I IrIl5`.torne 'of and be helpful to bring. out points today that willbe of interest to all . of public addressinstalla- mostrof you. We will touch upon several types tions but wish to dwell mostly onthe provisions forpublic address in be divided into 'new construction in campusbuildings. My short talk will and the placement and ,21):' four parts: Microphones,amplifiers, loudspeakers operation of various differentcombinations. , Before we proceed, there is a commonmisnomer used in thisbusiness loudspeaker it is as wrong ,that,makes.me boil. When a mike is called a device which as calling 1spark plug a truck tire. A microphone is a ,LconVerts*.sound waves into correspondingaudio frequencyelectrical which moves in accor- Y:Leiter#.,. It contains some formof flexible diaphragm Ag605dance with sound wave variations. The movement, inturn,.generates a WT'ljninute voltage which is fed tothe input of an amplifierwhere it is microphone available amplified many times. There are several types of Mut they all operate on the sameprinciple. with micro- Since we are only considering publicaddress, let's stay phones best suited to this purpose. Generally, lOkes are mounted on a by a cord around floor.stand, a lectern, a tablestand, hung on the person units for all these the neck or hand held. I have here some typical purposes which areprobably familiar to you. Medium priced mikls are frequency of 60 generally adequate for publicaddress use if they have a (the to 10,000 Os and aredesigned especially tominimize feedback Also, most public familiar howl or squeal oftenheard over p.a.systems.) high impedance inputs; address systems, especiallythe portable ones, have impedance units used in and this type mike isless expensive than low required broadcasting and recording andelsewhere where long cables are high between mike and amplifier orcontrol panel. It is possible to run appreciable losses in thehigh impedance lines as much as100 feet without impedance frequencies. .Farther than100 feet or installedin conduit, low ideal for public lines should be used. So,..-called cardiod microphones are pick-up at the front and address as they are designedto give maximum feedback troubles start. ignore sounds from theloudspeakers which is where There are many They permit close talkingand are rugged andtrouble-free. noise rejection, other models for special purposessuch as high background speech clippers and long range spot pick-up, stereoeffects, close talking telephonl taps, but we will nottake time for them here. Assuming that a Combination ofmicrophones is required for a convoca- operator be at tion, for instance, it is mostimportant that a competent He the controls at all times if asmooth and proper jobis to result. should be familiar with the program sothat he will have only the proper the moment and be ready mike or mikes turned onwhich are being used at Pre- to reduce the gainimmediately if feedbackshould start to develop. venting feedback is mucheasier if only one mikeis on at a time because -3- allIppem to have different resonantpeaks which clash in the vicinity of mikes around where loudtpeakers, Also, it i.bad practice to have live they't0 pick up conversation orsounds that are/not meant forthe public. 4:"..,..-10:the classroom, laboratory or lecture roomthat is large enough to ak4Notce amplification desirable, quiteanother condition exists. It is ''I'AmprAct.idal,to have an operator for everysession where the p.a. isused t;VPSO sope :compromise must be made toenable the professor to activatethe built..in'system with a minimum oftechnical know-howe He is usually will- plug it in hg. to bring a neck microphone fromhis office, put it on and and,that is about all that the speakerhimself can be expected todo except nll.the plug and return the miketo the office. I have here the Palmer 4:i;:.'professor-proof switch which I designedand built for the specificsitua- tiOnAust described. As the mike plug is insertedinto the jaMb, a micro- %..switch.is activated which turns the a.c. onfor the amplifier power. What -,As.mdreAmportant, when the nine plugis removed, the amplifieris auto- i'..MiatiCillyittirned off -- a chore that theprofessor has troubleremembering been adjusted previously to amike gr. ,titvd6 The concealed amplifier has -, well below the feedback pointand should need no furtherattention titiler0.-tamliered with. 'Ancidentally, this professor-proof switch wonsecond prize in the gimmicks and witchcraft contest atthe annual meeting inRaleigh g1:141chYgave me quite a thrill aswell as $30, in Yankee money. f. 4, :-We will discuss the placing ofmicrophones a little later sothis have relative ..1.-might be a good place to stop forquestions that you might , to miicrophones. where relatively new unit, designed forthe border-line application alectern with a .:!,..-.ontY,a little speech amplificationis needed, combines columnar loudspeaker and batteryoperated, transistorizedamplifier to good, reinforce the voice enough for up to500 people where acoustics are that this unit will is tiow available as shown. Don't let anyone te4/ you take.the place of a public addresssystem for large audiencesout-of-doors unit selling or where thereis competitive sound. This is an Ampli-Vox for about $350 complete withbatteries. Choice of an amplifier is dictatedby the various acousticalrequire- ments, the type and number ofinput devices to be usedand the area to be , dining hall, a two covered with sound. Assume t'17. we are planning a new story building with a largelounge on the ground flooralong with public dining room for seat- rest rooms and storage, etc.The second floor has a It is desirable ing 500 and an adequate kitchenand food preparation area.