They
had to at city council meetings because the sound system didn't
work. Every so often, you could see a speaker move his or her lips,
but not hear anything, particularly during some lively debates. To solve
the problem, the Jacksonville City Council called in Florida Sound
Engineering.
What
they discovered was a classic case of obsolete design. Different numbers
of "on" microphones and different distances between them affect
audio signals. With over 40 microphones, the old manual-type mixer could
not compensate for all the microphone variables involved. And the audio
technician simply could not adjust the levels between microphones fast
enough.
The
first thing FSEC did was replace the outdated audio mixer with
state-of-the-art equipment. The new mixer simultaneously set the levels of
the 40 microphones. Totally automatic, it makes the adjustments in
microseconds.
Next,
FSEC replaced the front speakers with ceiling speakers. The sound from
front speakers in a low-ceilinged room tunnels across a room, causing hot
spots and multiple echoes. The slight delays cause a public speaker's
voice to look like it's out of sync with his or her lips, and give the
impression that you are looking at a poorly dubbed movie with echoes. But
overhead speakers aim the sound right down at the audience. In doing so,
the distance everyone is from the speaker is equalized, and that prevents
distortions.
If
you're getting a lot of lip because your sound system isn't working, give
us a call.
