5 Rules of Thumb for Sound System Speaker Placement

A Quick Guide to Proper Loudspeaker Placement

The two most important elements in your sound system are your microphones and your loudspeakers. The first determines what sound enters your system; the second determines what sound exits your system. Assuming you have selected the appropriate mics and all that’s in between, everything your system has achieved will be wasted if your loudspeakers are improperly placed.

Feedback is the first sign that your loudspeakers may not be properly located. Reverberating sound bouncing off room walls or dead spots in your coverage area are other symptoms of poorly placed speakers. Speaker placement is always dependent upon a room’s acoustical characteristics, but some basic rules can offer guidance.

1) Loudspeaker output  needs to cover your entire seating area. Speakers are directional devices, that is they emit sound in a specific direction. Every seat in the house needs to receive direct sound from your speakers for every person to hear your message clearly. Each speaker model has a specific coverage pattern (the angle of directionality of sound coming out of the speakers). This pattern is described in the manufacturers specification sheet for each model they make. You will need to choose the appropriate number of speakers and select the coverage patterns that best fit your room or space.

2) Determine if your loudspeakers should be located centrally or on opposite sides of the stage. If your ceiling is high enough, a center cluster may be recommended. If your meeting place has low ceilings or is a temporary location, speakers placed on opposing sides may be the best alternative. Most church sound systems are single channel or mono and not stereo like your home sound system. Running right and left signals to either side of the stage is not usually a good idea. Especially long rooms may require satellite speakers and a digital delay. (Ask your CCI Solutions representative for details if this might apply to you.)

3) Attempt to place your speakers between the first row of the audience and your microphones, not behind the microphones. Speakers emitting sound directly into a microphone will almost always cause feedback.

4) If your loudspeakers are on opposing sides, make sure each speaker covers its own half of the room to avoid phase cancellation. Phase cancellation occurs when the sound waves from two separate speakers cross. The sound waves cancel each other and leave a dead spot in the room with no sound or reduced sound.

5) Raise your speakers to the proper height. Loudspeakers should be high enough for the sound to get over the heads of people in the front row, whether they’re standing or sitting, and reach the back row. Sound (especially high-frequency sound) has a difficult time traveling through solid objects. The less you put in its path, the better. Several methods can be used including stacking speakers (if they are designed for stacking), putting speakers on tripod speaker stands, or suspending speakers from the ceiling (know as flying the speakers).

Other variables will determine the ideal location for your loudspeakers: room acoustics, loudspeaker efficiency, and your sound system’s capabilities. But, these short guidelines will give you a starting point. Always feel free to call your CCI Solutions representative for assistance with your particular sound system’s needs.