Editing Sound reinforcement system (section)

{{Short description|Amplified sound system for public events}}
{{About|live sound reinforcement|other sound systems|Sound system (disambiguation)}}
{{Use American English|date=December 2019}}

[[File:Large Outdoor Concert.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Large outdoor [[pop music]] concerts use complex and powerful sound reinforcement systems]]
[[File:Rear panel of mixing console and amplifiers at concert of band 'Dead Can Dance' in Barcelona, May 2022.jpg|thumb|Rear panel of a medium-sized sound reinforcement system located at one side of the stage at a pop concert in a [[Forum Building|location with 3.200 seats]]. The setup (image covering about 3 m from left to right) includes the [[mixing console]] for the [[sound engineer]] (standing behind) and the [[power amplifier]]s, which are partly stacked in the rightmost [[19-inch rack]].]]

A '''sound reinforcement system''' is the combination of [[microphone]]s, [[signal processor]]s, [[amplifier]]s, and [[loudspeaker]]s in [[Loudspeaker enclosure|enclosures]] all controlled by a [[mixing console]] that makes live or pre-recorded sounds louder and may also distribute those sounds to a larger or more distant audience.<ref>{{Citation | last1 = Davis | first1 = Gary | first2 = Ralph | last2 = Jones | title = Sound Reinforcement Handbook | edition = 2nd | location = Milwaukee | publisher = Hal Leonard Corporation | year = 1989 | page = 4}}</ref>{{sfn |Eargle|Foreman|2002| p=299}} In many situations, a sound reinforcement system is also used to enhance or alter the sound of the sources on the stage, typically by using [[effects unit|electronic effects]], such as [[reverb]], as opposed to simply amplifying the sources unaltered.

A sound reinforcement system for a [[rock concert]] in a stadium may be very complex, including hundreds of microphones, complex [[live sound mixing]] and signal processing systems, tens of thousands of [[watt]]s of [[Audio power amplifier|amplifier]] power, and multiple [[Line array|loudspeaker arrays]], all overseen by a team of [[audio engineer]]s and technicians. On the other hand, a sound reinforcement system can be as simple as a small [[public address]] (PA) system, consisting of, for example, a single microphone connected to a 100-watt [[amplified loudspeaker]] for a singer-guitarist playing in a small [[coffeehouse]]. In both cases, these systems ''reinforce'' sound to make it louder or distribute it to a wider audience.{{sfn |Eargle|Foreman|2002| p=167}}

Some audio engineers and others in the [[professional audio]] industry disagree over whether these audio systems should be called sound reinforcement (SR) systems or PA systems. Distinguishing between the two terms by technology and capability is common, while others distinguish by intended use (e.g., SR systems are for [[live event support]] and PA systems are for reproduction of speech and recorded music in buildings and institutions). In some regions or markets, the distinction between the two terms is important, though the terms are considered interchangeable in many professional circles.<ref>{{citation |author-last=Borgerson |author-first=Bruce |url=http://svconline.com/mag/avinstall_pa_sr/index.html |title=Is it P.A. or SR? |work=Sound & Video Contractor |date=1 November 2003 |publisher=Prism Business Media |access-date=18 February 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081201080113/http://svconline.com/mag/avinstall_pa_sr/index.html |archive-date=1 December 2008 }}</ref>