The Three Legged Magician
17th in a series of articles about portable PA gear and how to operate them.
Quality presentation audio comes from quality portable PA systems. But beyond the capabilities of the system itself, is there anything presenters can do to further enhance the sound? Yes. There is a simple tip to better project the sound to an audience. The magic word is “tripod”.
Using a tripod with PA systems enables the sound to be projected further. When any PA is set on the ground, the crowd in front of it blocks the projected audio, diminishing the signal from traveling back through the audience. Raising the PA to a minimum suggested head height enables the sound to be better distributed, ensuring those in the back receive the same complete message as those in the front.
The lighter TP-30 shown on the left and the TP-50 shown right.
Setting a PA on a tripod can also improve the reception from wireless microphones or between wireless speakers. At the elevated level, there are less objects to block or interfere with the transmission, so presenters can count on the entire message to be transmitted.
Califone offers two different tripods. For the heavier PowerPro series PAs, the beefier TP-50 tripod is rated to carry up to a 100lb. speaker. It has a broad 40” footprint for stability (measured from tripod leg tip to tripod leg tip), is constructed with 1-3/8” aluminum tubing with protective plastic end tips to avoid marking floors, and has a maximum 74” height. For the lighter PresentationPro™ series of speakers is the TP-30 tripod. Its 1-1/8” aluminum tubing is rated to hold up to 55lbs., has a 30” footprint for stability with protective plastic end tips, and has a maximum 68” height. Each tripod comes with its own two-handle nylon bag for storage while not in use.
Califone also offers the table-top TP-285 for use with the 5 Watt Voice Saver™ to project audio which might be connected to its aux-in for multimedia presentations from computers, LCD projectors, or MP3 players.
Read the previous article in the series or return to the beginning.
