School PA Systems

School PA systems are one of our specialities, with experience in both small and large campus installations for primary and secondary schools, and for college and university sites.

Audio Installations understand the needs and requirements of schools, and offer our equipment and installations through school credit, meaning no upfront costs and no deposit, which allows us to get the ball rolling as quickly as possible for you.

We offer a wide selection of audio equipment and package systems to suit every situation, from the smallest of primary schools to the multiple building facilities of a college, with options for both standard audio systems and our school lockdown systems.


School PA System

SOUND SYSTEM FOR SCHOOL HALLS

The heart of any school is its hall. With assemblies, concerts, presentations and drama shows, it’s a versatile space that often finds itself as the central hub of daily school life.

A sound system for any hall must be just as versatile, and able to perform at many different volume levels to suit.

It must be easy to operate by both staff and students, and be installed in a way that doesn’t intrude visually, but provides clear and defined sound when in use.

Our multi use speaker systems for schools include superb wall mounting units that can operate in daily for background music and announcing, yet come alive for concerts and shows with serious levels of performance.

Local inputs through a mixer controller allow easy connections for microphone systems and AV projectors, and the hall is fully controllable as an independent audio zone, whilst remaining under a master control of the larger school wide sound system.

SCHOOL PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEM

Though some schools do play background music around the building, the main function of an audio installation is for announcements and updates. This can be anything from paging a staff member or student, to a health and safety warning or a general information on an event.

Installed audio systems allow full access to all areas of the school from one convenient location, such as a main office or reception desk. This makes the entire site reachable from a single microphone when needed, including all outdoor areas to ensure nobody is missed.

The systems are easy to use, and allow for handy features such as timed pre-recorded announcements and calendar triggered messages, along with full selection of which zones receive either music or announcements at any chosen time.


School Public Address System

INSTALLATION SPEAKERS FOR SCHOOLS

School environments call for several types of speakers during an installation, though ceiling speakers will be the most widely used in most areas as they provide great coverage.

Ceiling speakers fit flush into dropped ceilings and cavity ceilings, which makes fitment a quick and simple task. They are ideal in classrooms and corridors where they provide ample levels of performance for daily use.

For areas such as common rooms, staff rooms and drama studios, where perhaps the system may be required to provide high quality music throughout parts of the day, a wall speaker will often be used.

Wall speakers come in several sizes depending on the performance required, and offer superb detail and response with music. They allow for better bass than ceiling speakers, and are available in both black and white designs to blend in with the surroundings.

OUTDOOR SPEAKERS

For the common areas such as playgrounds and car parks, and for other outdoor areas such as tennis and netball courts or football pitches, the use of all weather speakers is required.

These wide dispersion outdoor speakers are usually horn designs, with a single unit offering huge sound throw for amazing coverage. Just a few well placed horn speakers can be more than adequate to cover a large exposed area.

Their all weather construction means they can be a permanent fixture in the open elements of a school’s campus, ensuring that students and staff can hear important messages wherever they happen to be.

SCHOOL LOCKDOWN SYSTEMS

Modern problems require modern solutions, and our school lockdown systems are an important part of any school that wants its staff and students to be as safe as possible.

Emergency buttons located around the school premises can be pushed in an emergency situation. They signal the school’s main PA system and totally override it, playing out a pre-recorded warning message or instructions at a preset volume.

It doesn’t matter if there’s music playing, or if any of the speakers on the system are already in use. The override will immediately mute all inputs in favour of the triggered response.

These audio lockdown systems are separate to the building’s fire system for safety reasons, but can be triggered by a fire alarm to playback instructions if required.


School Lockdown Systems

AUDIO OVER IP

For larger, multi building schools and colleges, it can overstretch the capabilities of a standard zonal sound system, with it just not being practical to try and operate what could be hundreds of speakers from one central amplifier location.

Audio over IP systems tackle this by using the Ethernet network and using it as an audio data transmission line. With each building or zone using a receiver unit and amplifier, allowing it to be both independent, and part of the larger networked system.

A master transmitter can be located at the main office or reception, and have access to all the receivers and connected speakers on the system.

Audio over IP can solve many of the problems that arise when planning and installing a cohesive and connected audio system in large schools and commercial facilities, reducing cabling issues and maintaining digital quality to the sound over long distances.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a school PA system?

A school PA system is an audio system used for announcements and to provide background music or audio. It will usually include a sound system for the hall, ideal for assemblies, shows and concerts. It may also include speakers around the school building for announcement purposes. There are an extensive range of PA systems available in many shapes and sizes to suit the requirements of every school.

How do you use a school PA system?

Once speakers have been mounted, it is simple to use a school PA system. Speakers around the school will be controlled by a mixer amplifier in one location. This allows announcements to be made to the whole school from a microphone. A school hall will usually be an independent audio zone, controlled easily with the supplied amplifier. The hall will also be under the master control of the larger school wide sound system.

What PA system is best for a school?

To find the best PA system for your school, consider your requirements. A standard audio system will include multiple speakers and a mixer amplifier to control the speakers from a central point. For multi building schools an audio over IP system is perfect. This uses the Ethernet network as an audio transmission line, and each building is part of a larger networked system. Another choice is a school lockdown system which includes emergency buttons. These override the PA system and play a pre-recorded warning message.

What are the components of a school PA system?

A school PA system will typically include a speaker system for the school hall. Usually this features wall mounted speakers, with variable volume and an amplifier with connections for microphones and AV projectors. It may also include ceiling speakers around the school for broadcasting. These speakers will be controlled from one location, e.g. the main office, by an amplifier, allowing the entire site to be reached by a single microphone.

How much does a school PA system cost?

The cost of a school PA system will vary greatly depending on the size of your school and your requirements. For instance a simple audio system will suit a small primary school, while a college with multiple buildings will require a more extensive system. At Audio Installations we offer our equipment through school credit. This means no upfront costs or deposit is needed. Please get in touch to discuss your needs and get an idea of cost.

What type of speaker to use in a school PA system?

There are several types of speakers that can be installed in a school PA system. Ceiling speakers are a popular choice, with a discreet look and good sound coverage. Wall speakers are typically used in school halls, and drama studios, as these provide quality audio at higher volume levels, and have better bass. For outdoor areas you will need all weather speakers. These often feature a horn design for wide sound coverage, ideal for sporting fields.

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