Placement; Room Acoustics - Mackie REACH Owner's Manual

Placement

WARNING: Installation should only be done
by an experienced technician. Improper
installation may result in damage to the
equipment, injury or death. Make sure that Reach is
installed in a stable and secure way in order to avoid
any conditions that may be dangerous for persons or
structures.
Reach is designed to be pole-mounted via the built-in
socket located on the bottom. Be sure the pole
is capable of supporting the weight of Reach.
The SPM200 is a great option if using a subwoofer.
Check to make sure that the support surface
(e.g. floor, etc.) has the necessary mechanical
characteristics to support the weight of Reach.
When pole-mounting, be sure that the Reach
is stabilized and secured from falling over or being
accidentally pushed over. Failure to follow these
precautions may result in damage to the equipment,
personal injury, or death.
As with any powered components, protect them from
moisture. Avoid installing the loudspeaker in places
exposed to harsh weather conditions. If you are setting
them up outdoors, make sure they are under cover if
you expect rain.

Room Acoustics

Reach is designed to sound fantastic in nearly every
application.
But, room acoustics play a crucial role in the overall
performance of a sound system. However, the wide
high-frequency dispersion of Reach helps to minimize
the problems that typically arise.
Here are some additional placement tips to help
overcome some typical room problems that might arise:
• Placing Reach in the corner of a room increases
the low frequency output and can cause the
sound to be muddy and indistinct.
• Placing Reach against a wall increases the
low frequency output, though not as much as
corner placement. However, this is a good way
to reinforce the low frequencies, if so desired.
16
Reach Professional PA System
• Avoid placing Reach directly on a hollow stage
floor. A hollow stage can resonate at certain
frequencies, causing peaks and dips in the
frequency response of the room. It is better to
place it on a sturdy stand designed to handle
the weight.
• Position Reach so the high-frequency drivers
are two to four feet above ear level for the
audience (making allowances for an audience
that may be standing/dancing in the aisles).
High frequencies are highly directional and
tend to be absorbed much easier than lower
frequencies. By providing direct line-of-sight
from the loudspeakers to the audience,
you increase the overall brightness and
intelligibility of the sound system.
• Highly reverberant rooms, like many
gymnasiums and auditoriums, are a
nightmare for sound system intelligibility.
Multiple reflections off the hard walls, ceiling,
and floor play havoc with the sound. Depending
on the situation, you may be able to take some
steps to minimize the reflections, such as
putting carpeting on the floors, closing
draperies to cover large glass windows, or
hanging tapestries or other materials on the
walls to absorb some of the sound.
However, in most cases, these remedies are not
possible or practical. So what do you do?
Making the sound system louder generally
doesn't work because the reflections become
louder, too. The best approach is to provide as
much direct sound coverage to the audience
as possible. The farther away you are from
the speaker, the more prominent will be the
reflected sound.
Use more Reach Professional PA Systems
strategically placed so they are closer to the
back of the audience. If the distance between
the front and back speakers is more than about
100 feet, you should use a delay processor
to time-align the sound. (Since sound travels
about 1 foot per millisecond, it takes about
1/10 of a second to travel 100 feet.)
Keep in mind that the EQ mode and feedback
destroyer are two great ways to compensate for some of
these issues. See page 14 for more information [18, 16].