Portable Sound systems for Schools – Why a portable sound system makes sense for your school or hall?

Getting great sound from a reliable, well-built, sound system is a key part of any live performance. Whether it's a musical performance, play, speech or lecture, great sounding audio is vital. For most venues, this means relying on a fully installed professional sound system. However, for some venues, the option to go portable, without compromising on sound quality, exists. 

Just like a traditional, installed, set-up, a portable system includes a mixing desk and speakers. Most units are expandable, so when your needs change, so can your sound system. Today, there is pretty much a portable system for every occasion. Therefore, it is important to pick the right one for your school. For example, depending upon what sort of events you are looking to hold, you’ll need to be sure you pick a system that is powerful enough for your needs. This is especially important if you intend to use the system outdoors. 

Sports Days

Often seen as the most popular event in the school calendar, a great sports day is the highlight of summer for students and parents alike. Small schools might get away with a megaphone, but larger institutions need something better. Whether it’s announcing the next event, celebrating the winners or broadcasting music, a good quality sound system can help you pull off a great event. 

A portable system means you can take your speakers with you to the track, or pitch side, so wherever the action is, so are you!

Productions and events

Portable systems aren’t just useful for the outdoors, they’re also great for remote events around your school, college or university. Knowing that you can guarantee great sound quality in any room means you’ll have the flexibility to hold events wherever you want them, and, importantly, without ever compromising on sound quality.

Portable sound systems are also easy to transport throughout your school and often don’t need any special lifting or moving equipment. In fact, most units are light enough to be wheeled by one person, and can be set up quickly, and are simple to use. 

Easy to use

One of the key features to look for in any new technology is how easy it is to use. After all, nobody wants to spend hours figuring out the technical side of a mixer or wiring complex speakers together. A good portable unit should be as straightforward as possible, and, of course, user friendly.

Our portable systems are based on a “plug and play” approach. This means our sound systems don’t need any complicated manuals or specialist tools to use them. We have a range of bundles that are designed to work perfectly from day one - all of which are simple to operate. 

Go wireless for better flexibility

Portable sound systems go great with a wireless microphone setup. In particular, outdoor events are made so much easier by cutting the cable tying you to the mixing desk. Wireless microphones are available as handheld, headset mounted or as lavalier mics, which clip to your shirt if you want to go hands-free. 

Thinking about investing in a portable sound system? Here’s 4 things to consider:

1: Power. You must have enough wattage in your speakers to provide good sound quality indoors and outdoors. Usually, a pair of 300W speakers with 10” drivers or larger is a good place to start. That will give you enough volume to run the system comfortably without the need to over dial the volume and risk distorting the sound. Active speakers can make combatting this potential issue easy. This is because they have the amplifier built into the speaker meaning they are even easier to plug in and play from.

2: Cost. Your budget will likely affect which unit you end up choosing. But, whatever your budget, it is always worth investing in good quality equipment, and buying the best unit you can afford as this will save you money in the long run. A simple system can start at around £2500 which includes two active speakers, a mixer in a flight case, as well as two wireless microphones and a multimedia playback system.

3: Portability. Not all systems are easy to transport by hand, so if you need to move your equipment manually, it's worth keeping an eye on the weight of each piece of equipment you choose. It’s also worth checking if the unit comes with a flight case or padded covers to protect the more sensitive equipment during transportation and operation. 

4: Extra features and effects. Some mixer units come with built-in reverb and other effects. These are worth bearing in mind if you're looking to hold musical events. All of our systems have multimedia playback, with built-in Bluetooth. This can be a great feature to consider if you’re wanting to work wirelessly. 

If you’re looking for a simple, portable sound system, we have a range of choices available.

At Stage Electrics, we know what goes into a good sound system. You can find our current range of portable options here. If on the other hand, you’re looking for a fully installed video, sound and lighting system for your school, college or university, we recommend Opus (add link). For more information, get in touch with our team today, and we’ll talk you through all your options.