Transportable PA System — The New Option for Sound and Music in Public and Private Venues

In an effort to squeeze maximum utility out of minimal equipment outlay, budget-conscious schools, hotels, churches and other facilities are increasingly turning to the portable public address system as an answer to the high cost of installing a fixed system in every room where sound or music might be required. This trend toward opting for a mobile PA system that most anyone can quickly set up and use yields greatly increased savings over the limitations imposed by a fixed system.

"I recommend a portable public address system for schools who can only afford one sound system — one that is able to go into their media center, into their lunchroom, or outside onto the football field," says Summer Vyne, Team Supervisor with CCS Presentation Systems, a leading Scottsdale, Arizona, provider of PA and sound equipment. "The portable solution in one room averages $120-150, depending on the options. But it could cost $1000 'plus' for an installed solution because you have to pay for 5-6 speakers in the ceiling to have similar coverage, plus all the wiring, in addition to the amplification system itself."

Despite their go-anywhere capability — aided by sturdy enclosures, built-in rollers and retractable handles — the newest breed of portable public address systems lack for nothing in terms of power, fidelity, flexibility and features.

“The portable public address systems from Anchor Audio, for instance, have different levels for different requirements,” says Dave Johnson, Account Executive with Troxell Communications, a leading national audio/visual company and provider of sound equipment. "You can outfit anything; from something used for commentating during a tour, all the way up to larger systems for indoor and outdoor uses. A portable system can pretty much cover anything we're trying to do with it, in a portable sense."

Anchor Audio, based in Torrance, California, manufacturers of a broad line of easy-to-use, high-quality portable sound systems. The company has been specializing in the portable PA system business for close to 30 years, developing a range of systems to meet virtually every need from small devices to higher-end systems.

In comparing the cost-savings between a portable public address system versus a fixed system, Johnson adds, "For a larger venue such as an auditorium, a portable system might run around $2,000, whereas a permanent system would be $13,000 and up."

Part of the high cost of a permanent system comes from the separate components that must be purchased, including amplifiers, CD players, mixers and speakers, along with the skilled labor to assemble and operate the system. But a portable PA system is built to be all-inclusive of these components.

"Anchor Audio, for one, has done a pretty good job of bundling a PA system in packages that make it easy for customers to select what is best for them,” says Johnson. “The portable packages also allow for expansion, and they are more functional and much easier to train people to use. The buttons are labeled for an individual, not a high-end engineer. Everybody and their brother can turn on a portable PA system and get it rocking.”

Anchor Audio, Inc.
Debbie Lombard
sales@anchoraudio.com
Phone: (310) 784-2300
Fax: (310) 784-0066
http://www.anchoraudio.com