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Understanding Sound System Design

and Feedback:
To provide a good design for sound system, you must have a good
knowledge of the following subjects:
1- The audio system chain.
See the study (introduction to the sound system)
2- The products of sound systems.
See the catalogues of the suppliers and the study (introduction to
the sound system)
3- The dimensions of the place which we design a sound
system for it.
See the architect's drawings.
4- The good distribution of the selected sound system
components in the place.
By determining the accurate distances between the elements of the
sound system as we will see.
5-The basic laws of sound system design.
There are many laws of sound system as we will see.
Use this knowledge to determine:
1-PAG (potential acoustic gain).
2-NAG (needed acoustic gain)
3-NAP (needed amplifier power)
By only two methods:
1-by using math. Equations.
2-by using the GAINCALC computer program.
The design will cover the most popular two sound systems:
1-conference system.
2-paging system.

Conference Systems
1- by using math. Equations:
1.1The basic laws of sound system
design:
1.1.1 THE INVERSE SQUARE LAW:
This states that as
Listeners double their distance from the sound source; the
SPL they perceive will decrease by 6.02dB.
So if you first stand 4 feet from a talker and then move to a new
position 8 feet from the talker, you should notice about a 6.02dB
drop in level. (A one dB increase is barely audible, 3dB is a generally
noticeable Change, and a 10dB increase is considered to be twice as
loud.) Mathematically the inverse square law looks like this:
New Level = Old Level + 20 X log of old distance - 20 X log of
new distance
Or in math shorthand
L' = L + 20 log D - 20 log D'
This equation describes what happens in a so-called "free field."
That means that there is no interference from things like reflected
sounds and that the origin of the sound is a point source (a sound
source which has much smaller dimensions than the distance to the
listener).
The important point to remember is that in order to get a
significant 6dB sound level change, the distance must change by
double or half.
Limitations of THE INVERSE SQUARE LAW:
1-the critical distance of the source:
3

The term "critical distance" is defined as the distance from a sound

source where the direct sound is the same level as the reverberant
sound.
When the listener is within the critical distance of the source, the
inverse square law works pretty well.
Determination of the critical distance of the source:
With a sound level meter and a de-tuned FM radio you can
make a good estimate of critical distance in a room. The radio
serves as a sound source to provide a constant, broad spectrum
sound. If you walk backwards from the sound source with a sound
level meter, you will reach a point where the level stops registering
change on the meter. At that point, if you walk back towards the
sound source until the meter increases exactly 3dB you will have
reached the critical distance. (Equal sound from the direct source
and the reverberant field add up to 3dB more than the reverberant
sound alone.)
Typically in sound systems, the distance between the
microphone and the talker is the only place where the system
component receiver (the listener or microphone) is less than the
critical distance from the source.

1.1.2 NEEDED ACOUSTIC GAIN ( NAG):

Let's take an example:
a conference room with a 22' table. Normal conversational level in a
quiet room at a normal conversational distance of 2 feet is
about 70dB. The inverse square law will tell us how much the loss
will be if the listener is at the opposite end of the table, 22 feet
away. That listener would ideally like to hear exactly what the close
listener hears. The distance to the far listener creates the loss which
the sound system should replace.
Putting the figures from this scene into the inverse square law
equation (using the mathematical shorthand)
looks like this:
4

L' = L + 20 log D - 20 log D' or

L'= 70 + 20 X log 2 - 20 X log 22
L'= 70 + 6 - 27
L'= 70 21=49
L'- L = -21 (a loss of 21dB)
This is the sound system's target. The sound system must provide at
least 21dB of gain for the farthest listener to hear the talker as if she
is 2 feet away. This is called the needed acoustic gain (NAG). If
the distant listener is supposed to hear as well as the near listener
then the system must make up the 21dB loss caused by the
distance.
NOTE:
Remember that in a real room the reflective surfaces create echoes
and a reverberant field that interfere with the theoretical results
of the inverse square law as well as the potential acoustic gain
equation. This interference generally lowers the actual
performance of a system.

1.1.3 POTENTIAL ACOUSTIC GAIN ( PAG):

WE MUST see if our system will theoretically produce the acoustic
gain we need before it feeds back. To start we need to look at some
of its individual terms.
There are four significant distances between the elements in the
system
See fig. 1

Figure 1.
The basic distances in a simple sound reinforcement system.
"Electronic to Electronic" or "People to People" Distances:
D1 is the distance between the microphone and the loudspeaker
(Remember "1" as the first pan of the system).
D0 is the distance between the talker and the farthest listener
(Remember "0" for observer).
"People to Electronic" Distances:
D2 is the distance between the loudspeaker and the farthest
listener
(Remember "2" as the last pan of the system).
DS is the distance between the talker and the microphone
(Remember "S" for source).
We now get to the point where we determine if the system can meet
our need. This is where the Potential Acoustic Gain equation comes
into play. The simplest form of this equation looks like this:
PAG = 20 log D1 - 20 log D2 + 20 log D0 - 20 log DS
This form of the equation will allow us to determine the amount of
gain available from the system just before the undesirable
oscillation we all know as feedback occurs. It also assumes the
system uses omnidirectional microphones and loudspeakers and it
neglects the effects of reverberation and echo (as if the system was
outdoors).
If we want the PAG on the left side of the equation to get
larger, we have to make the positive terms (D1 and D0) as
large as possible and the negative terms (D2 and DS) as
small as possible on the right side of the equation.
Notice that if the loudspeaker is moved farther from the microphone
(as D1 increases), the potential gain before feedback is increases.

Unfortunately, with D0 there is little change possible since it is

usually fixed by the layout of the room.
When the loudspeaker is moved closer to the listener, decreasing
the negative term D2 on the right side of the equation, the system
gain increases on the left side. Finally, concerning the most
important distance to change as we'll see later, when the talker
moves closer to the microphone it decreases DS and increases PAG.
NOTE:
The variations in direct sound compared to reflected sound, the
echoes, the presence of people, the atmosphere, and more conspire
to make each position in a room acoustically different. This affects
feedback, as anyone
The most important point to remember as we work through these
equations is this:
If the dimensions of a sound system don't provide the
needed gain with the theoretical free field conditions, then
they are even less likely to work under real world
conditions.
To use these ideas in the equation we need the complete picture of
our prospective sound system layout the specific distances D1, D0,
D2, and DS. Using the conference table we've already looked at,
let's say that the room dimensions are 20' by 30' with a 10' ceiling.
A possible set of system dimensions might be something like this
(see Figure2):

Figure 2
The dimensions of a possible sound system.
D1 (mic to closest loudspeaker) = 9'
D2 (loudspeaker to farthest listener) = 20'
D0 (talker to listener) = 22'
DS (talker to mic) = 1'
Now we simply plug these values into the equation and do the
logarithms and arithmetic the same way we did with the inverse
square law equation.
PAG = 20 X log of 9 - 20 X log of 20 + 20 X log of 22 - 20 X
log of 1
PAG = 20 X log of 9 - 20 X log of 20 + 20 X log of 22 - 20 X
log of 1
= 19 - 26 + 27 - 0
PAG = 20dB
That seems like a lot, but not enough to help the listener at the far
end of the table who needs 21dB of gain to be able to hear the
talker as well as the listener close to the talker does.
So let's change the dimensions of the system to bring the
loudspeaker closer to the listener and farther from the microphone

(see Figure3):
Figure 3
Revised system dimensions: loudspeaker closer to listener and
farther from the microphone.
D1=11' D2=19' D0=22' DS=1'
This time after we do the logs we'll get:

PAG = 20 X 1.04139 - 20 X 1.27875 + 20 X 1.34242 - 20 X 0

Do the arithmetic and we get:
PAG = 22dB
This is enough gain so that the listener at the far end of the table
hears as well as the listener near the talker without the system
going into feedback. The potential gain minus the needed gain
leaves a margin of 1dB which seems like what we needed when we
started to look at this conference room.

1.1.4 PAG WITH THE FEEDBACK

STABILITY
MARGIN (FSM):
The version of the equation that we've been using gives us the
potential gain of the system at the point just before it starts to
feedback, the point of unity gain. Virtually all systems need to be
operated with a safety margin (called the feedback stability
margin), usually 6dB, to avoid the annoying ringing sound
associated with a pre-feedback condition. When this margin is
included, the equation looks like this:
PAG = 20 log D1 - 20 log D2 + 20 log D0 - 20 log DS 6
Unfortunately this little minus 6 means that the gain from our latest
version of the system is now reduced to 16dB not enough to meet
the 21dB needed. So we're back to the drawing board.
Let's try to move the loudspeaker even closer to the listener and
further from the microphone (see Figure 4):
Figure 4

. Loudspeaker moved even closer to the listener.

D1=17.5' D2=13' D0=22' DS=1'
The result looks good this time even with the feedback margin:
PAG = 25 - 22 + 27 - 0 - 6
PAG = 24dB

10

We're thereand with a 3db margin to spare. If we operate the

system just as described, the farthest listener will hear as well as
the nearest without the system feeding back. Our conference table
system worksalmost.

1.1.5 PAG WITH FSM WITH THE NUMBER

OF
OPEN MICROPHONES (NOM):
All along we've assumed that this conference room uses only one
microphone at a time. If more microphones are openfor example,
if microphones are placed and turned on in from of multiple talkers
at the tableanother term is added to the equation which can affect
the acoustic gain of the system.
Multiple open microphones create a greater risk of feedback
in the system and degrade the quality of the sound due to comb
filtering and increased reverberation.
The new term for the Number of Open Microphones (NOM) looks
like this in our final version of the equation:
PAG = 20 log D1 20 log D2 + 20 log D0 20 log DS 10 log NOM
6

Since this term is another logarithm term and the logarithm of 1 (for
a single microphone) is 0, a system with only one microphone is not
affected by including it in the calculation. But if we change from 1
microphone turned on to 2, the NOM term turns out to be 3dB (10
times the log of 2). Looking at our latest version of the system
(where we had only 3dB to spare when we subtracted needed
acoustic gain from the potential acoustic gain) this extra open
microphone would affect our margin. We would have to subtract
another 3dB from our latest 24dB PAG. If we then subtract the 21dB
NAG from the new 11Db PAG, the 0dB result means the system will

11

start to use up the feedback margin just as it provides the needed

gain to the farthest listener.
Now if we try to change from 2 to 4 open microphones, the problem
is further compounded from 3dB to 6dB. In fact, each time the NOM
doubles, the PAG is decreased by 3dB. If we get t o8 open
microphones, weve eliminated any safety margin and are back on
the verge of feedback.
This essentially means that the number of open microphones
needs to be limited as much as possible.
Most ways of doing this have practical disadvantages:
1- having a sound person turn off the microphones that are not
being used during the conference (expensive, and difficult
with only two hands)
2- Having a switch on each microphone for the user (users must
be taught and often forget to use it)
3- Or using only one microphone and passing it around (very
impractical logistically).
4- Use of the Automatic Microphone Mixer Solution.

1.2 THE AUTOMATIC MICROPHONE

MIXER
SOLUTION
The most practical and effective solution is an automatic
microphone mixer. You need to be careful here, though, because not
all automatic mixers limit the number of open microphones equally
well. Most systems turn on microphones when the sound they pick
up is louder than a particular reference level called a threshold.
They will then turn off when the sound level drops below the
threshold. This threshold may be a fixed level, and adjustable
level, or an automatically adjustable level.
A weakness exists in these systems when they try to distinguish
between the desired sound (such as a talker) and undesired sound
(random background noise). If the background sound is loud
12

enough, it will activate the microphone unless the threshold is set to

a higher level. Then, if the background noise drops, the normal
talkers level may not activate the microphone unless the threshold
level is lowered as well.
This problem is addressed in certain other systems with:
1- Integrated microphones which can actually sense the
location of the desired sound source relative to the
background noise. The microphones are then activated only
when the sound comes from the desired direction,
which eliminates the need for any threshold adjustments.
2- Another new automatic mixer technology solves the
problem differently and still avoids the threshold adjustment
problem. Mixers using this technology can sense the
difference between irregular sound (like speech) and
regular sound (like air conditioning). The mixer only turns on
a channel when the signal level is louder than the background
sound. This system also chooses only one microphone for
each talker even if multiple microphones are hearing him.

1.3 THE QUICKEST FIX OF PAG:

1-Mic placement:
It may have occurred to you that the only factors that weve tried to
alter in the system have been D1 and D2. Of course its not very
likely that youll be able to adjust the talker-to-listener distance, D0,
in most real systems, but an easy way to improve the acoustic gain
of a system is by adjusting the remaining distance, DS.
Remember in the inverse square law free field calculations, where
we doubled the distance of the listener from the sound source, that
we calculated a 6dB drop in the sound level as perceived by that
listener. This also must work in reverse: if the distance changes from
8 feet to 4 feet, the perceived level will increase by 6dB.

13

As I mentioned earlier, DS is where the doubling effect of the

inverse square law really shows some dramatic changes in the
system gain. This is because of the relatively short distances
involved in doubling. When the talker doubles his distance from the
microphone, the system gain drops by 6dB. If the Change is instead
from 1 foot to foot (.5), then the system gain will increase by 6dB.
Try these calculations yourself in the PAG equation by changing only
DS and leaving the other distances the same as in the last version
of the system we used. First change it from 1 foot to 2 feet. Then try
changing it from 1 foot to .5 foot.
This is sometimes an easy solution and is actually one of the first
rules in microphone application: get the microphone as close as
possible to the sound source.
Compared to moving loudspeakers to change D1 and D2, it is also
often the easiest distance in the system to change. This is simply
because it is generally a much shorter distance to begin with and
therefore much easier to cut in half to get that extra 6dB.
The concept of critical distance also plays a part here. Since it's
generally true that when DS is greater than the critical
distance of the talker, the result is more reverberance and a
loss of intelligibility.
2-speaker placement:
In the other parts of the systemD1 and D2the receiver (the
listener or microphone) is generally outside the critical distance of
the source (the talker or loudspeaker).
When this is the case for D1, the signal received by the microphone
is not as low as predicted by the inverse square law, resulting in less
potential gain than expected for the system.
For D2, this higher-than-expected level at the receiver actually gives
the listener somewhat more sound than predicted. Here, however,

14

working with loudspeaker placement and echoes is important since

the added level is in part due to reflected sound.
Early echoes tend to help intelligibility and later ones hurt it. So if a
loudspeaker needs to be "somewhat near" the ceiling, put it
close to the ceiling to take advantage of the early echoes produced
within a few feet of the reflective surface.
Without delving too far into the concept of speaker placement, let
me just say that multiple speaker locations tend to act like late
echoes if they arc far apart. The resulting comb filtering and loss
of intelligibility is minimized by a single loudspeaker or closely
spaced array if it can be placed far from the talker and close
enough to the listeners.

1.4 DESIGN MUST BE MADE WITH THE

WORST
CASE:
Finally, with the multiple microphone problem under our belts we
need to deal with the fact that, unlike
our theoretical system, most systems include multiple loudspeakers.
The most practical approach in determining the distances,
including specific loudspeaker distances to use in the PAG equation,
is to consider the worst case for each. Therefore, as I stated
earlier, you would use:
1- the most distant listener for Do.
2- Pick the largest expected distance for the microphone to talker
for DS
3-The loudspeaker closest to the farthest listener for D2
4- The loudspeaker closest to the microphone for D1.
These choices will give the most accurate representation of the
acoustic gain in the system.

1.5 THE ASSUMPTIONS MADE IN PAG

EQUATION:
15

1- The microphones in the theoretical system we calculated were

omnidirectional.
Because unidirectional microphones have the ability to target
desired sounds (the talker in our example) and reject unwanted
sounds (the output from the loudspeaker), they can provide a
margin of extra gain in a system. So can directional
loudspeakers. But they are not a magic bullet. The practical limit on
the improvement that these components can make is usually
considered to be about 6dB. Although theory and component
specifications seem to indicate a 6dB improvement for each
component, real world conditions provide severe performance
limitations.
2- The system was not affected by reverberation and echo.
Virtually any indoor system will be affected by these conditions and
the acoustic gain and performance of the system will be limited by
them. But if the system won't provide enough gain when you ignore
these factors (as we have calculated) it almost certainly won't work
when they're included.

1.6 SUMMARY
the major points to remember are:
1. To make a significant change in the gain of a sound system before
it feeds back, distances need to be doubled or cut in half. (Inverse
Square Law)
2. Changes to improve the potential acoustic gain of a system
involve:
a. Making the loudspeaker-to-microphone distance, D1, as
large as
possible.
b. Making the loudspeaker-to-listener distance, D2, as small as
possible.

16

c. Most importantly and easiest, making the talker-tomicrophone

distance, DS, as small as possible.
3. Limiting the number of open microphones will also improve the
potential acoustic gain of the system.
4- The PAG of a system should be at least equal to the NAG in order
to provide sufficient SPL to the distant listener.

17

2- By using the GAINCALC computer

program:
This program is designed to automate calculations of PAG, NAG, and
loudspeaker electrical power requirements for any type of indoor
sound system from the equations :
NAG = Lr - Ld - 20Log10 (Dm/D0)
PAG = 20Log10 ((D1D0) / (D2Ds))
Loudspeaker electrical power is calculated from the equations:

Note:
The GAINCALC adds 20dB to the desired SPL factor Lr in order to
account for peak speech levels without clipping.
The screen interface of the program:

18

The display screen used in the GAINCALC program is straightforward

and intuitive. By simply entering the values into the appropriate
boxes (Ds, D1, D2, etc.), the feedback stability and performance of a
proposed sound system design is predicted with reasonable
accuracy. Calculations can be selected for either single or multiple
loudspeaker sound systems, as pictured above and below. The
program is especially helpful in the initial stages of system design
when fundamental room layouts and loudspeaker and microphone
placements are being considered.
Where:
D1 = distance from the source microphone to the nearest
loudspeaker; mixMinus reinforcement increases D1, which increases PAG.
D2 = distance from the listener to the nearest loudspeaker.
Ds = distance from the source (the talker) to the microphone.
Dm = distance at which the talker can be heard clearly without the
aid of
Sound reinforcement.
D0 = the maximum distance from the talker to the listener in the
room.
Ld = the average SPL in dB from the talkers voice at the nearby
listeners
Position.
Lr = the average SPL desired at the distant listeners position.
FSM = Feedback Stability Margin; PAG is reduced by 6dB when FSM
is on.
PAG = Potential Acoustic Gain.
NAG = Needed Acoustic Gain.
All thats necessary to run the program is to fill in a few distances
based on the positions of loudspeakers and microphones, enter the
basic specifications for the loudspeakers and press the Calculate
button. The results are instantly displayed in the PAG and NAG

19

boxes. The resulting screen can be printed with a mouse click in the
FILE menu.

User's manual of GAINCALC program:

1) Fill in the appropriate boxes for the calculation you want to do:
a) NAG calculations require all cyan boxes to be filled in (Dm, Ld, Lr)
and the yellow D0 box.
b) PAG calculations require all yellow boxes (D0, D1, D2, Ds) to be
filled in.
c) Audio Power calculations require all green boxes (Spkr Sens,
Power,
20

Distance, # of Speakers) to be filled in, plus the cyan Lr and yellow

D2 boxes.
2) Set the number of system microphones to the appropriate
number. If the system uses a manual mixer, this number should be
the actual number of system microphones. If an automatic mixer is
being used, select Auto Mixer (at the extreme left end of the scroll
bar).
3) Check the state of the Feedback Stability Margin (FSM)
Compenstion. Note that turning FSM On will subtract 6dB from the
calculated PAG to allow a 6dB margin before feedback. Usually, FSM
should be turned On. FSM can be changed from the Options menu.
4) Check the state of the Peak Power Compensation. Peak Power
Compensation accounts for the increased amplifier power needed to
reproduce speech without amplifier clipping. If 0dB is selected, the
Amplifier Power calculation will show only enough power to achieve
the level specified as Lr before clipping. Select 10dB or 20dB (10dB
would be usual, 20dB would be very conservative) to account for
10dB or 20dB of amplifier headroom.
5) Click on the Calculate button. Calculations will be made for every
variable for which all necessary input has been made (see 1 above).
If the Calculation Warnings item in the Options menu is checked,
you will be warned about missing information.
6) If you make a PAG calculation, the program will warn you if the
PAG value calculated will provide an adequate sound system. If the
PAG value is too low, you will be referred to the Help section on PAG
Calculations for hints about possible remedies.
What is PAG?

21

Potential Acoustic Gain (PAG) refers to the increase in SPL (without

feedback) above the unreinforced SPL at a given listener's position
which can be provided by the sound system. These are the
definitions of the physical quantities involved in the PAG calculation:
D0 - distance to the most distant listener.
D1 - distance from the source microphone to the nearest
loudspeaker. In a multiple microphone system, use the microphone
which yields the smallest D1, as this represents the worst case
condition.
D2 - distance from the listener to the nearest loudspeaker.
Ds - distance from the talker to the microphone.
The formula for calculating PAG is:
PAG = 20 * Log10 ((D1 * D0) / (D2 * Ds))
What is Feedback Stability Margin (FSM)?
The basic PAG formula above calculates the maximum possible gain,
which implies that the system would be just at the point of
feedback. A usuable sound system requires that the system gain be
somewhat below feedback to prevent ringing or the possibility of
feedback. When FSM compensation is checked (On), the raw PAG
will be reduce by 6dB to give a more realistic estimate of the PAG
that can be achieved in the real world. Unless there is some reason
to want the raw PAG number, FSM should always be checked.
Hints to Improve System PAG
There are several ways to maximize PAG. The following are
applicable to all sound reinforcement systems:
1) Use an automatic mixer (AM8). An automatic mixer will give an
increase of 10*Log10(NOM) dB in PAG relative to non-automatic
mixer based systems. For example, an automatic mixer based
system with 8 microphones would have a PAG 9dB greater than an
equivalent non-automatic mixer based system. As a side benefit, an

22

automatic mixer will provide a much cleaner audio feed for

teleconferencing.
2) If possible, move the microphones closer to the talker's mouths.
Every time you halve the distance between the talker and the
microphone, the PAG is increased by 6dB. For example, a
gooseneck microphone 2' away from the talker will have 6dB better
PAG than a boundary layer style mic 4' from the talker.
3) If possible, adding drapes, acoustical ceiling tiles, and other
sound absorbing material in the room will lower the reverberation
and increase intelligibility. This will not directly increase PAG, but
the increased intelligibility will help the system perform better.
The following tip is applicable in rooms with multi-speaker sound
systems. This is most typical of conference rooms, boardrooms, etc.
where the system loudspeakers are mounted in the ceiling.
4) Use a matrix mixer and multi-channel amplifier (MM8, PA8) to
generate a mix-minus output for each system loudspeaker. In this
way, the effective distance D1 between the talker's microphone and
the nearest loudspeaker is increased, thus raising PAG. For
example, assume you have a room with a distributed sound system
whose ceiling speakers are mounted on 8' centers. Further, assume
that the distance D1 from the microphone to the nearest
loudspeaker is 6'. If a matrix mixer is used, the nearest loudspeaker
can have a mix with the microphone excluded. Under this
circumstance, the next nearest loudspeaker distance (12') is used
for D1. This gives a PAG 6dB greater than the original case.
What is NAG?
Needed Acoustic Gain (NAG) refers to the increase in sound pressure
level (SPL) necessary to achieve the required average SPL at a

23

listener's position, relative to the unreinforced SPL at that listener's

position. The PAG of the sound system must be at least equal to the
NAG to provide the required average levels.

Program variables

associated with NAG are:

Lr - required SPL at the distant listener's position. For normal
conversation in an average room whose
ambient noise is around 50dB SPL, an Lr of 75dB SPL is a reasonable
figure.
Ld - reference SPL at distance Dm from the talker. Ld is usually
equal to Lr.
Dm - distance to the nearest listener. Dm is the distance at which
normal conversation can take place without sound reinforcement.
D0 - distance to the most distant listener.
The formula for calculating NAG is:
NAG = Lr - Ld - 20 * Log10 ((Dm / D0)
What is Amplifier Power?
The Amplifier Power calculation shows the needed amplifier power
based on the number and output characteristics of the chosen
loudspeaker. Manufacturer's data for loudspeakers always includes
a sensitivity rating in a form like:
93dB SPL @ 1W @ 1 Meter
This means the loudspeaker will provide a SPL level of 93dB
measured 1 meter away from the loudspeaker when the
loudspeaker is driven by 1 watt of power.
Spkr Sens - reference SPL level from the data sheet.
Power - reference power from the data sheet.
Distance - reference distance taken from the data sheet. Note that
you must enter the distance data in the current units (feet or

24

meters). You will be asked when you enter a distance whether the
number entered is in the current units. Click Yes if it is. Click No,
and the program will automatically convert for you.
# of Speakers - total number of speakers used in the system.
The formula for needed Amplifier Power is:
Power = (# of Speakers) * 10^((Lr + PowerComp - Spkr Sens
- 20 * Log10( Distance / D2))/10)
PowerComp is 0, 10, or 20, depending on which of the three values
under Peak Power Compensation is checked.
What is Peak Power Compensation?
The basic Amplifier Power calculation (i.e. with a 0dB Peak Power
Compensation) gives the needed amplifier power to achieve only
the sound level Lr before amplifier clipping. Since it is always
necessary to have some amplifier headroom, the Peak Power
Compensation option will automatically add either 10dB or 20dB if
those options are checked. 10dB would be a usual requirement for
boardrooms and the like, while 20dB might be necessary if
particularly wide dynamic range or unusually loud peak levels are
expected.
File:
File/Open... - Opens a previously saved data file. The file
extension for GAINCALC data files is ".pnd". Shortcut key is Ctrl+O.
File/Save... - Saves the current PAG/NAG setup to a data file.
Shortcut key is Ctrl+V.
File/Print Results - Prints the screen to the system printer for a
permanent record. Shortcut key is Ctrl+R.
File/Exit - Exits GAINCALC. Shortcut key is Ctrl+X.

25

Calculation Type:
Calculation Type/Distributed Speakers - Used for systems with
distributed ceiling loudspeakers. Shortcut key is Cntl+P.
Calculation Type/Single Speaker - Used for systems with a single
speaker or single cluster. Shortcut key is Cntl+G.

Options:
Options/Show Tool Tips - Toggles the popup of tool tips. When
not checked, no tool tips appear. Shortcut key is Cntl+D.
Options/Calculation Warnings - Toggles program warnings for
unfilled input boxes. Shortcut key is Cntl+W.
Options/FSM Compensation - Toggles Feedback Stability Margin
compensation. When checked, the program will subtract 6dB from
the calculated PAG to provide a margin against feedback. Shortcut
key is Cntl+E.
Options/Peak Power Compensation - Allows amplifier headroom
requirements to be added to the needed amplifier power calculation.
Values available are 0dB (shortcut key is Cntl + Z), 10dD (shortcut
key is Cntl + T), and 20dB (shortcut key is Cntl + Y).
Options/Units - Allows selection of units (feet or meters). Shortcut
key for feet is Cntl+F, and Cntl+M for meters.
Help:
Help/Contents - Displays the Contents screen of the Help file.
Shortcut key is Cntl+C.

26

Help/Search for Help on - Displays the Search screen of the Help

file. Shortcut key is Cntl + S.
Help/About - Displays information about GAINCALC. Shortcut key
is Cntl+A.

27

INTERNAL BROADCASTING SYSTEM

Calculation steps:
1-determination of the no. of Ceiling Speaker
1-from the speaker data sheet determine the speaker coverage.
2-calculate the area of the place.
3-then
Area of the place
No. of speakers = ------------------------------------------Speaker coverage
4-Ceiling speaker's locations:
Ceiling speakers should be spaced at not greater than 2 times
the ceiling height. See fig 1.
NOTE:
a-As ceiling height increases, the area that each speaker covers
increases

Fig.1

28

b- Ceiling speakers should be tapped at watt for quiet areas (50

69 dB) and 1 watt for noisy areas (7079).
c- We can use the following table for the estimation of the speaker
coverage

2-determination of the no. of WALL SPEAKER:

In some installations, the use of ceiling speakers is impractical
because of plaster ceilings or open ceilings lacking mounting space.
When this situation arises, the wall speaker is used. This is the same
speaker and transformer used in the ceiling, enclosed in a baffle
that can be surface mounted on a wall or pillar.
1-The uni-directional wall speaker
-steps: 1&2&3
The calculations is the the same as ceiling speakers.
4- Wall speaker's locations:
A- Wall speakers should be mounted on the same wall.
b- If the area to be covered requires projection of more than 30
feet,
Speakers can be placed on opposite walls, but they should be

29

alternated as shown in the example.

c- Mount speakers at least 7-8 feet above the floor.

1. -dInstall one speaker per 600 square feet with maximum projection of
30 feet. (Speaker coverage reduced to 450 square feet where
divider panels are used.)
NOTES:
a- Alternate speakers on opposite walls only if there is no other
choice.
b- Speakers should be tapped at one watt in normal areas and two
watts in noisy areas (70 to 85 dB).
c- Individual volume controls can be installed to facilitate customer
preferences.
2-The bi-directional corridor speaker
It is used in corridors and hallways. This baffle with one speaker can
project sound in two directions and cover approximately 600
square feet in either direction. The rules concerning wattage
taps are the same as the previously mentioned wall speaker.

30

3-determination of the no. of HORN:

Horns are primarily used in noisy areas, but they also have the
ability to cover enormously large areas. The area of coverage will
differ greatly based on the height of the horn and the angle of
projection, as well as the ambient noise level.

3.1 Horn locations

- Approximately Horns are mounted at a height of 15 feet and set at
a 60 degree angle of projection
-or by the method of diamond pattern:
The following illustration conveys this approach in detail.
-All horns are pointed in the same direction (They all complement
each other)
-Each horn fills in a void left between two other horns
So, the spacing of 60 feet and 40 feet, as indicated, is also a good
rule to follow whenever possible

31

3.2

Approximately take:
1. One horn per 4,000 square feet in quiet areas (up to 70 dB).
2. One horn per 2,500 square feet in noisy areas (71 to 85 dB).
3. One horn per 1,200 square feet in extremely noisy areas (90 dB
and above).

32

Notes:
- The following chart to determine what wattage the individual horn
should be tapped at.

4-DETERMINING AMPLIFIER SIZE

1-determine the total number of speakers and horns required for the
system and the individual power requirements
2-Add up the power requirements of all speakers and horns to get
the total watts of power required.
For example:
(6) Ceiling speakers at 1/2 watt each
(2) Wall speakers at 1 watt each
(4) Horns at 3.8 watts each
Total power required = 20.2 watts
The power required for the system should not exceed 80
percent of the amplifiers rated capacity.
This leaves some flexibility within the system, allowing for future
expansion and providing a safety margin for any miscalculation of
power required. Referring to the example above with this in mind,
20.2 watts is required, therefore a 35-watt amplifier should be used.

AREA VOLUME CONTROLS

Area volume controls are used when the loudness level will vary
from area to area.

33

WIRING
For wire size guidelines, see the charts on the next two pages.

34

35

Estimating dB of noise level

In determining power requirements, it is necessary to approximate
the amount of background noise present in the location to be
covered. See the following general guide in estimating dB of
noise level. These values will vary within installations, but they
provide some basic guidelines. Exact noise level measurements
should be taken in critical high noise areas.
Normal
Rustling leaves

20

Whisper at five feet

34

Clothing dept. of large store

55

Conversational speech

60

Average restaurant

60

General office areas

6570

Bank

65

Noisy
Shipping dept.

70

70
Vacuum cleaner in private residence
75
Factory (average)
75
Supermarket
75
Restaurant (noisy)
80
Assembly lines
80
Lunch rooms (full)

36

Very Noisy
Printing press

85

Factory (noisy)

90

Metal shop

8590

Machine shop

8590

Heavy city traffic

92

Air compressor

94

Home lawn mower

95

115
Jet air liner (500 feet overhead)

37