•Position the loudspeakers so the high-frequency drivers are 2 to 4 feet above ear level for the audi- ence (make allowances for a standing/dancing in the aisles audience). 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. Depend- ing 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 speakers 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.)

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