Speaker Placement In The Front Ensemble

Front Ensemble Speaker Placement by Casey Tillman

Last month in Marching Band Pro Audio - Part One we talked about the very beginning of the sound amplification signal chain with microphones and mixer settings. In Part Two, we will jump to the very end of the chain and talk a little about speaker placement and aiming.

Pro audio speakers (like those pictured) that are used by hundreds of marching bands are not designed just to be louder than your standard home stereo speaker. More importantly, they are designed to focus the sound they produce at the audience. Unfortunately, most pro audio speakers were not designed with a marching band audience in mind. Most are configured when sitting upright with a focus pattern much like the diagram attached. This wide horizontal and narrow vertical pattern means that a speaker sitting level on the field (like the top left speaker in the picture) could not adequately cover the upper rows and press box of most stadiums. Tipping the speaker back slightly solves this problem and provides optimum audience coverage. However, this upright configuration can create stability and transportation issues. For this reason, many will find themselves with their speakers already laying on their sides (like the top right speaker in the picture). This might in fact be the best and only solution in many situations. However, as the speaker rotates to it's side, so does the speaker's coverage pattern. In this configuration, the speaker has a narrow horizontal and wide (or tall) vertical pattern. Now the speaker has no problem at all covering the stands and press box from top to bottom. The tradeoff is the horizontal coverage is narrowed significantly.

All this means that having a speaker upright and tipped back is the ideal configuration from a sound perspective. However, that configuration is not practical or possible for many. In that case it is important to carefully analyze the location and angle of the speakers. Because the horizontal coverage is narrow the speakers must be angled IN sufficiently to insure there is no gap in coverage in the middle of the seating area (where the judges are likely sitting).

With a little knowledge and a little tweaking your band can maximize the impact of your sound system investment.