Placing audio speakers on stands in a function room
Rules of thumb for the common setup: two tops on stands at the front, with or without subs.
These are general starting points, not rules for every room. The planner shows direct sound only; confirm the result by listening and measuring in the room.
Height and aim
- Put the top above the heads of the people in front of it, so the sound reaches the back without passing through the crowd. The planner calculates level at seated ear height (1.2 m) or standing ear height (1.7 m); you can switch between them.
- Aim the speaker at the back third of the audience rather than the middle. The front rows are close and get plenty of level anyway.
- Use tilt for the vertical aim. The planner draws the coverage on the floor plan so you can see where the beam lands.
Spacing
- Pairs of tops are usually placed at the sides of the stage or front of the room, angled slightly inwards. Check that the two beams overlap near the centre of the room, otherwise the middle will be quieter than the sides.
- Wider is not always better: speakers far apart leave a gap in the middle, and speakers close together cover less width. Try both in the planner and compare the “within band” figure.
Microphones and feedback
Keep the speakers in front of any open microphone, and aim them away from it. A speaker that points at a microphone is the usual source of howling feedback. This is a practical point the planner cannot show, so allow for it in your plan.
Subwoofers
Subs are usually placed on the floor, often at the front. Bass behaves differently in rooms: room modes can make some seats boomy and others thin, and the planner does not model that. Its sub map is an indication of how the level falls with distance, summed by power. Cardioid subs reduce level behind the speaker; the planner shows that when the data says a model is cardioid.
Checking the plan
- Enter the room size (the top of the plan is the front of the room).
- Add the speakers you have, set their position, height and aim.
- Set a target level for the room, then read the “below”, “within band” and “above” percentages.
- Move the speakers and compare. Use the share link to send the layout to a colleague or client.
Background: level and distance, coverage angles.