Store PA Backgd Music Adjustment

I work in retail but have extensive of built-in sound system operation, from prior hotel & corporate office venues.


The system in our shop is pretty straight forward, similar to: http://www.proacousticsusa.com/produ....php?pId=25575

I have only seen the front of the final amp, and do not know the actual make/model. I can say from left to right it's about 12" wide by 6" high, with(left to right) knobs Mic1, Mic2, Aux, Bass, Treb, VOL.

All of the knobs are between 11-1 o'clock, except "Aux" - which controls the internet-fed background music and POP spots heard every 10 minutes, tailored to each store. Aux is down around 7-8 o'clock, or just above 1 on the knob scale 0-10.


We have a general and two asst mgrs set the music at different vols depending on who opens for the business day, but the problem is it seems a small range of adjustment(IE from 1 to halfway between 1 & 2 on the knob) produces a BLAST in volume! lol

I did manage a glimpse at the system while the general manager was adjusting it(typically to a whisper), and later offered to help him adjust settings to reduce this leverage. Of course he said, It's fine the way it is, politely though.

My suggestion would be simple enough: Lower the level of the audio coming from the PC feeding the music/store ads by a small amount, which would allow the Aux knob on the PA to be turned up into a more useful range of operation.


My idea is that lowering the input into that amp, would allow finer volume adjustment(having to move the knob a little more either way to set it, wihout blasting it or completely muting it), especially after turning it down for our monthly team meeting.


Is that a valid solution?

> wrote:

[...]
> All of the knobs are between 11-1 o'clock, except "Aux" - which controls
>the internet-fed background music and POP spots heard every 10 minutes,
>tailored to each store. Aux is down around 7-8 o'clock, or just above
> 1 on the knob scale 0-10.

Remove the knob and apply an anti-clockwise torque of about 200 ft/lbs
to the shaft with a Stillson wrench. The customers will be eternally
grateful.

--
~ Adrian Tuddenham ~
(Remove the ".invalid"s and add ".co.uk" to reply)
www.poppyrecords.co.uk

1:48 PM Adrian Tuddenham:

LOL you must be from the old school when in-store music was elevator-type!

Our mix is more 'real', a progressive mix( transitions throughout the day) from 1960s-80s to 1990s-Now - original artist recordings.

Think: (9am) Tax Man > Shining Star > (12pm) You Can Do Magic > The Way You Make Me Feel > (3pm) All Star > Sweet Escape > (5pm) Locked Out Of Heaven, Rolling in the Deep. Plus a modern country tune or two thrown in. No rap - this is family retail! lol


Problem is, the store mgr has it down so low you can't even here the store plugs: "This week, save 50 percent on select mark items!!". He says that's how loud it's supposed to be. Plus, the music just pushes me through my day. The assistant takes over, and suddenly you can hear it in the parking lot. lol There's no middle ground!

> wrote:

> 1:48 PM Adrian Tuddenham:
>
> LOL you must be from the old school when in-store music was elevator-type!

No, I thoroughly dislike unnecessary music of any type and loathe being
distracted by advertisments.

My local supermarket was singled out to be fitted with this abomination
a couple of years ago and I complained to the manager. During a survey
of customers, I expressed my dislike of it and explaind, as forcefully
as I could without being abusive, that it was distracting me, so that
when I got home I realised I hadn't bought half the things I had
intended to. It was so unpleasant that just couldn't wait to get out of
the place.

At first, it was only used during the daytime, so I changed my shopping
time to the evenings. Then they started playing the racket the whole
time the shop was open, so I have stopped shopping there altogether and
transferred my custom to a quieter supermarket a mile away.


--
~ Adrian Tuddenham ~
(Remove the ".invalid"s and add ".co.uk" to reply)
www.poppyrecords.co.uk

Well, my question is more of a technical one than of a musical one, but thanks for your 'input'.


1980s: "Wool - worth ray - dee - OHHHHHHHH!" lmao... I was a teen working in America's premier five&dime then. A timer-triggered cassette played the jingles then.

On Monday, June 16, 2014 2:17:32 PM UTC-4, wrote:
> 1:48 PM Adrian Tuddenham:
>
>
>
> LOL you must be from the old school when in-store music was elevator-type!
>
>
>
> Our mix is more 'real', a progressive mix( transitions throughout the day) from 1960s-80s to 1990s-Now - original artist recordings.
>
>
>
> Think: (9am) Tax Man > Shining Star > (12pm) You Can Do Magic > The Way You Make Me Feel > (3pm) All Star > Sweet Escape > (5pm) Locked Out Of Heaven, Rolling in the Deep. Plus a modern country tune or two thrown in. No rap - this is family retail! lol
>
>
>
>
>
> Problem is, the store mgr has it down so low you can't even here the store plugs: "This week, save 50 percent on select mark items!!". He says that's how loud it's supposed to be. Plus, the music just pushes me through my day. The assistant takes over, and suddenly you can hear it in the parking lot. lol There's no middle ground!

A lot of those multi channel commercial amps have small gain adjustment controls on the back with each imput. For the purposes of equalizing. Check and see. If so you can back off the input there.

Thanks for the sugg.

Of course the PA amp and whatever is feeding music to it are in a closet under lock & key.

But the biggest impediment is the manager's attitude - not a negative one - just one stemming from lack of knowledge of audio gear & gain staging. He is a retail manager, not an AV techncian.

Rocks,

It does sound as if something is out of adjustment. Your mission, I'm
afraid, is to convince the manager that he needs to have someone adjust the
unit.
If you can arrange an "after-hours" demo using your equipment to
demonstrate the possible problem then the manager may see that the equipment
may need some adjustment.
You're in retail so sell this adjustment.

Dave M.

On Sunday, July 6, 2014 6:27:41 PM UTC-4, David Martel wrote:
> Rocks,
>
>
>
> It does sound as if something is out of adjustment. Your mission, I'm
>
> afraid, is to convince the manager that he needs to have someone adjust the
>
> unit.
>
> If you can arrange an "after-hours" demo using your equipment to
>
> demonstrate the possible problem then the manager may see that the equipment
>
> may need some adjustment.
>
> You're in retail so sell this adjustment.
>
>
>
> Dave M.
______________

Thx for the encouragement!

It's stimple gain staging. Whatever is feeding the music(a pc or standalone satellite subscription box) is too hot. It just needs to be turned down so the corresponding level knob on the main amp/mixer(Aux) can be operated in a useful range.

Another problem, as mentioned before, are the spots that break in every 10-15 minutes "Welcome to our store" "look for specially marked tags for half off this week". I don't know if those are fed from a separate source or handled by the same source that pipes in the music.

I visited our stores in neighboring towns and they all have the music at a much more listenable(but not intrusive) level.

If I keep mentioning it I know this otherwise quiet, mild-mannered manager will get hissy, so I've given up.

On Sunday, July 6, 2014 6:27:41 PM UTC-4, David Martel wrote:
> Rocks,
>
>
>
> It does sound as if something is out of adjustment. Your mission, I'm
>
> afraid, is to convince the manager that he needs to have someone adjust the
>
> unit.
>
> If you can arrange an "after-hours" demo using your equipment to
>
> demonstrate the possible problem then the manager may see that the equipment
>
> may need some adjustment.
>
> You're in retail so sell this adjustment.
>
>
>
> Dave M.
__________________

Thx for the encouragement!

It's simple gain staging. Whatever is feeding the music(a pc or standalone satellite subscription box) is too hot. It just needs to be turned down so the corresponding level knob on the main amp/mixer(Aux) can be operated in a useful range.

Another problem, as mentioned before, are the spots that break in every 10-15 minutes "Welcome to our store" "look for specially marked tags for half off this week". I don't know if those are fed from a separate source or handled by the same source that pipes in the music.

I visited our stores in neighboring towns and they all have the music at a much more listenable(but not intrusive) level.

If I keep mentioning it I know this otherwise quiet, mild-mannered manager will get hissy, so I've given up.