Tech Forum

Our building was recently upgraded to a new audio system.
The sound quality is fantastic! However, we have one issue.
Our building is about 20 years old and has the chapel, then a large overflow area, then a small overflow area.
The new system does not allow sound in the large overflow unless one of the partitions to either the chapel or small overflow is open.
This can obviously present problems -- for example, if we are having a 5th Sunday, third-hour meeting in the large overflow, with a very quiet sister presenting, and another ward is using the chapel, and the small overflow is used for a classroom, we can't have amplification in the large overflow.
I checked with the local FM group to see if we could get this changed and they replied, "your request is not an approved / approvable modification to the system design."
I find it hard to believe we don't have a way to get amplified audio in our large overflow independent of the other rooms on either side...
Anyone have a suggestion?
Thank you!

t0008sa wrote:Our building was recently upgraded to a new audio system.
The sound quality is fantastic! However, we have one issue.
Our building is about 20 years old and has the chapel, then a large overflow area, then a small overflow area.
The new system does not allow sound in the large overflow unless one of the partitions to either the chapel or small overflow is open.

The only way I know is if you didn't have the class in the small overflow and gave up that teaching station. As you said, there is sound in the small overflow that feeds to the large overflow when the partition between those two areas is opened, independent of the chapel. Even then, I am not certain you can do it if the chapel sound is being used.

We have the same setup in our buildings, but the two overflows (actually sections of the cultural hall) are more equal in size, so we put the class in the middle that does not need the sound amplification.

If the large overflow is big enough, and your stake president supports the need, you might ask about a portable sound system, but the FM group is normally reluctant to do that sort of thing.

Thanks -- that's my backup plan -- I'll just bring my portable speaker if we're stuck with the existing system.

Some older buildings used to have a podium with a built in speaker in the children's meeting room (aka Primary), but I have not seen that in a long time. Nowadays the mike just plugs into the system that feeds the speakers in the ceiling.

The key to working with the FM group is get the stake president to talk to them.

That said, from what you're saying, it sounds like you want the ability to have 3 independent sound systems (when all the partitions are closed). I wouldn't say it's impossible, but seems unusual.

You might have better luck asking FM for a portable sound system.

In your situation I would take a hearing impaired receiver and plug it into a portable speaker and put it into the overflow room and use a speaker compatible with the room size.