A
sound system is a system for amplifying, reproducing, and sometimes recording audio. The configuration of such a system depends on its intended application. A
sound system, or
public address system or
PA system, typically has
microphones, an
amplifier,
loudspeakers, and controls to mix the signals coming from the various micorphones or other input sources (such as
phonograph turntables or
tape recorders). Systems can be as simple as church systems consisting of one microphone for the clergyperson and another for the organist; larger systems have dozens of speakers and draw kilowatts of power in order to create a
wall of sound and to fill large arenas such as
Madison Square Garden. Most
sound systems contain
mixing consoles which enable
sound engineers or
disc jockeys to adjust the volume for each microphone or input source individually. The system may also contain an
equalizer which allows adjustment of different frequency ranges within an audio signal.
Sound effects which might be included in a sound system include reverb, digital echo, or digital time delay.