Music only setup for a fitness center

[joallen001]

I have been browsing around on the forum and just cant seem to find a clear answer on what am I looking for. I am opening a fitness center at the beginning of next year. The location is in an old Movie Gallery building. The building currently has 6-8 ceiling mounted speakers and I will probably need to move a few of them or add 2-4 more speakers. The total square footage is 4000. My question is what type of receiver do I need and/or amplifier etc.
My plan is to play music through my ipod using pandora. The music will mainly be used for backround music to break the silence. May be turned up every now and then for group training classes. Thanks in advance for comments and solutions. I can also get pictures of the existing speakers if needed. I will probably need to get a different type of speaker for part of the building since it has no drop ceiling. Any suggestions on those?

 

[TLS Guy]

I have been browsing around on the forum and just cant seem to find a clear answer on what am I looking for. I am opening a fitness center at the beginning of next year. The location is in an old Movie Gallery building. The building currently has 6-8 ceiling mounted speakers and I will probably need to move a few of them or add 2-4 more speakers. The total square footage is 4000. My question is what type of receiver do I need and/or amplifier etc.
My plan is to play music through my ipod using pandora. The music will mainly be used for backround music to break the silence. May be turned up every now and then for group training classes. Thanks in advance for comments and solutions. I can also get pictures of the existing speakers if needed. I will probably need to get a different type of speaker for part of the building since it has no drop ceiling. Any suggestions on those?

You really don't want to use domestic gear in a situation like that. It will invalidate the warranty anyhow. I would strongly recommend a professional 70 volt system from the start.

We quite frequently get posts like this, but this is a home audio and HT forum.

Your requirements are very different and you have a boat load of code and safety issues.

If you have experience may be we can talk you through it, if not you need to consult a professional commercial PA installer.

 

[joallen001]

You really don't want to use domestic gear in a situation like that. It will invalidate the warranty anyhow. I would strongly recommend a professional 70 volt system from the start.

We quite frequently get posts like this, but this is a home audio and HT forum.

Your requirements are very different and you have a boat load of code and safety issues.

If you have experience may be we can talk you through it, if not you need to consult a professional commercial PA installer.

I do have some experience. I am going to check tomorrow and see what the existing speakers are pulling wattage wise and how they are wired. I assume I am going to need a 70v amplifier and some way to adapt the ipod. I will probably purchase a few 70v speakers for the are without speakers also. Thanks for your response. I will post up the speaker details when I get a chance to take a look. What do you recommend as far as an amplifier and ipod adapter?

 

[joallen001]

Also I did speak with a guy that does door access systems. While he was looking at the job he asked about the audio. I told him he was welcome to price it. So with the door access he priced a 100 watt amplifier with dual eq for $895 and of coarse labor to install was on top of that.

 

[TLS Guy]

I do have some experience. I am going to check tomorrow and see what the existing speakers are pulling wattage wise and how they are wired. I assume I am going to need a 70v amplifier and some way to adapt the ipod. I will probably purchase a few 70v speakers for the are without speakers also. Thanks for your response. I will post up the speaker details when I get a chance to take a look. What do you recommend as far as an amplifier and ipod adapter?

We can talk about that when you have the speakers system sorted, then we will see how much power you need.

We need to know what you have and if they have transformers. I assume in a situation like this you will want the ability to use a microphone.

Usually these situations are covered best with a lot of speakers so no one is ever very far from one.

There will be no problem connecting an ipod to any decent PA amplifier.

 

[joallen001]

We can talk about that when you have the speakers system sorted, then we will see how much power you need.

We need to know what you have and if they have transformers. I assume in a situation like this you will want the ability to use a microphone.

Usually these situations are covered best with a lot of speakers so no one is ever very far from one.

There will be no problem connecting an ipod to any decent PA amplifier.

Sounds good. I will get the speaker information soon. Pretty sure they have transformers on them. I will not have a microphone though. All I will need is a way to adjust the volume during a class sometimes, the rest of the time will just be back ground music. Hopefully all the speakers are still daisy chained together and I can just add on whats needed and adapt the right amplifier. Thanks for your help

 

[TLS Guy]

Sounds good. I will get the speaker information soon. Pretty sure they have transformers on them. I will not have a microphone though. All I will need is a way to adjust the volume during a class sometimes, the rest of the time will just be back ground music. Hopefully all the speakers are still daisy chained together and I can just add on whats needed and adapt the right amplifier. Thanks for your help

That is the beauty of 70 volt system. Yes, you daisy chain the speakers.

The transformers have watt taps. So the sum of the taps must add up to the total power in watts of the amplifier.

All PA amps have mic inputs and so you can add that later. I would have thought a mic in your situation would be very useful at times and darn near essential.

A 100 watt, 70 volt PA amp will probably be just about powerful enough.

 

[highfigh]

I have been browsing around on the forum and just cant seem to find a clear answer on what am I looking for. I am opening a fitness center at the beginning of next year. The location is in an old Movie Gallery building. The building currently has 6-8 ceiling mounted speakers and I will probably need to move a few of them or add 2-4 more speakers. The total square footage is 4000. My question is what type of receiver do I need and/or amplifier etc.
My plan is to play music through my ipod using pandora. The music will mainly be used for backround music to break the silence. May be turned up every now and then for group training classes. Thanks in advance for comments and solutions. I can also get pictures of the existing speakers if needed. I will probably need to get a different type of speaker for part of the building since it has no drop ceiling. Any suggestions on those?

How high is the ceiling? That will make a big difference in which/how many speakers you need. A high ceiling means you can hang speakers with narrow dispersion higher (which requires more power) to maximize coverage OR use more speakers with wider dispersion. A low ceiling means you need wide dispersion speakers and there's no option for hanging them higher. Assuming the walls aren't covered with soft cloth or absorptive materials, you need to consider the floor and ceiling materials when you determine the speakers and power output. Hard floor and ceiling means you can use the reflections to your advantage, but you won't be assured of great sound unless you do some serious signal processing, especially when you throw a mic into the system. Even with an impact-absorbing floor material, feedback is almost assured, so some kind of feedback killer will be needed.

Decent commercial amplifiers and small mixers aren't terribly expensive, so a receiver isn't needed. Whether you need 70V- I would say "Maybe". The room is 4000ft² but knowing the room's volume would be better. If the ceiling is 10', you have 40,000 ft³, which is a decent size but the average and maximum SPL will be a consideration. I have a speaker configuration program from JBL, if you want to let me know the SPL, ceiling height, etc and it's designed for best coverage for the area.

 

[joallen001]

That is the beauty of 70 volt system. Yes, you daisy chain the speakers.

The transformers have watt taps. So the sum of the taps must add up to the total power in watts of the amplifier.

All PA amps have mic inputs and so you can add that later. I would have thought a mic in your situation would be very useful at times and darn near essential.

A 100 watt, 70 volt PA amp will probably be just about powerful enough.

Maybe the mic would be a good idea. I just never see anyone around here using them in there gym's. The only audio systems I have seen around here in gym's are old stereo receivers with 4 or 5 speakers and some have just a basic cd player with two speakers and xm radio running through it. I figure if I already have the speakers there I might as well use them. I just hope they sound well for music in a gym. I guess the only true way to find out is to buy an amplifier and test them out.

 

[joallen001]

How high is the ceiling? That will make a big difference in which/how many speakers you need. A high ceiling means you can hang speakers with narrow dispersion higher (which requires more power) to maximize coverage OR use more speakers with wider dispersion. A low ceiling means you need wide dispersion speakers and there's no option for hanging them higher. Assuming the walls aren't covered with soft cloth or absorptive materials, you need to consider the floor and ceiling materials when you determine the speakers and power output. Hard floor and ceiling means you can use the reflections to your advantage, but you won't be assured of great sound unless you do some serious signal processing, especially when you throw a mic into the system. Even with an impact-absorbing floor material, feedback is almost assured, so some kind of feedback killer will be needed.

Decent commercial amplifiers and small mixers aren't terribly expensive, so a receiver isn't needed. Whether you need 70V- I would say "Maybe". The room is 4000ft² but knowing the room's volume would be better. If the ceiling is 10', you have 40,000 ft³, which is a decent size but the average and maximum SPL will be a consideration. I have a speaker configuration program from JBL, if you want to let me know the SPL, ceiling height, etc and it's designed for best coverage for the area.

There will be rubber flooring through out. The ceiling part is kinda confusing but I will try to explain the best I can. The original building was 3000 sq ft and I am adding an additional 1000 sq ft. The 3000 has a drop ceiling with the existing speakers and it is around 9ft high. As far as the other 1000 goes its probably 15-18ft high. It has a full open ceiling and I will be spraying 2.5 inches of insulation. Hopefully that makes some sense. The 1000 sq ft area is where I will need some help on putting a few more speakers since there is no sound there. Could probably just mount to the wall or the ceiling trusses. I am not sure what the best option for that is.

 

[TLS Guy]

Maybe the mic would be a good idea. I just never see anyone around here using them in there gym's. The only audio systems I have seen around here in gym's are old stereo receivers with 4 or 5 speakers and some have just a basic cd player with two speakers and xm radio running through it. I figure if I already have the speakers there I might as well use them. I just hope they sound well for music in a gym. I guess the only true way to find out is to buy an amplifier and test them out.

Background ceiling systems never sound good. That is expecting too much. They are for commercial background and will sound like they do in any other commercial venue you visit, your supermarket, department stores etc.

The purpose of pro PA amps with a 70 volt system is for reliability and safety, and low maintenance cost.

 

[lsiberian]

I have been browsing around on the forum and just cant seem to find a clear answer on what am I looking for. I am opening a fitness center at the beginning of next year. The location is in an old Movie Gallery building. The building currently has 6-8 ceiling mounted speakers and I will probably need to move a few of them or add 2-4 more speakers. The total square footage is 4000. My question is what type of receiver do I need and/or amplifier etc.
My plan is to play music through my ipod using pandora. The music will mainly be used for backround music to break the silence. May be turned up every now and then for group training classes. Thanks in advance for comments and solutions. I can also get pictures of the existing speakers if needed. I will probably need to get a different type of speaker for part of the building since it has no drop ceiling. Any suggestions on those?

You don't need a mic and I'm sure you can use what exists for background music. My suggestion is find out what you have and then get an amp that will do the job. A group training class would be small enough that a Mic would be unnecessary and maybe even cumbersome. Your main budget should be devoted to quality fitness equipment, customer service, and a good cleaning crew. No one goes to the gym to listen to their favorite tunes.

Now do you have good advice on exercise equipment? Used and refurbs are normally fantastic deals.

 

[highfigh]

There will be rubber flooring through out. The ceiling part is kinda confusing but I will try to explain the best I can. The original building was 3000 sq ft and I am adding an additional 1000 sq ft. The 3000 has a drop ceiling with the existing speakers and it is around 9ft high. As far as the other 1000 goes its probably 15-18ft high. It has a full open ceiling and I will be spraying 2.5 inches of insulation. Hopefully that makes some sense. The 1000 sq ft area is where I will need some help on putting a few more speakers since there is no sound there. Could probably just mount to the wall or the ceiling trusses. I am not sure what the best option for that is.

What are the expectations for sound quality? Does the suspended ceiling need to stay? If not, you can use pendant speakers, or speakers made for fixed installation, mounted to the wall around the perimeter and trusses. If you use in-ceiling speakers, make sure they have an integral enclosure (probably required by the local building code, anyway).

The last workout space I checked out had a high ceiling, a wall of mirrors with hard surfaces all around, terrible acoustics and two speakers that sounded terrible. Great sound is a futile endeavor.

 

[highfigh]

You don't need a mic and I'm sure you can use what exists for background music. My suggestion is find out what you have and then get an amp that will do the job. A group training class would be small enough that a Mic would be unnecessary and maybe even cumbersome. Your main budget should be devoted to quality fitness equipment, customer service, and a good cleaning crew. No one goes to the gym to listen to their favorite tunes.

Now do you have good advice on exercise equipment? Used and refurbs are normally fantastic deals.

If they offer classes that require instruction for the people, a mic is definitely necessary. If this is a 4000 ft² space, it's just over 63' on all sides and that's too far to carry well without the instructor going hoarse. If exercise equipment is involved, it's needed even more. A decent wireless mic will work fine.

If someone wants to hear their favorites, they'll probably be wearing an iPod, or something like it.

 

[lsiberian]

If they offer classes that require instruction for the people, a mic is definitely necessary. If this is a 4000 ft² space, it's just over 63' on all sides and that's too far to carry well without the instructor going hoarse. If exercise equipment is involved, it's needed even more. A decent wireless mic will work fine.

If someone wants to hear their favorites, they'll probably be wearing an iPod, or something like it.

I think it really depends on the class size/type.

 

[joallen001]

Ok I tested the existing speakers out and they just dont seem to be what I need. One guy on the job mentioned installing a bose in ceiling speaker system but that is more than what I need. Maybe I should just go with some basic wall mount speakers. The exact square footage for the music area is 3700 sq ft with 10' drop ceilings. When classes are held the max in a class will be 15. As far as quality of sounds go I just want something more professional that looks and sounds better than all the other gyms using a basic stereo with 2 speakers that you buy at walmart. Being able to run through my ipod is a must also. Sorry it took me so long to get back to you all. Thanks for all the help. Maybe I should be looking into a used receiver and some wall mount speakers?

 

[TLS Guy]

Ok I tested the existing speakers out and they just dont seem to be what I need. One guy on the job mentioned installing a bose in ceiling speaker system but that is more than what I need. Maybe I should just go with some basic wall mount speakers. The exact square footage for the music area is 3700 sq ft with 10' drop ceilings. When classes are held the max in a class will be 15. As far as quality of sounds go I just want something more professional that looks and sounds better than all the other gyms using a basic stereo with 2 speakers that you buy at walmart. Being able to run through my ipod is a must also. Sorry it took me so long to get back to you all. Thanks for all the help. Maybe I should be looking into a used receiver and some wall mount speakers?

Run from the guy who recommended that Bose pro system. It is awful, the base unit will not work with other speakers and the speakers will not work with other receivers or amps.

If you are going to fill that space with a lot of people with anything like quality audio, you will need substantial high efficiency speakers, not small wall mounts.

Providing a quality system in your circumstances is a much tougher nut to crack than you think.

If you are hoping to create a "jazzercise" environment with quality audio, it will be a substantial investment. You will need good speakers, a sub and something more robust than a receiver in the power amp department.

If it is background music you want then a pro distributed audio system is the way to go.

I'm far from certain you know what you want, let alone how to achieve it.

 

[lsiberian]

Run from the guy who recommended that Bose pro system. It is awful, the base unit will not work with other speakers and the speakers will not work with other receivers or amps.

If you are going to fill that space with a lot of people with anything like quality audio, you will need substantial high efficiency speakers, not small wall mounts.

Providing a quality system in your circumstances is a much tougher nut to crack than you think.

If you are hoping to create a "jazzercise" environment with quality audio, it will be a substantial investment. You will need good speakers, a sub and something more robust than a receiver in the power amp department.

If it is background music you want then a pro distributed audio system is the way to go.

I'm far from certain you know what you want, let alone how to achieve it.

I agree that you need to figure out exactly what you want and your budget. Once you do that we can make some recommendations. If you are okay with wall mounting speakers then you will probably want at least 4 of them.

 

[joallen001]

I agree that you need to figure out exactly what you want and your budget. Once you do that we can make some recommendations. If you are okay with wall mounting speakers then you will probably want at least 4 of them.

I was thinking 4-5 wall mounted speakers. For a total overall expense I really dont wanna put more than 400-500 in it. I have already spent several thousand on a mye system to link up my cardio equipment and tv's. When members are using the mye system which requires headphones. I dont wanna have issues with them hearing the gym music over the tv they are listening to while doing cardio. I have looked at the polk monitor30 and http://www.amazon.com/Sony-SS-B1000-...2545571&sr=1-1 but I really am unsure what my best option is.

 

[TLS Guy]

I agree that you need to figure out exactly what you want and your budget. Once you do that we can make some recommendations. If you are okay with wall mounting speakers then you will probably want at least 4 of them.

A 3,700 sq. ft. space with 10' ceilings is very large.

Here is a 1,200 ft space.

This has room for two farm tractors, one with a 6 ft mowing deck, the other with 8' bucket and 8' grader, a Willys Jeep and a lawn tractor with 4' mowing deck as well as tool chests welder, plasma cutter, work benches and 60 gallon air tank. In the inter it stows to take all that plus and 18.5' speed boat and gas trailer with a 50 gallon tank. The OP's space is three times that!

Filling that with sound of any quality will be a challenge. Four small wall mounted speakers, won't even amount to a pea shooter.