Ongoing History Daily: The brief history of the PA system
When we go to a concert, we expect good sound. But it wasn’t always that way. In the 60s and early 70s, PA systems used by bands at all levels were awful. Even if you could hear anything, it certainly didn’t sound very good.
It wasn’t until the 1970s that bands insisted on better gear because fans were now demanding that they actually be able to make out what was being played onstage. Groups had to sound just like their records. Pioneers in this area were the Grateful Dead, the Eagles, Genesis, The Who and Pink Floyd. They insisted on not only being loud, but clear–a pretty novel concept back in those days.
Today, sound systems are so sophisticated and computerized that it’s hard to tell what’s being played live and what’s pre-recorded.
