PA System Rental for Corporate & Speaking Events | NYC

For a spoken-word event, loud is not the goal — intelligible is. Those are different problems, and a system chosen for music often solves the wrong one.

Speech needs clarity, not volume

When someone is presenting, the measure of success is whether a person at the back can make out every word without leaning in. Raising the volume past a certain point actively works against that, especially in the hard-surfaced rooms most events happen in — glass, bare floors, and a low ceiling reflect sound around until consonants smear together. That is why a speech system is usually positioned and aimed differently from a music one, and why the room matters more than the wattage.

So the two things we most want to know are what the room is made of and how it is laid out. A carpeted conference room and a glass-walled atrium with the same headcount are not the same job.

The microphone decision

This is where most speaking events are won or lost, and it is worth thinking about before you inquire.

Tell us how many people will speak, whether they need to move, and whether the audience will ask questions. That is enough for us to spec it.

Worth confirming with the venue first

• Whether there is already a house system, and whether anyone on site knows how to turn it on. Plenty of New York venues have one and no operator.
• Whether sound needs to feed anything else — a recording, a livestream, a hearing loop, an overflow room. Say so up front; it is much harder to add late.
• When you can get into the room. Spoken-word events are usually scheduled tightly, and a system you cannot position until ten minutes before the first speaker is a system running on hope.
• Whether your venue or insurer needs paperwork from us. Ask us in your inquiry rather than assuming either way, and we will tell you what we can provide.

How the rental works

Questions we get asked

Where do I pick the system up, and can you deliver it?

Pickup and delivery are both curbside. You can collect the system curbside at Brothers Guitar Shop, 316 East 84th Street, New York, NY 10028, or we can bring it curbside to your address in the New York City area. Tell us where you are in your inquiry and we will confirm delivery before you book.

What does a rental cost?

We quote per event rather than publishing a rate card, because each system is put together for the specific room, headcount, and program. Send us those details through the contact form and we will come back with a price.

Which speakers and mixer will I get?

Our systems are unique rather than fixed packages, so we confirm the exact gear when we quote your event. Inquire for details and we will tell you what we would send for your situation.

Will you set it up and run sound at my event?

No. Pickup and delivery are curbside, and operating the system during the event is not part of the rental. Mention it in your inquiry if you need an operator and we will tell you plainly whether we can help.

How many microphones do I need for a panel discussion?

Count every person who will speak, add the moderator, and add one more if the audience will ask questions. Give us that number in your inquiry and we will spec the mixer around it.

Can the system feed a recording or a livestream?

Tell us in your inquiry that you need an output for recording or streaming, and what device it has to reach. It is straightforward to plan for and awkward to add on the day.

Do you provide a technician to operate the system?

No — the rental is curbside out and curbside back, and running it during the event is not included. If your event needs an operator, say so and we will tell you honestly whether we can point you to someone.

Where to find us