What it costs to hire a sound system for an event depends on how many people it is for, where it takes place and what has to be heard. Reinforcing a speaker's voice in a hotel function room and covering a concert in a town square are different jobs with different equipment. Our sound system hire for events is quoted from the audience size and the space, and further down you will find the starting prices for each pack. First, here is what makes the figure go up or down.
Audience size decides the size of the system
A bigger audience means more area to cover and more distance between the speakers and the last row. That is why our packs are organised by audience size: up to 150 people, from 150 to 500, and more than 500 or outdoors.
The jump from one band to the next is not just about power. There comes a size at which a pair of boxes either side of the stage can no longer reach the back without deafening the front row, and you have to change the type of system. If you want to work it out yourself, in how many watts of sound do I need we explain it step by step.
Line array or conventional system
A conventional, or point source, system is made of boxes that spread sound in a wide cone. In a banqueting suite or an assembly hall they give good coverage and are quick to set up. A line array is a column of boxes working together that throws sound further. As a rule of thumb, a conventional box loses about 6 dB every time the distance doubles, and a line array in its near field loses considerably less, so the back hears well without the front being blasted. It costs more to transport, rig and align, and it only pays off when the space calls for it. Our room pack uses a compact 2-way system with subwoofers; the live and large-format packs use line array, and the large-format one adds delay towers.
Indoors or outdoors
Indoors the walls help: they return part of the sound and the same system goes further. Outdoors there is nothing to bounce it back, the wind carries it off and the background noise is higher, so the same audience needs more system. Outdoors also brings things a function room never has, such as rain protection, the power supply or a generator, and in large squares the delay towers that get sound to the back without time lag. To decide according to the space, see how to choose sound for your event by audience size.
Speeches or live music
An event with speeches and background music asks for little: a voice people can understand and a couple of reliable microphones. A live band multiplies the work. Each instrument is one more channel on the desk, the musicians need monitors to hear themselves on stage and the engineer has to mix properly for the whole concert, not just push a fader up and down. For the same audience, live music always costs more than the spoken word.
Microphones and monitors
Every wireless microphone is one more channel to manage, with its frequency and its batteries. At a wedding one handheld may be enough for the speeches; at a five-person panel you need five, plus one for audience questions. Anyone moving around the stage is better off with a headset or a lavalier. Our room pack includes one wireless handheld microphone, and the live pack extends the microphones with headset and lavalier and adds stage monitors. We go into detail in wireless microphones for weddings and conferences.
The technician and the hours
All our systems come with setup, sound check, live operation and teardown by a Zenor technician. The price moves with the hours: a ceremony with a drinks reception does not cost the same as a wedding that starts at midday and ends in the small hours, or a two-day congress. What that person does during the event is explained in what a sound technician does at an event.
Travel and venue conditions
We work all over Spain from Albacete, with travel included in the quote and calculated according to the distance. The venue itself also counts: loading in up stairs with no goods lift, a very short setup window or having to take everything down the moment the event ends are crew hours that need planning.
What the price includes and what moves it
Each pack includes the PA system sized for its audience, the mixing desk, the microphones it specifies, setup with sound check and teardown, and the live sound technician during the event. The price goes up when the real audience exceeds the pack's band, when the event is outdoors or has a live band, and when the hours get longer.
Starting prices for our packs
These are the «from» prices for each pack, taken from our current rates. They are a starting point: the final quote depends on the date, the place, the hours and the travel, and a person always reviews it before sending it to you. If a pack shows no price, it is because it is quoted per project.
| Pack | For | Includes | From |
|---|---|---|---|
| Venue & celebration | Up to 150 people | Compact 2-way PA system with subwoofers · Mixing desk and basic monitoring · One handheld wireless microphone | 350 € |
| Live & corporate | 150 – 500 people | Scalable line array sized to the crowd · Digital mixing desk and front-of-house control · Stage monitors for performers and speakers | 900 € |
- Venue & celebrationFrom 350 €Up to 150 peopleCompact 2-way PA system with subwoofers · Mixing desk and basic monitoring · One handheld wireless microphone
- Live & corporateFrom 900 €150 – 500 peopleScalable line array sized to the crowd · Digital mixing desk and front-of-house control · Stage monitors for performers and speakers
Starting prices, kept up to date from our catalogue. The final quote depends on the date, the venue, the hours and the travel, and a person reviews it before it is sent. See packs and configure
What to send us when asking for a quote
With this information we can propose a specific system without emails going back and forth. You can send it through the contact form:
- Date, start time and end time of the event
- Exact location and whether it is indoors or outdoors
- Approximate number of guests
- What will be heard: speeches, recorded music, a DJ or a live band
- How many people will speak or sing into a microphone
- Whether there is a stage, and what the access is like for loading in
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a technician during the event?
With us it is always included. And it is what you want: at an event the level changes constantly, from a speech to a toast and from there to the dancing, and someone has to correct it, swap a battery in time and kill feedback before the room notices.
Can I hire just the speakers and set them up myself?
Our packs are always delivered set up, tested and operated by a Zenor technician. It is not a formality: a good part of what sounds good or bad depends on where the boxes go and how the system is tuned to the room.
How many microphones do I need for a wedding?
For the ceremony, one for the officiant and another for the readings is usually enough. At the reception, one handheld for the speeches. If there is live music during the ceremony, the musicians need their own on top.
What happens if it rains at an outdoor event?
Sound equipment cannot be left out in the rain, so outdoors you need to plan for a covered stage, a marquee or an indoor fallback. Tell us when you ask for a quote so we can factor it in from the start.
Do you work outside Albacete?
Yes, all over Spain. Travel is included in the quote and is calculated according to the distance to the event venue.