We’ve all been there. You’re in a school gymnasium for an assembly, and the principal’s voice is a booming, echoing, unintelligible mess. Or you’re in a corporate conference room, and the video call is a frustrating, inefficient loop of "Can you you hear me?" and "You’re breaking up."

As industry-leading A/V integrators, these are the two problems we are called in to fix most often.

A gymnasium and a conference room seem like polar opposite spaces. One is a cavernous hall built for sports; the other is a small, enclosed room built for meetings. So why do they so often share the exact same problems: bad audio and confusing, inefficient systems?

Achieving prime sound in these multi-use spaces isn't about buying the most expensive speaker. It’s about designing an efficient, integrated system that tames the room and is simple for anyone to use. It’s time to stop fighting the same echo and feedback problems year after year. Don't carry that bad sound into 2026. Here are the three key elements our experts focus on to get it right.

1. The Problem: The Room Itself (Physics & Echo)

You are not fighting a speaker problem; you are fighting a physics problem.

• In the Gym: You're in a giant box made of hard, reflective surfaces - cinder block walls, hardwood floors, and metal ceilings. Sound from a typical "speaker on a stick" bounces around for seconds before it fades, turning all speech into mud.

• In the Conference Room: You're in a smaller box, but it's often made of glass walls and a long, reflective table. This creates a "hollow" sound and causes microphones to pick up their own reflections, leading to phasing and a "tin-can" effect.

The NLfx Solution: A Two-Part Approach to Tame the Room

Part A: Control Your Sound's Direction - You can’t just turn up the volume; that only makes the echo louder. The first solution is to use the right kind of speaker that focuses sound only on the audience.

This is where an NLfxpert system designer will specify the right tool. For many of these spaces, Column Array Speakers (like the LD Systems MAUI series or EV EVOLVE series) are a game-changer. They create a very wide horizontal coverage pattern (so everyone in a row hears) but a very tight vertical pattern. This sends the sound at the listeners' ears, not at the reflective floor and ceiling, which drastically reduces echo and increases clarity.

Part B: Control the Reflections with Acoustic Treatment - For those who really want the best sound, controlling the speaker is only half the battle. To truly perfect the space, you must control the room itself. By installing custom acoustic panels on the walls or ceiling, you can drastically reduce the echo in the room before it even becomes a problem. This acoustic treatment works with any audio solution to improve intelligibility, creating a more pleasant and professional-sounding environment for everyone.

2. The Problem: The Wrong Microphone

Your system's "ears" are just as important as its "mouth."

• In the Gym: A single, all-purpose microphone on a podium is a recipe for feedback. To get enough volume for the room, the mic has to be turned up so high that it starts to pick up its own sound from the speakers, causing that piercing squeal.

• In the Conference Room: A single "spider phone" in the middle of a 20-foot table. The CEO sounds great, but the intern at the far end of the room sounds like they're in another zip code.

The NLfx Solution: Put the Right Mic in the Right Place

"Efficiency" means the user doesn't have to think. Our experts design systems where the mic just is where the person is. Choosing the right mic isn't just about brand; it's about the application.

• For Podiums: A high-quality Gooseneck Microphone (like from Sennheiser) is essential.

• For Conference Tables: A professional setup uses Ceiling Microphone Arrays (like the Shure MXA series) or Boundary Mics to automatically focus on whoever is speaking.

• For Assemblies/Q&A: A reliable Wireless Handheld Microphone is non-negotiable for anyone who needs to move around.

3. The Problem: The "Closet of Doom" (No Integration)

This is the number one killer of efficiency and the most common problem we are hired to fix. You have a closet with a 30-channel mixer, a tangled nest of wires, and a cryptic remote. The only person who knows how to turn it on is the IT director, who is on vacation.

The system is useless because it wasn't designed for the end-user.

The NLfx Solution: Make It "One-Button" Simple

A professional system should be complex on the inside but dead-simple on the outside. Our integration team designs and programs this simplicity.

• The Brain (DSP): A Digital Signal Processor (DSP) is the hidden brain we install and program once. It handles all the hard work automatically: feedback suppression, auto-mixing all the different microphones, and ensuring the speakers are perfectly tuned for the room.

• The Control (The Button): The user should never see the DSP. They should only see a simple, NLfx-programmed Wall-Plate Controller with pre-set "scenes."

For Example:

• [Presentation] button: Turns on the projector, lowers the screen, and activates the podium mic.

• [Assembly] button: Turns on the main gym speakers and the wireless mic.

• [Volume Up] / [Volume Down]

That’s it. When the system is simple enough for a substitute teacher or visiting executive to use in 10 seconds, you have achieved true efficiency. That is the standard we build to.

Stop Fighting Your A/V — Let the Experts Handle It

Great sound in a tough room isn't about buying a "speaker-in-a-box" from an office supply store. It’s about a complete, efficient system designed by certified experts.

Our team at NLFX Professional doesn't just sell you the gear; we are a full-service design and integration partner. We can consult on your existing problems, design a brand-new system from the ground up, and provide a flawless, turnkey installation - from the speakers and mics to the acoustic wall panels and one-touch controls.

Make 2026 the year your systems finally work flawlessly, every time. Contact us today for a consultation and let's finally make your gymnasium and conference rooms sound as good as they look.