SAMPLED

Live sound and performance · updated 2026-08-16

LINE ARRAY

Vertically stacked speaker elements that behave as one tall source, giving even coverage front to back in larger rooms.

A front-of-house position at a concert venue before doors: digital mixing console, laptop and racks facing the stage — the live rig behind the FOH, monitor and PA terms here.
Live sound and performance — A front-of-house position at a concert venue before doors: digital mixing console, laptop and racks facing the stage — the live rig behind the FOH, monitor and PA terms here.

Photo: McFly Power to Play Tour, Bridlington Spa front-of-house pre-show (opens in a new tab) by Hullian111 (opens in a new tab), via Wikimedia Commons — CC BY-SA 4.0 (opens in a new tab)

Key takeaways

  • Vertically stacked speaker elements that behave as one tall source, giving even coverage front to back in larger rooms.
  • It is why large venues use hanging columns rather than stacks.
  • Array vertical splay is calculated for the room geometry so the back rows get comparable level to the front.
  • Watch out: treating a small array as automatically better than a well-placed point-source pair in a small room.
  • Sits under live sound and performance in this glossary, with 2 primary sources below.

Quick checklist

  • Can you define line array in one sentence without looking?
  • Can you point at line array in a real session, mix or contract?
  • Have you tried the practical move above at least once?
  • Would you catch the common mistake before it costs you a take?
  • Have you opened one of the primary sources below rather than a forum thread?

LINE ARRAY IN DEPTH

A line array is a vertical column of loudspeakers whose combined output behaves as a single tall source with controlled vertical coverage and slower distance roll-off than a point source. It is why large venues use hanging columns rather than stacks.

How it works in practice

Array vertical splay is calculated for the room geometry so the back rows get comparable level to the front.

The mistake people make

Treating a small array as automatically better than a well-placed point-source pair in a small room.

WHERE LINE ARRAY SITS

Line array belongs to live sound and performance in the Sampled music glossary. The stage vocabulary: what the engineer means when they wave at you.

TEST YOURSELF

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3 quick questions on line array. Answers are marked instantly — nothing is sent anywhere.

  1. 1. Which statement best describes line array?

  2. 2. What is the mistake people most often make with line array?

  3. 3. In practice, which of these applies to line array?

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SOURCES AND CITATIONS

Free, primary references for line array — standards bodies, manufacturers, government offices and university course material. Each one lists the line of this entry it backs up.

  • AES technical library (opens in a new tab)

    Professional standards body · Audio Engineering Society

    “Vertically stacked speaker elements that behave as one tall source, giving even coverage front to back in larger rooms.”— the claim this source supports

    Why it counts: AES writes and reviews the engineering standards and peer-reviewed papers this terminology comes from.

  • Yamaha Pro Audio (opens in a new tab)

    Primary reference · yamaha.com

    “A line array is a vertical column of loudspeakers whose combined output behaves as a single tall source with controlled vertical coverage and slower distance roll-off than a point source.”— the claim this source supports

    Why it counts: Published by the organisation responsible for the thing being defined, so it is a first-hand source rather than a summary of one.

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