Sound for a garden party — a guide to getting outdoor audio right

Garden parties are wonderful. But outdoor sound is a different discipline from indoors. It disperses in every direction, the wind carries it away, and the neighbours hear all of it. Here are concrete tips for getting the best sound at your garden party.

Why is outdoor sound harder?

Indoors, the walls, ceiling and floor reflect sound back to you. Outdoors you get none of those reflections. The result is that you need more output to reach the same perceived volume.

A Bluetooth speaker that fills a living room perfectly disappears completely in a garden. You need a real system.

Choose the right package

• A small garden, under 30 guests: the small speaker package manages, especially if you place it well (see below).
• A large garden, 30+ guests: the large package with two 12" tops. Add a subwoofer for 295 DKK and the bass survives the open air.
• No power in the garden? The Mackie Thump GO (395 DKK) runs on battery for up to 12 hours, and the Soundboks 4 (795 DKK) even longer.

Five tips for good outdoor sound

1. Put the speaker up high

Stand it on a stand so the sound travels over head height. Sound that reaches your guests' ears directly is far more effective than sound fired along the ground.

2. Point it at the guests

Aim the speaker straight at the area where people actually are. Avoid pointing it at a fence or an open space where the sound simply leaves.

3. Place it behind the "stage"

If you have a dance area or a central gathering point, put the speaker behind it — so the music comes from behind and fills the space.

4. Do not forget the subwoofer

Bass disappears quickly outdoors. A subwoofer makes an enormous difference to the overall experience. It can stand on the ground — bass is not directional the way mid-range is.

5. Think about the neighbours

This one matters. Good rules:

• Keep the music low before 6 PM and bring it down again after 10 PM
• Tell the neighbours in advance — a friendly text or a note in the stairwell works wonders
• Point the speaker away from them — direction makes a surprising difference
• Go easy on the bass late in the evening — bass carries further than mid-range

Combine it with party lights

Outdoor sound and light together lift any garden party. Our light package with LED spots and a fog machine sets the mood once the sun goes down, and 10 metres of fairy lights at 195 DKK is the cheapest transformation there is. See the party lights.

Book sound for your garden party

Rent a speaker or a full PA system for your garden party from 395 DKK per weekend. Collect at Vermlandsgade 66, return on Monday. Book your speaker now.