Professional audio

Professional audio, occasionally abbreviated as pro audio, refers to both an activity and a type of high quality audio equipment. Typically it encompasses sound recording, sound reinforcement system setup and mixing, and studio music production by trained sound engineers, audio engineers and audio technicians who work in live event support, using audio mixers or sound reinforcement systems. In contrast, consumer audio equipment is usually confined to the reproduction of sound in a private home on a home stereo or home cinema system.

Professional audio can include, but is not limited to broadcast radio, audio mastering in a recording studio, television studio, and sound reinforcement such as a live concert, DJ performances, audio sampling, public address system set up, surround sound design in movie theatres, and design and setup of piped music in hotels and restaurants.

The term professional audio has no precise definition, but it typically includes:

Compared to consumer-grade audio equipment, professional audio equipment tends to have such characteristics as:

The broadcast quality of professional audio equipment is on a par with that of consumer high-end audio and hi-fi equipment, but is more likely to be designed purely on sound engineering principles and owes little to the consumer-oriented audiophile sub-culture.

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