Review: Lightspeed Redcat’s Audio System Delivers High-Quality Sound in the Classroom

Supplemental Audio System for Other Audiovisual Tech

For teachers who may not already have an audio system in their classrooms, the Lightspeed Redcat Audio System with Flexmike would make a great solution. In addition to improving the volume and clarity of the teacher’s voice, the speaker’s integrated power amplifier also has a 3.5-millimeter analog audio input and output ports.

During testing, I sent audio from my computer to the Redcat and played a music video via the input jack. The music filled the room with beautiful sound. Being a relative newcomer to audio exciter technology, I was impressed at the rich depth of sound emanating from the speaker. I then spoke into the Flexmike, and my speech blended with the music from the video with no need to adjust volume. It was as if I were playing a voice-over narration that had already been mixed.

In addition to the analog input port, the Redcat’s analog output port can be an invaluable tool for learners with significant hearing impairments. With the student sitting close to the Redcat, the teacher simply connects a set of wired headphones to the output jack, and all audio coming into the Redcat is output to the headphones as well. I tried this with a random set of headphones, and the mix was perfectly balanced. The student can easily adjust the output tone and volume to his or her liking without affecting the overall mix going out to the classroom. It’s a brilliant setup.

EXPLORE: How school districts are using upgraded audiovisual tools to improve learning.

I have a few colleagues commonly referred to as traveling teachers who offer art and music instruction to multiple schools across our district. It’s not uncommon for one teacher to visit as many as five schools per week — not to mention multiple classrooms at each school — with potentially unique audio setups at each site. For this reason, having a portable, flexible, all-in-one piece of gear like the Redcat is compelling. For example, one week, the art teacher visited my classroom for our weekly art lesson. I asked her to try teaching with the Flexmike. A mere two minutes into her lesson, she asked me for details about the system and told me how much she would love to have something like this.

Most teachers abuse their voice, whether they travel from school to school or work out of their own classroom. Some develop vocal nodules and experience hoarseness every day. With a Lightspeed Redcat Audio System with Flexmike, teachers can use their regular speaking voice, which means less vocal strain.