Sensible Sound

A no-nonsense approach to a maze of sound options

by Scott Stephens

Everybody admires a new soundboard, especially one with all kinds of bells, whistles, and what-nots. There's nothing wrong with having such gear, either, to help churches hold the attention of listeners who are used to state-of-the-art multimedia. But lately, we seem to be buying into a my-system-can-beat-your system mentality, which could force us to buy far more than we need.

Quality at a Price
You can spend $110,000 for a Midas XL4, $100,000 for an Amek Recall, or a couple of hundred thousand for a Cadac Concert. If your church really needs an automated console, you can't beat those systems. But really, how many ordinary church members can tell the difference in sound produced by a Yamaha 4K for $70,000, a Soundcraft Series 5 for $53,000, or even a Mackie at $10,000?

I suppose you could argue durability, preamps, and equalizer sound to justify the expense, but you could also add wiring, mikes, speakers, and outboard gear to a lesser-priced system for far less money.

Anyhow, no matter what you spend—$10,000 or $200,000—if the system has problems or won't work properly because you don't have qualified people to operate it, you might as well revert back to tin cans and a string, or shouting.

Speaking of qualified people, all it takes to operate a sound system is basically mastering one procedure and repeating that as many times as necessary. Sound mixing is a bit more complicated, particularly if you have to mix 60 channels. But most churches don't need that many channels; 6 to 12 is plenty for 100 people or less in a worship service.

Sorting Through the Options
A basic sound system for a small church should cost about $2,500, including cables and microphones. The average system in the majority of churches in the United States today costs about $21,000. The most expensive sound systems top out at about $1 million.

High-end installations include wonders such as multitrack recording that is synchronized with video. There are dozens of options to consider in purchasing a screen or projector. In choosing a screen, for example, you must sort through features like: fiberglass matt white, seamless matt white, glass beaded, front projection, rear projection, vertical mount, horizontal mount, tilting, or straight. You must also decide the size, keeping in mind that the bigger the screen, the more it will cost to ship. In addition to price, size, shipping, and options, you should check out what kind of service you'll get on the product in case of malfunction.

In the matter of price, don't go overboard on equipment, but don't go cheap, either. Sunday services and special events have enough surprises for a sound crew without having to deal with inferior equipment. Spending a few hundred more dollars to get a console with subgroups or mute groups will make everyone a lot happier.

Must Haves
Churches can get along without mute groups, 10 auxillary sends for different monitor mixes, a rack of wireless units, or in-the-ear monitors. What they shouldn't be without are a couple of good microphones, a set of speakers, a clean amp, a good board to run it all, and extra cables to replace the ones that go down for no apparent reason.

Lavaliers should also be considered standard equipment. If properly cared for, their reliability and durability will make up for what you spend on batteries. Like the consoles that control them, lavaliers vary widely in price and quality. You can spend $10,000 per channel and have it controlled by a computer, or as little as $200.

A wireless handheld microphone is another good investment for churches. These units also come in dozens of models, including UHF models, which are dropping in price, and the newest digital wireless mikes. Battery-fuel gauges and selectable frequency tuners are useful features to consider when deciding on a wireless.

Monitors are important if your church is large and features a lot of singing. In some churches, the singing and accompaniment coming from the main speakers are enough to keep vocalists on key. Without a headphone feed for the monitors, however, you'll have no idea of how all that fits together.

A system of monitors should be treated as a separate system with its own amplifier and equalizer. Monitors should never be run off the mains; their volume must be independent from that of the house.

Sound Safety
A large, complicated sound system can lull churches into a false sense of security about sound hazards. To protect yourself and others in the church, you should take precautions such as:

• Coiling up cable at the base of microphone stands and under the front of monitors. Tape down cable that must extend into any area of foot traffic.
• Make sure all of your equipment is properly grounded. Don't cut off the ground plugs, either, even to help prevent a buzz.
• Make sure your church has good liability insurance. No matter what the precautions, accidents still happen. You'll want good coverage for when they do.
• Post a sign near the sound equipment, warning of possible electrical hazards and limiting access to qualified sound technicians.

Scott Stephens is owner of Creative Sound Services in Belmont, Ohio. He is author of a book on sound and has worked as a sound technician in a church for more than 15 years.

Copyright © 1999 by the author or Christianity Today International/Your Church Magazine. For reprint information call 630-260-6200 or e-mail yceditor@yourchurch.net.
January/February 1999, Vol.45, No. 1, Page 20

	Subcategories of Music & Audio
	Acoustics Acrylic Drum Shields Amplifiers Audio Resources Audio Tapes/CD/DVD Duplicators Audio Consultants Blank Audio/CD Tapes Carillons & Bells Choir Robes Digital Hymnal Electronic Instruments Hearing Assistance Microphones Organs Other Pianos Wireless & Portable Sound Sound Boards/Mixers Sound Contractors Speakers