Sound Expressions: Church Sound Systems

Many churches struggle with a number of issues relating to the sound system in their main auditorium. Sound not only requires technical expertise, it is also subject to a lot of opinions. Even with a well-designed system the chance of human error causing a significant interruption is high. It can be difficult to train sound console operators (sound technicians) to understand:

• Proper microphone selection and placement
• Phase cancellation and how to avoid it
• Proper EQ settings
• How to mic the guitar proper to avoid that "hollow" sound
• How to control and eliminate feedback
• How to create a pleasant overall sound (or full rich tone)
• The sound technician's role in rehearsals and pre-service sound checks
• ... etc ...

Running sound is often a thankless job. If you do it well, you aren't noticed. If something goes wrong, you get a few "suggestions" on how to do it better.

---

SOUND EXPRESSIONS Church Technology Evaluation and Upgrade Process

Our project management process is designed to guide you through the entire process. We do not work via a typical RFP process. Rather, our goal is to help you navigate through the entire process. The major phases include:

• IDEA / NEED
• EVALUATION
• MINISTRY GOALS AND FUNCTIONS
• CORRELATION WITH TECHNOLOGY
• SYSTEM DESIGN
• INSTALLATION PROCESS
• CHANGE IMPACT MANAGEMENT
• TRAINING

Please contact Sound Expressions early in your sound system evaluation process to ensure selection of the best solutions to your ministry needs.

On the "tongue-in-cheek" side

We may as well look at this from the lighter side ... we try to make our training both interesting and complete:

What bugs the sound technician:

1. When someone walks up onto the platform and their first words (into a live mic) are ... "IS THIS ON?" (see item 1 below) Or, better yet, they blow into it!
2. When you have a quality pulpit mic able to pick up anyone within 5 feet with perfect clarity, but someone stands on their tiptoes, stretched forward, leans into the mic and speaks 1/2" away (splattering their first words all over the back wall before the sound technician has a chance to pull the slider down to a reasonable level).
3. When a singer controls the mic positioning backwards ... pull it close on loud passages and pull is away on soft parts.
4. A vocalist who sings loud part of the time and very soft part of the time.

What bugs everyone else

1. When you get up, walk up to the platform, walk to the podium (obviously intending to speak as indicated in the worship plan the sound tech is holding in his hand) and the microphone is dead for the first half-sentence. This leaves you in a quandary ... do I say what I said over again ... or go on? (see item 1 above)
2. When you are finished speaking/singing into a handheld mic, walk over to the stand to put it away and there is a loud "thunk" when you drop it into the mic holder.
3. When the tech forgets to turn on the stage monitors, the singers can't hear each other ... but the sound tech is busy talking with someone (who has no business in the sound booth) and you can't get his attention to signal the problem.
4. When you stop singing your part in the vocal ensemble for a few seconds (because you feel your breakfast digestion process doing it's thing ...) and the sound tech senses your mic is weak and cranks it up!

Questions regarding your system needs, sound problems etc? Submit email to sales@sound-expressions.com . We will answer common questions and post them on this home page for your future reference.

Contact Sound Expressions at 616-463-5080

 E-mail us at sales@sound-expressions.com

Back to Sound Systems page
Sound Expressions Homepage