Sound Recommendations

Probably the absolute best recommendation I can give you is this: “Don’t try to do it by yourselves.” In the same way that you wouldn’t want someone who has just “done some research on the internet” building a new computer for you or designing an addition to your building, you really want a professional to help you out. In this case, you really will get what you pay for and I’ve seen this many times, “the quality is remembered long after the price is forgotten” – in other words, you’d never say “wow, this sounds terrible and we keep having trouble with stuff, but we got it for cheap,” instead you’re more likely to hear “this sounds wonderful, sure it cost more that we thought, but it’s so been worth it.” Since audio reinforcement is both an art and science, and since every situation is different, there are no cookie cutter solutions – and there’s also not just one right way to do anything with sound.

However, I would highly recommend the following from personal experience:

Aviom Personal Monitoring System – the single most effective upgrade we’re ever done. Ever. It has completely revolutionized the sound many churches that I’ve been involved with – in 1600 seat auditoriums and smaller venues alike. Imagine not ever even thinking about someone being too loud! And they are comparable in price to the cost of wedge monitors and amplifiers, plus they give you so much more personalization.

As you’ve experienced, Mackie products are pro-sumer at best (as in a beefy consumer product that’s not designed to withstand or deliver professional use). Your sound console is a key part of your system, and you want something that’s logical, flexible, uncluttered, reliable, and that sounds great. Not all sound consoles sound the same!

Mix position – this is absolutely critical to be effective as a sound tech. You must be hearing the same thing the audience is hearing. Typically, the ideal mix position is about halfway back, toward the middle of the seating area. And it’s always worth any aesthetic loss.

Clearsonic makes great shields for drums, including complete enclosures (front, back, and top) to completely control the sound of acoustic drums. Though this can take away the feel of connection among the band and you’ll have to mic it, it gives you the flexibility of an electronic kit, without the long list of negatives – it’s a great way to go.

Speakers – getting as much separation as possible is the best way to go. In other words, having a separate bass cabinet that’s just handling bass, with separate mid-range and horn speakers allows each speaker to reproduce the frequency it was designed to handle will always sound better than a full-range (general purpose) speaker.

Effects – don’t leave out an equalizer and some vocal effects. They might seem like extras, but they are key for getting a pleasant sound. In church sound especially, there are often complaints of it being too loud or piercing – this is due largely to equalization problems and an raw, un-enhanced sound. Simple vocal effects and greatly improve the sound – any time you hear recorded music, you’re hearing vocals with effects. Equalizers can be great tools to remove a particularly trouble-causing frequency in your particular room.

Mics – cheap mics will sound cheap. Period. This is the first component that the sound comes to, and a good rule of thumb is that mics should cost at least $100 each.

Video – expect to spend 2-to-1 more on video than on audio. People watch TV. If you don’t even begin to approximate that quality and resolution, people will notice. It’s not uncommon for a camera to cost $30,000, but you can get started with a “wedding videographer quality” one for around $4,000.


http://adlibmusic.com/

Worship Pulse

Thinking about worship at your church and your worship leading…

What excites you most right now?

What are some of the things you are most frustrated/confused/worried/angry/blah about?

What are some of the most effective/powerful/favorite songs right now?

Describe the way you feel the relationships are going. (bands, techs, pastors, congregation)

What training do you feel you lack? Your band? Your techs?

Want to vent or ask or proclaim anything else?


http://adlibmusic.com/