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Church
Sound - the way it usually is...
Many, if not most, churches struggle with their sound system.
Most churches I have been in over the past few decades
have "needed help" with their sound.
The sound system is a very important component of any church
or place of worship. After all, most communication in these
buildings is done through either speech or music. If people
can't hear properly, or are distracted by poor sound, intermittent
feedback problems, and microphones that don't work, the
message may be lost.
Churches have gained a reputation for making poor purchases
when it comes to sound equipment.
Most churches also go through a cycle of purchasing two or three
systems,
before they finally settle on one they can live with - and often even
this is not the system they should have purchased in the first place.
Why is this?
Often, the leadership in a church doesn't know who to talk to,
or who to trust, when it comes time to purchase or upgrade
the sound system.
Sometimes, there is a person in the church, sometimes on staff,
who "dabbles" in sound equipment. By default, this person ends
up making decisions, and advising on purchases. Despite their
best intentions, however, the system ends up being unsuitable,
or nagging problems persist. Due to their lack of experience, these
volunteers are unable to fix the problems, and people simply just learn
to live with the sound problems.
But... How does it sound to the person who is new to the church?
Will they come back?
Sometimes, churches consult a local music store that also
sells sound equipment. Music stores can sometimes be a
reasonable place to purchase some components, but they
usually lack the expertise to properly advise on a sound system.
The result is often the same as with the volunteer at the church.
Different components perhaps, but still not what was needed for
the building.
Occasionally, a church tries to do the right thing
and consult an "expert".
This expert is brought in and proposes a system,
and it looks like it's too good a deal to pass up.
Sometimes, the church gets sold one piece of equipment that is complete
overkill for what they need, yet other aspects are overlooked.
The result is a system that doesn't do what is needed...
Remember, if it seems too good to be true, it probably is!
An additional problem is that many people in church leadership
don't realize how good a sound system COULD BE. Often they
are satisfied with something that is very mediocre, while musicians
and others who may walk into the church are frustrated with the sound.
Is this what you
want happening at your church?
With all of these approaches, the musicians get frustrated,
the sound guys don't last, and the people attending the church
miss out on what they came there to hear.
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Think about what you
REALLY need!
A proper sound system design takes into account the room design,
size, shape, and accoustics. The goals of the church leadership,
the music styles, and intended sound levels are also considered.
Plans of future expansion should also be considered carefully.
Existing sound equipment needs to be evaluated - sometimes
huge improvements in sound quality can be achieved through
re-configuring existing equipment, and limiting purchases to exactly
what is needed.
Whether you already have a sound system
that you need help with,
want to expand or improve your system, or are in the market for a
new system, we can help.
If you are looking at buying new equipment, talk to us.
We can help you decide what you need (and what you DON'T need!).
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