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Tuesday, July 22, 2014

Good Church Sound System Design Gets The Message Across Clearly

By Marylou Forbes


From elegant cathedral-like structures to humble store-front rooms in strip malls, most congregations have a weekly gathering place. While a house of worship is more than just a building, its acoustics determine whether worshipers can comfortably hear both music and message. Good church sound system design makes the difference between an involved and enthusiastic congregation, or one that is struggling just to hear.

Many people have experienced the frustration poorly amplified sound can cause, and realize that simply pouring money into an already inadequate setup may indeed eliminate some issues, while making others even worse. Volume may become agonizingly loud in one corner, and fine in another. Speech may be loud enough, but clearly understanding the words might become difficult. The pulpit may seem quite distant, or be obscured by feedback.

In some congregations, the addition of acoustic panels or thick carpet may eliminate echo entirely, while others fight heavy reverberation. People sitting in the front pews may hear the speaker adequately, but those a few rows back may miss most sentences. Inadequate microphones often provide good spoken vocal clarity, but cannot begin to handle the demands of amplified bass, drums or keyboards.

Although some members attempt to fix the problem on their own, acoustical fine tuning often requires the help of a professional analyst and designer. Even though most congregations are self-funded, the final cost of a newly-designed audio configuration is only one of the factors critical to choosing a new acoustic setup. Without determining the real causes of problems, spending on speakers or microphones may be wasted.

An experienced analyst relies on digital equipment to obtain an interior acoustical signature, but depends on the human ear for final judgement. In addition, many use specialized audio software designed for solving these issues. It can accurately determine where problems spots are located, and where the sound will disappear or reverberate. The goal is a dynamic listening experience for everyone attending.

Many rooms require more than one speaker, and that can create regions where there are acoustic hot or cold spots. When properly balanced and timed, those spaces are eliminated, providing clean signals to every single location. Calibration may be difficult to achieve without the proper equipment, but an experienced consulting and installation firm takes the guesswork out of optimization.

Most services are a combination of speech and music, and a well-designed configuration should be able to reproduce both equally well. Speech amplification needs microphones that clarify specific types of output, but those same devices must also be capable of reproducing musical tones without listeners noticing or complaining. Both speakers and microphones should be chosen based on reputation, not necessarily on cost.

After finalizing the equipment choices and room design, professional installation avoids code-breaking electrical errors, while eliminating inductive noise sources. Other important requirements include concealment of intrusive connections and wiring, and making sure that heavy, hanging speakers are safely anchored. After installation, most firms also train selected church members in audio control panel operations.




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