Is that too loud???

By: Tony Flammia

In every Church I go to there are a set of parameters that someone has come up with when is comes to the overall volume of the PA. In fact, I've even heard exact figures to the Decibel what cannot not be exceeded.

"We never go above 95db in our worship" "We don't want to feel the music, just hear it" "We never go below 105db"

That's great that there are some guidelines in place for the volunteer engineer, but.....is 95db the same as 95db? I mean, if you heard 95db on a mix that was loaded up with high end frequencies it may sound ear piercing, but if you had your mix where all the nasty mid and highs were cut you may be able to get up to 105db and think it 95db.

I was mixing a VERY contemporary Church this morning with one of the best bands in town. During worship I noticed people were entering in and jumping up and down from the front to the back. The dynamics in my opinion were spot on. I was asked "How loud do you think it is? With out looking at the DB meter I figured we were running at 95db with 100db peaks." I noticed the house sound guy was looking nervous about overall volume so I told him... "listen.....you hear what everyone else is hearing.Now if the first couple rows were backing up and leaving you may have it a bit loud but everyone is jumping." Then I pointed out the pastor in the front row with his hands raised and jumping up and down like he wants someone to pass him the ball.

While I mix I look and listen for a few things.

1. Is the sound warm and pleasing?



2. Who is taking the lead?



3. How is the congregation responding?

First, is the sound warm? Some instruments are harsh to begin with...guitars could be ear piercing and female vocals can break glass. If the EQ is not set to "warm up" those channels, your overall volume could suffer. Try to cut some high-mid and highs from the guitars and vocal...not too much to where they become muddy, but just enough to take the edge off. (This will be a future blog on EQs)

Second,who is taking the lead? Is the main focus the verse of the song? If so, why is the guitar or the keys the loudest thing in the mix? Make sure your focus is on the lead instrument or vocal...don't be afraid to push the lead up to single out the lead. Remember, the vocals should be sitting on a bed of music. The vocal is the most important part in a worship setting.

Third, keep an eye on the congregation. If you see people backing up, standing still, or just plain leaving....TURN IT DOWN!!! If you see everyone entering in and jumping up and down...you may have found the sweet spot. Personally, I like to feel some kick drum, I like to feel some bass, I want to be able to close my eyes and hear only the music in a wide mix. (Wide mix...another future blog coming soon)

Some thing to remember when mixing a PA is you can really hurt someone. The NIOSH institute, which is where OSHA gets their sound level guidelines, had studied the effects on sound pressure level at extended time frames. Below is a chart that shows DB levels with time durations that OSHA will not allow a worker to be exposed to. According to the chart 95DB for 30mins is ok. 100db for 30 min is causing hearing damage!

Next time you go to a concert and listen to an hour of pounding 115db to 120db just remember... your fragile ears can only handle about 30 seconds..........

Download this DB level meter...its a bit scary to think how much damage we've done to ourselves already.....Click Here

For more information or if you have questions, visit www.creativesoundsolution.com or call our office at 239-458-3408

Why are my Wireless mics acting up???

The transition to Consumer Wireless Devices Begins
The story goes back to 1996 when Congress began to look at the need to update the U.S. system of TV broadcasting. This process is finally coming to the point where analog TV stations will be gone soon, replaced by Digital TV. DTV is already online and stations are required to maintain both analog and digital signals until February 17, 2009, the official changeover to DTV....which has been pushed off a few months by our new President.

What is DTV?
OK....The FCC says it best: “Digital Television (DTV) is an advanced broadcasting technology that will transform your television viewing experience. DTV enables broadcasters to offer television with better picture and sound quality. It can also offer multiple programming choices, called multicasting, and interactive capabilities. “Converting to DTV also will free up parts of the scarce and valuable broadcast spectrum. Those portions of the spectrum can then be used for other important services, such as public and safety services (police and fire departments, emergency rescue), and advanced wireless services.”

This means better broadband penetration in your home and your city, and a whole host of new wireless devices.

How will DTV and these new devices fit in the available RF spectrum?
In order to free up space for these new broadband services Congress and the FCC have reduced the UHF spectrum space that will be used for DTV. Before this transition analog UHF TV stations used channels 14 through 69, for a total of 55 possible channels across the USA. Those have been given to DTV, but with a reduced number of channels. Beginning in February 2009 stations will only have channels 14 through 51, or 37 possible channels nationwide. This is more than a one third reduction of available space for TV broadcasting!

The remaining channels (52-69) are now reserved for new consumer wireless services and for public safety. The band spans 698 to 806 MHz, and has been described by the FCC as “beachfront property.” They are pushing the broadband capabilities of this part of the spectrum. This is good news for all of us who like our wireless devices to work everywhere, but bad news for all the UHF wireless mics out there.

Why is this squeeze a problem for UHF wireless microphones?
Wireless mics have traditionally coexisted with the much more powerful TV broadcast signals by using the “white spaces” between the TV channels. These “white spaces” vary in each area of the country and that is why you have to be careful to choose the right UHF frequencies according to where you will use the mic.

Now that one third of the space available for TV is gone, that means a huge chunk of the white spaces are gone, too. UHF mics are getting squeezed into a shrinking area of the spectrum, and that means it will be harder and harder to collocate multiple channels of mics. Many users are already experiencing this – getting 16 UHF mics to work together in a metropolitan area can be quite a challenge.

What is so appealing about these White Spaces?
Broadband network providers seek this for regional wireless networks – the kind that can cover an entire city and deliver high-speed Internet to an increasingly mobile population. This gives content providers a chance to compete with cable and satellite delivery – imagine getting rid of your cable and getting programming on demand via broadband. But broadcasters object to these potentially unlicensed uses – they claim that these will interfere with their new DTV broadcast signals.

What can we do about this squeeze?
It appears the new FCC allocations don’t leave enough room for conventional UHF mics, and this has users and manufacturers scrambling for solutions, both technical and political. There are industry groups lobbying Congress to allocate a section of the spectrum for wireless mics, but the persuasive power of the performance audio industry is tiny compared to the muscle of companies like Google, AT&T, or Verizon.

Beware of any wireless manufacturer that continues to sell microphones in the 700 MHz band. These will be illegal starting February 17, 2009. Don’t waste your money on a product that will be useless in less than a year.

The Solution:
Choose a wireless mic that is not UHF – Sabine 2.4 GHz Wireless, Sabine is way out in front of the industry on this issue. We offer the first complete wireless solution entirely outside the shrinking UHF band. Operating in the license-free and globally accepted 2.4 GHz band, Sabine Wireless is immune to all of the escalating problems with finding clear UHF frequencies.
Sabine gives you up to 70 simultaneous wireless systems usable anywhere in the world, and that means you don’t have to worry about choosing the right frequencies for your area. The solution is simple and robust. You don’t have to worry about DTV, white spaces, or whether you are operating legally. The 2.4 GHz band provides these key advantages:

• Globally-accepted and license-free
• Low-power devices only, by international agreement
• Does not share band with TV, so no issues with UHF or FCC
• All users at around the same power level
• 70 simultaneous channels
• Co-locate with UHF & VHF mics without frequency coordination
• Simple and easy - one frequency band for the whole world

I would typically write my own instruction on this topic, however, a friend of mine requested direction on gating. I really liked this article and...Clint can get his info asap.....Tony Flammia


Advanced Gating techniques by: Paul White
http://www.creativesoundsolution.com/

At its most basic, a gate is a device which mutes a signal whenever its level falls below a threshold set by the user. Its most common use is for combating noise problems by automatically closing down the audio path during periods of very low signal level, when only noise is present. Clearly a gate can do nothing about noise that's present at the same time as the wanted audio signal, because then the gate will be open. However this isn't usually a problem, because low-level noise will normally be masked by your audio signal.

If this was all there was to gating then gates would not need anything more than a threshold control, yet a glance at a few different units will turn up all sorts of other controls, the action of which may not be immediately obvious. So, in the first part of this short series, I'll be explaining what all these controls do, and why you might need each of them to achieve the gating effect you require.

Attack & Release Times
If a gate could only be on or off, with no transition in between, decaying sounds would be cut off abruptly as soon as they fell below the threshold level. Because of this, most gates have the facility to make the opening and closing of the gate more gradual. Some gates have attack-time and release-time controls which specify, respectively, how quickly the gate opens and shuts. alternatively, there are other gates which can automatically adapt these times to the audio being gated. A more progressive gating action allows decaying low-level sounds to fade more naturally rather than being cut off abruptly.

The release time is certainly the most important parameter which needs setting after the gating threshold. Many natural sounds start fairly abruptly and the majority have a well defined decay characteristic, so matching the release time of the gate to that of the sound being processed is extremely important if you wish the fade into silence to be made to sound smooth and natural.

Not that all sounds oblige us by starting abruptly, and it is here that the attack-time control comes into its own. If a gate is set to open very quickly and the signal being processed has a slow attack, the abrupt opening of the gate, when the input signal exceeds the threshold level, can cause an audible click. In such cases, you can gradually extend the attack time until the clicking disappears.

On the other hand, percussive sounds need a gate with a very fast attack time, otherwise some of the percussive leading edge of the sound will be cut off. At its fastest, an attack time of just a few tens of microseconds is typical, whereas sounds with a slower attack may respond better to gating with an attack time of 10mS or more.

Hold Time & Hysteresis
If a gate is set with a fast attack time and a fast release time, any signal level which hovers round the threshold can end up causing a problem known as 'chattering', where the gate opens and loses rapidly several times in succession. One way in which manufacturers have addressed this problem is by adding a hold-time control. This allows the user to specify the minimum time for which the gate will remain open once the signal level has exceeded the threshold. When the signal falls below the threshold, the gate is held open for the duration of the hold time before starting to close.

Note that even though a particular gate may not have a hold-time control, the designers have probably built a fixed hold time into the system, usually about 20 to 30mS. This ensures that the gate doesn't try to trigger on individual cycles of very low frequency bass sounds when fast attack and release settings are used.

The second method used to avoid chattering is called hysteresis. Essentially, a hysteresis control raises the threshold for opening the gate and lowers that for closing it, such that they then differ by a few dBs. This means that, whatever the threshold level which opens the gate, the signal just fall a few dBs before the gate will be allowed to close again. As long as you also set the release and hold times properly, hysteresis can help make gates behave much more smoothly and predictably. Once again, many manufacturers build hysteresis into their gates, though some high-end models and software plug-ins allow the user to vary it.

The Range Control
Up to this point we have only considered a gating action where the signal is completely muted below threshold. However, there are gates that don't shut down completely, but rather attenuate the signal level by a user-defined amount. Such gates require a range control, which specifies the number of decibels by which the signal level is reduced when the gate is fully 'closed'. Naturally, if you wish to use such a gate in the more simple on/off manner, then this range control needs to be set to its maximum value.

The main advantage of reducing the range setting is that this can produce a more natural effect where the degree of unwanted background sound (such as spill from other instruments) is such that its complete disappearance would be very noticeable during pauses in the wanted signal. By setting the gate's range control to attenuate by a only few dBs the ambiance can be allowed through during pauses, but at a reduced level.

However, another lesser-known benefit of limited-range gating is that this can help the gate to open faster than it would if it were set to attenuate to silence — something that can be handy if you need a faster response than your attack-time control allows at its lowest setting. Attack and release times actually indicate the rate at which the gain changes, so the amount of gain to be covered alters how fast the gate appears to act. If the gate's gain has to go from -90dB to 0dB, the delay between the audio signal exceeding the threshold and the gate becoming fully open will be larger than if the gain had to go from -20dB — the gate will seem to open more rapidly, as it only has to change gain by 20dB.

Side Chain Filtering
Gates are based around a gain-control device, the gain of which is made dependent upon the audio signal level. Whether this gain control element is a FET, a VCA, a valve, an optical device, or a digital implementation of any of these, it helps in understanding how a gate works if you can make a mental distinction between the audio signal path and the control signal path (also called the side-chain). The audio path passes the audio signal through the gain-control element, allowing the signal level to be altered by it, while the sidechain carries a control signal to which the gain-control element responds. This distinction may not seem particularly relevant to what has been discussed so far, because both signal paths have been carrying the same signal, but it really comes into its own when the two signals are different.

But why would you want to have different signals in the audio path and side-chain? One of the most common reasons is when you need to alter the frequency content of the side-chain in order to get the gate responding exactly how you want it to. For example, let's say that you are attempting to gate a snare drum track to reduce spill from the rest of the drum kit, but find that the kick drum is also opening the gate even when you've set the threshold so that everything else is excluded. By EQ'ing the side-chain signal to roll off the low frequencies, the gate is less likely to respond to the kick drum and is therefore more likely to open only for the snare. Similarly, if hi-hat spill is causing false triggering on your snare track, you can take some top end out of the sidechain to reduce the problem. What is important to realise in both these cases, though, is that the EQ only affects the side-chain signal, not the timbre of the gated sound.

While serious equalisation of the side-chain signal can be necessary for clean triggering, it's worth bearing in mind that it might not a good idea to filter off more top end than necessary if the sound being triggered has a fast attack. This is because high-cut filtering works by slowing the rate at which a signal's voltage can change, and this will therefore slow down the attack of the side-chain signal, delaying the opening of the gate slightly.

While some gates provide facilities for patching an external equaliser into their side-chains, many commercial gates come with side-chain equalisation built in — usually in the form of high-pass and/or low-pass filtering. This is often combined with a facility for passing the side-chain signal directly to the audio outputs of the gate, allowing the user to tune the filtering such that the desired frequencies are most effectively isolated.

Side-chain Linking & Using Key Inputs
When gating stereo sound sources, it is necessary to have individual gain-control elements for each channel, and these need to have their actions synchronised to prevent one channel being processed differently to the other — the stereo image shifting that occurs if both channels operate independently is normally undesirable. In order to achieve this synchronisation, both side-chain signals have to be identical and must be derived by mixing the signals passing through the two audio channels. Normally such stereo linking is a built in feature of two-channel gates, and can be engaged simply by operating a front-panel switch.

However, there are cases when it is useful to feed the side-chain from a completely different source than that which feeds the audio path. Some gates provide an external side-chain input, called a 'key' input, for just this purpose and this allows for a host of useful operations. For example, several gates can be made to operate identically by sending the same signal to all
of their key inputs — useful where you have a group of backing vocalists on separate tracks who aren't performing tightly. By gating every vocal channel and feeding all key inputs from the channel with the best timing, you can often make a real improvement to the perceived quality of the performance.

This technique is also popularly used to tighten up bass guitar tracks by gating them and feeding their key inputs with the kick drum — you can at least prevent the bass note from starting before the kick drum. Just make sure you set the hold and release controls to suit the type of sound you want.

Simple Feedback Trainer

Hey everyone....

I found this great tool that will help you learn the 31 frequency bands. After about a month you should be able to pinpoint feedback frequency's and help hear how to dial in instruments. Right now its totally free. I've been using it for about a year now. Its great!

1. Download the program


2. Use a pair of quality headphones (keep the volume low and turn up after the program begins) Computer speakers cannot reproduce all the frequencies.


3. Give it 10 min a day

Good luck!

Click HERE to download

Hear the Squeez

Compression

The most common DSP

If you have a Compressor in your rack...the following is good information, don't care who you are....

On a compressor you'll find some nobs on it....starting typically with...

Threshold: With manual gain riding, the level above which the signal becomes unacceptably loud is determined by the engineer's discretion: if it sounds too loud to him, he turns it down. In the case of a compressor, we have to 'tell' it when to intervene, and this level is known as the Threshold. In a conventional compressor, the Threshold is varied via a knob calibrated in dBs, and a gain reduction meter is usually included so we can see how much the gain is being modified. If the signal level falls short of the threshold, no processing takes place and the gain reduction meter reads 0dB. Signals exceeding the Threshold are reduced in level, and the amount of reduction is shown on the meter. This means the signal peaks are no longer as loud as they were, so in order to compensate, a further stage of 'make-up' gain is added after compression, to restore or 'make up' any lost gain.

Ratio: When the input signal exceeds the Threshold set by the operator, gain reduction is applied, but the actual amount of gain reduction depends on the 'Ratio' setting. You will see the Ratio expressed in the form 4:1 or similar, and the range of a typical Ratio control is variable from 1:1 (no gain reduction all) to infinity:1, which means that the output level is never allowed to rise above the Threshold setting. This latter condition is known as limiting, because the Threshold, in effect, sets a limit which the signal is not allowed to exceed. Ratio is based on dBs, so if a compression ratio of 3:1 is set, an input signal exceeding the Threshold by 3dB will cause only a 1dB increase in level at the output. In practice, most compressors have sufficient Ratio range to allow them to function as both compressors and limiters, which is why they are sometimes known by both names. The relationship between Threshold and Ratio is shown in Figure 2, but if you're not comfortable with dBs or graphs, all you need to remember is that the larger the Ratio, the more gain reduction is applied to any signal exceeding the Threshold.

Hard Knee: This is not a control or parameter, but rather a characteristic of certain designs of compressor. With a conventional compressor, nothing happens until the signal reaches the Threshold, but as soon as it does, the full quota of gain reduction is thrown at it, as determined by the Ratio control setting. This is known as hard-knee compression, because a graph of input gain against output gain will show a clear change in slope (a sharp angle) at the Threshold level.

Soft Knee: Other types of compressor utilize a soft knee characteristic, where the gain reduction is brought in progressively over a range of 10dB or so. What happens is that when the signal comes within 10dB or so of the Threshold set by the user, the compressor starts to apply gain reduction, but with a very low Ratio setting, so there's very little effect. As the input level increases, the compression Ratio is automatically increased until at the Threshold level, the Ratio has increased to the amount set by the user on the Ratio control. This results in a gentler degree of control for signals that are hovering around the Threshold point, and the practical outcome is that the signal sounds less obviously processed. This attribute makes soft-knee models popular for processing complete mixes or other sounds that need subtle control. Hard knee compression can sometimes be heard working, and if a lot of gain reduction is being applied, they can sound quite heavy-handed.

Attack: The attack time is how long a compressor takes to pull the gain down, once the input signal has reached or exceeded the Threshold level. With a fast attack setting, the signal is controlled almost immediately, whereas a slower attack time will allow the start of a transient or percussive sound to pass through unchanged, before the compressor gets its act together and does something about it. Creating a deliberate overshoot by setting an attack time of several milliseconds is a much-used way of enhancing the percussive characteristics of instruments such as guitars or drums. For most musical uses, an initial attack setting of between 1 and 20 mS is typical. However, when treating sound such as vocals, a fast attack time generally gives the best results, because it brings the level under control very quickly, producing a more natural sound.

Release: The Release sets how long it takes for the compressor's gain to come back up to normal once the input signal has fallen back below the Threshold. If the release time is too fast, the signal level may 'pump' -- in other words, you can hear the level of the signal going up and down. This is usually a bad thing, but again, it has its creative uses, especially in rock music. If the release time is too long, the gain may not have recovered by the time the next 'above Threshold' sound occurs. A good starting point for the release time is between 0.2 and 0.6 seconds.

Auto Attack/Release: Some models of compressor have an Auto mode, which adjusts the attack and release characteristics during operation to suit the dynamics of the music being processed. In the case of complex mixes or vocals where the dynamics are constantly changing, the Auto mode may do a better job than fixed manual settings.
Peak/RMS operation: Every compressor uses a circuit known as a side chain, and the side chain's job in life is to measure how big the signal is, so that it knows when it needs compressing. This information is then used to control the gain circuit, which may be based around a Voltage-controlled Amplifier (VCA), a Field Effect Transistor (FET) or even a valve. The compressor will behave differently, depending on whether the side chain responds to average signal levels or to absolute signal peaks.

An RMS level detector works rather like the human ear, which pays less attention to short-duration, loud sounds than to longer sounds of the same level. Though RMS offers the closest approximation to the way in which our ears respond to sound, many American engineers prefer to work with Peak, possibly because it provides a greater degree of control. And though RMS provides a very natural-sounding dynamic control, short signal peaks will get through unnoticed, even if a fast attack time is set, which means the engineer has less control over the absolute peak signal levels. This can be a problem when making digital recordings, as clipping is to be avoided at all costs. The difference between Peak and RMS sensing tends to show up most on music that contains percussive sounds, where the Peak type of compressor will more accurately track the peak levels of the individual drum beats.

Another way to look at it is to say that the greater the difference between a signal's peak and average level, the more apparent the difference between RMS and peak compression/limiting will be. On a sustained pad sound with no peaks, there should be no appreciable difference. Peak sensing can sometimes sound over-controlled, unless the amount of compression used is slight. It's really down to personal choice, and all judgments should be based on listening tests.

Hold Time: A compressor's side chain follows the envelope of the signal being fed into it, but if the attack and release times are set to their fastest positions, it is likely that the compressor will attempt to respond not to the envelope of the input signal but to individual cycles of the input waveform. This is particularly significant when the input signal is from a bass instrument, as the individual cycles are relatively long, compared to higher frequencies. If compression of the individual waveform cycles is allowed to occur, very bad distortion is audible, as the waveform itself gets reshaped by the compression process.

We could simply increase the release time of the compressor so that it becomes too slow to react to individual cycles, but sometimes it's useful to be able to set a very fast release time. A better option is to use the Hold time control, if you have one. Hold introduces a slight delay before the release phase is initiated, which prevents the envelope shaper from going into release mode until the Hold time has elapsed. If the Hold time is set longer than the duration of a single cycle of the lowest audible frequency, the compressor will be forced to wait long enough for the next cycle to come along, thus avoiding distortion. A Hold time of 50ms will prevent this distortion mechanism causing problems down to 20Hz. If your compressor doesn't have a separate Hold time control, it may still have a built-in, preset amount of Hold time. A 50ms hold time isn't going to adversely affect any other aspect of the compressor's operation, and leaves the user with one less control to worry about.

Stereo Link: When processing stereo signals, it is important that both channels are treated equally, for the stereo image will wander if one channel receives more compression than the other. For example, if a loud sound occurs only in the left channel, then the left channel gain will be reduced, and everything else present in the left channel will also be turned down in the mix. This will result in an apparent movement towards the right channel, which is not undergoing so much gain reduction.

The Stereo Link switch of a dual-channel compressor simply forces both channels to work together, based either on an average of the two input signals, or whichever is the highest in level at any one time. Of course, both channels must be set up exactly the same for this to work properly, but that's taken care of by the compressor. When the two channels are switched to stereo, one set of controls usually becomes the master for both channels -- though some manufacturers opt for averaging the two channel's control settings, or for reacting to whichever channel's controls are set to the highest value.

Any Questions?...visit http://www.creativesoundsolution.com/ give us a call

Church Planting 101...or 102 what ever it takes

“People Don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care”, Theodore Roosevelt

This is a very General Blog....for more detailed information visit http://www.creativesoundsolution.com/ or http://www.upthemiddle.com/

The biggest stumbling block we come across is the fact we are a retail store. It’s not until people get to know our passion for Church planting they begin to open up and trust our suggestions. To save everyone a lot of time…….Our goal is to equip, empower, and educate. No matter how long it takes!

How IT Works…
So you received the call…it’s your time to plant a Church and begin to change the lives in your community. As you well know, some of the biggest roadblocks are costs, and some of the largest costs come from your Audio, Video, and lighting systems. In this pamphlet we will go over all aspects of an A/V/L system. We will give you suggestions regarding quality and where not to cut corners. We have also included some resources and training documents to help you get a understanding of audio engineering.

Creative Sound Solutions began as a small sound company providing cost effective solutions for Churches that could not afford the full cost of production. Every show we did we had the same questions. “How can I get my Church to sound like that”….We’ll needless to say we began training and sound checking Churches across Florida. 3 Years later, we have become dealers for most all Pro audio/Lighting/Video brands and have done many installs in the Church market. We have also worked hand in hand with mobile Church plants. The Church at the Crossing was our last Project…..

Pastor Stacey Turney, Church at the Crossing, Dothan Alabama
“I recently purchased a complete sound system through Tony Flammia and his company Creative Sound Solutions. As a new church plant, we were working on a tight budget, but knew that we needed quality sound from quality equipment. I had a list of equipment that was provided by the Association of Related Churches (ARC), and had researched pricing for this equipment. While attending recent 9 day training with the ARC in Ft. Myers, Fl., I met Tony Flammia and discussed our sound equipment needs. Tony sent me a quote on the equipment and after comparing the different prices from other companies, our church made a decision to do business with him.

Tony has consistently given us great customer service and has always been competitive in his pricing. After we purchased the equipment, he drove 10 hours to our church and spent 3 days assembling the system and training our workers on it. I found that Tony not only has expertise in sound systems but also has a heart for ministry and particularly church planting. He went out of his way to make sure we were taken care of and that we were ready to launch our church right. Now that we are up and running, Tony calls on a weekly basis just to see if we need any help.”

Audio Equipment
Your sound system is crucial to the overall experience for someone coming to your Church for the first time. If it’s too small the sound will feel very hollow and empty. If it way too big, it may end up muddy and boomy. The idea is to look at the area your setting up in and take into consideration the style of music you’ll be playing. Then design a system that fits all your needs. Sound treatment may also need to be figured in for rooms that are too live like cafeterias, gyms, ect…..

A sound system will generally include….
· Speakers (Passive or Active)
· Mixing Console
· Digital Signal Processing
· Multi Channel Snakes
· Microphones
· Power Amps
· Monitors, DI boxes, Specialty Cables

Speakers
When it comes to speakers most people think bigger is better. Some of the best sounding speakers, however, come from small packages. Look at Bose! 3.5” speakers, but unbelievable quality. This quality comes from using speakers that can reproduce the frequencies very efficiently. For rock concerts 15” speakers will work fine. But with church worship and spoken word, you want more clarity. A 15” woofer with a 6” mid range ans 1” horn will do the trick. These speakers are generally three-way powered speakers and will give you a full clean sound. Couple that with a 15” or 18” sub and your golden. 12” speakers work great for vocals but may not be able to fill the room. They make great monitors though. Some speaker manufacturers make dual 12” mains that are very loud...but I still like the ability to have a 6” or 8” also.


Sub woofers are almost a necessity if you’re playing contemporary Christian worship. These speakers handle the low frequencies typically from 120hz down to 30hz. Too much will muddy a room, not enough will make your mix thin. This is where a separate aux send or a mono fader on your console come in handy.

f you’re a mobile Church self powered speakers help during setup time and come in a wide variety of models. They also cut down on cable costs.

Recommend Speaker Brands: Danley Sound Labs, WharfedalePro, RCF, QSC,
Allowance: 3K to 30K Depending on brand and QTY



Mixing Consoles
The mixing console is where most Churches decide to cut corners. This is the worst place to do so…. Imagine you buying a brand new car and its perfect from bumper to bumper, it runs like a champ. Then you sit down and the steering wheel is a set of vice-grips clamped to the steering shaft. It works but it’s hard to get it to do what you want it to.

The mixing console is the heart of your system. It contains the pre-amps, the EQs, aux sends for monitoring, and faders. Cheap Pre-amps will add noise to your mix and a cheap EQ will not allow you to obtain the sounds you want.

Make sure the Console you get has good pre amps, at least two mid sweepable frequencies on the EQ, 4 to 8 aux sends, or….a good warranty. Allow 4K to 8K for high end consoles. 1K to 3K for mid.

Recommended Consoles: Yamaha, Allen & Heath GL, Phonic
Allowance: 1K to 8K Analog, 8K to 50K Digital

Digital Signal Processing (DSP)
DSP is most commonly left out of most Churches due the tech team not knowing how to use it. All of our systems come with compression on all sends to the speaker amps, compression on vocals, Bass, and Keys. Gates on Drums and vocals and so on. All mixes should have an EQ for feedback elimination and to get the equalize the mix in the room.

Other DSP units like Drive racks, Feedback Eliminators and processors are becoming more and more popular. These unit are a luxury if you can fit them in the budget.


What’s a Compressor? In simple terms, a compressor is an automatic volume control. Loud sounds over a certain threshold are reduced in level while quiet sounds remain untreated

What’s a Gate? A piece of sound processing equipment that reduces background noise by muting a sound signal when it falls below a certain level, restoring it when the level increases again


Recommended Processors: DBX, Phonic
Allowance: Depending on system size allow anywhere from 1K to 3K


Multi Channel Snakes
This is another area where you do not want to go cheap. If you’re a mobile Church you may end up spending as much as 3K for a snake. Why? It would be nice to run one cable then attach it to the back of your snake box and console. Using split snakes can save a lot of time during setup. The one downfall is they only make them in the highest product lines…which is a blessing in disguise. It will last forever.

If you’re a permanent installed Church then a standard high quality snake will work. If there is no way to run a snake from the console to the stage a digital snake may need to be looked into. A digital snake will allow you to run CAT5 cable.


Recommended Snakes: Pro-Co, Hosa, Aviom
Allowance: Allow 3K to 6K for high end. $500 to 1.5K for mid


Microphones
Ok, now I’ve said not to cheap out on pretty much everything…..well mics you can get away with. Don’t quote me on it but if you’re not going wireless a SM58 for vocals is perfect. Astatic has come out with some great mics that compete with Shure but half the price….I’d recommend those.

If you’re using acoustic drums make sure your mic kit is decent….Beta52 on the kick sm57 on the snare and toms, and some decent condenser overheads.

Wireless mics have seen a challenge due to the FCC regulation, yet many companies have seen this coming and come up with options. Most wireless mics you buy today should be ok. Make sure they do not run in the 698-806 frequency range. Allow for at least one wireless headset, and a mic pack for your band. From 2K to 4K


Power Amps
If your speakers are passive (Non-powered) you will need power amps. It is important to buy amps that are known for dependability. Once the amp goes…everything goes.

Recommended amps: QSC, Wharfedale, Crown



Monitors, Misc, Cabling
Monitors come in many sizes…the smaller the better for vocals. A 12” for your from line and a 15” for your bass player and drummer will work great. Make sure you have a EQ dedicated for each monitor mix. If your console has 4 aux sends….that means you can have up to four monitor mixes and will need four EQs.

Many Churches are going with in ear systems like Aviom. This allows for low stage volume, less feedback, and less damage to the bands ears. Aviom systems include an input module that turns the analog signal to digital. Then it sends the digital signal to the distributor where is splits the signal to each personal mixer. Each band member will then have their own personal mix customized by their own mixer. Aviom systems range from 3K to 8K

Aside from monitors an assortment of direct boxes and cables will be needed.

A direct box takes line level instruments (Like a keyboard) and steps it down to mic level. See the example system list for cables.

How far can we go?
Creative Sound has committed to help plant Churches no matter where they are located. After the equipment is shipped to your location Creative Sound will fly/or drive to where you’re at, assemble the system and train your people.


Video
Nothing looks cooler then a well done video presentation. If all the components are in place your video presentation should be flawless. From the words for worship to the scripture during the message there are tons of programs out there that can make this task seem easy.
If video cameras are a necessity additional switchers and components would need to be added.
Recommended Video: Kramer, MediaShout

Lighting
Ok…here is a tough one. How much is too much. Are we lighting up the stage or are we entertaining the audience. This can be a fine line. However some lighting effects can be great for setting a mood or getting people excited about the music.
Lighting systems can range from $500 to $500,000 depending on what you want to do. If you’re in a dark theater you may want to shine some additional lighting up so people can see.
Recommended Lighting: Elation, American DJ, Acclaim

Save Time setting up
Now you own all the equipment you need its 2 weeks from launch Sunday and the theater you’re in needs you to be out 30min after service. What do you do? Is it possible?
When working with NLCs head of media we came up with many shortcuts and ideas to save time to where they are setting up in under a ½ hour! And it’s a large system.
Some Ideas that shave off time:

• Multi pin snakes
• All in one racks. Console sits on top while the DSP sets below next to the wireless components. All this is pre wired to the board where to take the lid off and connect one multi pin snake connection
• Live drums on a moving platform pre wired to the snake.
• Cables measured out and snaked together