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» Do the fundamental things well
Number 10: Treat your sound system like another instrument
You should think of your sound system as another instrument in your music team, and the person who operates it another member. So give your system lots of love, time, and attention, and even invest a little bit of money in it. Good amplification will allow people to hear the song leader and instruments clearly, and give them confidence to join in. Sound problems such as lack of volume, too much volume, distortion and feedback (that loud squeal you get when the microphones pick up what's coming out of the speakers) are all potential distractions from the purpose of singing.
There are any number of sound problems we could talk about, but the big issues for small churches are:
» 1. We haven’t got a sound system
» 2. We haven’t got a very good sound system
» 3. There are problems with volume, feedback and distortion
» 4. We don’t have anyone who really knows how to use the sound system
» 5. The musicians don’t spend time thinking about the sound
1. We haven’t got a sound system
If you church hasn’t got a sound system at all it’s probably worth looking into getting one. The only good reasons I can think of not having at least a basic microphone set-up with some speakers for amplification is if your church has less that 20 people and you meet in a small room. As soon as you start meeting in larger buildings you really need to amplify your preacher, singers and instruments at church.
If your church is short on funds, you don’t need a very impressive sound system to do the job. Very simple set-ups start from a few hundred dollars. Do some research and have a look on eBay. Even a home karaoke setup with a microphone is better than nothing! But if you can get higher quality gear, in the long run, you will save money. Cheap gear has a tendency not to last in an environment like church where things are always being used (and sometimes abused).
The common church combination of an electric piano, acoustic guitar and song leader will be well-served by a decent Roland piano amplifier.
Piano amps are designed for electric pianos / keyboards. But because they’re made to deal with a wide frequency range, they’re fairly versatile and don’t do a bad job amplifying vocals and acoustic guitar. The basic Roland model starts from AU$600 and includes three channels so you can plug in a normal dynamic microphone, and two instrument leads (for example one from the pickup on an acoustic guitar and the other from a keyboard). It’s got a basic mixer and EQ controls on the back to control the balance of the instruments.
These sorts of amps are quite durable and portable, and are also ideal for beach missions and other medium-size events where you have to pack-up and pack-down quickly.
2. We haven’t got a very good sound system
If part of your system is faulty, the obvious solution is to get it fixed, but if a shortage of funds means you can’t do this, see what you can borrow from people around church. People always have gear lying around at home. For example, with the right connectors (go to any electronics store) most electric keyboards can be connected without much fuss to a decent home stereo system. But if your sound system really is dying, the kindest thing might be to put it out of its misery.
3. There are problems with volume, feedback and distortion
These problems usually relate more to the way sound gear is used than to any actual problem with the gear. Look into getting some training for the people who operate the system.
4. We don’t have anyone who really knows how to use the sound system
The only solution is to get people to have a go, bring them to church music training events such as TWIST each year, and then keep having a go! Check out these helpful weblinks about setting up sound gear for church. In small churches every musician should have a basic knowledge of the sound system and how to look after it properly. The musicians should also be encouraged to pack up instruments and coil leads at the end of the service rather than leave this for others to do.
5. The musicians don’t spend time thinking about the sound
Many sound problems at church would be prevented if time had been spent during rehearsal working on the sound. The sound system is as important as any instrument that plays at church, so go over everything with your sound person during rehearsal and make sure everyone knows what to expect.