Tuesday, July 15, 2014

Good Church Sound System Design Gets The Message Across Clearly

By Marylou Forbes


Nearly all bodies of worship congregate in a central location, which may include elaborate, soaring spaces reminiscent of cathedrals, or unassuming strip mall storefronts re-purposed for meetings. No matter what room is used, its acoustics determine whether or not the experience is inspiring or irritating. Good church sound system design encourages enthusiasm, while poor acoustics create fatigue and frustration.

Most people have experienced discomfort in rooms having problems with amplification, and understand how elaborate amplification setups may eliminate some problems, but can make others worse. The volume may be fine in one area, but ear-shattering across the room. Voices might be loud, but impossible to clearly understand. Podium speakers may seem far away or disembodied, or else obscured by embarrassing, ear-shattering feedback.

Some congregations must cope with too much reverberation, or meet in a room so deadened with panels and carpeting that all echo disperses. The people sitting up front may hear adequately, while those back a few rows might feel that they are not even present. Some microphones pick up spoken words reasonably well, but cannot handle the extended frequency range of music, creating irritating overtones, distortion and muddiness.

Members may try to correct those problems themselves, but fine tuning a room or equipment to a achieve the necessary balance for good live reproduction may require professional acoustic analysis. Although most congregations have limited budgets, equipment costs are only one factor in choosing and developing a new audio setup. In some cases, simply spending a great deal on speakers or microphones is not cost-effective.

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.

A single speaker may be enough for a small space, but using multiple sets can cause timing problems and other issues. Proper echo-control and balance eliminates most of those irritations, giving each listener the gift of clean, easy-to-process sound waves. Without the proper equipment, however, achieving accurate calibration can be frustrating or difficult, and a design company eliminates the guesswork.

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.

Professional installation can help ensure that there are no inadvertent electrical errors that may violate local codes, or that may cause inductive humming noises. The process also includes properly concealing all the wires and connections, and making sure that any hanging speakers are not a safety hazard. Most consultants will also train designated church members in electronic control panel operations during services.




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