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Sound Systems for Church Plants
Following his previous experience as General Manager of DM Music for Churches, a specialist church PA and Audio Visual company, Graham gives his take on the best PA requirements for church plants.
This article assumes you are looking for a portable system. For something that will be permanently installed, good advice from an experienced installation company is essential.
Coming from someone who used to sell PA & AV systems my first comment might seem strange, but you need to ask yourself: Do you really need one yet?
If there are a dozen of you meeting in a front room, the answer is probably no!
However, once you launch a public meeting in a larger hall, you may well find that you need something to help overcome the acoustics of the room.
Any church sound system should be there to help reinforce the spoken word so that the congregation can clearly hear what is being said. In terms of music, the system should amplify the musicians to such a degree as the congregation can worship easily, being led by musicians who can hear themselves clearly too!
I often encourage churches to stagger purchases – that’s exactly what we have done and I think it’s the most cost effective way of growing a system as your church grows. The first speakers we bought are now the monitors for our musicians, so nothing has been wasted.
A basic system will comprise of: microphones (wired and/or wireless), a mixer, amplifier, and speakers. Personally, I like using active speakers which are speakers with an amplifier and some other electronics built in. These make the system easier to use and quicker to set up, which is always a bonus!
Some tips
Microphones
Get the right mic for the right job – just because most rock stars use a certain model, it doesn’t mean it’s right for you. Buy good quality dynamic mics for singers and a good condenser mic for speech from a lectern. Radio mics should always be of the ‘true-diversity’ type as these are more reliable and don’t cut out like cheaper systems often do. They are more expensive, but well worth the extra money.
Good makes to consider:
• Sennheiser
• Audio Technica
• Shure
Mixers
Buying the right mixer is always tricky, but you should aim to get something that will serve you now and well into the future. If you only need 6 channels now, don’t buy anything with less than 12.
Good makes to consider:
• Allen & Heath
• Soundcraft
• Yamaha
Amplifiers
Most people make the mistake of buying an amplifier with the same rating as the speakers they are getting. In order to get the best from your system, your amplifier should be of a higher rating than your speakers – coping with up to twice the power on the RMS rating. This is so you don’t overdrive the amplifier and cause it to blow (an expensive error!).
Good makes to consider:
• Yamaha
• Samson
Speakers
There is a huge range of speakers available, but generally, they fall into three categories:
Unpowered / Passive - loudspeakers without any onboard power - require signal from an amplifier.
Powered / Active - built in amplifier - very versatile - use as main PA speakers, monitoring for musicians and much more - heavier than Passive speakers.
Subwoofers / Bass Bins - can be active or passive - large speakers to handle the bass frequencies.
So, don’t just buy what happens to be on offer, and certainly don’t buy disco speakers from the local music shop!
Most speakers typically have 2 units in them – one which handles the high frequencies and one which deals with the mid and low frequencies. The type of speaker is often described by the size of this second driver – e.g. 10”, 12” or 15”.
12” speakers are a good bet for most people as they handle a good range of sound without being too large or heavy.
Sub speakers are those which just handle low (bass) frequencies. When used with a crossover (which splits out the frequency range), they handle the lowest frequencies leaving the main speakers to handle the mid and high frequencies. Adding subs to a system increases frequency response, volume and “punch”.
Speakers are rated by their RMS rating in watts. The higher the number, the louder they can go. However, don’t just go for a larger RMS rating – it’s not all about watts! A good quality speaker with a lower RMS rating is likely to sound much better than a cheaper one with a higher rating.
Good makes to consider:
• EV
• Mackie
• Yamaha
Basic systems
The basic component parts of any system include the following:
Microphones/other inputs
A mixer
An amplifier
Speakers
(And the associated cables and stands!)
Probably the cheapest system would be one where the mixer and amplifier are combined into one unit – a mixer/amp. This has the advantage of being easy to set-up, but the disadvantage that if you need more channels, or a larger amp, you are probably going to have to change the whole unit.
My recommendation for many people would be powered (or sometimes called “active”) speakers. These are speakers with an amplifier built in. You would need a separate mixer with these, but if at a later date you require more channels, it’s much cheaper just to buy a larger mixer than to have to change lots of items. If you need more volume, you can add a sub to the system or more main powered speakers.
(Note: All of the makes suggested are mid-range makes. They are not always the cheapest or the top of the range, but should offer something appropriate for most churches.)
Our story
Our first powered speakers were some small 10” ones by JBL. These were fine for an acoustic guitar, some vocals and the occasional keyboard.
However, as the church and the band grew, we needed something more. The JBL’s became monitors for the band, and we bought some 12” Mackie active speakers. These are excellent and are very versatile speakers, giving a great sound.
Once we added drums and needed some more ‘punch’ to the system, we added a Mackie powered sub to the system. This amplifies the lower frequencies, giving the system a greater frequency range, more power, and leaving the main speakers just to cope with the mid and high frequencies.
As we continue to grow, we could add a second sub and have a very good system indeed!
A word of warning…
My word of warning is to always take good advice! Most music shops sell some sort of PA gear, but much of it would not be the most suitable for church PA systems. Take advice from a specialist supplier who knows what you are trying to do and can advise you accordingly.
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