SOUND SYSTEMS
SOUND DECISIONS (SYSTEM)
— why you need a consultant By Rik Kirby & Daniel Keller
If you were ill, you’d seek a qualified doctor to diagnose and treat what ails you. After all, trying to diagnose and treat yourself — without medical expertise — is likely to lead to a bad outcome. When you have problems with the sound in your church, the same reasoning applies.
Trying to solve the issues without professional help is likely to be a waste of time and money, with grim results. The last thing you need is buyer’s remorse after a system is installed because you tried to “wing it” on your own. A professional systems designer will work with you to analyze your church’s space and needs and create a system that sounds great, is consistent with your message and budget, is easy to operate, and suits the type of service and events your church hosts. Your congregation will enjoy the results for many years to come, and you’ll save money by avoiding waste and false starts with equipment that is not best suited to your space or properly installed and adjusted. The best time to engage a systems consultant is right at the beginning of the process. Before you do, it’s helpful to understand what’s involved in choosing the right team. The systems designer Your church’s new sound system should enable every member of the congregation to clearly hear and understand what is said and to enjoy every note and subtlety of the music, no matter where they’re seated. If sound is bouncing all over the room, for example, speech could be unintelligible and music could turn into a muddled mess. To achieve clarity and intelligibility, the sound system should direct the sound toward the congregation — not at walls, floors, ceilings, windows and other reflective surfaces. It should also deliver quality sound to hardto-reach locations, such as balconies. 34
CHURCH EXECUTIVE • September / October 2015