About a month ago, I was researching the article for the January issue of FRONT of HOUSE on Shure products that had made their mark on the sound reinforcement industry during the company’s 90-year history. While doing that, I pulled some files from of my archives on the 1967 debut of the Shure Vocal Master, which was described at the time as the first “portable total sound system.” In truth, it actually was pretty cool for its time, and was quite successful, but what struck a chord in me was the absolute proliferation these had in the house of worship market. And it always amazes me how many times — even in recent years — I could walk into a church somewhere (or a lodge hall or city council chamber, for that matter) and still see those 63-inch silver gray columns in use. The “transistorized” Vocal Master mixer/amps may have long since faded into the sunset, but the transducers live on.
Back to the Future
Of course, just because something still reproduces that then-amazing 50 Hz to 10 kHz bandwidth doesn’t mean that it’s the right choice today. Yet at the same time, something as funky as a couple 48-year old line radiators might be appropriate in some situations. That is, assuming the voice coils are still intact, the cones haven’t rotted and all you are looking for in terms of sound reinforcement is a couple dB of boost to sermons, readings or lectures.
Before you run to eBay and try to corner the market on yesterday’s line radiator designs from Shure, University, Atlas, E-V, Lafayette, Allied and dozens of other manufacturers, be assured that — other than the common enclosure shape — modern column speaker designs bear little semblance to those earlier efforts. Advancements in acoustics, transducers, switch-mode amplification and DSP have all been welcomed into new column speaker offerings with impressive results, providing the reality of compact, high-power, steerable arrays in ever-smaller enclosures that quite literally can fade into the background, offering a near-invisible solution for many sanctuary installations. Other times, a more conventional P.A. system is the choice.
Unfortunately, every house of worship is different, whether architecturally or liturgically, and there is no single “one size fits all” sound system approach that works in every venue. And as we found in this month’s showcase on house of worship installations (starting on page 28), this rings true in every case, with examples ranging from soaring cathedrals to storefront and warehouse conversions and everything in between.
Acoustical Issues
The pages of FRONT of HOUSE often discuss methods of making a hockey rink or sports arena into a workable music venue, but in many ways, the challenge of achieving great sound in a church environment is much more difficult. Much of this stems from the room itself. People often speak of the “wonderful” acoustics of European cathedrals but, if truth be told, the hard surfaces and reflective walls make such spaces more akin to a reverb tank than a place where a high degree of vocal intelligibility is essential.
Part of this harkens back to the days of the medieval church, where a pipe organ and a priest’s deep, echoed voice instilled a sense of power. And at a time when services and prayers weren’t presented in the local language, vocal clarity might not have been as big of an issue. Speaking of voice intelligibility, our resident scientist Phil Graham examines that very topic in this month’s Tech Feature (see page 32), and he offers solid practical advice for improving the understandability of spoken word communications. It’s a great read for novice and pro alike.
No Easy Mix
Another challenge in today’s house of worship setting arises from the audio material itself, which often ranges from whispered prayers and vespers to ministers with booming voices, or the roar of an all-stops-out pipe organ or a full-on rock band. Meanwhile, we also encounter lay readers with feeble voices that barely drive a pulpit mic. A typical “just turn everything up to 11” arena rock concert may not exhibit a lot of dynamic range, but in a modern HOW presentation — even those with loud, full-band, edgy, contemporary music — preserving and reproducing the dynamics of the service is an essential part of communicating the message, where the shift from a power hymn to a quiet passage can do much to help that.
Clearly, not every church has — or requires — a 115 dB-capable rig or a nine-piece band, but whatever the congregation, the ability to deliver as much clarity as possible at high or low SPL’s is a must. Feedback is also a problem in many settings, not just from stage monitoring but also things as seemingly simple as a preacher on a wireless lavalier who occasionally walks the aisles (in front of the P.A.) while delivering an opening greeting, sharing of the peace or closing benediction.
Yet for any sound tech, dealing with such issues, along with teaching proper mic technique to novice performers, taming an out-of-control praise band and working with a volunteer crew are all basic functions that any experienced FOH engineer should be able to handle. Unfortunately, when the system components themselves are not up to snuff, no amount of “fader magic” can turn a poor rig into a great sounding one. The overall message may be all-important, yet sometimes presenting the need (and advantages of) an upgraded audio rig to the powers that be within your organization may be the most difficult challenge of all.
