In January, I went to the Winter NAMM show, and I was very impressed with what I heard and saw. There were a lot of new products that seemed to be more methodically designed. What I mean is, more thought as to what the end users' needs and purposes are. It seemed like research and development had improved, and the quality of construction seemed better.
I realize these are sweeping generalizations, considering all the manufacturers that were represented at the show, but it is my job to look for trends like this in the business of audio and audio equipment.
Upping the Mileage
That said, I think if you are looking for new gear to grace your house of worship, there is a grand selection of very cool stuff out there that did not exist last year. However, while I was pondering all this new gear, I started to consider how many worship houses are experiencing a budget crunch right now. And buying new gear may be the last thing on the list. So I thought I would write a bit about keeping your current system operating at peak performance.
It seems to me that as audio equipment grows older, it will begin to not sound as good as it used to. I will make an exception with regards to cables, which are more likely to fail dramatically and catastrophically. Of course, a piece of gear can also just stop working, but like I said, it is more likely that it will just degrade in performance at a slow pace. The problem is that while the gear is degrading, your ears are adjusting (all very slowly), and you may not notice that your audio system is sounding worse and worse. However, good maintenance can keep you ahead of this problem.
First, let's go back to those failing cables. You will want to get yourself a cable tester. If you already have one, kudos to you, if not buy a good one. You want to be able to test all your cables. XLR, TRS, ¼ inch, RCA, speakon cables and mini jacks. You may also want to brush up on your soldering skills. In the future I will write something on proper soldering. If you do not intend on repairing your cables, purchase premium quality ones (they will last longer).
Diagnosing the Problem
Now that all your cables are performing properly, you will want to look into your other gear. It is pretty difficult to hear if your speaker and horn drivers are losing their performance edge – not to mention those power amps of yours, which can degrade over time. If you have a good decibel meter, your investigation will be easier.
For this test, I will assume that your system is set up in a typical stereo configuration. Put up a test tone (if you can) or put some pre-recorded music through your mixer and pan your audio signal to the left speakers and test with your decibel meter. Then pan to the right and test again. If your meter has a selectable weighting, set it to "A" (weighting). I am not going to get into the different weightings for sound pressure measuring equipment, but I will tell you that "A" weighting is mandated for this type of gear, and other weightings are not.
Now, let's say you find out that one side of your speakers are firing at 100dBs and the other side at 103dBs. Assuming that your cables are good, you will want to check the mixer input, the power amp, crossover and the speakers themselves. Start with your mixer, select another input channel. Test again and make notes on the results. If your dBs are equal at both speakers, you have a problem with your mixer. Should you hear no change, switch your main outputs (from left/right to right/left). If your decibel meter results flip, you have a power amp or crossover problem. However, if you have no change in your speaker performance, then the problem lies in your speakers.
Have Gun, Will Solder
I haven't forgotten your microphones, but unless you drop or leave your mics outside, they will generally last for many years. If you have a microphone that you believe is failing, you can A/B it with another mic of the same model. Usually the diaphragm or the connecting point of a mic will give up. I find servicing a standard dynamic mic to be pretty simple. Changing a diaphragm or soldering an XLR connector is just not that hard to do. That said, I generally don't mess with condenser mics. But that doesn't mean you can't.
There you have it – a pretty simple way to check out your system's performance. Of course, repairing the gear is another issue. It will serve you and your house of worship well to find a good repair shop. If you don't have a shop near your worship house, you can always ship you gear back to the manufacturer for service.
The idea is to get the most out of your sound system for as long as possible, but, of course, you will at some point have to buy new gear. All I can say is purchase the best quality equipment your house can afford (including all cables). You can research all kinds of gear on line and read field test reviews like the ones here in FOH before you make your choices.
Also, take into consideration the serviceability of the gear you will be purchasing. I personally use gear from four audio companies. I chose these companies because they make great sound gear at reasonable prices. You will inevitably find manufacturers you like, but make it a rule not to buy cheap gear. I would rather purchase a used piece of quality equipment than a new piece of low-quality gear. It is my goal to use my entire house of worship audio gear for many years, and I am guessing that that is your goal too. So, test your gear, tune up your sound system and make a joyous noise unto the Lord.
