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Reaching Out

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{mosimage}There is no doubt that spring is in the air (at least it is here in Southern California). I know that some of you are still getting rain, snow and cold weather, but those long warm, days are just ahead of us. And what does that mean for many of us in the worship sound biz? It means that the "Outreach" season is upon us.
Beyond the Church Structure

 

For those of you who may not be familiar with the term "outreach," it simply describes taking your beliefs out into the local community.  Isn't that what Jesus did when he was here? He was professing and often demonstrating the teachings of God either in a one-on-one personal manner, a large rockin' presentation (Sermon on the Mount, loaves and fishes etc.) or many things in-between. Jesus just didn't need a sound system. His disciples were also big into reaching out. However, outreach can take on many other forms. The act of taking meals to elderly folks or helping someone in the community (regardless of their religious beliefs) with the most basic aspects of living is a popular charitable outreach act, which is sponsored by many churches. At my home church, we put on an annual Halloween party and invite the neighborhood. We also rock out with a live band on the Rose Parade route in Pasadena during the annual New Years Eve celebration there. Not to mention any summer outreach events the church may sponsor. I am almost sure it is mandatory for every Catholic church/school to have at least one carnival each year. Of course, everyone is invited to attend these events.  Then there are the musical outreaches. Where gospel or rock bands, singers, preachers and the like perform in front of tens to tens of thousands of believers and non-believers.

 

Portable Sound Systems

 

To start with, most houses of worship will need a separate sound system for their outreach musical endeavors. That may seem like an obvious statement, but I mention it because I have installed portable sound systems in a few different houses. In particular, I installed a ground stack system (two subs and four full range boxes) in a church in Los Angeles that was completely portable. The church has a large parking lot, and they regularly put on outreach events there. This is sort of a rare case, but multipurpose systems can be designed for both in-church and outreach.

 

That said, usually, I install permanent in-house systems. For that matter, most worship houses have permanent sound systems. Which means that if any of these worship houses plan on doing outreach events that require a sound system, they will have to purchase or rent a separate system for their events. I also operate a live sound company and have purchasing power with a variety of manufacturers, plus, of course, I have years of experience in the field of live worship music, so I can capitalize on these aspects of worship sound.

 

If this describes you, then obviously you also have the advantage of installing sound gear, selling sound gear and renting/operating sound equipment.  But I also realize that many of you may simply volunteer as a sound tech at your worship house. Whatever your niche, I am more interested in identifying the personal needs of individual worship houses rather than those of pro companies. Besides, if you own or operate a sound company, you are probably tuned into the needs of those houses of worship in your area and you don't really need my input.

 

For those of you who work or volunteer at one house of worship, your house may own an additional sound system, or you may have to rent one for your outreach events that require live sound. Or maybe you are not even doing outreach shows which require a live sound system – perhaps you're now just planning your first outreach show.

 

Renting vs. Purchasing

 

In any case, the basic decision – whether to purchase or rent your outreach sound system – can pretty much be determined by how many outreach shows your house of worship puts on each year. If the number of outreach events you conduct are limited, or if the sizes of the events vary, I would recommend renting a system (and a technician), because you can rent what you need. A small event at a local book store or coffee shop will need a small system. A medium-sized event will need a medium size system and, of course, the larger the show. the larger the system. Renting a sound system does not mean that you will not be mixing the event. You will just have to communicate with the rental company and familiarize yourself with the mixing console that will be rented or supplied.

 

If your worship house wants to own and operate their own outreach sound system, I suggest you purchase gear that is scalable. What I mean is a system that consists of a variety of speaker cabinets (and subs) that can be connect together and used according to the size of the event.  So, if you need just two speaker boxes or four and two subwoofers you will have them. Of course, if you are planning on a big outreach, you will need a different mixer than if you plan on small show. Another idea would be purchasing a small live sound system that would accommodate your smaller events and renting a separate system for larger shows.

 

All these scenarios depend on how many musical outreach events your church sponsors on a yearly basis and how much of your worship house budget is earmarked for such events. Only you know the answer to those questions. At any rate, I hope you have a plan for many outreach events. It is the best way to bring worship music, the word of God and good will in general into your community. And there is no doubt that all of our communities could use a little more good will and a little more God for that matter.