Happy New Year to all of you, and I hope you have big plans for 2015. I love the New Year. It gives us all a fresh start at doing better and being better in the coming year. I will assume we all want to improve (myself included) as audio engineers. Whether in the worship world or in the secular world, we all want to mix the best we can.
That said, mixing audio with any proficiency in a house of worship usually means keeping a tight rein on the overall decibel level, the SPL (sound pressure level), or just plain loudness of a service. To keep audio levels in the sanctuary under control, we’ll have to do more than just lower the main fader on the mixing board. And usually the offending SPL’s are coming from the stage. So, let’s begin there.
But before you get into actually checking how loud everything is, you will want to arm yourself with a dB meter. There are lots of apps that test decibel levels, and many of them can be downloaded for free, but I use a rather old school, handheld meter that I’ve had for nearly two decades. Whatever tool you use to measure your SPL, it is important to have one on hand.
Monitor Issues
Now does your church uses floor wedges for monitoring? You may find that they are louder than your main speakers. The issue of loud monitors is one of the main reasons that many houses of worship have turned to using in-ear monitors. But for those of you who use floor wedges, let’s get them under control.
One of the most common things I see on church stages are monitors that are aimed at the knees of the intended listener. By simply tilting up the wedge, you can direct the sound toward the head (ears) of the listener, allowing you to lower the overall volume of the monitor. I use a six inch long piece of 2×4 wood to put under my floor wedges to re-direct the sound. I also paint them black. It just looks more pro.
The Praise Band
Next, let’s check out the drums. Are yours surrounded by clear acrylic or Plexiglas isolation panels? Well, they should be. It is the best way to reduce the overall volume of drums on stage and in the sanctuary. So, if you are using drums in your worship band, you will want to invest in a set of panels.
Guitar and bass amps can also be served by acrylic panels. Some amps can simply be turned around so the speakers face the back of the stage. I often run bass direct and fold back the bass audio through a floor wedge. I have gone as far as putting a guitar amp in a closet offstage to control the volume. But start with the isolation panels first. I always run my keyboards direct and put them back into the monitors.
Acoustical Issues
By the way, what is at the back of your stage? Curtains would be nice, something absorptive also very good, but any hard surface will reflect the sound of your floor wedges (not to mention the band) back into the sanctuary. Speaking of hard surfaces, what is your sanctuary covered with? I like the wall directly [at the back of the room] in front of the main speakers to have acoustical properties that will absorb as many frequencies as possible and not allow them to bounce back into the sanctuary and ultimately the ears of the congregation. I have installed everything from curtains to baffles to acoustic panels to stop or lessen sound waves from the mains bouncing all over the place.
Of course, a big picture window, or any glass for that matter, is not your friend. Curtains will certainly help with controlling your SPL. Even if your curtains are open, they can create an absorptive baffle. Acoustic treatment can make or break a sanctuary. So, if you are installing or improving your audio system, make sure to leave a little in the budget for the environment that houses your system. There are other ways of controlling acoustics and decibels in a sanctuary, but they include some complex speaker distribution systems.
While in Italy last summer, I visited a variety of churches. All were built of stone and marble with acoustics designed only for the spoken word. But many had small speakers mounted on the interior walls and stone columns. Every system I listened to brought audio close to the listener but at low volume. These systems work well in those very hard sanctuaries but can require dozens of speakers to accomplish their task. Most of the worship houses I work with here in Southern California are 500 seats or less, so I have a much different strategy when it comes to audio. I also work with smaller audio budgets than they have for St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican City. Sorry, I am totally digressing. Let’s get back to what you can do to lower the SPL in your church and improve the audio at the same time.
By taking the time to even out the frequencies in your sanctuary, you will allow listeners to not only hear things more clearly but also give everyone a sense that the SPL is lower. You will need a frequency analyzer and a graphic EQ or parametric EQ for the speakers. If you don’t want to throw down the cash for a stand-alone analyzer, there are some decent apps out there. Just use your tools and you ears to get you system as flat as possible. Your congregation will really appreciate your efforts on their behalf.
