Worship Technology Solutions, Markey’s Rental and Staging

“The point is this: good sound is good sound. A church building is really a performance space, and all of the rules of sound reinforcement apply.”    

Josh Isenhart is a freelance audio engineer and consultant for church technical ministries.  Having sat through many a budget discussion, we knew he’d have some sound opinions about building a solid system to share with our readers. This is what he had to say.

1. Old Isn’t Necessarily Bad
Before you start drafting that shopping list, take the time to assess the equipment you have on hand.  Just because it’s old, it doesn’t mean it isn’t serviceable.  (Think of all the consumers who trashed their tube amplifiers for solid-state stereos thirty years ago only to find audiophiles preferring that warm sound later.)

Examine your gear.  Is it worth repairing?  Can it be repurposed?  Is there another ministry that can use it?

2. Look at Backbone Issues
Scrutinize the system that’s in place and deconstruct it, link by link:

Speaker selection and placement

• Do you have the correct kind and number of speakers?
• Are they installed properly?
• Do they adequately cover the space?

Power

• Is there sufficient power for the number of speakers in place?
• Are the amplifiers properly installed, with good ventilation and appropriate A.C. power?

Mix Position

• Is the soundboard in a location that allows the operator to properly hear what is going on in the room?
• Is there enough physical space for all of the equipment and the personnel required?

Wiring

• Has the system been wired in a neat, logical manner?
• Were block diagrams and wiring layouts created during installation?
• Can any competent technician walk in and repair the system – or – is it only understood by the person who has been running it for the last 30 years?

3.  Evaluate your current needs. Then, develop a 3-to-5 Year Plan
The best investment you can make is an investment of your time in developing a strategic plan that is based on the present and future needs of your church.  The best sound systems are built on a foundation of communication – with your church’s leaders, administrators (for instance, the budget committee) and the worship staff.

• Determine short-term goals.  What do you want to be doing differently by the end of the year?
• Examine your long-term goals and begin developing the necessary system over time.
• Establish a budget for maintenance, upgrades and training.   Systems and individual components don’t represent one-time purchases.  (When your church budgets for new computer systems, for example, it’s always with the understanding that the network and the workstations will need to be upgraded on a consistent basis.)

4. Buy smart, not cheap.
You get what you pay for.  If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.     You’ve heard it all before, but it’s still true.  Good equipment costs money.

Don’t buy anything – cords, cables, mics, speakers, mixing boards, really anything in your system – on the basis of low price.  Buy it because you believe it will perform the task most effectively and reliably.  There’s a lot of product experience out there.  Talk to colleagues at other churches, read any number of publications designed exclusively for church and production technology, attend seminars and workshops.

Once you understand exactly what you need and which product is most likely to fulfill it, you’ll be ready to start shopping.

5. Think Visual.
Church AV is no longer a luxury.  As you think about retrofitting a tired system or installing a new one, think about how you will be integrating screens, projectors and the whole pantheon of multimedia.  The size of the congregation is no longer the tipping point here – it’s the impact of the message on a community raised on fast-moving images.

Now, How Much Should You Pay

It’s not the eternal question but it’s still a big one: How much should you budget for a sound system?

There is no simple answer to this question. You need to take the time to evaluate all of your ministry’s goals. A good place to start is to base you budget on the number of people sitting in the seats, for instance:

Number of Seats                                                           Budget

200-300                                                                         $10,000-$15,000

300-500                                                                         $15,000-$20,000

500-1,000                                                                      $40,000-$80,000

1,000-5,000                                                                   $60,000-$100,000

Over 5,000                                                                     $100,000+

Budget-Saving Tips from Josh: How to Control P.A. Costs

Here are Josh’s tips for optimizing quality and budget control:

• Don’t be afraid to try new things.
• It’s OK to buy used.
• Cover your basic needs and worry about bells and whistles later.
• Don’t get sold.  Arm yourself with the facts.
• Look for packages.  Some companies will reduce their prices based on a bundle of gear.
• Build relationships with local dealers, contractors and repair shops.
• Don’t skimp on anything, especially the soundboard, speakers and amplification.
• Get durable, all-purpose microphones.

“I rely heavily on Shure microphones. Not because they’re affordable, but because they are some of the most reliable products on the market. If you’re starting out with a small budget, buy as many SM57s and Beta 58s as you can. You can use them for anything and they last forever.

Regardless of whether you’re a church of 20,000 or a church of 200, look seriously at the entire Shure line. Having toured and recorded with wireless systems that cost far more, I can tell you in all honesty that nothing sounds as good or is as rock solid as Shure wireless systems.”

Thanks to Josh Isenhart for sharing his approach to tackling a seemingly overwhelming task.  To contact Josh, email him at: j3isenhart@gmail.com.

A phonograph cartridge is a micro-manufactured electro-mechanical device that tells your entire audio system what’s happening along the half-mile groove that’s cut into the typical analogue disc. The quality of the information provided by the cartridge is a critical determinant of how faithfully any audio system will reproduce the recorded sound.

CANTILEVERS & CARTRIDGE OPERATION

The cantilever (1) is a tube, or bar, with a diamond stylus tip (2) attached at one end, and a magnet (3) at the other (in the case of moving magnet cartridges). The cantilever must vibrate in exact sympathy with the rapid movements of the tip as it traces the audio signal, thereby moving the magnet attached at the other end.

Inside the cartridge body, magnetic conductors, or pole pieces (4), surround the magnet. A coil (5) of pure copper wire wraps around the leg of each pole piece. As the magnet moves, its magnetic field is distributed between the conductors. Magnetic energy flows through the center of the copper coils and produces an electrical signal. This signal corresponds to the original motion of the tip, and is electrically transmitted to the amplifier through terminal pins (6) bonded to the ends of the coils. The amplifier, in turn, drives the speakers.

Because the cantilever is located at such a critical juncture in the signal chain, it has a dramatic effect on the quality of sound reproduction.

MASS

The lower the mass of the cantilever the better able it is to accurately duplicate the sound pattern written on the walls of the record groove. The lower the combined mass of the tip and cantilever (stylus assembly), the less the chance that the tip will lose contact with the groove, and consequently, with the signal. The greater the stylus mass, the more likely it is that inertia will cause it to skip over signal information as it oscillates rapidly, tracing the signal pattern while the groove walls speed past. This is particularly critical in the high-frequency range, where audio modulations are the smallest and most concentrated, and stylus tip movement is consequently the most rapid.

TRACKING AND TRACKABILITY

Tracking is the term used to describe the positioning of the stylus tip in the spinning record groove. Tracking effectiveness is referred to as tracking ability, or trackability. The quantitative measure of trackability was first developed by Shure. It is defined as the maximum velocity at which the stylus tip can move back and forth tracing the audio signal before it starts to skip. This measurement is expressed in terms of centimeters per second. It should be observed at several different frequency levels, while tracking force is held constant.

A tracking failure is referred to as mistracking. Serious mistracking, when the high mass of the stylus causes it to veer out of control, can permanently damage a record by altering the signal patterns in the record groove. Such damage can occur in just one play.

STYLUS TIP

The stylus tip traces the musical signal inscribed in the record groove, which can contain modulations as small as a millionth of an inch. Tip geometry is a critical factor in determining the accuracy of sound reproduction. The narrower the side, or contact radius, of a biradial diamond tip, the more precise its ability to trace the audio signal. This is particularly critical in the complex, densely packed high-frequency range. The better a tip traces the audio signal, the more accurate the sound reproduction, and the more consistent this reproduction is across the audible spectrum. The term “detail” is often used when referring to the accuracy of signal tracing, as in “high detail,” or “lacks detail.”

FREQUENCY RESPONSE

The consistency of sound reproduction across the audible spectrum is generally described by the term frequency response, which is the range over which the cartridge sound output is essentially level, or “flat” – with fluctuations neither above nor below a reference level on a monitor. Because every manufacturer has its own definition of what the term “flat” means, with some dropping this qualifier altogether, the comparative value of posted frequency response ranges across brands is limited.

TRACKING FORCE

Tracking force refers to the total force holding the stylus in place in the record groove. Effective tip pressure on the record can actually be as high as several tons, due to the extremely small contact area between diamond tip and groove surface. The amount of tracking force is the major determinant of normal record wear (as distinguished from record damage, typically caused by mistracking.) The lower the tracking force, the lower the record wear, but also the lower the trackability. The best cartridges are able to achieve high trackability at a low tracking force.