James Wasem is the author of "Great Church Sound - a Guide for the Volunteer." James has been designing, installing, and operating sound systems for 20+ years and he has a passion for helping church sound team volunteers deliver great sound. Connect with James at his informative site, Great Church Sound.
There is perhaps no better parameter for adjusting the quality of your sound than the equalizer. And it doesn’t have to be a complicated affair.
Mastering your use of the EQ for live sound will take some practice though. And it is imperative that you train your ears what to listen for. (See the helpful chart and tips at the end of this post.)
Why EQ?
What’s the big deal about EQ, anyway?
Feedback! Yeah, it can be a problem. Even for a seasoned sound tech.
So, how do we stop it? And how can we prevent it from happening in the first place?
First, let’s define exactly what it is we’re talking about.
What is Feedback?
Feedback is the result of sound looping between an audio input and an audio output.
Mixing sound is as much an art as it is a craft. And like any art or craft, it requires a commitment to learning and practice in order to stay proficient and mix with excellence on a regular basis.
That’s all well and good to say, but what does it really mean to “practice sound?”
How can church sound techs practice and get better?
Are there tools that can help measure that advancement in knowledge and skill?
I hate to break it to you like this, but if you want to get better at mixing sound then you’ll need to do more than just show up at mid-week worship rehearsal, shadow the lead mix engineer on Sunday, and “think about running sound.”
Fortunately, there are some great resources to help you get started (if you're an audio rookie), and tools to help you continue your education (even if you’re a live sound veteran).
The best church sound systems in the world can suffer from one simple problem:
Bad audio from the pastor’s microphone.
What a travesty! If there is anything a church sound system is designed to do, it is to provide clear and accurate transmission of the spoken word.
“Church tech on a budget.” Is that an oxymoron?
It doesn’t have to be!
Having great sound at your church doesn’t have to be a luxury reserved for large building budgets and a tech department with deep pockets. Even if your church has an older sound system, there are likely some budget-friendly ways you can enhance the quality of your sound.
The end of the year is drawing near. For churches, Christmas is obviously an important time of the year. Oftentimes, it's during this holiday that large quantities of people are looking for churches of their own, and it is extra important that the worship service be as flawless as possible.