church sound techs

Pastors, choirs, musicians and guest speakers rely on a quality sound system to clearly carry and broadcast their messages during services and events. Technical skill is required to set up, maintain, and run church sound systems, as well as troubleshoot any glitches that might occur. Live sound environments like Sunday morning worship can present a multitude of challenges and issues that require a quick response. So what happens when something goes wrong?

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).