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At 10 years old, I wasn't very advanced on either instrument, but I was getting there… fast. I loved music, and loved playing in church. Why? Because the people smiled at us when we played and sang. They were delighted by what they saw and heard.
It was very rewarding.
But by the time I was only 12 years old, I saw (and heard) the problems too.
There were 3 main problems
1. The church architecture.
2. The acoustic materials in the space
3. The sound system.
The church design was a bit odd. (Ah, the lovely designs the churches tried in the late 60s and early 70s). There was a front section, and a separate back section that had dividers that could be pulled out to "separate" the church into 2 spaces. One could be for worship, the other for a multi purpose hall kind of thing.
The Acoustics were atrocious, of course, because it was really 2 separate areas that shared a removable partial wall. The sound system was the worst of all…ceiling speakers, and old Bogen column speakers. Microphones that had 4 pin connectors instead of the standard 3.
If you had a keyboard or guitar, you couldn't plug it in, because there were no direct boxes or mixers that could handle it. My cutting edge keyboard (a Crumar brand string machine) had no place to live. We needed to bring a separate amp for it. I am still finding churches 30 years later with the same sound systems.
Back then, I asked why things sounded so bad. I was told (wrongly) that the PA system in church was designed for SPEAKING and not for music. I am still hearing that same thing from church people today. It was wrong then, it's even more wrong now.
CHURCH DESIGN
If your church is already built, and you're stuck with it for a while, you may want to skip down the next section (unless you want to chuckle a bit).
If you are building a new worship space, or even thinking about building a new space, PAY ATTENTION TO THIS REVELATION.
The architect of your church (most likely) does not care one bit about how the church will sound. He only cares about how it LOOKS. It is no wonder that many of our worship spaces sound like they do, with all the weird designs architects like to do. They want to create a visually stunning and identifiable work of beauty.
Sidebar: then what gives with the olive green carpet? Ah, the 70s were a lovely time for design…
Need proof that they don't care? One architect, in his zeal to create a lovely and balanced space, FORGOT to make a place for the music ministry in the worship space. You read that right… he forgot. The music ministry had a full band, and did special presentations where there would be an 80-voice choir. But that wasn't important - The "lines" of the space balancing perfectly was.
Another church designer I met put a gigantic column in the middle of the music ministry, and the handicap ramp in the choir area. To this day, the choir singers at this church lean slightly every Sunday. I can't make this stuff up. It's too wacky.
And if you are one of the lucky few, your architect gave you a choir loft about a football field away from the front of the church, with no sight lines to the altar. He even made sure to have the organ facing the wrong direction, so you have to have one of those 7/11 security cameras to see what's happening at the liturgy you're supposed to be ministering at.
Now, I can't figure out how to be gentle about this, so I won't be.
When dealing with architects, put away your Cowardly Lion, and be ready to FIGHT. They never have to use the space they are designing for you. YOU DO. Don't let up on them. You cannot minister effectively every Sunday while cursing your architect.
This includes (but is not limited to) sight lines… extra conduit in the floor to run future audio lines… a place for a projector, and a wall that can effectively show the words… electrical outlets…(yes, one church had NO OUTLETS in the music ministry area).
Be the architect's worst nightmare until they give you EVERYTHING YOU ASK FOR.
You'll thank me later.
ACOUSTICS IN CHURCH
Now if you are already in a church, and are experiencing "clarity" problems, don't blame your sound system just yet. There are many things you can do to your existing space that won't give the pastor or finance committee blood pressure problems.
One church I know purchased expensive sound "baffles" (acoustic tiles). They had plenty of money, and needed to treat a large wall at the rear of a rather rectangular worship space. It worked… the direct slap back from the altar was eliminated.
They could have gotten cheap 4x8 panels of fiber board (what you would use for a/c ductwork) and covered them in fabric and accomplished the same thing. Fabric can be expensive, yes, but I'm sure there are some expert seamstresses in your congregation that can make something just as nice.
Another church treated problem acoustics with colorful thick fabric banners that ran the length of the church. They wove the different colors together… it was magnificent. It tamed a very long, cross-shaped church, and was absolutely beautiful.
Yet another church simply padded their pews. The clarity difference was AMAZING. The church was still pretty live because of a high ceiling and marble floors. But the addition of padding on the seats gave the sonic impression of people in the seats, so a half full church sounded about the same as a full church.
If you have a church that was built in the late 60's through the mid 80's, there is no telling what the problems could be without seeing it for myself. I have been stunned by some of the goofy things I've seen from that time period…Really low ceilings… church in the round… triangle churches (Trinitarians)… ceilings with multiple odd angles and shapes… Iron all over the altar area…
Here's acoustics 101.
Everything in and about your worship space affects the sound. Size of the space, columns, building materials, floors, drywall, chairs, pews, ceiling tiles, carpet, floor tile, windows, doors… everything. Even the PAINT has acoustic qualities. A bright, lacquer finish on a guitar or other acoustic instrument makes the sound brighter. A natural wood or satin finish produces a warmer, more natural sound.
So if you have an odd or just plain bad sounding church, just know you are not alone, and there are acoustic specialists that may be able to help.
SOUND SYSTEMS
Here's my specialty… gear, and tuning it properly. In the Nashville music industry, I have been the man behind the curtain to many artists, fixing audio problems. I'm a total gear head. I love playing with instruments and sound gear.
I showed up at a church some years back to sing at a liturgy and the sound system was practically falling apart. Distortion central. I asked how old the speakers were and the answer was… 25 years.
Even in the most ideal, climate controlled environment, no speakers last 25 years. 10 years is really pushing it. 25 years is… a disaster. For those of you who don't know, the part of the speaker that takes the most abuse is the paper cone that vibrates rapidly, pushing the air across the room to your ears. Did you catch that… speakers are essentially PAPER. What happens to paper and cardboard over time? It rots.
Cars, computers, lawn equipment, air conditioners, microphones, and speakers DO NOT improve with age. Would you use a 25 year-old computer? I rest my case.
The church hired a pro sound company I recommended. 2 weeks and $25,000 later, the church had crystal clear sound. They were very happy. Now they could actually hear the Word of Life. What a concept.
But most churches I've been to don't need $25,000 worth of help. One church just needed better microphones. We spent $1,000 on 3 new altar microphones, and the sound clarity improved DRASTICALLY.
Another church had everything right but their speakers. They chose an off brand speaker the contractor had leftover in his warehouse… he found a sucker, and the church suffered for years as a result.
Last example, I promise. Our final church contestant was brand new, and had all kinds of sonic toys to play with. But the system was feeding back, and really hollow sounding. The church needed nothing, except an expert to TUNE the sound system. If your system feeds back, you need a pro sound engineer to tune the EQ of your system.
I don't need to tell you this, but I will anyway. It's really best if you have a professional sound engineer at your services. But, chances are, you are underpaid (or unpaid), your musicians are underpaid (or unpaid) or the pastor only wants volunteers.
Well, I can't help you there. Best I can say is… Click your heels 3 times and say there's no place like home.
However, if you need to do something, and don't know who to call or where to start, email me. I know some of the best people in the sonic industry, and would be happy to consult your church, and will follow the yellow brick road to wherever you are.
Peace to you
Joe
Joe lives and works in music’s Emerald City with some of the biggest artists in the biz. He can be reached at JoeHand@aol.com.
More about Joe in our contributors section, or his website, www.JoeHand.Com
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Churches, Acoustics, and Speakers - Oh My!!!