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Taylor Productions, LLC

The Sound Choice

The Sound Choice

create the right ambience for your audience

631-569-5165

greater new york city area

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Taylor June 20, 2017

Poor sound quality in your House of Worship?

detail-why-churches-have-less-than-ideal-sound-qualityCapture the imagination of listeners and make sure the message is heard

What’s the point of giving a sermon if your congregation can’t understand what you’re saying? If you want to learn how to improve the sound quality of your Church or House of Worship, we’re here to help.

The foundation of church worship is built around verbal, emotional, and musical communication. Music and the spoken word are essential elements in many religious and spiritual services. An uplifting message in the songs that are sung and the words that are spoken have the ability to stir emotions and makes for an inspiring experience that can lift and energize.

Yet, if every member of the congregation no matter where they sit cannot adequately hear the pastor, if the vocalist is not clear or distinct, or if the musicians are too loud, the message you are trying to deliver looses impact and inspiration. So why do so many Houses of Worship have have difficulty delivering ideal sound quality?

House of Worship sound system design can be a daunting task

The sound requirements for church sound systems used for contemporary worship can be varied and complex. Complexity of church design, acoustical ceiling pattern is

  • In some worship spaces there are domed ceilings that have raw natural acoustic properties.
  • In various smaller spaces the ceiling is made up of low suspended acoustic tile over an open space covered with small amounts of carpet.

Different acoustic and architectural solutions must be considered to help visitors receive and understand the message as it was intended to be heard.

The sound choice – creating the right ambience in House of Worship

Room acoustics is the most important factor affecting speech and music in a church.

  • Room acoustics describes how sound behaves in an enclosed space
  • Room acoustics is determined by the architecture and finishes of the room, and by the number of people that occupy the room at any given time
  • Sound systems are designed for and determine by room acoustics

To successfully combine architectural and acoustic design for your church, get some advice from a good acoustic and sound system consultant like the professionals at Taylor Productions.

Well designed sound systems can overcome acoustic problems and enhance the worship experience

When designing a sound system for your church, it’s important to take the following into consideration or acoustic problems can occur:

  • How large the church is?
  • What kind of music a church performs?
  • How loud the music is played?

Top reasons for sound problems in a House of Worship

Acoustic problems that churches struggle are the result of an improperly designed sound system. Such problems distract from the worship experience, and can be fixed:

  1. Speaker’s voice bounces around the room
  2. Feedback occurs during sermons or songs when a speaker is walking or talking
  3. Feedback occurs when a speaker points the microphone in various directions
  4. Microphones were not choose based on usage factors
  5. Poor microphone usage: Vocalists position the microphone at different distances from their mouth
  6. Poor monitor usage: Too loud, not loud enough, too muddy, not the right mix of vocals and instruments
  7. The room has hot spots and dead spots
  8. Excessive stage volume
  9. House volume too low, house volume too high
  10. House EQ not set properly
  11. Distortion, echo, or excessive reverberation occurs
  12. Faulty, old, damaged equipment, blown speakers
  13. Outside traffic noise, sirens, trains are distracting
  14. Bad sound guy: wasn’t properly trained on your system

Mixing the spoken word – get the pastor’s voice sounding great

Sound systems can be problem solvers. Well-designed systems can help overcome acoustic problems and enhance the worship experience.

  • Sound systems can control amplified sound, making it louder, softer, clearer, brighter
  • Sound systems can eliminate acoustic conflict between music and speech

Decisions you make can dramatically improve sound reinforcement and the experience for visitors. Points to consider:

  • Make sure that your church sound system is built and installed correctly
  • Make sure that sound design optimizes for room acoustics (size, shape, configuration)
  • And optimizes for room finishings: type of seating, size of the audience, type of music
  • Make sure the equipment being used functions properly
  • Make sure equipment is well maintained: check microphones, monitors, speakers, amplifiers, mixers, signal processors periodically
  • Consider where and how the equipment is set up and positioned
  • Make sure different liturgical components are considered (readings, prayers, responses, sermons, music

Immersive, room-filling sound draws the listener in

Where a conference room would be optimized for articulation and clarity, a symphony hall is optimized for resonance and acoustics.

A place of worship, however, is optimized for articulation, clarity, resonance, and acoustics. This is because a worship space requires a balance between the requirements of a music performance and the spoken word. These acoustical factors if not addressed, make it difficult for a congregation to hear regardless of how loud the speaker tries to talk.

Consequences of a poor audio system

Acoustical factors aside, if you have a poor audio system you won’t hear the people say “That’s the best worship service we’ve ever had!”.

The consequences of a poor audio system are annoying, frustration, distracting, and could adversely affect the performance and reception of service. You know what I’m talking about – you have clicks, pops, crackles, hiss, harsh, distortion, feedback, flutter, echo, excessive reverberation, sound delay, shadows, uneven frequency response, poor speaker coverage, too soft, too loud, too much…. and background noise. Did I miss anything?

Imagine the congregation is fully engaged in worship

Call Taylor Productions.  We’ll work within your budget to build a system designed to support acoustical factors present in your space so people can’t help but feel it was the best worship service they’ve ever had

Filed Under: Church Sound

Taylor April 12, 2017

Is it Time to Update Your Church Sound System?

detail-update-your-church-sound-system
Proper Sound Equipment for a Better Worship Experience

A quality sound system can make a big difference in the worship experience of the congregation. The sermon may be missed with an under-powered sound system. Everyone has been in the situation where a speaker feeds back and releases that hair-curling shriek that results in you jabbing your index fingers into your ears to avoid it. That is why a quality sound system is so important and can make a huge difference in the worship experience of the congregation.

If your sound system is in disrepair or under-powered important points of the sermon may be missed. In addition, poor quality sound can distract and cause a disconnect at crucial moments. Creating the proper sound and lighting environment will help maintain the comfort of church membership, improve their experience and enhance the effectiveness of your message.

If you are struggling with your current sound system or wondering if the equipment you are using has seen better days, read on for a few tips on evaluating and planning changes to your ministry’s sound system.

Is your current audio equipment meeting the needs of the ministry?

Before making equipment decisions take the time to assess your current situation. To find out if your sound system is doing an adequate job, test every scenario that could be required for it to handle. A quick walk through of the seating area with the sound system running can help you determine if the coverage pattern of the speakers is adequate. Take note of any areas that are “dead zones” or areas that have poor quality or where the levels are too low. Is your equipment positioned in the right place? Test for all sound & A/V applications that will be used during services, including voice, background music, video projection, lighting, etc.

Considerations Before You Buy

Symptoms of Bad Sound

If you have equipment that is in need of repair or your system just isn’t performing up to par it may be time to upgrade. There are several things to consider before making expensive purchases. Use the guidelines below to help clarify what your sound needs are.

Replace or Repair – A Second Look Can Save Money

Check the equipment you have on hand and make a list of any equipment that is not working. You may be surprised at what you find laying around that can be repaired or reconditioned & used instead of buying new.

Taylor Production technicians can help you determine whether it’s possible or more economical to repair instead of replace. And when you’re ready to replace or upgrade, our trained professional sound designers will guide and help you create the best acoustic environment possible within your budget. Just call or contact Taylor to find out how we can help you make the best choice for your situation and budget.

Your Church – Assess Your Needs

Before making any major investments in sound reinforcement equipment it is important to understand the current specific audio requirements that you have and anticipate how those requirements may change over the future as the congregation grows. Know your needs:

  • Voice Amplification
  • Live Music
  • Background Music
  • A/V Projection
  • Lighting
  • Computer Integration

Getting the Right System in Place

Make a plan 3-5 years into the future. Think of the type of service you run and make a list of specific sound requirements. Take into consideration not only the size of the congregation, the church structure itself, but also all the different types of events that may be housed by the church & what those needs might be.

It’s also important to consider what the audio-visual needs are. Will computers or laptops be used? Flat screen projection? Mixers? Amplifiers?

The audio professionals at Taylor Productions have the expertise to help you properly assess acoustic requirements and can make recommendations on a equipment that will handle all your needs. In addition, our skilled engineers can work with you to ensure all of your “devices” can connect properly to make having background music as easy as a swipe on your smart phone.

Download our Audio Assessment Checklist PDF to help create a list of all your sound needs. It will help us to better understand your unique situation and audio requirements.

Rule Out Non-Equipment Issues

A trained audio expert can properly analyze the room and correct non-equipment issues like improper wiring or installation and poor speaker placement. Sometimes problems can be fixed or at least greatly improved without the need to replace equipment at all. In addition, older equipment can sometimes be reconditioned, it’s usable life extended. Before investing in new equipment it is worth assessing what you have on hand.

Training and Ongoing Support

It’s not uncommon for a church to utilize volunteers to run their sound systems. Having operators trained in the basic operation of sound reinforcement equipment can help events run smoothly and keep the community happy. We provide on-site training so you are successful running the equipment and that knowledge can be passed on within your organization making the investment more cost effective.

Even if your budget is limited, upgrading a major component instead of the whole system – like the speakers, for example – can improve the quality of your sound without sacrificing your entire operating budget. Having professional input to help with this type of evaluation can save money and help you build a lasting system and create an ally you can count on when you need advice to face future equipment decisions.

At Taylor we pride ourselves on listening and making whatever we recommend fit your situation and budget.

Basic Sound Components for a Small Church

  • Speakers: 2 15″, 3-way powered speakers (should match subwoofer brand)
  • Subwoofers: 1-2 18″ powered subwoofers (should match speaker brand)
  • Cable snake: 16-24 channels w/ at least 4 aux returns, 100-150′ snake.
  • Mixer: 16-24 channel analog mixer w/ at least 4 aux sends, or 16-24 digital mixer.
  • Components: 2-channel compressor, 1/3 octave equalizer
  • Monitors: 4 – either in-ear or powered wedge speakers
  • Microphones: 4-6 vocal, 1 kick drum, 4 instrument, wireless (pastor), plus cables.
  • Mic Stands: (tall & short)
  • Power Conditioner

Create a Plan

Most church A/V groups are tasked with making the best within limited budgets. Our engineers can help you identify and create a “must have” replacement list that can be balanced with more long-range improvement goals.

We can help put together a comprehensive capital expense plan that can be presented to church leadership to help them anticipate & budget for audio equipment & training needs in the future.

A professional sound engineer/designer will save you money by steering you away from solutions that exceed your needs and trends that do little to build reliability into your system. They can also help you properly evaluate, prioritize & create a plan to work towards a quality system that is within your budget. Without an accurate evaluation and the data it yields it’s difficult to determine the best solution or know how to budget for the future.

We Make Recommendations to Help You Make Decisions

It doesn’t matter how inspired a service is if half of the congregation can’t hear it or is distracted by feedback. That is why it’s important to research and invest in good quality audio equipment. As with many other things you get what you pay for and cheaper is not always better.

Having a working relationship with experts you can trust will save you the headache of making that all important investment only to find that what you purchased cannot provide the sound amplification needed or doesn’t interface with your computer.

In Conclusion

Don’t wait for a catastrophic equipment failure to review and plan for your audio needs in the future. Many factors can cause your system to become outdated; growth, the need to integrate with peripheral devices, equipment failure or inadequacy. Establishing a relationship with a local audio/video/lighting professional is key to ensuring your congregation will receive your message in the best possible acoustic environment.

If you have questions about your current audio system we are here to help.

Call Taylor Productions 631-569-5165 or use the form below to contact us.

How Can We Help?

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Filed Under: Church Sound, Equipment Sales/Rentals

Taylor Productions offers best in class event staging, live sound reinforcement & lighting & services to make your next event wildly successful. Corporations, associations, not-for-profits count on us to provide support for their most important meetings, trade shows, conferences, conventions. We achieve memorable events for theaters, bands, houses of worship, festivals, fundraisers, gala dinners, holiday parties, and more.

The Sound Choice

create the right ambience for your audience

631-569-5165

We will ensure a memorable event, delivered within budget, by experienced professionals. That’s our promise.

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Serving New York City, Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, Kings, Westchester, Nassau, Suffolk, Richmond, Rockland, Orange, Putnam Counties in New York; Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Middlesex, Morris, Passaic, Somerset, and Union Counties in New Jersey. If you have questions or are outside of these shorelines call us to see if we can make it work.

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