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| Getting the
Best Sound in a Worship Environment |
| Featuring input by
Wes Hartley, media pastor for Lake Pointe Church |
Worship environments can be quite tricky to mic. Choirs, full bands, animated worship leaders, audio
distribution over multiple areas, and large-scale auditoriums could present audio dilemmas without the
proper equipment and know-how. With these tips and tricks from Wes Hartley—media pastor for Lake Pointe
Church in Rockwall, TX—learn how microphone selection, placement, and familiarity with the equipment can
help you achieve the best sound in any house of worship.
Tailor mic selection to the facility and its users
First and foremost, microphone selection should be chosen specifically for the environment and its users.
Hartley recommends choosing a microphone only after listening carefully to, say, the singer's voice; that
way, a microphone with similar qualities will highlight the striking vocals. It's also important to
consider whether the microphones will be in the hands of amateurs or experienced professionals; in the
case of Lake Pointe Church, "I buy Sennheiser because our volunteers understand it," says Hartley. "They
know it will work, they can trust it, and it's easy to use."
Familiarize users with the equipment
Many mic users in church environment may not be professionals, so a little patience and coaching is necessary
when introducing them to new equipment. Hartley takes special care in initiating performers to ear monitors,
in particular. "When we have someone trying ear monitors for the first time, sometimes it may be scary for
them," says Hartley. "So we start them out slow, have them come early and get used to the process. We start
them with one ear to get them used to it. But we want to move them quickly to both ears to take full
advantage. We have also found that mixing in audience mics helps the performers feel more of the room."
Place the mics properly and creatively
Microphone placement is another key element to clean, clear sound. Not only is proper placement crucial
for spoken word and singing applications, but it also can result in some truly breathtaking effects. "We
close mic violins with lapel mics clipped on the strings behind the bridge to get the resonance and string
attack, along with an overhead mic for the air and ambience for broadcast," says Hartley.
To achieve stellar audio results with other stringed instruments, Hartley wraps the Neumann KM 184 cardioid
microphone in foam and places it under the bridge of the cello and upright bass. "You get all the nice buzz
from the strings," raves Hartley. "That's pretty sweet."
For example, if a need arises to broadcast the same audio program over a scattered area for distribution
using multiple powered speakers, Faulk suggests following his solution: "We take the IEM transmitter and
feed it our program audio and send it out over a helical antenna. We cluster two or three powered speakers
together and daisy chain the output of a single EW receiver (with the pilot tone disabled) to allow for the
same program to be heard over a large area."
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| Kent Margraves, Sennheiser |
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| Kent Margraves, Sennheiser |
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| Damon Faulk, Lake Pointe Church |
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| Kent Margraves, Sennheiser |
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| Kent Margraves, Sennheiser |
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| Kent Margraves, Sennheiser |
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| Kent Margraves, Sennheiser |
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| What does the ruling
mean to you? |
| and a Sennheiser RF specialist will call you with answers. |
| We
understand that the anticipation of the changes in the US Spectrum has caused a great deal of anxiety for many.
With the recent ruling announced by the FCC we have a much clearer outlook of the future landscape for wireless
microphones. In order to help understand what these changes mean to each user individually, Sennheiser offers
personal consultation. Users can to receive a phone call from one of our RF specialists. |
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which frequencies are available in a geographic area is key to successful wireless operations. Click below for our
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| Worship Technology Events |
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view events, dates and locations. |
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Tips and Tricks
for Houses of Worship: |
Learn how Sennheiser equipment can help you achieve flawless live, recorded and
broadcast services, day after day.
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| Learn more about our ew wireless Microphones |
| Click to watch video |
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| Questions? Comments? Or want to provide a tip? |
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| What worship ministries are saying about Sennheiser... |
| "I also would like to thank you and Sennheiser for not only your
assistance with the whole TVBD fiasco, but your support of the H.O.W. market in general. It is truly
remarkable these days to have a manufacturer of the size of Sennheiser that allows its personnel to
interact with the end-user not only through outlets such as CSC, but the rapid personal response to
crazy tech guys like me! It is why I can recommend using your products so readily." |
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Jay Ballard, Director of Technical Ministries, First Baptist Church of Plant City, Florida
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