Product Spotlight
Wired Microphones
Rugged and dependable,
perfect for everyday use.
Find one for every application,
from vocals to instruments.
Wireless Microphone Systems
The highest level of reliability
and sound quality, completely
interference-free.
Installed Sound Microphones
Deliver the highest level of
flexibility for any worship
service.
Assisted Listening
Make your message accessible
for everyone. Easy to integrate
into your existing audio setup
K-array Loudspeakers
Big sound, small size.
Sennheiser is proud to distribute
this innovative brand of
high-quality loudspeakers.
Installations
Get quick tips and tricks for achieving the best sound
Get out of the Booth: Mixing for the Whole House
By Kent Margraves, Sennheiser
Have you ever heard a comment from a worshipper, whether positive or negative, regarding the live sound experience
that totally differs from what you thought you just heard and mixed?
Large room acoustics (particularly room modes), loudspeaker selection/orientation/optimization, audience size and
participation, and several other factors all contribute to the fact that the live sound experience is different in
every seat in your worship space. If it is a great room with proper system design and installation, those
variations may be minor. In many instances, they are not minor. Either way, they do exist, and the FOH mixer must
realize that he or she is only listening to (and mixing to) one position’s perspective when standing behind the
mixing console.
During worship, only one of all those factors is under his control: the mix. The best the mixer can do is
understand the other factors and learn to mix within that particular environment. There are some worship facilities
where consistency has been achieved across most of the audience area through excellent design and integration. But
for the vast majority of venues, it’s one thing to create a brilliant mix for the mix position and another thing to
translate that across the whole house. So it is critical to walk the audience area whenever possible to hear the
perspectives of the audience areas (especially if there is a trustworthy A2 to drive the console for a few minutes
at a time). Tonality may be noticeably different in some locations. For instance, it may be discovered that the
majority of the house hears a little more bass thump than the mix position does. The mixer that notices this can
take it into account in the mixing process. That would never be noticed, and compensated for, without walking away
from the mix position.
In addition to tonal variations, it is not uncommon that loudness changes with position as well. If the loudest
locations are in the front rows, that may be OK. Wouldn’t even the least technical worshipper expect a bit of a
louder experience when choosing a front row seat? Consider that the overall worship level should be mixed for the
loudest location in the house. If that is not the mix position, then periodic walks are necessary to ensure
excessive loudness does not occur at any seat (or the complaints that follow).
If the mixer can only walk the house during sound check or review, OK. If he can walk the house discreetly during
the live service, even better. Not only does the presence of the audience acoustically affect the result, but an
audience participating in corporate worship (singing) markedly affects the overall sonic experience. For this
author, nothing replaces the value of briefly walk-checking the house during the live worship mixing experience.
The varying parameters discussed above, within which we must operate, are mostly results of room design and system
design or optimization missing their marks. But rather than blame those factors, learn them, and mix around them.
If they are to be addressed and improved, that is for another time (and is off topic here).
So, next time you receive a comment regarding the sound experience in worship, whether positive or negative, make
sure you ask where the person was sitting. That can help greatly in understanding and interpreting various
perspectives. And for those mixing on a “stereo” or other multi-channel format PA, enjoy this final section:
Imaging and Localization
The majority of PA systems in our nation’s churches are not stereo, including a number that are actually described
as such. Some claiming to be of the stereo format are actually mono, dual mono, or something else. Successfully
implemented stereo and LCR (left-center-right) systems are wonderful and, while in the definite minority, are
slowly becoming more common in the worship community. But whatever the format, if you mix worship on a PA system
where the “pan-pot” control on your console affects the positioning of the sources in some way, even pseudo stereo
or some other multi-channel format, it becomes incredibly important to walk the entire house while considering
imaging and localization. For instance, what happens if you pan the floor tom “hard left?” Do all the seats hear it
hard left from their perspectives, or from some other direction? Do they hear it at all? Walking the house is no
longer just for level, tone and balance checks.
Good imaging in a mix can be a splendid enhancement for the worshipper. But mixing multi-channel sound
reinforcement requires knowledge of how imaging is being conveyed at every seat in the house. Localization should
be carefully preserved (the brain naturally wants to hear and see a source from the same direction). For instance,
an interesting stereo effect created (and listened to) at the mixing booth may be impressive—but may also be a
sonic disaster at other locations in the house! Know your system.
On a multi-channel PA system the mixer has some control over image and this comes with added responsibility (and,
by the way, multi-miking tricks take on a new role). Just as with loudness and tonal variations, walking is the way
to understanding how panning decisions are translated to the majority of listeners.
Other Tips & Tricks Topics:
More Information
Worship Events
Testimonials
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."
"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."
Jay Ballard, Director of Technical Ministries, First Baptist Church of Plant City, Florida