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Get quick tips and tricks for achieving the best sound
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, the 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," Hartley says. "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,"
Hartley says. "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," Hartley says.
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," Hartley raves. "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 wireless personal monitor
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 evolution wireless receiver (with the pilot tone disabled)
to allow for the same program to be heard over a large area."
Other Tips & Tricks Topics:
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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