If we were to conduct a poll regarding audio recording among churches, I think we would find that a large percentage of churches record their services. The reasons vary: some churches may simply want to archive their weekly sermons, while others may make available recorded copies of their services on CD, tape, or some other recordable medium. Some churches may even go beyond the simple duplication of their service and offer their programs on radio, television, and even Internet-based broadcasts. Regardless of the “why” regarding church service recording, audio teams should always strive for excellence.
In 2 Timothy 2:15 it’s written:
“Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.”
This scripture passage obviously exhorts us to handle God’s word correctly and, in this article, we’re going to discuss some techniques on how to record the word of truth with excellence.
My Past Podcast Recording Experiences
Over the course of many years, I have had the privilege of producing service recordings for weekly broadcast for two different churches. Both pastors were gifted speakers and their sermons deserved to be faithfully reproduced with excellence. One church provided my studio with professionally recorded multi-tracked source material. The other church provided me with a stereo mixed CD recorded directly from the FOH console. While both services had to be edited, remixed, and mastered, both programs didn’t sound the same from a quality standpoint. This fact wasn’t necessarily a result of one service being multi-tracked and the other being recorded to CD, but instead, the difference in the final product was a direct result of the source audio. The source audio from one church was excellent and the other church’s audio signal was beset with technical problems. In order for this church program’s audio quality to be at an acceptable level, these problems needed to be addressed and ultimately corrected.
Starting with the Source
Believe it or not, some of the best audio recording principles I learned in college didn’t actually come from an audio recording class. They instead came from an information technology class. One of the first lessons we learned in computer programming is “garbage in equals garbage out.”
There are great software programs available today which can correct some of these problems. However, if the source audio is clean, you’ll most likely have a higher quality end product.
Clean Source Audio
Clean source audio is dependant upon the entire audio chain. As an example, let’s consider the recording of a pastor’s sermon. The audio chain will most likely include a microphone (as well as its placement), cables, a mixing board, and some sort of recording device. If possible, it’s important to use the highest quality microphone your budget allows. Our church invested in a Seinheiser MK2 lavalier microphone with a Shure UHF wireless transmitter and receiver. As a result, our pastor’s audio signal is consistently strong and free of any unwanted noise. While the signal still requires proper EQ and compression, the end result is a highly professional sound. In comparison, inferior equipment may produce unwanted and unfixable results. Cables and connectors are also equally important elements in the audio chain. Even the slightest problem with an audio cable or connector will be evident in the recorded audio. Always take the time to check every cable and connector for potential problems. If there is a problem with a cable or connector, make sure it’s taken out of the audio chain immediately. Very few technical problems will ever just simply disappear.
The Importance of a Good Mixing Console
The mix process plays a major role in obtaining quality recordings. A great mix begins with a good mixer, and I’m a big fan of digital consoles. While they might not be as “warm” sounding as an analog console, they’re generally packed with features and deliver high quality audio. When our church replaced our 10-yearold analog console with a digital console, our audio team immediately noticed an overall improvement in the sound. This was primarily due to the elimination of several outboard equalizers, compressors, and effect processors, which were all being used in conjunction with the analog console. The digital console, however, has the digital EQ, compressors, and effects built-in. By eliminating the outboard equipment, we eliminated the inherent signal noise these units introduced. However, digital boards nearly always require proper training for effective operation.
Properly Train Your Audio Crew
Retaining a good, dependable audio crew is a challenge for most churches, however, it’s key to maintaining professional-sounding audio and recordings. If your church is in the market for a new sound system or even just a new mixing console, make sure to include training sessions as part of the package. Our church recently purchased a Yamaha DM2000 as our main sanctuary mixing console. The board it replaced was a large 40-input analog console which served our church well for nearly 10 years.
Our director of communications made sure to include audio training classes as part of the package price. As a result, our audio crew made a quick and comfortable transition from the world of analog mixing to digital mixing. In contrast, I just purchased a used digital console for my recording studio. The console, which is one of the best available today, had been briefly used by a church, but their audio team was not comfortable with the new technology. Therefore, they removed the digital console and re-installed a more traditional analog console. While this is purely speculative, the church may not have had proper training on the digital console and, therefore, didn’t achieve a level of comfort and confidence in its use.
Record the Source Material to a High-Quality, Easy-to-Edit Medium
In order to obtain a quality recording of your church service, make sure you’re recording to a high-quality and easy-to-edit medium. It’s safe to say that the majority of recording today is in the digital realm. However, for reasons of convenience, our church records the service audio to both analog and digital mediums. While cassette tapes will most likely go the way of other past recordable mediums, many people still use them in portable players or even in their automobiles. Therefore, we always make a cassette master tape of our church service and make duplicate copies the same day. Even though cassette recording is inexpensive and convenient, it falls far short in providing high-quality audio. For that reason, we also record to both a CD and a digital multi-track recorder.
From the CD master, we can make CD copies for anyone interested, and the digital multi-tracked audio gives our team the ability to remix the audio for our television and radio broadcasts. Also, it’s easier to edit audio recorded to a digital format. If something in the audio needs to be fixed, we simply digitize the audio into a digital audio workstation (DAW) such as Pro Tools, and the audio is represented graphically on the computer screen. Editing is accomplished easily when you’re able to reference the audio visually as well as aurally.
Master the Stereo Mix
If your church has the capabilities, always master the stereo-mixed audio. One of my favorite pieces of audio equipment is my mastering unit. By simply including it in the audio chain, the final audio quality is taken to another level sonically. This unit provides limiting, compression, expansion, and EQ all in one program. When it’s applied, the audio becomes clearer with more separation between the different elements. It also makes the audio louder and closer to industry standards. The final audio is then at a more acceptable level for broadcast on radio and television. Additionally, mastered audio provides a higher quality sound for the audio masters from which the duplications are made.
Properly Prepare and Posture Your Audio Team for Excellence
In closing, I’d like to leave you with a few points I’ve mentioned previously. One of the primary elements in producing high quality audio and recordings is proper preparation. Make sure that the entire audio chain is not only set properly, but that it is also free of any technical problems. I like to think of audio recording and production as a subtractive process. Simplify the process and subtract any potential problems. Also, always rehearse whenof possible. This allows the audio team to properly set levels as well as all channel settings. Additionally, it’s important to anticipate audio events. Write down cues if necessary and always label your channels. Great recordings depend on attention to every detail. Invest plenty of time in preparation and posture your audio team for excellence. Your final recordings will always reflect the extra effort put forth.
D. Scott Kramer is the owner/operator of Electric Station Studios in Germantown Hills, Illinois. He is also the former technical director of Grace Presbyterian Church in Peoria, Illinois. Grace is a 2,300-member church offering a weekly television and radio ministry.
