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May 2012

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Experienced live sound engineers share on weekly services, sound checks, special events and dealing with the unexpected.

by Mark Johnson

Let’s face it folks, live sound reinforcement in traditional churches can often be handled by a machine. Yes, auto-mixers have come a long way in dealing with mechanistic services with choir and organ, and single presenter/preacher.

But as weekly contemporary worship services become more sophisticated, the need for not just a live sound engineer, but a crew of volunteers, becomes necessary.

We can learn a lot from the weekly repetition of doing tech, and hone our craft into something truly God-honoring.

As our regular weekly services become more complicated, our special events—including holiday productions, concerts, and even community and corporate gatherings—can push our churches’ technical brain trust to its limits.

With this realization, Church Production Magazine decided to interview some of the country’s most experienced live sound engineers. Participants for this roundtable discussion include: 1 Matt Chin, sound ministry volunteer, Evergreen Baptist Church of Los Angeles, Rosemead, Calif.; 2 Brad Duryea, audio engineer, Lakewood Church, Houston, Texas; 3 Chris Gille, CTO and chief systems engineer, Eastside Christian Church, Fullerton, Calif. Editor’s Note: This mug has been with Gille through every project, leaving his ‘coffee ring of approval’ on many drawings. It has since become his favorite ‘mug shot’.

Read on to get their takes on the best practices for church techs.

CPM: What makes for a good sound check? Do you have a mental checklist of things before you start?

Chin: Having a good sound check is like taking a road trip without any hitches. If everything is prepared in advance, it’s just as simple as driving and enjoying the scenery. Having everything plugged in and working is half the battle. Since we run both front of house and monitors on one console, having a good input signal (gain structure) to set monitor levels is the other half of the battle. Good communication with band members and vocalists is critical in getting this done.

Duryea: … some form of communication technology other than your phone. Also, having test tools (tone generator, cable tester) ready to go and people who know how to use them to trace a bad line. A good rapport with the ‘talent’ will make things go more smoothly, especially if there are technical issues. It’s nice to dial in as much as possible before the talent arrives—it helps you discover issues early; it makes the sound check itself smoother. Stay relaxed when there are problems.

Gille: A perfect ‘line check’ (without the talent) will leave the ‘sound check’ to be a real sound check. Knowing everything that is going to come allows the sound check to focus on the talent’s needs and how it actually sounds. ‘Ring out’ open mics a good 6 dB higher than they will be needed for the program. Have all open and distance mics up in the mix early so they contribute to the assembling of the mix, as well as reveal problems early.

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Mark Johnson is an independent technical trainer/writer based in Crockett, Calif., and former editor of Sound & Video Contractor and Church Production magazines. He can be reached at mjohnson6286@sbcglobal.net.