Many portable churches make the mistake of buying just enough A/V support to survive with their current size and configuration. Other churches buy more than they need to get started, but the gear they buy leaves them without flexibility in the future and loses value unnecessarily.
The first priority in buying portable equipment is to make sure that current needs are properly assessed. This involves thinking through program needs such as music ministry and the sermon's sound reinforcement, as well as any other elements. A traditional service where amplified keyboard and vocals make up the majority of the music requires a much different sound system design than a full-band contemporary situation. While assessing the requirements of the current worship style in the current room, the reality is that most portable churches have property leases of less than one year in length with the theaters, schools, or other venues from which they rent space. Some leases run month-to-month with the school or theater retaining the right to end the lease without more than one-weeks warning. This puts many portable churches in a position where they must remain flexible in every way-including their sound system. This sort of flexibility should be directly reflected in system design and gear choices; in other words, don't buy a speaker system that is unlikely to function well (because of an odd dispersion pattern for example) in multiple types of rooms.
When it comes to considering the future, it is nearly impossible to know what rooms you will be trying to cover in the years to come. However, if you tend towards speaker systems that have multiple uses, you can be assured the investment you make in them now will not be worthless later on. For example, choosing a main speaker system whose boxes can double as monitor wedges or under balcony fills can be a great way to assure their future usefulness.
Another often-missed consideration is the volunteer force you will depend upon to set the system up each week. Be sure to think through whether or not the system is too complicated either technically or mechanically (rigging for example), or whether you will have enough volunteers to set things up and tear them down in the allotted time. Speaker systems that incorporate complex rigging should be avoided in most portable church scenarios for this reason.
Another important decision to be made is whether to choose a powered or unpow- ered speaker system. A powered system is less likely to incur driver damage because the power amplifier is designed for the speaker drivers and incorporated within the box. These systems often have fewer connections and fail points, which simplify setup and increase system reliability. On the flipside, powered speakers typically weigh more than their unpowered counterparts, and require electrical power connections for each box. Also, since the amplifier is contained within the speaker box, if either component fails, the other is also unusable.
It may seem obvious, but durability must be a primary concern for any portable speaker system. If you choose wooden boxes, which are often much heavier than their molded plastic counterparts, you will have three basic options: boxes covered in some form of carpet, painted boxes, and boxes covered in some hardened coating. Carpeted boxes have a tendency to rip, tear, and wear thin leaving the wooden boxes exposed. Most carpeted boxes are on the lower end of their manufacturer's product line-in fact carpet covering can be a sign that the speaker system is being marketed to a less-than-professional market. While painted boxes can chip and covered boxes can be damaged if treated especially harshly, they are far more du- rable options than carpeted boxes. Hard-molded plastic boxes can hold the most advantages, as they are both extremely durable and light.
Storage is another consideration for portable churches when it comes to their speaker system. Most portable churches will have to store all of their systems either in closets within the building where they meet, or offsite-bringing the gear to the location by trailer. The larger the systems, or the individual components, the more difficult this will be.
While the future may be uncertain, the key to choosing the right speaker system for a portable church is to buy the best quality products that will serve the current, short-term needs while keeping future flexibility in mind. Purchasing the least expensive option that marginally serves only the very short term needs will wind up being a poor use of the church's resources.
