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Passive loudspeakers can be a better choice for large-scale installations where the loudspeakers are inaccessible for service and maintenance, according to Phil Hagood, director of operations at Morris, an AV integration firm based in Nashville, Tenn. Photo of Green Acres Baptist Church in Tyler, Texas, courtesy of Morris.
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“The technology has gotten to a point where, if you’re spending the right number of dollars for [your specific] space––then you’re probably going to be happy,” says Bryce Boynton, audio director at Flatirons Church in Lafayette, Col. Photo of Green Acres Baptist Church in Tyler, Texas, courtesy of Morris.
Anyone charged with the task of purchasing a new loudspeaker system for a house of worship shouldn't be ashamed if they feel a bit intimidated. In this product category there is almost unlimited choice, with each brand (and each model) designed to address a very specific requirement or problem. Zeroing in on what's right for your facility––taking into account the church's worship style, its music program, its plans for future growth, as well as things like maintenance and whether or not the manufacturer provides good customer service––is not a decision that should be made off the cuff.
The good news is, many of the systems on the market today––whether they're from U.S.-based companies or European manufacturers––can be commended for their quality, according to Bryce Boynton, audio director at Flatirons Church in Lafayette, Colo. “The technology has gotten to a point where as long as you're spending an appropriate amount of money––if you're spending the right number of dollars for [your specific] space––then you're probably going to be happy,” he says.
“Speakers today are getting smaller and significantly more powerful, with better pattern control,” says Craig Beyrooti, CEO at APA Integration Inc., an audiovisual design and installation firm based in Altamonte Springs, Fla. “Once you get into the world of steering speakers––either mechanically, or electronically, or a combination of both––it gives you a great toolbox in which to find a very suitable solution.”
Still, there are a number of things to think about, and while getting the best system for your space requires an examination of the technology, it's not always directly about the tech….
"If we’re going to get 100% more performance for 100% more price, well, then it’s worth it. But if we’re going to get 5% more performance and pay double, then it’s not."
David Ellis
President and Founder, Ellis Pro Media, Renton, WA.
Speakers Can't Be (Entirely) Invisible
Aesthetics is an issue for pretty much every church, however, traditional churches that are gradually shifting to more contemporary programming––thus mandating the need for loudspeakers that can accommodate it––often struggle with this the most. The desire in this case is to make the speakers as invisible as possible, or to keep them out of sight outright. But Beyrooti says that if you try to render speakers invisible, sometimes they may as well not be in the facility at all. “We will see churches where the impact on the aesthetics of the church is very, very important to the pastor and the elders, and they try very hard to keep speakers so far out of the way that oftentimes they are in the wrong physical location to perform their task,” he explains. “[We] explain that the beauty of walking into a beautiful place of worship goes away when you go there regularly and you continue not being able to hear properly.” He says that in most cases, congregation members will put up with a bit of technology peeking out of the woodwork in favor of being able to hear the sermon.
Passive vs. Active? (Or Powered vs. Non-Powered?)
For the team at Morris, an AV design and integration firm headquartered in Nashville, Tenn., there is no hard and fast rule on when to use active loudspeakers (those with the amplifiers built in) or passive loudspeakers (those requiring separate amplifiers to power them). However, explains Phil Hagood, director of operations at the company, for the fixed installations Morris is generally involved in, passive loudspeakers usually win out. “Simply because, if you have the speaker flown in the air with some wire going to it, and an amplifier in a room that's accessible on ground level, the chances of having to do service to a physical speaker vs. an amplifier––they're drastically different,” he says. Having amps in a separate location––preferably in an equipment room where techs can get to them easily––eliminates the challenge of getting at them up in the air.
Beyrooti argues that the amps in today's powered speakers tend to be more reliable than their predecessors, and this isn't what steers him away from incorporating an active speaker into a design. What's more worrying to him is the cost of getting adequate power and remote control to the cabinets. “If it's a big line array and you're going to need three 30-amp circuits above each hang, then you've got to weigh the cost of that vs. just having a centralized rack and pulling speaker cable,” he explains. Furthermore, it's necessary to think about control: “Some of the more affordable powered speakers have a lot of control on the back of the box, and not all of them have sufficient control via a network to the speaker.” When choosing active speakers, Beyrooti and his team prefer products that offer full remote access so that it's not necessary to climb up to the box (and wrangle around it to get in back) in order to make an adjustment.
Consider the Financial Impact
For techies—whether they're working in churches or in AV integration companies—it's easy to get caught up in the latest advancements and features. Hagood reminds us that good stewardship should influence loudspeaker selection, and sometimes this means that the latest and greatest isn't necessary, while in other situations it's best to wait until the church can afford a better option. “We have conversations with houses of worship on a regular basis to say, ‘Look, we believe this is what you need and you can't afford it right now. Put the brakes on, dial back the excitement a bit, and get the correct thing because in five years, you're going to wish you had,'” he illustrates. Spending $100,000 now, only to have to spend $100,000 again in five years, vs. spending $200,000 up front for a system that will serve the facility for 10 years (or beyond) is usually a better way to go.
David Ellis, president and founder of Ellis Pro Media, an AV design and integration firm in Renton, Wash., notes that sometimes churches will spend more money than they need to because they are overly concerned with brand names. “They think that they need a certain brand of speaker, and sometimes you pay double the price for maybe 5% or 10% more performance that isn't really required,” he says. Focusing on value—rather than brand name—is how he prefers to approach a project. “If we're going to get 100% more performance for 100% more price, well, then it's worth it. But if we're going to get 5% more performance and pay double, then it's not.”
After all, Hagood points out, the people the church is serving are the ones who are investing in this technology, and it's important to keep this in mind. “Sometimes integration companies––and even technical staff at churches––lose sight of that and get caught up in the technology, or the pieces and parts,” he says. “[We need to be] able to take a step back and say, ‘How does this impact the people? And what's the best way we can provide impactful change for those people and not have a high degree of waste or be so caught up in the widgets that we don't really think about the end result?'”
