Sometimes those who serve in a small church can get the feeling churches their size don’t matter. It can seem like everything you read about is BIG. BIG auditoriums; BIG lighting rigs; BIG video systems; and BIG audio consoles.But not everyone needs big. In fact, the majority of churches in the United States are small. And small churches need gear too—just not big gear.
“I don’t believe in lumping every church into the same boat,” states John Linden, managing owner of Provision Audio/Video Services in Wake Forest, N.C. “Our clients are very diverse in their need for technology.”So what advice can be offered on selecting an audio mixer to those in the small or portable church category (with the small category being the most common)?
Digital or Analog?
While today’s hype may make digital mixers seem like the only way to go, Linden prefers to look at each client’s specific needs. “We are quite willing to recommend an analog board,” he states, “especially if the end user is already comfortable with that. Digital can be advantageous for an inexperienced user since [these mixers] offer feedback on what the user is doing via a graphical user interface, so you get more visual feedback. But it can also be hard for that user to know where to find information or settings. On an analog console, the information is right there in front of you all the time via the position of the physical controls. So, if an analog console is working fine for a particular church, I'm not a fan of change for the sake of change. Staying with analog can make perfect sense.”
“Generally, a 20%-25% buffer in channel count is what we recommend.”John Linden, Managing Owner, Provision Audio/Video Services, Wake Forest, NC.
Digital does increase the complexity of operating a mixer, particularly for those not very comfortable with operating computer equipment. “The ability to operate the gear is a big deal,” says Tim Boyer, design consultant with Portable Church Industries in Troy, Mich. “I remember when Dodge released the Hellcat car—two weeks later there were lots of totaled cars because people didn't know how to handle a car like that.” Similarly, a digital console can be beyond the abilities of some people, and may limit your volunteer base.“As technology has changed over the last five years, you get a lot more bang for your buck,” adds Boyer. “In the past, a church might have held off on spending extra money for the features of a digital console, but now it's not much more. From my perspective, training or a relationship with a knowledgeable local person makes these tools more accessible.”If you're wondering whether or not to go digital or stick with analog, keep in mind that a digital console will always provide more features than an analog console. Many of those features are very pertinent to the small church.“The biggest benefit for small churches is the recall function,” states Linden. “This is the ability to store the console settings for a particular event and simply recall those settings. This helps a Bible study leader to activate the sound system for just what they need without needing to learn to be an audio engineer. It also helps reset the console to the typical worship service settings, so if little fingers (or sometimes big fingers) find the knobs and buttons irresistible during the week, the recall fixes it. I like those functions for smaller churches.”
“I also like the idea that you can store a library of different EQ settings for different people,” Linden continues. “You can save EQ settings for each voice, and recall them to their channel for the weekend they are singing. We used to keep a notebook of channel settings for each person—we don't need that anymore.”However, a digital console can also have many features that are unlikely to be used in a small church environment. “As far as options such as plug-ins and advanced effects, I don't see the small churches using those much,” Linden reports. “When we do initial training, we seldom get to the point of introducing effects because just the basics are often all they can handle.”For the portable church, a digital console can also assist with setup and teardown. “There is a lot more plugging and unplugging of cables with an analog console,” says Linden. And that takes time—something that most portable churches are in short supply of. Analog snakes are also significantly heavier and thicker than digital snakes.
Don’t over-equip
While one mistake that a church can make when outfitting a room is to under-equip for the future—to merely buy what they need for their needs right now, and then find themselves maxed out from the start, the opposite can also be true. “The propensity is for people to think down the road,” says Linden, “but to some degree I caution people about how far down the road they are thinking. If you're small, it's hard to really know where you are going to be and what your needs will be in the future.
My suggestion is to go with a mixer that's closer to your current needs, and sell that later to buy something that meets those future needs when that future actually arrives. I love the heart of believing in God and being proactive, but for the same reason you're not going to go out and immediately rent a space for 1,000 instead of 250; make a good decision that fits your budget and current needs. Don’t spend money on a future that may or may not be.” What does this look like practically? If your current worship service needs can be accommodated in 16 channels, then look at a 24-channel console (which is typically the next larger channel-count available). This lets you expand a little without a significant additional investment. “Generally, a 20%-25% buffer in channel count is what we recommend,” comments Linden. Boyer adds, “You need to just make your next best decision—you don't have to completely know the future.”
It’s more than just analog vs. digital
It’s now no longer merely a choice between digital and analog. If you’re heading down the digital path, you also have to decide between a standard mixer with a physical control surface and a “black box” mixer with no (or few) physical controls but a tablet computer app to operate the mixer instead.“There is great buying value in the black box devices,” states Linden. “You can get a lot for the money—probably the same number of channels as an analog board for the same price. If you have a limited place to put a console, then this is clean, efficient and quick. It can also enable your audio tech to sit in a position where they can hear properly. I do like that solution, but it comes with some drawbacks. If no one has charged the tablet, you're either down or limited to being plugged in. And if the WiFi signal drops out, you lose control of the mixer until it is reestablished. I make sure that no other devices nearby are running on the same WiFi band. For a church, these issues can be very frustrating to deal with on their own.”
Do your homework
If you are selecting a mixer without the help of a consultant, it’s important to research your options, but Boyer has some words of caution when using the Internet as your primary source of information. “There are some really awesome resources out there on the web for asking questions and getting feedback. However, there are a lot of people out there who talk about gear and offer opinions, but are really just regurgitating what they've heard from other people. Take their background and history into consideration to decide if their opinions are valid—you'll find a whole lot of people who have no business offering advice. You'll find people who will ‘hate’ a console because of their specific needs, but it may be a good choice for other ministries. Manufacturers have done a good job on releasing videos, podcasts and social media postings on products. You'll likely get factual information from the manufacturer. Do your homework, and get educated on the subject. Don't just spend the money God gave you based on people's [sometimes uneducated] opinions.”
Service and Support
Our last piece of advice is to ask about a manufacturer’s service and support.“A good question to ask is, what is the level of support that the manufacturer offers?” says Linden. “Do they tell you to talk to other users as your first option instead of offering help themselves? Will they answer the phone on a Sunday morning? Does the manual even list a support phone number? If so, call it and ask what their support level is. Will they answer the phone on a Sunday morning if I call and say the console is not working? Will they send an advance replacement or loaner—or do I have to send it back for repair and I’m without a mixer for weeks? If the tech support person says their consoles never fail, you probably don’t want to buy from them. Find out how well they care for their customers.”One source of feedback on a manufacturer’s quality of support would be some of the online forums for church technical staff and volunteers, such as Church Technical Leaders on The City website. Ask if anyone has had to get support for the line of mixers you are considering, and what their experience was like.“There are some manufacturers whose support is stellar, and there are other manufacturers whose support is non-existent,” says Linden.
Console Options
Digico
- S21
MAP: $6,995
The S21 provides Digico audio quality, simplicity and flexibility at a reasonable price.
Allen & Heath
- ZEDi Consoles
From $229
Designed for recording/gigging artists and AV rental and installation companies, the new ZEDi-10 AND ZEDi-10FX models combine a compact mixer with a 24-bit 96 kHz 4x4 USB interface, which enables multi-track recording and playback to a Mac or PC, or to an iOS device (using a Camera Connection kit).
Ashly Audio
- DigiMix24
MAP: $1,799
Designed to be an easy-to-use and intuitive solution for houses of worship, educational facilities, and performance spaces, the digital console combines a full suite of features along with various operational modes.
Mackie
- DL32R Wireless Digital Mixer
MAP: $1,800
The Mackie DL32R delivers 32-channels of digital mixing controlled wirelessly from the intuitive Master Fader app. With total wireless control over everything, it is reported to provide fully loaded DSP, direct-to-disk multi-track recording/playback, and an ultra-compact 3U rackmount design.
PreSonus
- PreSonus StudioLive 16 Series III digital console/recorder (for more production-oriented churches)
MAP: $2,000
PreSonus’ third-generation StudioLive 16 is designed to bring users into the future of digital mixing, including a plug-in-style signal-processing workflow and both onboard multitrack recording to SD Card, and AVB and USB recording to a computer.
- PreSonus StudioLive AR16 USB hybrid performance and recording mixer (for a simpler church)
MAP: $600
Lightweight, versatile and feature-rich, StudioLive AR16 USB 18-channel mixers combine the simplicity and ease of use of analog with both USB multitrack recording and onboard stereo SD Card recording, according to the manufacturer.
QSC
- TouchMix series (for both production-oriented and simpler churches)
MAP: $900-$1,900
Each TouchMix model is reported to have all the professional features a skilled sound engineer would need, while also providing a simple and intuitive interface and operating mode for volunteers and newbies. Each is also incredibly portable and operates remotely under WiFi control, if desired.
Samson
- MXP144FX (for a more production-oriented church)
MAP: $270
The MXP144FX is a 14-input (eight XLR) mixer with sophisticated DSP circuitry, a three-band EQ on each channel, built-in USB Interface and 60mm faders, which makes it a solid all-around mixer option for many situations.Samson SM10 (for a simpler church)MAP: $200Photo: Samson SM10_front.jpgCaption: The SM10 is a 10-channel, 1U rackmount line mixer with eight ¼-inch and two XLR Inputs that allow for a number of mixing options in a small space; reportedly ideal for a small or portable church with simple audio needs.
Soundcraft
- Soundcraft Signature 16 (for a more production-oriented church)
MAP: $374-$749
The Signature series is made up of simple analogue mixing desks with included limiters on each channel and basic effects. These mixing desks are easy to use, according to the manufacturer, and their signal path is designed to be self-explanatory to a layman.
- Soundcraft Ui24R (for a simpler church)
MAP: $1,249
This product has the same benefits as the Soundcraft Performer mixer but without the hardware faders to operate, and with fewer audio outputs. All parameters are accessed using a tablet device or from a PC via a wired Ethernet connection for extra reliability. It is also possible to record all mixer outputs to a separate recording device, if desired.
Yamaha
- QL1 Digital Audio Console (For a production-oriented church)
MSRP: $8,499
With powerful features for small house of worship applications, the Yamaha QL1 Digital Audio Console includes built-in premium internal processors, such as legendary Yamaha VCM technology and Portico 5033/5043 designed in cooperation with Rupert Neve Designs to shape and create as required. A built-in Dan Dugan Sound Design Automixer is reported to provide optimum channel balance while allowing the mix engineer to concentrate fully on the overall worship sound. Yamaha TF1 Series Digital Audio ConsoleMSRP: $2,950
The rack-mountable Yamaha TF1 Digital Audio Console features TouchFlow operation optimizing touch panel control, making it easier for house of worship engineers as well as audio volunteers to achieve the ideal mix, according to the manufacturer. Recallable D-PRE preamplifiers are designed to support sound quality that will satisfy the engineer, pastor, vocalists, musicians, and the entire congregation.
