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Line 6 StageScape M20d Described as “truly in a category of one,” this board features on-screen stage graphics and auto recognition of connected Line 6 speakers.
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Behringer X32 Features motorized faders, a digital snake and remote stage box, and a compatible networked personal monitoring system.
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Roland M200i Seamless iPad control, a digital snake and stage box for under $5,000 are part of the package.
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Yamaha MGP32X Yamaha’s MGP Series has expanded to include 32 channels and an interesting blend of analog and digital technologies for under $1,500. The new 24x and 32x MGP models offer an interesting blend of digital and analog technologies.
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Yamaha LS9 Access to full menu expansion and digital networking interface cards are part of the high-end package on the LS9.
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PreSonus StudioLive 16.0.2 The compact, 16-channel StudioLive 16.0.2 offers eight mono input channels, four stereo channels, and provides 12 XMAX Class A solid-state mic preamps.
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Allen & Heath MixWizard With a multi-purpose design, the Mixwizard can be rack-mounted, or used on a desktop. New versions have a revised preamp and grounding design for improved audio quality.
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Allen & Heath Qu-16 The new, sleek Qu-16 offers an analog-like user interface.
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Mackie DL 1608 For “digital fence-sitters,” Mackie’s DL 1608 is a robust 16-channel digital mixer selling for under $1,000, workable only via iPad user interface.
When I started working on this article, the first question that popped into mind was, “How do we define ‘small churches' and how many of them are out there?”
Quick research turned up surprising answers. According to the Institute for Religion Research at Hartford Seminary in Hartford, Conn., 74% of the churches in the United States have average weekly worship attendance of fewer than 500 adults. That translates into a total of 283,000 small churches serving 34 million worshippers, or 61% of all churchgoers in the United States.
In other words, small churches are home to the majority of Christians in America. I happen to mix sound for one of them. And certainly some of us would love to push faders on new $40,000-plus, touring-grade digital consoles, like those found in many mega-churches. But these are beyond our budgetary reach, and our requirements. Fortunately, assuming budgets of between $500 and $5,000, we now have an abundance of options, including—hallelujah—a wealth of choices on the digital side.
To offer guidance, I'll draw on my own 23 years of experience working in (and consulting with) small churches. But I also surveyed four knowledgeable suppliers and system integrators, and I'll include their insights as well.
DECISION ONE
First, we'll confront the inevitable question of analog vs. digital, an issue now largely resolved in digital's favor at larger churches. If your church is currently struggling with this decision, try the handy “Analog or Digital Select-O-Matic". Rate each question from one to five and total your points. If you're hanging at 15 or under, it might be best to stick with analog. However, if you tally over 16 points, you should be taking that leap of faith into digital.
ANALOG/DIGITAL
SELECT-O-MATIC
“Traditional worship” to “Contemporary worship”
1 2 3 4 5
“Few and random changes” to “Many regular changes”
1 2 3 4 5
“Maximize input count” to “Also want flexibility, effects”
1 2 3 4 5
“Older volunteers” to “Younger volunteers”
1 2 3 4 5
“iPad remote irrelevant” to “Need iPad remote”
1 2 3 4 5
“Very tight budget” to “Adequate budget”
1 2 3 4 5
Under 15, probably stay analog.
Above 15, move to digital.
“The No. 1 attraction for digital consoles in small churches is recall-ability,” notes Jeff Barnett, senior sales engineer with Sweetwater Sound Inc. in Fort Wayne, Ind., “since multiple setups can be saved for easy recall. Also, small churches can't possibly afford 24 channels of parametric EQs and dynamics processors, but that's exactly what you get in the digital package.”
Duke DeJong, church relations director of CCI Solutions based in Olympia, Wash., concurs on total recall and wall-to-wall effects, and adds: “Many digital consoles have multi-track recording features that enable a virtual sound check, so worship teams can work at dialing in their mixes without the whole band hanging around.” Also, according to Donnie Haulk, president and CEO of AE Global Media based in Charlotte, N.C., digital mixing affords “better consistency of performance” and preset recall leads to “ease of use for volunteer techs.”
On the last point, this author interjects, “That depends.” If the church has to reset the console for olast On this last point, this author interjects, “That depends.” If the church has to reset the console for different worship styles or events, and there is one person on the team who can program the presets, then digital is easier. But that's not always the case. Here's my rule of thumb for smaller churches that must rely on (usually) older and less digital-savvy operators: If you have enough inputs on your stage box and console so that you never—or almost never—have to change any input settings, then you may be given a pass for staying analog. In other words, no inputs have to do double duty, changing from instrument to vocal or even male to female vocal. Simply have your team leader or other expert set the console and any inserted effects and then nobody else touches anything but the faders. Well, more or less.
Jeff Humphrey, vice president of sales at Irving, Texas-based Sound Productions Inc., might agree. “Low-cost analog consoles still meet the needs of many smaller churches, and they [offer] a multitude of choices,” he observes. “Some churches don't need the features and functions of a digital console, or they simply cannot afford one. In addition, there are old school sound guys who say they will never go digital, and some even admit they are intimidated by the technology.”
Less than $1,000: Weighing Options
To get a handle on the top choices for smaller churches, I've divided the market into three arbitrary categories: under $1,000, between $1,000 and $3,000, and $3,000 to $5,000.
Starting in the under-$1,000 category, we're still safely in the 100% analog domain. Sort of. We'll check a borderline case at the end.
The hottest sellers in this group are what I call semi-digitalized analog hybrids. All mixing and channel EQ is analog, as is the one-knob compression input offered on some models. But more and more digital features are being strapped on to the master output sections, including dual effects processors and multi-band digital compression. True, you don't get the full power and flexibility of a digital board, but for many churches it's still a solid, one-board-does-all solution.
Yamaha's MGP Series is a top pick in this category, with both REV-X and Classic SPX effects processors in addition to all features mentioned above. “It's a tough product to beat at this price point,” maintains Humphrey. But others are strong contenders, with boards from Allen & Heath (ZED Series), Peavey and Soundcraft also offering 16-plus inputs and digital effects in the $700 to $1,000 range.
Some churches already have adequate outboard gear (or don't need it) and instead would prefer a higher build quality, upgraded EQ (like two swept mids), more aux sends, and 100mm faders. This niche is filled by Allen & Heath's MixWizard3 16:2, recommended by Shane Beeson, church relationship manager and director of sales and marketing with Denver's Summit Integrated Systems, and by Soundcraft's GB2-16R, which I've put to work in our multi-purpose hall.
Oh, and that digital fence-sitter? It's Mackie's nifty DL 1608, a robust 16-channel digital mixer selling for a hair under $1,000—but workable only if you already have an iPad hanging around waiting to supply the user interface. (Hey, I do.) Otherwise, you don't have any interface at all, so we segue neatly into the next category.
The New Battleground: $1,000 to $3,000
Now things get interesting.
Analog hasn't surrendered this turf, because you still can snag a lot of inputs—sometimes along with a digital hybrid master output section—for a very nice price. For example, Yamaha has just expanded its MGP Series to include 24 and 32 channel versions, both well under $1,500. This is also where you'll find Allen & Heath's venerable GL2400 Series, a board that was my trusted tool for a decade. It's also territory for Mackie's Onyx consoles, the Midas Venice series, and Soundcraft's GB4. (The latter will give you 40 mic inputs and faders for just a tad over the $3k line.) Also, for churches that need “hands off” operation, Peavey's Sanctuary Series steps up with built-in feedback suppression and auto-mixing.
These and a few others analog stalwarts are hanging tough. But they're losing ground. Digital is on a roll here.
All five of us tapped PreSonus as the pioneer and pacesetter in this category. “The StudioLive 16.4.2 and 24.4.2 have proven to be real winners with small churches,” says Barnett. “Unlike some other digital mixers, the layout is very straightforward and easily grasped by volunteers. In addition, the QMix iPhone/iPod app adds personal monitor mixing at a very low price point.”
The StudioLive mixers had a lock on this category for years, but today others are snapping at their heels. “The Behringer X32 is coming on strong,” says Humphrey. “It has motorized faders and offers options for a digital snake and remote stage box, along with a compatible networked personal monitoring system.”
And there are still more newcomers jostling in this corral. At the last NAMM show, Soundcraft unveiled its Si Expression, boasting a refreshingly analog-like user interface and surprising connectivity options. Allen & Heath now enters the fray with its sleek Qu-16. (“It exceeds expectations with its iPad control, touch screen, multi-track recording and options for digital snake and personal mixers,” Beeson reports.) Yamaha, leaving no niche unfilled, chimes in with the 01V96i.
And finally, for something completely different, there's the StageScape M20d from Line 6, which goes its own way with on-screen stage graphics and auto recognition of connected Line 6 speakers. Truly in a category of one.
$3,000 to $5,000: The Smoke Clears
For the most part, here the battle is over. Yes, if you want an eight-bus mixer with 40 inputs, or if you are a committed believer in that pure analog sound (we tolerate “religious” freedom here), then your dealer or integrator can show you viable options from Allen & Heath, Soundcraft and APB DynaSonics.
But over on the digital side, the allure is almost irresistible. For just a few hundred dollars into this price range, you can claim 32 inputs on both the PreSonus StudioLive and the Soundcraft Si Expression. It's hard to imagine a 500-attendance church needing any more than that.
However, those that want more in terms of connectivity and seamless remote control may want to look at the top end of this bracket. Case in point: Roland's new M200i. “It provides seamless iPad control and includes a digital snake and stage box for under $5,000,” notes Beeson. “It's also easily expandable for higher channel counts, personal monitor mixing, and multi-track recording and playback.”
The top end of the bracket also transitions into Yamaha's well-entrenched LS9 Series, where now you have access to a full menu of expansion and digital networking interface cards. Yes, you'll still have only 16 inputs to start with, but there are almost no limits as to how you can network and grow your system.
Is 500 Merely a Milepost?
Finally, I'll proffer some advice for churches that consider weekly attendance of 500 as a temporary way station en route to a more expansive ministry. If you have a trusty analog board that's basically doing the job—maybe like the GL24 from my last church, which just might outlive me—consider holding off and moving up later. Take a look at some step-up consoles, from the above mentioned makers as well as high-end specialists like Avid and Digico. It might be worth waiting for prices to come down (they will) and your budget to go up (have faith).
In the meantime, we're happy to have you here in the small church family, where together we humbly mix worship sound for the majority.
