okay, this is the third in a series of posts that will cover a variety of church audio fundamentals. this stuff will really only appeal to our beloved tech folks. but it wouldn’t be a bad idea for our ‘talent’ types to peruse this info as well. who knows, might come in handy someday.
so, let’s review some church audio fundamentals …
four basic steps to a church sound check
- make sure it works
- set gain structure
- set monitors
- set house
so for this post we’re gonna be talking about step 3, setting monitors. if you want to review our fascinating look at the other steps, well, click the links silly…
okay, so we’ve made sure everything works, and we’ve made sure our gain structure is set right, now it’s time to make sure our performers can hear themselves. this is where you get to interface with real live ‘talent’ types. yeah, that’s fun…
now, there are many different types of monitor systems. some are mixed from the house mixer. some have a separate console on stage. some are open speakers. some are in-ear monitors. but the same basic principle applies to them all. that is, it is the job of the monitor system to give the performer what he or she needs to be their best, provided that that doesn’t hinder someone else’s performance or the experience of the audience. the second part of that statement is vital to keep in mind when the inevitable ‘volume wars’ begin to take place on your stage.
there are so many different types of monitor systems that it isn’t possible to get into a step by step process here. but there are some basic principles to adhere to.
- less is more. musicians always want it louder. you will [probably] never hear someone on stage ask you to turn something down. they will always ask for more of what they can’t hear. and that leads to inevitable ‘volume wars’. so be mindful of that, and if someone asks for more of something, see if you can accomplish the same thing by turning something else down.
- there are no ears in our knees. we are not grasshoppers. make sure electric guitar amps are pointed at the player’s ears, not the back of their knees. when they can’t hear themselves clearly, they crank up the amp, and voila’… instant volume war.
- drums are loud. very loud. very very very loud. there is virtually no church stage that shouldn’t have a drum shield. they aren’t cheap, but buying enough speakers and amps to overcome them is even more not cheap [ yeah, i said 'even more not cheap'... and?]
- if it squeals, turn it down. there are numerous ways to minimize feedback with eq, etc. but generally speaking, in a church environment, if you are fighting feedback it’s just too loud. again, that principle of turning something down to hear something else more clearly often applies. i’ll bet if your singer can’t hear herself, it’s because someone else on stage is too loud, not because her monitor is too quiet.
- listen to your performer, but use your head. musicians are usually pretty ignorant about sound things, and will often ask for the impossible, or the ill advised. your job is to politely tell them no, and if possible, provide an alternative solution.
one final note. monitors can be a contentious issue. performers are out there for everyone to see, and that tends to make them a bit neurotic. but with a little diplomacy and attentiveness, you can usually win them over, even if you aren’t necessarily conceding to their every whim.
see you next time when we get to actually make sound come out of the big speakers. you know, that thing that people think a sound check is actually for…
bfn,
brian
