GET RECOMMENDATIONS There is incredible value in asking a professional for help . It ’ s hard to know everything about everything , and even though Google is pretty vast , it doesn ’ t typically tell you - or it ’ s difficult and time-consuming to discover - the whole story . If you ’ re pretty in-the-know about music and sound equipment , that ’ s good . However , it ’ s best to not try to be the Lone Ranger in these types of things . Develop a relationship with a professional audio dealer and rely on it . If you don ’ t have a business relationship , you can always contact someone like Sweetwater . com . They offer a great service because their sales staff almost always knows what they ’ re talking about and has been through what you ’ re doing several times with several other organizations at all budget levels . Don ’ t be afraid to tip your hand and tell them how much money you have to deal with . They can be a huge help in this process .
Try not to rely on your own knowledge alone . I know quite a bit about this topic , but every time I put a proposal together I run it past a professional audio dealer that I ’ ve been working with for a couple decades . I trust his input and he attends all of the tradeshows and knows what ’ s current . He ’ ll often know what I really need when I tell him what I think I need . There ’ s no shame in that .
WHAT ’ S MOST IMPORTANT Everyone enters the budgeting process at a different level of preparedness . Some operate out of a church that ’ s been well designed , acoustically treated , and the sound system is amazing . Others are just trying to do something to make their system better - I ’ m guessing that ’ s the norm .
Develop priorities . It ’ s likely that you ’ ll need several components to answer your needs . When that happens , you need to attack the most important problems first . The following recommendations don ’ t have as much to do with the actual process of developing a budget spreadsheet , but they ’ re very important when it comes to being able to convince someone ( and yourself ) that your needs are real and that they ’ ll be helpful in your ministry .
ACOUSTICS We started attending a church and they asked me for some help with their sound system . What I found at that church is the most common situation I see . Their mixer wasn ’ t bad . It was a Mackie 3 • 4 – this was a few years before digital mixer became the norm and affordable . Their speakers and amplification system was expensive , very high quality , and massively too much for the room to handle .
When I first heard their worship service , I turned to my buddy and said , “ I ’ ve been doing this a long time and I can ’ t even think of what I would do to make this sound worse .” You might think they needed a smaller sound system or a new mixer or … not so quick . They had zero acoustic treatment on the walls and you could stand in the center of the room , clap your hands , and hear the flutter echoes for a second and a half . No one is good enough to get create a good mix in that environment .
Most people look at the shiniest and brightest thing first and that ’ s what they want to be the solution to their problem . A brand-new digital mixer sounds like fun ! A brand-new wireless system sounds like fun ! A brand-new set of amplifiers sounds cool ! A drum shield sounds like a good idea ! An expensive new microphone for the worship leader can only help , right ? All of these things are what comes to the top when it ’ s time to spend money . None of them are that important .
If you don ’ t have a room that can handle the sound you ’ re pumping into it , it will never sound good , it will always have to be too loud because you have to get above the clatter , din , and cacophony of echoes , flutter echoes , and out-of-control room ambience . It ’ s a losing battle ! If you don ’ t have an acoustically treated room , then that ’ s the problem that needs to be addressed before anything else makes sense . I know , that ’ s a pretty bold statement , but I ’ ve helped a lot of churches with their sound systems and musical instruments and , in my experience , this is the biggest problem I see constantly when people are trying to make things better for their music ministry .
The bottom line between behind every purchase should be better communication of worship and the sermon to the congregation . If they can ’ t understand what you ’ re saying , singing , or preaching it ’ s very difficult to offer life-saving and life-changing ministry .
Purchasing acoustic treatment is a little scary to most . However , many manufacturers will design a system for free if you send them your dimensions and details about your environment . You might not like the bottom line when it comes to pricing , but you will have a credible idea of what it will take to optimize your sanctuary for communicating the greatest message of all to people who need it most .
WIRELESS SYSTEMS When it comes right down to it , it ’ s important for the pastor to have some sort of a wireless system and it can be important for the worship leader , but for background singers and the band , there isn ’ t normally a good reason for everything to be wireless . With that said , wireless technology has always been a prettyshiny thing . Many churches have a lot of wireless systems , probably purchased well before any thoughts about acoustic treatment . That ’ s just a reality .
I wouldn ’ t normally put wireless technology as second on the list of priorities but in the past several years , certain frequencies have become illegal to use and subject to government fines and regulation . In 2010 , the FCC prohibited the use of wireless mics and devices on selected unused broadcast channels 698 and 806 MHz . There are certain frequency bands between 600 and 700 MHz that are legal to use , but that status is always changing .
It ’ s your responsibility to find out whether or not the wireless systems you are currently using are legal . This is where having a strong relationship