WHEN LESS IS MORE

Many church pianists we work with often feel overwhelmed by the number of choices out there— and even more so by the number of knobs, buttons, and controls on keyboards.“ All I need,” they tell us,“ is an instrument that plays like an acoustic piano and has a fantastic natural piano sound.”

If this sounds like you, then you’ ll want to select what’ s called a stage piano— and ideally one with a full set of 88 weighted keys( also called weighted action). These keyboards actually mimic the response of a grand piano’ s keybed, where the lowest keys require more force to strike, and the upper keys feel light and airy beneath your fingertips. To nail the sound of an acoustic piano, today’ s top keyboard manufacturers have gone to great lengths to record some of the finest grand pianos in the world, putting these sounds right inside the instruments. Not only can you get the sound of a classic Steinway, but on many you can also push a single button to get the sound of a Bosendorfer, a Yamaha C7, or a character-

If you’ re replacing an acoustic piano, then you should consider the importance of aesthetics to your church. If you have more-traditional services or are seeking a really natural look up on the platform, then you may want to choose a more authentic-looking stage piano. We have options available with wooden cabinets, a variety of finishes, so you can choose an instrument that matches the decor of your church.

filled upright.

Worship Sound Pro 101 Guides

TO CONSIDER your decision: 1. ACTION

2. SOUNDS

electric pianos, organs, and more?

and a direct-to-computer connection. 4. SIZE AND PORTABILITY

maintaining a first-class playing experience. 5. APPEARANCE

2. USE WHAT’ S ALREADY THERE.

Though creating the perfect sound mix for a service is a true art, a sound person with little or no mixing experience can still achieve good sonic clarity and deliver the message with

Hopefully, your sound system is already set up, the cables and pleasant and effective audio. Here are some tips for saving the the snake are run to the mixer, and the monitors are tuned day with a quick, last-minute mix— whether you are working in to prevent feedback. Plug the mics into the mixer or snake the sound booth yourself or have the help of a volunteer. in their usual positions. Try to use the same“ old standby” microphones and other gear you usually use— again, now is not the time to experiment with new gear!

Unfortunately, mix emergencies rarely occur when you have loads of spare time to work on a solution— it almost always happens minutes before the service is supposed to start. While your sound booth may have racks of processors

Explain to everyone that the regular sound person is not and sophisticated audio equipment, now is not the time to available and that help is required to have the service go well. experiment with effects or to randomly start turning knobs. This means guitarists need to turn down, drummers need to

Focus on the bare minimum you need to get the job done. control volume, and so on. Explain that the monitor system

Leave the special effects for another time. may not be perfect— forewarning the team that everything may not be ideal will go a long way toward easing the process for everyone. At least they will know what to expect!

Turn on the speakers or the amplifiers last; this prevents loud thumps and pops from coming through the system.

Begin by pulling all the volume sliders( faders) down to zero.( Usually these are found at the bottom of each channel on the mixer.) Set the channel gain to a mid position.( Usually this knob is found at the top of each channel on the mixer.) Next, reset all the equalization( tone) controls on the mixer to their center position, which is essentially off. Turn the auxiliary or monitor sends off. Make sure that mute or solo buttons are disengaged.( Usually these buttons are off in the up position.) Set the master volume fader to about 50 %.

1. KEEP IT SIMPLE.

Behringer X32 Compact..$ 1999 99

More info on pg. 87

Worship Sound Pro 101 Guides

Wireless technology can be a little daunting at first. But don’ t worry, wireless systems are much easier to understand today than ever before. Most wireless systems set themselves up for you, and once you’ ve set them up, you don’ t need to touch them again. Here’ s a simple overview of wireless microphone technology, how you can put it to work in your church, and how to avoid some common pitfalls.

TRANSMITTERS

3. HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH THE

WORSHIP TEAM.

There are two basic types of wireless transmitters: handheld units and bodypacks. Handheld units combine a microphone and a wireless transmitter into one device. They are extremely convenient for worship leaders, and even some pastors prefer them. Wireless handheld microphones are also less susceptible to dropout, because the transmitter part of the unit naturally points out toward the receiving antennas. Bodypack transmitters allow you to plug in a

lavalier microphone or a guitar cable, giving you both wireless and handsfree convenience.

Shure QLX-D.........$ 1072 00 More info on pg. 63

RECEIVERS

4. TURN IT ON.

5. RESET THE MIXING BOARD.

MINIMIZING PROBLEMS

Feedback is always a concern during services and performances. Using a microphone with a cardioid pickup pattern will help to minimize feedback. This is especially critical for lavalier mics, which are often available with either cardioid or omnidirectional capsules.

Signal dropout is just as bad as feedback. Even intermittent dropout can ruin an otherwise wonderful service. An unbroken line of sight between the transmitter and the receiver’ s antennas is ideal, but seldom is that possible. Most often, the wireless signal must rebound off of walls and other surfaces to reach the receiver, and that increases the risk of dropout. To minimize the risk of signal dropout, keep your bodypack in your front jacket pocket.

Another major problem is broadband noise and radio interference. If your house of worship is located in a city, chances are that an entry-level analog wireless system simply won’ t work for you. Digital wireless systems, which reject noise and other nondigital signals, are excellent, cost-effective alternatives to traditional wireless systems.

THE RIGHT SYSTEM FOR YOUR NEEDS

Call us today at( 800) 222-4700

Roland VR-09............$ 899 00

Portable performance keyboard with Sweetwater-exclusive sound library( pg. 41)

Nord Electro 4D.......$ 2199 00 outstanding pianos and organs plus excellent playability( pg. 42)

Presonus SLRM32AI..$ 1999 95 More info on pg. 89

Korg Kross 88............$ 999 99

Fantastic live keyboard also lets you create great accompaniments( pg. 44)

6. BEGIN TESTING EACH SOUND SOURCE 11. IT’ S TIME FOR THE EQUALIZERS. THROUGH THE MAINS.

Up to this point, we haven’ t touched the equalizers( tone Have the main vocalist speak or sing into his or her mic. Bring controls) on the mixer. If you find that the sound is getting too up the volume slider until you can hear the vocals in the main bassy or boomy, use the“ low” or bass tone control to reduce speakers. Turn up the auxiliary or monitor sends until the vocalist the bass frequencies a small amount on instruments such as can hear himself or herself in the monitors. As you verify that bass guitar, keyboards, and piano. Vocalists, especially male each mic or source works, pull its volume fader back down to vocalists, may also need their bass reduced a small amount. zero. You can leave the aux( monitor) sends turned up so that To increase the clarity of a vocal or an instrument, add a small the singers can hear themselves. To prevent feedback, don’ t run amount of treble or high frequencies by using the tone controls the stage monitors too loud. on that mixer channel. Be careful with the tone controls, as overuse can lead to feedback!

Watch for red overload or“ clip” lights on the mixer. If you see these, turn down the gain controls at the top of that

Adjust volume levels so that instruments and vocals are source’ s channel. balanced, and adjust the bass and the treble controls on channels as necessary to prevent boominess, harshness, or spikes in sound. Ask each worship team member what he or she needs to hear from the monitors— one at a time so that everyone doesn’ t speak at once— and adjust the auxiliary

Start with the bass drum and the bass guitar, turning them up sends accordingly. to a comfortable level and balancing them against one another. You may need to adjust the level of the master volume fader to get the overall level to the right point.

Set things up so that they are clean and clear, and at a comfortable, conservative volume level. Then stop! Once you get to the point where it sounds okay— this should happen

Now focus on the vocals. Set them to a comfortable level, fairly quickly— stop tweaking the knobs. It’ s easy to lose balanced against the bass guitar and the bass drum. The lead perspective and get lost in knob turning, even though the goal vocalist needs to be the loudest, with the background or has already been achieved. harmony vocals filling behind.

When in doubt, focus on making the vocals, whether spoken or sung, clearly audible. The congregation is there to hear the

One at a time, begin turning up the other instruments. Start message, which is contained the words and lyrics. The music with the rest of the drums, then the guitars, the pianos, the keyboards, and any other instruments. Adjust the volume as

Roland Integra-7.....$ 1999 00 over 6, 000 Roland sounds plus incredible effects( pg. 43)

7. HAVE THE WORSHIP TEAM BEGIN TO PLAY A SONG.

12. FINE-TUNE THE MIX AND THE MONITORS.

8. BUILD THE MIX BY BRINGING UP THE VOLUME FADERS FOR THE BASICS FIRST.

13. DON’ T TRY TO OVERTUNE THE MIX, AND DON’ T MAKE IT TOO LOUD.

9. TURN UP THE VOLUME FADERS FOR THE VOCALS.

14. HERE’ S A FINAL TIP.

10. TURN UP THE VOLUME FADERS ON

THE OTHER INSTRUMENTS.

Samson Synth 7.....$ 349 99 More info on pg. 69

Roland FA-08..........$ 1799 00

Premium keyboard workstation with tactile controls, pads, and over 2, 000 great sounds( pg. 43)

Kawai MP7...............$ 1799 00

Great-playing stage piano with hundreds of sounds, incredible effects, and controller capability( pg. 47) is inspiring and essential to a great service, but it plays just a supporting role in the grand scheme of things. Ensure that the needed. Balance each one against the vocals, the bass drum, vocals are heard, and the service will be a success! and the bass guitar. This is a place where you can err on the side of being conservative. The vocals are the main focus, and you want to ensure that they are clearly audible. Use the other instruments to fill around the vocals, without obscuring them. As you go, adjust the master volume fader to control the overall level.

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Hammond Sk1-88....$ 2995 00 More info on pg. 41

The Basics of

Building a Mix

Choosing the Right Keyboard

It’ s bound to happen at some point: the mix disaster. maybe your church’ s regular sound person calls in sick at the last minute. maybe the new volunteer sound person doesn’ t know a volume slider from a sliding door, or a mixing board from a mixing bowl. Whatever the circumstance, something has to be done to save the service. Without decent sound, the congregation won’ t be engaged or inspired by the music, and the message may be completely lost.

Whether you’ re looking for a simple instrument that just plays and sounds like a real acoustic piano, or you’ re seeking a powerful centerpiece for all your worship team’ s ambitions, there’ s a digital piano that’ s right for your church. to help you zero in on the perfect keyboard for your needs, let’ s take a look at the different kinds of keyboards available, as well as the important factors you’ ll want to consider when making your decision.

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MAIN FEATURES

As you take a look at the keyboards featured on the next few pages, these five factors will help you start narrowing down

Do you want keys that are weighted to feel and play just like an acoustic piano’ s? Or do you want keys that glide beneath your fingers so that you can easily play synth and organ parts?

Do you primarily need an authentic acoustic piano sound, or would you like to have other sounds such as strings, synths,

3. ARRANGING / RECORDING CAPABILITIES Will you be composing songs with your keyboard? If so, you may want to have a built-in sequencer, onboard drum sounds,

Choosing a 76-key keyboard instead of a full-size 88-key instrument can be a great way to cut down on weight while

How important is it that your church’ s keyboard resemble an acoustic piano? Do you want an integrated stand, or would you prefer to use a more portable stage-style keyboard stand?

All professional wireless receivers are true-diversity receivers, which means that they use two independent antennas. That way, if the wireless signal doesn’ t reach one antenna, it can still reach the other. Quality wireless receivers have antennas that twist off, allowing you to mount them on stands and spread them out. Separating your antennas vastly increases their effectiveness. Also, if you have a multichannel wireless system, adding an antenna distribution system will allow you to connect only a single pair of antennas to multiple receivers.

Whether your future wireless system is a single-channel, single-speaker setup or a larger system for the whole worship team, it should effectively and accurately spread the message. If the number of quality wireless systems you need is beyond your current budget, practice wise stewardship and save your money until you can afford the system that your house of worship deserves. There are excellent single-channel wireless systems that you can start with and expand later. Your Sweetwater Sales Engineer will be happy to help you find the right system for your church.

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101 GuIDEs

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