Church Sound 101

Church Sound 101 is a comprehensive one day training session, held at various locations nationwide, designed to train church volunteers and staff members in the basics of sound reinforcement technique.  The emphasis is on understanding the operation of sound equipment commonly found in today’s houses of worship, establish consistent protocols for operation so that staff can perform their duties seamlessly, and development of technical ministries suitable to modern media requirements.

One of he most common problems facing today's churches is a lack of understanding of the basic operation of sound equipment.  Usually a volunteer is thrust into the position of soundman with little  or no formal training in the operation of the equipment, which is often professional level equipment. Often the only “expert” in the church is the guy who works for the cable company or someone who used to play in a rock band before they got saved.  While this person does their level best to pass on what they know, with today’s sophisticated equipment this is seldom adequate to serve the church’s needs. 

Our program exists to bridge this gap.  Our curriculum includes microphone selection and technique, soundboard operation and patching, use of equalizers, compressors, expanders, feedback suppressors, basic speaker placement, monitor placement and mixing, basic recording and duplication skills, special effects usage, real time troubleshooting, wireless applications, and much more.

We stress protocol consistency, with a goal of creating in each church a standardized methodology, so that persons can move in and out of any particular job in the technical ministry with the confidence that they will find familiar territory.  Consistent, familiar protocols reduce  confusion, yielding better results in the Worship experience.

Our third goal in this program is producing a cohesive Technical Ministry Team.  Technology changes rapidly of late and a team approach creates an atmosphere of flexibility, which results in a quicker assimilation of the never ending parade of new technology your people will inevitably face.  If your team is ahead of the curve, your Church will be better able to manage it’s technological growth.  As your staff considers equipment changes, their understanding of the advantages and disadvantages of that equipment will equip your organization to make wise and cost effective decisions to manage your growth.

Classes are held in a “hotel seminar” setting with hands on exposure to equipment and industry experts.  Classes are held on Saturdays to facilitate greater access for volunteers.  The cost per student is  $275.00 and includes continental breakfast, beverages and lunch.  Group rates are available.

Schedule of upcoming seminars

As this is the mainstay of our client base, we approach design for Churches and Synagogues differently than the rest of the world.   We  understand the difficulties faced by the average House of Worship when it becomes time to build or renovate.  Usually a committee is formed, and the closest thing to an expert on hand is a member who used to play in a band back before he got saved!  This is where we come in.

We review the preliminary plans, develop acoustical prediction models, and actually test the venue (if it is a renovation project) 

Because we don’t represent a builder, integrator or manufacturer, our only agenda is a successful completion of the building project.  We join your committee as consultants.  We identify your needs, particular to your unique style of worship.  We define the parameters the system needs to meet, and with 35 years of experience can make many suggestions which can save our client thousands of dollars.

We meet with your architect to ensure the room design is acoustically acceptable and considers all the technology available to Houses of Worship.

 As our emphasis is not sales, we can be privy to the actual budget for the project (a number which builders and integrators only get to guess at).  We advise you as to the best way to meet your goal within your budget .  We then design a system to meet your needs.  Whenever possible, we design your system to be brand neutral, giving the contractors quoting on it latitude to get you the best bang for the buck.  When we know that there is only one or two products available to meet a need we advise you on the best one to spec into the design. 

When the system design is presented and it is put out to your local contractors for bid, we will review those bids to guide you to the most reputable and realistic vendor to do the work.  We provide onsite management as the work progresses, insuring you get quality results throughout.  We advocate for your interests throughout the entire process.

After the builder has completed the system to your satisfaction (and ours) we then optimize the system to insure it works at peak efficiency.  We provide basic training for your staff and volunteers, as well as provide a complimentary seat at one of our Church Sound 101 training sessions (held around the country all year long).

Our goal is excellence in acoustics, audio, video and lighting.  We can shepherd your building committee through the entire process to achieve that goal.  Along the way, we would expect to save you many times our fee, while maximizing your results.  This is more than just a profession for us, it’s our mission.

While our average client is a larger church (300-1000+ members)  we also maintain a slightly scaled down program for smaller churches (seating under 300), that is designed to provide quality services at fixed, affordable rates.  Please contact us for special pricing if your Church qualifies for this program.  We are here to help.

Assembly Places
Our background is performance oriented, our people having provided services for literally hundreds of major entertainment oriented venues. We bring this experience to our design of assembly places, whether a theater, auditorium, lecture hall or gymnasium.

Our team will meet with your people to determine your exact needs, and then execute a design appropriate to meet your specific goals. We are equally at home creating an acoustically pleasing theater as we are in controlling unwanted reverberation in a gym. We can acoustically model your environment and create audio files of what a space will sound like with a given type and amount of treatment. Hearing is believing, and this technology allows you to hear the results before the room is even built, or to hear what several different scenarios might sound like, enabling you, the client, to make a final determination of what your space will sound like.

We emphasize solutions that harmoniously integrate your acoustical and audio-visual needs as well, creating control rooms and surfaces that make sense ergonomically. Your sound lighting and video personnel can function at their best when their work environment has been carefully planned in advance, considering real world events, which often differ from the theoretical. At the end of the day, a space must work efficiently, so your staff can as well.

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  Recent Projects
Hopewell Christian Fellowship, Telford PA

Castle Dental Educational Facility, Center Valley PA

Temple Beth El, Allentown PA

New Eden Fellowship, Schwenksville PA

Sanctuary United Methodist Church, North Wales PA

Ascension Mar-Thoma Church, Philadelphia PA