Transcript
Pro Sound Web Live Chat With Jeff VandeHoef

Integrated Media Group & Fairhaven Ministries
April 10, 2001

Moderator: Welcome, Jeff VandeHoef!

Jeff VandeHoef: Hello everyone!

Moderator: To begin, please give us some background on yourself.

Jeff: I’ve been a church sound guy for about 18 years. I started with a church youth choir, and this grew into my job. I now work with a major systems contracting firm and also assist my church tech director as much as I can.

Michael: What do you suggest to develop talented and able sound/PA technicians for churches?

Jeff: Start with someone with a good heart for service, and then look for ways to educate him or her. Young people are a good place to start looking. Just letting people know what is expected can help - it doesn't take any talent to turn a mic on, on time. And it’s usually the little things that make a big difference.

Steve: Can you expand on what I'm sure is a unique perspective, given your dual role as a systems contractor and a church tech staffer?

Jeff: Being both makes me better at both. I can talk to clients and know what they need, and I also design systems that are user friendly. I also understand many of the complaints the church sound guy gets; I’ve met that little old lady that complains every week, and I also know her sister and both cousins…:)

Craig: What do you see as the biggest benefit(s) to EASE modeling?

Jeff: EASE takes out the guesswork. It’s quite accurate, and I can find things ahead of time that I would otherwise never know until the room was built and the system installed.

george: When do you recommend left-center-right (LCR) main systems, and why?

Michael: Do you think multi-channel PA's are too complex to "be in every church"?

Jeff: LCR/multi-channel systems just won’t work in some rooms, for example, one with a basic rectangular shape. And many churches don't have programs that need these systems. They can be much more expensive as well. It’s something you have to do on a case-by-case basis: if the room is right, and the program fits, I think they’re great. As for complexity, this also differs from project to project.

Mike Mikzer: A local salesman is telling me cross matrixing is right for my church. What is cross matrixing?

Jeff: Cross matrixing is a way of doing "stereo”. The approach usually needs a left-center-right cluster arrangement, with the center cluster helping to provide stereo to more of the room than just the left and right clusters alone. Digital processing is also a requirement for a cross matrixed system.

Mike S: What measurement systems do you use to acoustically analyze a room, other than your ears?

Jeff: Mostly TEF, but I’m starting to use Smaart as well. TEF is best for just room measurements, Smaart is fast for system setting.

blair: Starting to use Smaart… Why?

Jeff: It is faster than TEF in some ways. But using both is a really neat trick.

Mike S: Why the preference of TEF?

Jeff: TEF helps you to find acoustical problems like reflections and echoes. I can time in devices very fast with TEF.

robert: What do you look for in main loudspeakers, and why?

Jeff: When I design a system, I pick a speaker that fits the room. Then I consider performance and budget. I will tend to select a speaker that has more performance than needed. That way you don't have to say you’re sorry later.

Tim: Are you specifying and/or recommending in-ear monitoring systems for any of your church clients?

Jeff: Yes! Any time that you can reduce stage volume, the whole system sounds better.
There is a learning curve to them. Some clients are not at a level to be able to handle the.

Stan D: Any IEM systems in particular that you like?

Jeff: Most of the systems out there are very good. I usually recommend the Shure – it’s a good value.

Anne Tenia: How can I stop the local AM radio station from broadcasting thru my sound system?

Jeff: There are many things that have to be looked at to fix this problem. All of the system grounding has to be rock solid. The gain structure has to be set up right. All cables need to be looked at for complete shielding and breaks in the lines. Sometimes transformers on the mic lines can help. Also small chokes in the lines.

tom: Chokes?
Jeff: Electronic components. A winding of magnetic wire.

Anne Tenia: I thought AM radio waves want to be grounded. Shouldn't I un-ground the system?

Jeff: No, you want your system to be able to get rid of any noise that it picks up.

Alan H: Without ruffling feathers, how do you explain that a current system isn’t sufficient? For example, when the church/facility has already spent money on aspects of setup, taken advice of 'questionable' sources that are likely closely affiliated with the church? Long question… ;-)

Jeff: Pray. This is a tough one. Best I can do is that you provide very sound (pardon the pun!) advice and then try to put this advice into place slowly. And, look for things that can be improved on with little or no cost: system settings and good operators.

Jon: Follow up question: what loudspeaker characteristics do you place most weight on? It would seem pattern control might be high on such a list (?)

Jeff: Pattern control and good fidelity are the top two. Size sometimes figures in, but usually I will apologize for size and let the sound speak for itself.

Harry: What do you mean by "good fidelity"?

Jeff: A good sounding speaker that is full range and musical sounding.

Anne Tenia: When I un-ground the system, the signal is much weaker. When grounded and bonded, the signal is much stronger. What gives?

Jeff: Radio station problems are very difficult. Usually it is best to work on the problem at the site. Many times trial and error is what you have to do. You need to find a good contractor in your area to tackle the problem with you.

Scott R: We are planning IEM's at our church. Due to budget, we’ll probably be using one channel of a Shure 400 for two guitars, bass, and drums. Are we asking for trouble, or is this workable?

Jeff: No this is a great way to start. Add more as you can. I sometimes feel that we can get too many monitor channels. If you stop and listen to all of the monitor channels, you usually find that they are very similar. Often, musicians ask for more than they really need.

Jim: Can you give us an overview of the system at your church?

Jeff: It is a large EAW-based system. Center cluster of MH cabinets with side fill clusters. The room is a fan shape and seats about 1,800. We put on many concerts and almost always use the house system. Other elements include Crown amps and an Allen & Heath ML5000 board.

Steve: Did you design the system?

Jeff: No. It was designed a few years before I became a designer. Acoustic Dimensions did the cluster layout.

Steve: Vance? Craig? Dale?

Jeff: Craig did the layout, and Vance commissioned it.

Mike Mikzer: In what situation would you recommend using a mic combiner? Can you use it for multiple mics on a drum set?

Jeff: Almost never. There are a few places where it might make sense. Drums, for example. Two elements that are very similar, like two toms.

Mike Mikzer: So how do I get around the problem of too many mics, not enough channels, and not enough cash?

Jeff: Mic the drums with only a few mics - overhead, snare and kick. Place the overhead aiming at the tom heads, and this will pick up the toms and cymbals both. Small sub mixers can also help. They’re usually not too expensive.

Scott R: Putting you on the spot, how do you like the ML5000?

Jeff: Fantastic board!! I know that it is not a Midas or a Soundcraft, but unless you have a lot of board experience, you most likely won't know the difference.

Ken: I noticed in the Remembrance Church article on PSW that you used a Lexicon MPX-500 reverb on vocals. Can you give me the lowdown on this unit, and maybe contrast it to other choices?

Jeff: It’s s a great unit. Just the right amount of control. Great Lexicon sound. Very simple to use, even for beginners, but still lots of control of any of the parameters that you want.

Kevin M.: I have been trying to teach volunteer techs, and some just don't seem to get it. Any suggestions?

Jeff: It kind of goes back to picking people with a good attitude. People have to want to learn and give of their best for the Lord.

Larry: Any educational programs and/or product training from a manufacturer that you recommend?
Jeff: Yamaha has been printing the Guide to Sound Systems for many years, and
Shure offers very good user guides. There are also other training programs out there, like the Mix magazine Bookshelf.

Moderator: To clarify, the Yamaha book is the Sound Reinforcement Handbook by Gary Davis and Ralph Jones.

gus: In the last church install I did, I noticed that due to the inherent acoustical qualities of a church, that I was having problems with the lav mics. Would the solution be to upgrade to a more unidirectional mic, or employ a dedicated EQ for the lavs?

Jeff: I’ve had more luck with a higher quality mic over a more directional mic, something along the lines of a Sennheiser MKEII or an AKG CK77. One that has a very flat response.

Larry: Ever use Feedback Exterminators, and/or, what’s your opinion of them?

Jeff: Dislike them. A well-designed system doesn't need them. More often than not, they don't work well, or they alter sound too much. A well set up parametric EQ works much better to help eliminate feedback potential and problems.

Curt: Choir mic'ing - some choose overhead mics, others put mics on stands. Can you contrast the approaches, and which do you prefer?

Jeff: Overhead mics lock you into one location, but they’re always there for you. Stand mics are more flexible, and the overall quality is better, the selection is better. But, with stand mics, you have stands, which can get in the way and crowd up the stage too much.

Ian: Can you expound on the reasoning for the use of the Whirlwind snake box in place of patch panels?

Moderator: This is likely in reference to the Remembrance article posted on PSW…

Jeff: Mostly cheaper. More reliable. Patch bays are wonderful but do require some maintenance over time.

Michael: Do you find a problem installing a system in a church and there being no mix talent to adequately operate the system? You can do a lot more with a patch bay, but for just changing mic channels, I like the snake box.

Moderator: Thanks very much for your time, and the information, Jeff!

Jeff: Thanks everyone!

Moderator: Don't forget PSW will be hosting a live chat session tomorrow night featuring RF guru James Stoffo, and that Dale Alexander of Acoustic Dimensions will be our guest for Church Talk next Tuesday, April 17.