Article

Friday, September 16, 2011

Consoles & Mixers For Churches, In Context

Options are plentiful and growing in this dynamic marketplace

Over the past decade, we’ve seen the proliferation of digital consoles in both live and recorded sound.

This is not to say that analog consoles are going away at all, particularly with respect to house of worship systems.

In fact, it’s a very safe bet that the vast majority of church systems are still headed by an analog console.

Hector La Torre, Managing Partner and producer of the national HOW-TO Sound Workshops, notes that while digital consoles are a major topic of discussion at his organization’s audio education seminars presented to more than 1,500 church sound personnel annually - largely volunteers - throughout the U.S., most churches are still hesitant to dip their toes into the digital technology stream.

“There are two primary factors with respect to the bulk of the church sound market - cost and complexity,” La Torre explains.

“Digital consoles have largely been out of the price range of all but the largest churches, and while digital mixers are not necessarily more complicated to operate, keep in mind that about 95 percent of church sound system operators are volunteers who have limited experience, and that’s who is being asked to take on a new learning curve.

“Although most churches and volunteers who take on digital consoles find that they become more efficient and proficient at their job, some still hesitate because of the initial learning curve and overall lack of knowledge of the technology.

“A board for a higher end professional application like a tour or a performing arts center is usually an upgraded version from what you’ll find being used in your average church service,” he adds.

“And in the mainstream of the professional audio marketplace, new technology often wins out over cost issues, but it’s pretty much the opposite with the majority of churches.”

“That’s why education is the key to the future of digital consoles in worship. If church folks don’t know or understand a technology, they won’t adopt it.”

Both aspects are changing, with manufacturers now increasingly introducing digital models in line with church budgetary needs while maintaining functionality and feature sets to meet all but specialized applications.

Affordable digital consoles cited by La Torre are the Yamaha LS9 Series, as well as models from Tascam and Soundcraft, and he’s also talked with a number of other manufacturers who indicate they’re quickly moving in the same direction.

On The Upswing
Some context about the church market is in order. There are an estimated 450,000-plus churches in the U.S. alone, and three-fourths (and likely more) of that number is comprised of venues offering seating for 500 or less, with the norm in this range being 250-300 seats.

While we read about sophisticated church sound systems (that often include one or more digital consoles) on a regular basis, these are often deployed at larger venues ranging in scope up to the “megachurch” realm.

The production needs at most churches are not nearly as ambitious, budgets follow that scale, and the “technical staff ” is made up of a few volunteers who might spend their weekdays selling insurance, driving a truck, teaching school and so on.

Within this context, there are countless analog consoles and mixers that are at least 15 years old still working great and meeting expectations, and when a church is seeking a new board, their mindset has still tended to analog.

Acceptable Result
In general, worship services are generally one of two categories - traditional or blended/contemporary.

Let’s look at traditional first. Often there will be a pulpit microphone, an altar mic, a lectern mic, a wireless mic on the pastor, and perhaps a feed from a digital piano.

Chances are this type of system has been in place for quite a while, and the mixer is sometimes mounted in the rack and offers only volume control for the various inputs. The rack is stuck out of the way in a closet somewhere - “set it and forget it.”

If this mixer needs to be replaced, a similar analog rack-mount mixer with level controls only and a good equalizer (properly tuned) can create a reasonably acceptable result.

The downside is that there is no individual EQ for the various input devices, so all channels will have to compromise with the EQ needs of the other channels.

For those seeking more capability but wishing to stay in the rack realm, a digital rack-mount mixer is an option.

Once installed, the system contractor hooks up a laptop to the sound system, and via system software, uses the digital output equalization to give the sanctuary as close to a flat response as the loudspeakers and the room itself will allow.

After that, the contractor can set the digital EQ for each individual input device to get the most pleasing possible result for that specific channel. No compromises are necessary.

Further, a simple touch-panel can be provided at a remote location, allowing for several types of adjustments by the user without the possibility of damaging the loudspeakers or causing feedback.

Of course, another choice is to replace the rack-mount mixer with a small console/mixer that offers EQ on all individual input channels.

This can also present accessibility advantages, as well as locating the operator in the sound coverage field to make adjustments.

And, most of these models usually offer more than eight channels at attractive price points, making them well-suited to meet future system expansion.

Changing Rapidly
Some traditional services - up through virtually all blended/contemporary services - need a true mixing console, hopefully located in the primary listening area and manned by a competent system operator.

The size of the console is determined by the number of channels needed plus future growth considerations, and even a few more for good measure.

Both analog and digital consoles/mixers definitely track with the rule of “you get what you pay for” - particularly in terms of analog, there are some inexpensive models that are surprisingly decent, and there are some absurdly inexpensive models that should be absolutely avoided.

The system operator is another key to the selection process. A skilled, experienced operator can make beneficial use of a more sophisticated, feature-laden console.

The control surfaces of early digital consoles/mixers were not very intuitive for the majority of church operators.

As noted, that’s changing rapidly, with most modern models offering user-friendly interfaces that track well with analog intuitions.

As a result, any operator with a decent amount of analog experience can now successfully perform basic digital mixing. This is probably even more true for younger operators, who have practically grown up using touch screens to scroll through menus and so on.

Digital console platforms offer several advantages for church sound applications.

The dedicated offering of EQ and dynamics to every single channel (in addition to scads of other operations) mean more highly tailored and adaptive sound, as well as saving the space and cost required for outboard gear providing the same capabilities.

Further, there’s a lot of value in the ability to save preset mix “scenes” for instant recall so that specific settings may be accessed instantly at the touch of a button.

This is quite useful for contemporary services that can feature dozens of performers and talkers appearing in rapid succession, as well as at churches where the first service is traditional, the second service is blended and the third service is full-blown contemporary.

It can also be a significant benefit to the pastor who needs to conduct a funeral service or a simple wedding ceremony mid-week without benefit of a system operator.

Times they are a-changin’ with mixing consoles, and it’s all good for churches.

Digital is coming on for very good reasons, but there’s still a plethora of options for those who prefer an analog workflow and layout.

Jon Baumgartner is a veteran system designer for Sound Solutions in Eastern Iowa, and Keith Clark is editor-in-chief of ProSoundWeb and Live Sound International.

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