Quality Audio Recordings In Houses Of Worship

Clean Source Audio
Clean source audio is dependent upon the entire audio chain.

As an example, let’s consider the recording of a pastor’s sermon. The audio chain will most likely include a microphone (as well as its placement), cables, a mixing board, and some sort of recording device.

If possible, it’s important to use the highest quality microphone your budget allows. Our church invested in a Sennheiser MK2 lavalier microphone with a Shure UHF wireless transmitter and receiver.

As a result, our pastor’s audio signal is consistently strong and free of any unwanted noise. While the signal still requires proper EQ and compression, the end result is a highly professional sound.

In comparison, inferior equipment may produce unwanted and unfixable results. Cables and connectors are also equally important elements in the audio chain.

Even the slightest problem with an audio cable or connector will be evident in the recorded audio.

Always take the time to check every cable and connector for potential problems. If there is a problem with a cable or connector, make sure it’s taken out of the audio chain immediately.

Very few technical problems will ever just simply disappear.

Importance Of Good Mixing Console
The mix process plays a major role in obtaining quality recordings. A great mix begins with a good mixer, and I’m a big fan of digital consoles.

While they might not be as “warm” sounding as an analog console, they’re generally packed with features and deliver high quality audio.

When our church replaced our 10-year-old analog console with a digital console, our audio team immediately noticed an overall improvement in the sound.

This was primarily due to the elimination of several outboard equalizers, compressors, and effect processors, which were all being used in conjunction with the analog console. The digital console, however, has the digital EQ, compressors, and effects built-in.

By eliminating the outboard equipment, we eliminated the inherent signal noise these units introduced. However, digital boards nearly always require proper training for effective operation.

Properly Train Audio Crew
Retaining a good, dependable audio crew is a challenge for most churches, however, it’s key to maintaining professional-sounding audio and recordings.

If your church is in the market for a new sound system or even just a new mixing console, make sure to include training sessions as part of the package.

Our church recently purchased a Yamaha DM2000 as our main sanctuary mixing console. The board it replaced was a large 40-input analog console which served our church well for nearly 10 years.

Our director of communications made sure to include audio training classes as part of the package price. As a result, our audio crew made a quick and comfortable transition from the world of analog mixing to digital mixing.

In contrast, I just purchased a used digital console for my recording studio. The console, which is one of the best available today, had been briefly used by a church, but their audio team was not comfortable with the new technology.

Therefore, they removed the digital console and re-installed a more traditional analog console.

While this is purely speculative, the church may not have had proper training on the digital console and, therefore, didn’t achieve a level of comfort and confidence in its use.