Is It Time to Update Your Church's Sound System?
Your congregation comes to church to hear. Whether they came to hear the sounds of the choir or the morning message, they need to be able to hear clearly. Is your sound system equipped to meet this need? There are a number of seemingly minor changes you can make that have an impact on how effective your sound equipment is. Make sure you know when it's time to upgrade.
Musical Updates
Whenever you upgrade your musical equipment, it's also time to consider upgrading your sound system. Sound systems are generally designed to carry a particular load. For example, say when you first had the system installed, the only instrument you used was a piano, but since your sound-system installation, you have upgraded to an organ, two keyboards, and a bass guitar.
The sound system you installed was likely not designed to accommodate the sound needs of all these objects. If this is the case, sound may be distorted, or the congregation in the rear of the church may have a hard time hearing. Whenever you make an update to your equipment, always consider a system update.
Seating Increase
Another reason to consider updating your church's sound system is an increase in your seating, even if an addition doesn't include an addition to the actual size of your building. In addition to accommodating audio equipment, sound systems also work based on the layout of a space.
While you might think otherwise, even adding a few extra rows of seating inside your church alters the way that the sound is able to travel through the space. If you aren't taking this into account, you could be left with dead sound areas. In the dead areas, sound may be lower or distorted. Whenever increasing seating, always consider making changes to your equipment.
Church Usage
In these times, many churches are used for more than just a weekly service. These spaces are used for theatrical presentations, speaking events, and a host of other activities. As you begin to use your church for different purposes, it might be a good idea to consider upgrading your sound to a system that is able to accommodate this need.
Consider theatrical presentations, for example. With theatrical events, acoustics are very important in order to enhance the dramatic element. This type of system generally requires higher-quality speakers and a speaker layout that is designed to reflect, absorb, and diffuse the sound. As the usage needs of your church change, so should the sound system.
If it's time to update your system, an audio professional can help you choose the best options to meet your needs.