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Because systems are better than ever, choosing a sound system is more challenging than ever for consultants and designers.
Loudspeaker technology has improved to a degree that some might consider an order of magnitude in the last decade or so. New styles of waveform guides, steerable array systems, active DSP integrated into amplified controllers, new magnet materials — all of these have combined to bring the PA experience closer to what one might expect from a good home stereo system.
However, instead of making it easier to choose a PA system for a specific application, such as a house of worship, it has actually made it a bit more challenging, as what’s known as the “tyranny of choice” has complicated decision making. No one system from any of the major manufacturers is clearly and objectively head and shoulders above another, and better DSP has allowed system processors to be able to be specifically tuned for various types of acoustical environments. So what are the key things to consider when choosing a sound system for the house of worship?
1-Matching the style
Josh Maichele, applications engineer install at L-Acoustics, says his engineers always start the process of choosing a system by asking the worship style of a church. That question has taken on new importance now as the move to contemporary worship modes have increased.
“Sound systems will usually last between 12 and 15 years, and right now we’re seeing many systems reaching that stage, and many churches they’re in have changed the way they worship in that time." Josh Maichele, Applications Engineer Install, L-Acoustics
“Sound systems will usually last between 12 and 15 years, and right now we’re seeing many systems reaching that stage, and many churches they’re in have changed the way they worship in that time,” he explains. “Contemporary styles will also have a lot of variation within them, so knowing the kind of instrumentation or the number of vocalists, and the style of music, is critical to finding the right sound system.”
Maichele cautions designers that a surprisingly large number of churches tend to look at decibel (dB) values as a key criterion, without necessarily knowing what they specifically mean. A sanctuary’s target SPL (sound-pressure level) value is more than just a number.
Maichele cautions designers that a surprisingly large number of churches tend to look at decibel (dB) values as a key criterion, without necessarily knowing what they specifically mean.
“We often hear them say 120 dB, but it’s likely something they read off a band [contract] rider once,” he says. “When we crunch the numbers we find that between 92 and 98 dB is more likely the case. That’s just a starting point, but for instance, I mix front of house at my church and we’re between 86 and 90 dB. It’s too easy to overpower a system on paper, in the design stage. I’d rather they use any headroom for coverage.”
2-Ensuring proper coverage
Which is the next point to consider. Paxson Laird, manager of sales engineering for Bose Professional, says coverage — the ability of a sound system to provide consistent and even sound to each seat in an audience, usually with less than 2-dB difference between any two seats — has become a necessary consideration, and most quality systems these days can be tuned to provide that, via DSP and/or steerable speaker arrays. However, he points out, given the growth rates that many churches experience, those same systems will often be called upon to adjust for changes in the size of the congregation.
“If a congregation grows substantially, they’ll likely also outgrow their space and will need a completely new sound system for their next church,” he says. “But in many cases you can have houses of worship where the congregation varies in size, such as in seasonally. Then, you’ll want a system that can be re-aimed or re-steered to cover areas where seats aren’t being used for a period of time.”
"... in many cases you can have houses of worship where the congregation varies in size, such as in seasonally. Then, you’ll want a system that can be re-aimed or re-steered to cover areas where seats aren’t being used for a period of time.” Paxson Laird, Manager of Sales Engineering, Bose Professional
Steerable-array systems are well suited to that task, zoning their coverage through their DSP. Conventional line arrays can also be adapted, such as by turning off the boxes in an array hang that were meant to cover an area of reduced use, such as a balcony. By the same token, line arrays can have more boxes added to hangs to accommodate a larger coverage area, if a growing congregation can still fit comfortably in its existing location.
3-Considering the presence of video walls and screens
Another important consideration for all types of churches now is the proliferation of video screen and walls. Flown speakers, such as line arrays, can create line-of-sight issues for screens.
“The best audio solution might conflict with the sight lines for video,” says Maichele. “Designers need to first determine where a church wants to place its emphasis — on sound or on picture, then let that lead in terms of where the sound systems and screens are placed in the church.”
At the end of the day, says Laird, churches are often trying to emulate — and in some cases exceed — other churches whose sound they liked. Look at that as trying to understand the good experience they’ve had and help them try to recreate it. What they’ve heard and seen and envisioned may have been perfect for the space they initially experienced it in, but perhaps not so for their own space. The successful designer will find a way to bring that same kind of experience into the client’s present reality.
“The acoustics may be very different, the spaces may be very different,” Laird acknowledges, “but what you want to do is find a way to make that experience they liked fit with what they have.”
