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Standards For Church Sound System Designs

By Claudine Hodges


The audio needs of each chapel are unique because of the structural features, range of activities and expectations in each case. However, there are important tenets that are used to define ideal church sound system designs. They form the basis of any quotation and are especially important when requesting for services from engineers and other audio services providers.

An ideal system will help you utilize all corners of your chapel. It is the secret to capturing the attention of everyone inside the building. It feels comfortable to sit and follow proceedings from any corner. Congregants will easily follow proceedings from all corners beyond guaranteeing active participation in sermons and other activities.

The standards are developed by experts after a thorough study of needs in different cases. Audio specialists have also studied how different churches are using their systems and found a working formula. The standards are aimed at enhancing the integration between the system and the room to ensure that the ultimate purpose is realized.

Audio quality will be affected by the particulars of the design. A poor design will fail miserably even in the face of the most advanced technology. There are excellent options to suit every budgetary requirement. Working with dedicated audio engineers guarantees excellent value for money.

Audio standards apply to systems across different environments including churches and auditoriums. Human beings are inclined to face the direction of the source of sound. The first test for professionally designed systems is their ability to create one center of attention. All speakers must cause the audience to face the preacher, stage, performance or the altar. People get distracted if the voice appears to come from behind or from the sides.

A high threshold is set on intelligibility regardless of the advancement in technology being used. There is a comfortable distance that is established between the microphone and its user. The microphones must have the capacity to pick sound from the distance and broadcast it to all corners. The proposed distance is 18 to 24 inches on average.

Necessity dictates that churches use several microphones at a time. A poorly designed network will be disrupted by constant feedback. This increases the level of participation without moving the microphones from one location to the other. The assembly of equipment, microphones and speakers must be synchronized to simplify control.

The technicians who setup the audio network do not remain behind during normal services. This means that the system must be easy to control by a layman. A speaker who is loud and one who is soft should use the same equipment without the need for adjustment.

Consideration should be made for congregants with hearing loss issues and those using hearing aids. There are others who require the speaker to raise his voice for them to understand. Regardless of their number within the congregation, they must be accommodated.

The best system is tested by listening to the sound with your eyes closed. It should be clear and coming from the direction of the speaker. This gives the entire church a single center of action. People can participate from different corners with a single point of reference.




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