Standards For Church Sound System Designs

By Claudine Hodges


Each chapel has a unique design that calls for customized audio features. This uniqueness is determined by the activities that take place, expectations of the community and the structure of the chapel. There, however, are global standards that guide the choice of church sound system designs. The standards help engineers during construction and local contractors when developing a quotation.

When the systems installed have been expertly designed, all corners of your chapel will be utilized. The attention of every member will be captured leading to widespread active participation. High audio quality makes it comfortable to follow proceedings from any corner and actively participate in activities such as singing and sermons.

It has taken numerous studies and evaluation to develop the standards. Comparisons have been drawn after considering the success of chapels with the best audio quality. They help to maximize the available space and determine the right equipment. This will make the preacher comfortable as well as the congregants gathered to listen to him.

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.

Standardization comes from basic facts that can be witnessed across different churches. Human beings have a natural tendency to look at what they hear. It means that the audio quality will encourage individuals to look at the minister, altar, stage or the direction of the performer. It is therefore a distraction to have the sermon coming from behind.

Intelligibility threshold must be maintained regardless of the technology used. The microphone is placed 18-24 inches away from the mouth for the speaker to feel comfortable. The range must thus be set in a way that it will pick the sounds without being too loud or too soft. The positioning of speakers should match the needs of your chapel.

The setting in the chapel sometimes requires several microphones to be open at the same time. This is necessary to reduce movement and time lapse between two events. Poor design will cause feedback if two microphones are open at the same time. Control should be simplified and centralized. Audio technicians ensure that all equipment are synchronized to improve the quality of sound.

Day to day running of audio systems is not done by expert engineers. It is in the hands of local personnel who have little knowledge of the audio platform. A simplified control system should be established to avoid constant technical hitches. It should seamlessly accommodate a soft spoken preacher and a one who is loud without needing much adjustment.

A provision must be made to accommodate the hearing impaired members of your congregation. They include those with hearing loss and those using hearing aids. This applies even in cases where their number is minimal.

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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