How To Choose The Right Church Sound System

church sound systems

Sound quality is of utmost importance when it comes to worship. It must be crystal-clear and powerful enough for the clergy’s words to reach everyone during a service. Having the right church sound systems is important, knowing the space you have helps determine this as well.

In this article, we will give a quick overview of the equipment needed to create a perfect sound system for a church or house of worship.

Also, we will provide in-depth advice on choosing a soundboard for your church’s AV needs.

Things to Consider when Building a Church Sound System

A church sound system is much like any other in terms of equipment; you will typically need speakers, microphones, and a soundboard (also called a mixing board or mixer).

However, there are a few factors that may affect your choice. To create the perfect system, you should consider:

Size and Shape of the Venue

Do you hold services in a large or a small room? Is it narrow or wide? How high is the ceiling? How large is the audience? All these factors affect sound distribution, and a different approach is needed in each individual case.

Speech, Music, or Both

If you use musical instruments during services, your setup must reflect that. Apart from good microphones, you will need monitor speakers since musicians need to hear themselves.

Who Operates the Sound System?

If you get help from volunteers who are not professional sound engineers, you should make sure that your sound equipment is easy to operate. We recommend that someone at the church be trained on the AV system to avoid problems during services.

And now when you answered these questions and have a general understanding of your church’s general sound system setup, it’s time to pick a soundboard that will suit your needs.

Types of Soundboards

A mixer is the centerpiece of your sound system and directly affects the overall sound quality your new system produces. Picking the right one for your house of worship may be tricky, so here is a quick overview of possible options.

Church sound board in place along with other church sound systems

Audio Mixer Types

Two main types of mixers are analog and digital.

Analog Sound Mixers

Analog is considered easier to operate and more affordable. It’s well suited for entry-level sound systems with few connected devices. However, analog sound boards have some downsides.

A high-quality analog mixer can be extremely bulky depending on the number of inputs. If you need a portable sound system or just don’t have enough space for equipment, it may become a real problem. Another issue is limited functionality. If you want to use sound processing or effects, you will need to buy additional equipment.

Digital Mixers

Digital mixers are more expensive, but they offer exceptional versatility in a much more compact form. You can connect as many devices as you need, typically have built-in effects, and offer much more control over the sound output.

While digital mixers offer more control and therefore complexity, the ability to create, store, and instantly recall presets makes these systems easier for some operators. Training on your audio-video system can make all the difference.

Also, digital mixers often come with the ability to operate remotely via a tablet or iPad, which is very helpful for a trained and/or seasoned operator that may need some flexibility in where they’re making adjustments.

How to Pick the Right Church Sound Systems

First, you should decide which type of soundboard to choose – a digital or an analog one. We recommend digital mixers since they offer more flexibility and crystal-clear sound quality.

Another factor to consider is the number of devices you will need to connect to your soundboard. Finding out that you don’t have enough inputs in your mixer may be really frustrating.

Of course, your budget will probably be the main limiting factor. However, with the wealth of options on the market, you will most likely find the best possible solution.

Building a sound system requires knowledge and skills. The best way to do it right is to get help from sound engineers. Here at Audio-Video Group, we specialize in creating professional-level sound setups for churches and worship houses.

Reach out to us today and let’s discuss your needs 800-668-4988