This article is dedicated to anyone who was volunteered to be the church sound system operator.
Were you to walking by the mixer and somebody noticed that you looked interested? One thing lead to another and now you are responsible for operating the sound system. "It's a low-pressure job," they said. "Just turn the power on and you'll be set." But after the first few weeks of experience, you discovered there was more to the job than, "Just turn it on." You found out the system has to be set at just the right volume at all times for all the listeners. Of course, there can't be any hint of feedback or half the congregation will stare at you, the sound operator. To help get you off on the right foot, let's discuss a few basic operating procedures.
Check It Out
The first procedure, and one of the most important, is to make sure the system is working. That seems rather obvious, but the time you don't check the system is going to be the time it fails.
To check the system, you need to check everything - every microphone, cable and piece of equipment you will need. If you have monitor speakers, you need to make sure they are set at the right volume. It's also wise to gently flex the microphone cables to find intermittent connections. Again, check everything used for the service or special event. Yes, it will take some time. You will have to arrive early to get the job done. However, with time, you will develop your own check out procedures. Try starting with a checklist.
Feedback Solutions
Now for some operating hints. Let's talk about feedback first. Feedback is a sound term for the terrible squeal, howl, loud tone, or noise produced when the microphone volume is turned up too loud. We won't go into detail now about what feedback is, but there are some operating methods which minimize feedback problems.
Figure 1
First, turn on only the microphones being used (a microphone someone is talking or singing into, see Figure 1). In the world of sound systems, less is better. This means you may need to actually operate the mixer controls. Or, you may want to use the microphone's switch. However, switches are often forgotten. A good alternative is to use an automatic mixer. An automatic mixer will turn on the microphone when a talker speaks into it. No more forgotten switches!
A fast solution to feedback is to move the talker or singer closer to the microphone. Because the talker is closer, the microphone will receive a stronger signal. Then, the microphone volume can be turned down and the feedback will go away. You don't want the talker or singer to back away from the microphone. Moving further from the microphone will only make the problem worse, since you already can't get enough volume without feedback. Please note, the talker or singer should not cover up the microphone with their hand if feedback occurs. That usually makes the feedback worse.
Figure 2
How Many Microphones?
Another operating hint for good sound is to have only one microphone on for each talker. For example, the pastor is wearing a wireless lavalier microphone. He walks from the altar to the pulpit and starts talking into the pulpit microphone (Figure 2). If both the pulpit and the lavalier microphones are on, the resultant sound can be very unnatural. Only one microphone should be used. We recommend the lavalier be the primary microphone because it will provide the least variance of volume as the talker moves their head or body position. The lavalier microphone should be worn in the center, and about six inches from the mouth (Figure 3). That will provide the most consistent level with the highest volume before feedback occurs. The microphone will produce the best sound if it is placed outside any clothing. It is also good to put a small loop in the cable to reduce cable movement noise into the lavalier microphone (Figure 4).
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