Hi all,
I haven’t posted in forever. So, I’m going to give it another shot and will try to stay consistent. My problem is that I am a perfectionist. I think that I have to have a video or picture to make the post sizzle. Instead what I need to do is make this website usable and fun. Therefore, if you get a video or picture consider it bonus material.
You know, I think sound engineers, volunteers, whatever are perfectionist too. We work so hard to have everything perfect: the right amount of drums and bass, all the compressors set properly, not too loud for the audience or congregation. Then someone on stage plays the song in the wrong key. We get so upset that we take them out of the mix for the rest of the day … yep, it’s ruined so let’s just quit. Ok, maybe it’s not that horrible but maybe we just need to be consistent with what we have and work on improving that stuff. That is what I am going to try to do. Over the next couple of posts, I’ll give you some insight to a new program I have been using called Software Audio Console (SAC).
A couple of my previous posts were about keeping the stage volume down. Just a couple of days ago a friend emailed me a link to an article about 5 reasons to turn the sound down in church. While I do think it is important to keep control on the volume, because as the author John G. Stackhouse Jr. points out, its not a rock concert it’s church, this article had some added perspective. Very interesting read — tell me what you think.
D
Darin, I’m really glad you’re picking this back up! Oddly enough, I was just re-reading some of your earlier posts last night.
We are always trying to figure this volume thing out at our place, never with much success – it seems like it would be a simple thing, but it’s pretty complicated, so many different factors to consider, including who’s playing what instrument or using what mic on a given Sunday, etc.
We use a meter, but sometimes the wide swing in readings from week to week in a mystery to us. That may partly be a training issue. I do think there are times we substitute volume for passion, just out of habit. Could we worship with an acoustic guitar and djembe and one leader/facilitator mic’ed singer on a Sunday morning ? I don’t know.
Stackhouse shares a concern I have about the ‘concert style’ of worship ministry, where as worship teams we inadvertantly encourage people to come to see us worship, rather come to be led into their own interaction with God in worship. Worship is not a spectator sport – sometimes I’d rather be at the back and just start the song. This is why I personally do not like to exhort a lot during worship, unless explanation is needed.
Oh, one other thing – you could really make your posts sizzle if you’d use a video or a picture. Just thinkin’ out loud.
Glad to read you’re starting this up again…I think I’ll join you in starting to read it again! The article is though provoking….
And I had to stop here…which is actually 3 paragraphs down but I already spent 45 minutes writing something and I’m not finished…but I need to start working. This article you posted stirred up lots of thoughts, but I’ll have to email them to you and you can decide to post my email or not. I know how you love to hear others perspective so I’ll make sure to finish my thoughts and send that over. I both agree and dissagree with everything Stackhouse shares.
Harold,
Thanks for your comment. Volume is actually very complicated for Sunday morning services. People have just woken up and it takes a while for our ears to process the amount of volume in a ‘full on’ worship service. We have done Sunday morning worship services with just a couple of acoustic guitars and a cajon. It changes the pace of service and changes what people expect volume wise. I personally wouldn’t do that every month but it is a nice change of pace. Finally, as always if it can be worked out I would be willing to serve you all any way I can, jut let me know.
D
Obed,
Good to hear from you. I would love to hear your thoughts. I completely agree that his article is very thought provoking and if nothing else gives you a different perspective about the purpose of worship within a service. However, I think some of his reasons are weak in universal application to worship services.
D
Darin,
I just read this this afternoon (the 14th) but for some reason this morning during chapel (before reading this article) I just felt that the drums were mostly loud enough with what was coming out of the monitor. I put some kick out the mains and just a touch of snare, toms and cymbals but most of the volume came from the monitor, I also didn’t crank up enough to just barely read -40 on the board. Normally I push it to the edge of the green. Everyone entered into worship and no one probably noticed the volume was half of normal. I have been thinking about something you or Dan said about changing the sound of the worship team every so often to that we don’t fall into a worship rut and get used to the same old thing every meeting. Thanks for the insight.
M. A. Chambers
Harold,
Thanks for your comment. Volume is actually very complicated for Sunday morning services. People have just woken up and it takes a while for our ears to process the amount of volume in a ‘full on’ worship service. We have done Sunday morning worship services with just a couple of acoustic guitars and a cajon. It changes the pace of service and changes what people expect volume wise. I personally wouldn’t do that every month but it is a nice change of pace. Finally, as always if it can be worked out I would be willing to serve you all any way I can, jut let me know.
D