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[Tim McCulloch]

That feeling is so infuriating, it's really unprofessional from the clergy. I was in a similar situation about two years ago and I was just about to quit doing sound at a local church I attend but the music ministry needed my help since they don't have anyone else with my level of expertise. So consider this "the last straw", if the pastor or any other clergymen piss me off during the service again because I couldn't get his mic "how he likes it", I would turn off his mic and go home as described above.

Because we all know, 'the Word' requires a sound system with vocal subwoofers and ear splitting monitors.

I'm not joking.  I did a conference where we ended up with a drum monitor package for the pulpit.  The preacher had to feel his voice.  Getting the monitors and FOH to play nice was less successful, but his happiness on stage was a higher priority.

[Ivan Beaver]

Because we all know, 'the Word' requires a sound system with vocal subwoofers and ear splitting monitors.

I'm not joking.  I did a conference where we ended up with a drum monitor package for the pulpit.  The preacher had to feel his voice.  Getting the monitors and FOH to play nice was less successful, but his happiness on stage was a higher priority.

It is sad-but this is SO true.

There are many that are "all about themselves" and don't care about anybody else or how well they hear or their experience.

If we could turn down the monitors a bit it will sound better out front-but they don't want to hear it.  Somehow they want the laws of physics repelled in "their house" and the lowly soundperson is the one tasked to do it.

I have actually had some Pastors tell me they want the congregations "ears to bleed" so they feel the pain of the message.

That is not my type of sermon--------------

[Chris Hindle]

It is sad-but this is SO true.

There are many that are "all about themselves" and don't care about anybody else or how well they hear or their experience.

Not Church related, but once had a fly-in "artist" on my stage. We filled the "shopping list" of processors on his rider. As I was micing up the drum kit, he tells me "Don't worry about him, it's not important". O.K..........
I took a further 2 minutes to finish the kit, and the drummer had this stupid smile on his face the whole time.  (I had no clue why)

Setting the monitors for superstar took about 45 minutes. A bit more of the SPX90, a little more compression, a little less of the Roland, more top end, on and on....
After he was happy with the wedges, I asked what he wanted in the house.
His answer..................



wait for it...............




"Do what you want, I don't care."

At the end of the gig, the drummer came up to me and said " Dude, you made my day. First show in years where I felt I contributed to the performance".
Don't know about you all,  but if someone is on stage, aren't they supposed to be heard ??

[Tim McCulloch]

Don't know about you all,  but if someone is on stage, aren't they supposed to be heard ??

Ask Marcel Marceau.... (figuratively, since he passed away in 2007)

[David Parker]

That feeling is so infuriating, it's really unprofessional from the clergy. I was in a similar situation about two years ago and I was just about to quit doing sound at a local church I attend but the music ministry needed my help since they don't have anyone else with my level of expertise. So consider this "the last straw", if the pastor or any other clergymen piss me off during the service again because I couldn't get his mic "how he likes it", I would turn off his mic and go home as described above.

The job of the sound man in a church is to make sure the audience can hear the preacher. It's the preacher's job to preach. I've had singers out in front of the mains tell me to turn it up. I don't, because it's the level it's supposed to be, and I am in charge of that, not them. If they are behind the monitors and want them turned up, I'll do that, but if they are in front of the mains, those are mine, I'm in charge.

[Ivan Beaver]

Ask Marcel Marceau.... (figuratively, since he passed away in 2007)

Except in Mel Brooks "silent movie" in which Marcel was the ONLY person who had a speaking part.

I love how ironic that was  BRILLIANT!!!!

[Stephen Swaffer]

I ran sound for a preacher who insisted on loud monitors for 18 years-and I managed to never walk out over monitor volume.  It was frustrating because at times he would say "the monitors are not on"-yet I had sound checked and they were set the same as the previous service.  I could go on with other scenarios-but you get the idea.  I always felt and feel that the pastor was in charge of the service, I was simply helping him be heard-after all another name for PA is sound re-enforcement.

Over the years I observed a few things.  He preached out fairly often-and the monitors were "off" more often when he had been out of town.  It was a change he was noticing, but did not know really what was different.  Also, our back "wall" is made up up 4 hardwood roll up doors total about 50 feet wide and 16 feet tall.  A very good vocalist told me at times he had to struggle to keep from singing with the "echo".  I am guessing at times the "echo" was masking the sound from the monitors.  Other times, with visiting speakers I learned to turn to monitors down to get more volume-when the monitors dropped they spoke up and got in the mic.  The man that is now our pastor often would dominate groups he sang with-I learned to bump his monitor up-to get him to back off and mix in with the group better.  Sometimes the "sound guy" has to decipher what is really happening-after all that is your area of expertise. right?

I am sure I have broken many "rules" over the years-but routinely received compliments on sound from visitors-both in the congregation and speakers.  Yes it takes patience and sometimes a thick skin.  But if it was easy, anybody could do it-and if a job is worth doing, it is worth doing with all your might. 

[Ivan Beaver]

The man that is now our pastor often would dominate groups he sang with-I learned to bump his monitor up-to get him to back off and mix in with the group better.  Sometimes the "sound guy" has to decipher what is really happening-after all that is your area of expertise. right?

That is one of the hard things about being a sound person.

Trying to figure out what the performers are ACTUALLY wanting/needing-NOT what they are saying they want.

If you do everything exactly how they say it-in many cases you will end up with a mess.

Sometimes we have to fool them.

[g'bye, Dick Rees]

That is one of the hard things about being a sound person.

Sometimes we have to fool them.

Turnabout is fair play...

[Ivan Beaver]

Turnabout is fair play...

How many times have you had a musician ask for something-that you can't do-yet you "pretend" to do something and all of a sudden they are happy.

Or they ask for "more treble on the guitar" and before you can touch the knob they say "Thats fine". 

They fool themselves------------

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