New PA system in church...Help me spend $10,000

[boingoman]

And deepwater needs to know this so he can help thajeremy set up the new PA system?

If you were setting up a sound system for a club, wouldn't you want to know how many people were going to be in the audience? I suppose you could "wing it" but my experience in church applications is that those who "wing it" don't "fly" very far.
I know why you are jumping all over deepwater. In this case there is another reason. As a contractor, I wouldn't dare spec a system without seeing and hearing the place first. Any resulting sales would just be the natural result of doing a good job.
But for the most part, I'll let him hang himself.

 

[Flatpicker]

And deepwater needs to know this so he can help thajeremy set up the new PA system?

Yep. Believe it or not, sound system installers down here in the south tend to think of church size in terms of members as much or more than the actual dimensions of the building. He needs to know how big the choir is too. All legitimate questions.

You're not turning into a "spam cop" too, are you doc?

 

[crazydoc]

If you were setting up a sound system for a club, wouldn't you want to know how many people were going to be in the audience?

I admit to complete ignorance in setting up sound systems. I agree that knowing the number of bodies out there absorbing sound would be important regarding reverb damping types of things. If he meant "how many people are usually at a service?", that's appropriate, but may not have anything to do with the number of church members.

 

[Flatpicker]

...If he meant "how many people are usually at a service?", that's appropriate, but may not have anything to do with the number of church members.

If you just went by how many people are usually at a service, you'd come up short on Christmas and Easter.

 

[timboZ]

Don't mic the guitars. Go DI on every thing you can.
Use PZM's on the piano with the lid closed. Try to get as many people on headphones as you can. Keep the stage volume as low as possible.
Put the drums in a GOBO and the drummer on headphones (If you can get the drummer to play with rods that will help to keep stage volume down).

It will make it a lot easer for you to mix the slow quiet worship songs.

Get the pastor a countryman E6 mic.

 

[crazydoc]

You're not turning into a "spam cop" too, are you doc?

No, I've said I've got nothing against posts like deepwater's. My problem was that it was as much spam as Harvey's, but Harvey's was pulled and he was banned, and deepwater's was left in place without so much as a "boo" from "Dargon", as he is now known around here.

If people are gonna get shit, they ought to all get shit. I guess to me it's a matter of fairness, though I know life ain't.

 

[boingoman]

No, I've said I've got nothing against posts like deepwater's. My problem was that it was as much spam as Harvey's, but Harvey's was pulled and he was banned, and deepwater's was left in place without so much as a "boo" from "Dargon", as he is now known around here.

If people are gonna get shit, they ought to all get shit. I guess to me it's a matter of fairness, though I know life ain't.

I'm with you on that.

 

[Innovations]

Ok, I've just got to know. Why would Lutherans need different equipment than, let's say, Baptists? What about Mormons or even Seventh Day Adventists?

Doug

A lot of it has to do with the requirements of their services.

For at my church (catholic) we have the priest on a wireless mic and a couple of extra wireless mics for concelebrated masses (special occasions when there is more than one priest) plus one (I would prefer two) on the lectern, four general choir mics, two soloist mics, one piano mic, and a couple of general purpose extras. The organ has its own system and there is no provision for a drum kit as even the catholic modern music services tend toward the accoustic.

 

[deepwater]

Let me educate you guys a little

Why do I need to know the denomination?
Every church has different music and style. A 100 member Catholic Church will not need the same setup an African American Pentecostal Church.

Why do I need to know the average membership or attendants?
It gives me an idea as to how big the church is and their audio needs. How many bodies are in there makes differance. People make noise and adsorbe sound. Has nothing to do with potential customers.

Why do I need to know dominations?
Will that’s pretty simple. I would prefer a CAD file but if he's shopping tomorrow no time to do an EASE model of the church. As seen here http://www.renkus-heinz.com/ease/index.html

Why the number of Choir members and instruments?
If they only have 5 than they don't need choir mics. If they have 30 than they do.

Why does the music style matter?
At my moms church its a piano and 3 singers. At my Church we have keyboards, Drums, Bass, Lead, Organ and a 45-member choir. A traditional church like my moms would have no need for dual 18s and my church has 2 dual 18s. Some churches these days are like going to a rock concert.

There are a lot of other factors to take into account. Those are just basic interview questions that have to be asked to get a foundation? After about 100 installs I can get pretty close as to what they need from an experience by asking the right questions. I can assure you that Joe blow at the local music store want ask those basic questions.

After talking the Jeremy I just finish doing an install in a church about the same size and setup. I found this out by asking a few question like the ones above. I was able to point him in the right direction and give him so ideas.