The Little Things

July 19, 2021

No one has an issue identifying when something has gone wrong with sound!

From a split-second interruption, to a weird buzzing hum, the piercing squeal of feedback, or the slow droop of a mic stand while the keys player performs odd contortions as the mic gets lower and lower … we all know the sinking feeling of frustration and embarrassment when something simple goes wrong.

Fortunately, making those times as infrequent as possible so we can do our job in the blissful anonymity we strive for comes down to some basic choices and a little persuasiveness. After all, helping people engage in worship without sound being a distraction is the goal of church sound production.

Good processes, good training, and being prepared are all important parts of delivering consistently good results in sound production. Those are the (not insubstantial) ’people and process’ part of the equation and they deserve their own discussions in full. For now, I want to look at the basic technology we use every service and how good choices can reduce issues.

Ask yourself – “what is technology in sound production?”

Does your answer focus on the desk, the streaming switcher, and associated computers? Maybe you include your stage box, digital snake, personal monitoring systems, speaker drive rack, and wireless mics?

What about the little things? The often overlooked and basic but, nevertheless, essential items that make music, singing, and speaking possible? The bits that we just expect to work, but if they go wrong, they have a noticeable impact?

The little things that make a big difference

A good quality mic stand

It doesn’t have to be super expensive – BUT neither should it be the cheapest available. In this case, CHEAP = NASTY simply because CHEAP UNRELIABLE. The extension tightening nuts that come loose every time you move the boom to the left or right, the boom clamp that slowly lets go under the weight of the mic, the legs that flop closed before you put the stand on the floor, the extension pole that doesn’t extend, or the thin tubing that breaks easily. It is easy to waste a lot of time on a stand that just doesn’t do the job.

The good news is, being metal, they are recyclable, so you can be happy that not only are you improving the reliability of your equipment, but you’re doing it responsibly when you get rid of the nasty stand and replace it with good quality instead.

For vocals/full height stands, or short stands with a long boom, look at K&M or for heavier duty go for a Tama stand, prices start from $99 for a stand that is good quality and will last a long time. For miking a Kick Drum, it is hard to go past the Hercules MS300B at $45 with its tilting base and swivel legs plus the Quik-N-EZ mic clip that fits a range of mic sizes – useful for a Kick Drum Mic profile.

Mic Cables

Great when they are working, annoying when they don’t, frustrating when they are somewhere between – nothing like an intermittent fault to make life interesting for musicians and sound crew alike!

Start with good quality cables, and make sure they have Rean or genuine Neutrik connectors. Not only do they produce a better signal, and therefore sound, they are also more durable and reliable. Then look after your cables, keep them neat and stored safely, and don’t kink, crush, or stretch them. These things will all help to maximise their lifespan. (Do you know how to properly roll a cable?)

Lastly, test them on a regular basis. Think of it like servicing your car – a way of checking for issues before they cause a problem. Don’t own a cable tester? They are inexpensive, can save you hours trying to hunt down the source of intermittent issues, and test a range of cable types.

Issue with an intermittent drop out or weird signal level changes from an instrument? Test the cable.

Occasional crackle, especially when someone moves? Test the cable.

Odd hum or noise on the channel? Test the cable

Noisy wireless mic channel when the receiver is on but the mic is off? Test the cable between the receiver and the desk

Nothing wrong but it’s been a while since you checked your cables? You get the idea – Test the cables.

DI Boxes

In essence, your DI is meant to deliver a clean, unaltered audio signal compatible with the mixing console’s input, while minimising signal loss over the length of the cable.

Cheaper DIs are cheap because they use cheap components. Cheap electrical components mean noise and lack of durability. Lack of durability and a noisy signal means your DI needs to be replaced. It also makes your sound crew want to cry.

Replacing DIs increases cost over time which is why it is a false economy to go cheap. A little while ago, I threw out 6 cheap DI boxes that were less than 4 years old. They had either failed or were noisy. and frankly, it was either them or me! We couldn’t work together and most of them were not working anyway, so they went. I replaced those 6 units with 2 Radial DIs for less than the total amount spent previously. They are still going strong, without any issues, and I expect them to last another 10 – 20 years at least.

The cumulative savings from the increased reliable lifespan make the upfront increased cost in buying good quality DIs worthwhile. The RRP is a good place to start when looking for an indicator of quality – if it is under $100, expect to replace it sooner rather than later.

I like Radial, they are widely available, have a great reputation, and a large range of DIs to suit your budget and purpose. As a result, they tend to be my starting point when making a recommendation. That doesn’t mean there aren’t other quality DI boxes available from other brands – check out Countryman, Rupert Neve, Tech 21, and LR Baggs. As with any equipment purchase, do your research so you know what you need, what to expect from a DI, and what to pay.

Now persuasiveness plays a part!

You’ve done your research, you know what is cheap and what is value because it is quality at a reasonable price. And you know what you want to purchase to improve your sound production. Now you just need to convince your Church Committee / Parish Council / Wardens / Finance Controller, or whoever it is that gets a say before you can spend the money.

Lay out your proposal for investing in terms of a business case: removing distraction from the service, improving reliability and durability of equipment, and wisely spending the money provided in terms of long-term costs. We are called to be wise stewards of the resources God provides, not cheap. Then get the proposal reviewed by someone and work through the questions they have. This will help improve your argument for spending more money now in order to save money in the long run, and to improve your sound production.

Ultimately, the purpose of sound production is to create an environment where people can engage in worshipping God without sound being a distraction. Keeping that purpose in mind will help direct your efforts and guide your investment appropriately.

Mike Edyejones

St Matthews West Pymble