how hard should your soundman have to work?

[anointedfingaz]

I know our praise singers are always making the soundman go into overdrive but when i stopped to think about it, it probably shouldn't be that way since our vocalists should be blending as opposed to the soundman blending for them. If that's the case, then the levels should be pretty much set right? i was just curious to get some feedback on this...

[under13]

That Depends on how good the group is. Some Singers are too loud, some sing to soft, some sing 2 feet away from microphone. So we have to adjust accordingly.

I'm not really a sound man, but I do fill in when needed.

[T-Block]

The sound man should be one of the hardest working people there.  There should never be a time when he/she isn't focused on what's going on as far as sound goes.

[under13]

The sound man should be one of the hardest working people there.  There should never be a time when he/she isn't focused on what's going on as far as sound goes.

And anytime something goes wrong, everybody looks at the sound man. No matter whose fault it is

[godsbassman2000]

And anytime something goes wrong, everybody looks at the sound man. No matter whose fault it is

TRUE!!!!!

No matter how many times I tell some people to stand closer to the mic, they stand back from it. My pet peeve, is when someone holds the mic and keeps waving it around and around and around! And who do people look at when they can't hear?

[musallio]

TRUE!!!!!

No matter how many times I tell some people to stand closer to the mic, they stand back from it. My pet peeve, is when someone holds the mic and keeps waving it around and around and around! And who do people look at when they can't hear?

 
& i sometimes wonder why we even bother to buy these expensive mics people request if they are reluctant to use them

[BroAllan]

I know our praise singers are always making the soundman go into overdrive but when i stopped to think about it, it probably shouldn't be that way since our vocalists should be blending as opposed to the soundman blending for them. If that's the case, then the levels should be pretty much set right? i was just curious to get some feedback on this...

Being the leader of the Praise and Worship ministry, I felt it was vital that I understood and learned the set-up and operation of the sound system.  This was a huge blessing because it gives you a totally different perspective of the Music ministry.  You'd be surprised at what the team sounds like from the soundroom!  It gave me a greater appreciation of the Sound dept, and the guys who work behind the scenes to make everything go as smooth as possible.  That's why they aren't noticed, for the most part.

I later scheduled a workshop with a professional soundman, who came and instructed us on many helpful things, including the proper use of a microphone.  One by one we were instructed to sing into the mic, and it became very evident that most of us didn't know the proper way to hold and use the mics.  The microphones were color coded with tape, and each singer would have his own mic to use.  That way the volume level was pretty much set, and the soundman made the fine tuning.  Even the instruments were done the same way, The soundman controlled the whole sound.

I looked at it this way, the Sound dept is a vital part of the Music ministry, so I tried to include them as much as possible with our agenda and schedule.

God bless ... 

[divinemusician]

TRUE!!!!!

 My pet peeve, is when someone holds the mic and keeps waving it around and around and around! And who do people look at when they can't hear?

I AM WITH YOU.. I DO THE MEDIA AT OUR CHURCH THE SOUND LADY. HAHA BUT I CANT STAND THAT MESS.. LIKE IF YOU TALK INTO THE MIC MAYBE IT WILL WORK INSTEAD OF WAVING IT LIKE IT IS A TOY OR SOMETHING. PEOPLE NEED TO HAVE MIC LESSONS THE DUES AND DONTS BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE CLUELESS WHEN IT COMES TO HOW HARD A SOUNDMAN HAS TO WORK.. IT MAKES NO SENSE. AND LIKE YOU GUYS SAID NO MATTER WHOS FAULT IT IS WE GET BLAMED... A PERSON SOUNDS A MESS IN THE MICS AND WE GET BLAMED HAS THE CHURCH EVER THOUGHT MAYBE THAT PERSON CANT SING....

[divinemusician]

Being the leader of the Praise and Worship ministry, I felt it was vital that I understood and learned the set-up and operation of the sound system.  This was a huge blessing because it gives you a totally different perspective of the Music ministry.  You'd be surprised at what the team sounds like from the soundroom!  It gave me a greater appreciation of the Sound dept, and the guys who work behind the scenes to make everything go as smooth as possible.  That's why they aren't noticed, for the most part.

I later scheduled a workshop with a professional soundman, who came and instructed us on many helpful things, including the proper use of a microphone.  One by one we were instructed to sing into the mic, and it became very evident that most of us didn't know the proper way to hold and use the mics.  The microphones were color coded with tape, and each singer would have his own mic to use.  That way the volume level was pretty much set, and the soundman made the fine tuning.  Even the instruments were done the same way, The soundman controlled the whole sound.

I looked at it this way, the Sound dept is a vital part of the Music ministry, so I tried to include them as much as possible with our agenda and schedule.

God bless ... 

OH MY GOODNESS WHAT A WORD FROM GOD YOU JUST SPOKE. I TOO ALSO SING ON THE PRAISE TEAM. I STARTED SINGING ON THE PRAISE TEAM AND THEN LIKE YOU GOT INTERESTED IN THE WHOLE SOUND THING (NOT KNOWING LATER I WOULD BE THE PERSON OVER THE SOUND) BUT IT GETS YOU A RESPECT OF WHAT REALLY GOES ON. NOW I CAN HEAR A MIC OFF ETC JUST LIKE THAT... I THINK AS PRAISE AND WORSHIP LEADERS, MUSICIANS, WE SHOULD LEARN MUSIC IN AND OUT. AM I SAYING PEOPLE SHOULD BE LIKE ME AND STRIVE TO KNOW IT ALL.. NO WHAT I AM SAYING IS PRAISE AND WORSHIP LEADER/CHOIR DIRECTORS SHOULD KNOW ENOUGH ABOUT A KEYBOARD TO FIND THE KEY THE SONG IS IN AND TEACH PARTS ETC. (KNOW YOUR MUSIC) AND THEY SHOULD KNOW THE SOUND PART OF THE MUSIC MINISTRY AND MUSICIANS SHOULD KNOW HOW TO DO WHAT THE CHOIR DIRECTORS DO AND HAVE AN UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT A PRAISE AND WORHSIP LEADER IS (IF YOU ARE NOT ON THE KEYS PLAYING AND SINGING AT THE SAME TIME.) YOU WILL HAVE RESPECT OF EVERYBODY POSITION BECAUSE YOU WILL KNOW WHAT IT TAKES FROM EVERYBODY TO HAVE AN EFFECTIVE MUSIC MINISTRY

[musallio]

How about someone switches the mic off & the next person speaks & there is clearly no sound

& then U have to walk up to switch on the mic for the person Now I really hate that because common sense should at least prevail..
What's worse is that all the eyes turn to you just because you were connecting the mics to the whole system.

But now I just get on with my work & take whatever grins people give me in my strides.

[BroAllan]

How about someone switches the mic off & the next person speaks & there is clearly no sound

& then U have to walk up to switch on the mic for the person Now I really hate that because common sense should at least prevail..
What's worse is that all the eyes turn to you just because you were connecting the mics to the whole system.

But now I just get on with my work & take whatever grins people give me in my strides.

What's "common sense" to one person may not be to another...
As strange as it sounds, many singers and speakers don't know what to do with a mic, once they're done with it. ( Remember, most of them only have the experience from one side of the microphone, the performance or speaking side, not from the soundboard side.) 

That was another issue that was answered in our workshop.
That the Soundman would be responsible for shutting down all mics that are not in use.  He is able to do this by muting each mic, or a group of mics at the same time. Therefore he is always alert and watching what needs to be done concerning the sound. 

[divinemusician]

yea thats right the only mic's that should be turned up in voulume are the ones being used all others need to be turned completely down becaue you will get an echo and the mics start doing the singing on their own. Soundmen/women should stay alert to know when to turn mics up down etc. i don't expect for the general church to understand my position but i do expect for them to respect me and work with me as i am trying to get volume to the same mic that they trying to talk on. if the church folks or whoever calms down and stop being so impatient we call can accomplish the task at hand...

[BroAllan]

OH MY GOODNESS WHAT A WORD FROM GOD YOU JUST SPOKE. I TOO ALSO SING ON THE PRAISE TEAM. I STARTED SINGING ON THE PRAISE TEAM AND THEN LIKE YOU GOT INTERESTED IN THE WHOLE SOUND THING (NOT KNOWING LATER I WOULD BE THE PERSON OVER THE SOUND) BUT IT GETS YOU A RESPECT OF WHAT REALLY GOES ON. NOW I CAN HEAR A MIC OFF ETC JUST LIKE THAT... I THINK AS PRAISE AND WORSHIP LEADERS, MUSICIANS, WE SHOULD LEARN MUSIC IN AND OUT. AM I SAYING PEOPLE SHOULD BE LIKE ME AND STRIVE TO KNOW IT ALL.. NO WHAT I AM SAYING IS PRAISE AND WORSHIP LEADER/CHOIR DIRECTORS SHOULD KNOW ENOUGH ABOUT A KEYBOARD TO FIND THE KEY THE SONG IS IN AND TEACH PARTS ETC. (KNOW YOUR MUSIC) AND THEY SHOULD KNOW THE SOUND PART OF THE MUSIC MINISTRY AND MUSICIANS SHOULD KNOW HOW TO DO WHAT THE CHOIR DIRECTORS DO AND HAVE AN UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT A PRAISE AND WORHSIP LEADER IS (IF YOU ARE NOT ON THE KEYS PLAYING AND SINGING AT THE SAME TIME.) YOU WILL HAVE RESPECT OF EVERYBODY POSITION BECAUSE YOU WILL KNOW WHAT IT TAKES FROM EVERYBODY TO HAVE AN EFFECTIVE MUSIC MINISTRY

I'm glad to hear that you too, gained a lot of insight and respect for the different departments working together for an effective ministry.

Being that we rented a school cafeteria for our Sunday services, we learned the proper and most effective way to set-up the sound system and all the instruments through the soundboard.  We also learned about what causes feed-back and how to prevent it.  Even the proper way of handling and storing all the equipment for future use. (How many singers do you know of, that can "properly" roll up a mic cable?)

There was a wealth of information that was shared with us during this workshop.
It was a great investment that reaped huge dividends! 

[divinemusician]

Do any of you find yourself at another church and they are having mic problems and the soundroom person is not clear on what to do. what do you do. just sit there or try to help without making it seem as though you are trying to "take" over their job. (some people get shameful when others from other churchs try to help)

[under13]

Do any of you find yourself at another church and they are having mic problems and the soundroom person is not clear on what to do. what do you do. just sit there or try to help without making it seem as though you are trying to "take" over their job. (some people get shameful when others from other churchs try to help)

Thats a whole 'nother thread right there!

There so much good info in this thread. I agree with everyone. And I can relate when it come to sngers, not knkowing how to use the mics. My group expects me to adjust thier mic stands when they sing, No I will not do that. How you gonna be a singer when you cant adjust you own mic stand. And I have a problem when MOMs dont make thier singers, sing into the mic. Why even sing with a mic if you are gonna stand two feet away from it

And then We have the musician whou will walk up to the sound board and turn the keyboard up, before the service. The musicians in no way should be louder than the singers

[BroAllan]

Do any of you find yourself at another church and they are having mic problems and the soundroom person is not clear on what to do. what do you do. just sit there or try to help without making it seem as though you are trying to "take" over their job. (some people get shameful when others from other churchs try to help)

I've offered my help on several different occasions, and what I found most effective was to go over the board together, troubleshoot the problem, and let the soundman do all the physical part, as far as soundboard adjustments, switches, buttons, instructing the person with the mic, etc.  This way, he still has control of the system, and not felt like he's being pushed aside. Our part is to help him to learn and grow through encouraging words and actions.
(A wise and humble person will graciously accept the help when it's needed!) 

[musallio]

Do any of you find yourself at another church and they are having mic problems and the soundroom person is not clear on what to do. what do you do. just sit there or try to help without making it seem as though you are trying to "take" over their job. (some people get shameful when others from other churchs try to help)

Those words in red are key..
Unless if you know that the person is an incredibly proud person, than it's not even worth it to try to help out because they will view it as you trying to humiliate them..

Funny enough, I'm still looking around for people who really know how to operate most functions on the sound system well so that the system doesn't seem like a waste of cash.

Maybe some of U guys can do a vid for us & take us on a trip around the operations of a sound system.

I've offered my help on several different occasions, and what I found most effective was to go over the board together, troubleshoot the problem, and let the soundman do all the physical part, as far as soundboard adjustments, switches, buttons, instructing the person with the mic, etc.  This way, he still has control of the system, and not felt like he's being pushed aside. Our part is to help him to learn and grow through encouraging words and actions.
(A wise and humble person will graciously accept the help when it's needed!) 

Couldn't have said it better myself.

What's "common sense" to one person may not be to another...

hehehehe, that's what I was actually thinking of adding while I was typing that stuff, but didn't want to go on & on

That was another issue that was answered in our workshop.
That the Soundman would be responsible for shutting down all mics that are not in use.  He is able to do this by muting each mic, or a group of mics at the same time. Therefore he is always alert and watching what needs to be done concerning the sound. 

I hope we're all taking notes guys..
A free workshop 4 ya here