Sound volumes in churches, etc

wadewade

Our church boasts a fairly good small music group and a moderate sound system (including separate microphones for each instrument and singer).

However there are constant complaints by some that the music is too loud. So in an attempt to sort it out we are thinking of buying a sound meter and actually measuring how loud it is.

Does anyone know how many decibels you would expect a church holding 200 people to operate at - obviously a lot lower than for a youngsters' gig, I hasten to add!!

Any advice welcomed, please.

steve1980

Alot of venues keep limiters set between 90 - 95 dB.

The problem with a church is that the acoustics are awesome (from a sound point of view) and is very difficult to get an accurate reading.

Little_Vics

check out worshipcentral.org - loads of forums and advice on there.

googler

wadewade wrote: »

Our church boasts a fairly good small music group and a moderate sound system (including separate microphones for each instrument and singer).

However there are constant complaints by some that the music is too loud.

The obvious solution would be to turn the 'sound system' down or off, and perform a capella, surely? What's the instrumentation of the ensemble?

The other solution would appear to be handouts of earplugs or cotton wool for those who complain.

If the congregation finds it too loud, measuring it and then telling them it's registering a certain decibel level won't change their perception of it.

fwor

One other thing to note - sound perception changes greatly with age and (contrary to what might be obvious) older people can get more sensitive to certain frequencies, and find them uncomfortable at levels that younger people don't.

Add to that the fact that the hard surfaces in a church reflect sound well, so you are likely to be getting standing waves that make some frequencies much louder at specific points in the listening area than others.

John_Gray

The acoustic of churches is highly variable, and entirely dependent on the church. For example, when musicians and singers are performing in Beverley Minster, the sound quality is best at the front and rather muddy in the middle. At the back it gets somewhat better, although there are reflections from many surfaces. Some churches get used for making CD recordings (e.g. Merton College Chapel), others you wouldn't go near for this purpose!

Googler's last sentence, that nobody will believe a decibel meter, is accurate - we are having a small row with tenants in a building who are saying the fire alarm bells are injurious to their hearing, and having a chap measure the decibel sound pressure - it's within the limits - has made no difference to their views...

paddyrg

Lots of reflective surfaces, and a PA placement designed primarily for amplifying speech, it's a challenge even for an experienced acoustic engineer. You have to fight against superposition/phase issues as well as volume and audience sensitivity. Turning the PA down is the best idea, turn it to the point when nobody complains any more.

wadewade

Thanks John and Paddy. That's very interesting. I think our task is to convince the guy who works the system that it is too loud. Most of the congregation would like it turned down a tad so that they can hear themselves singing. It's a bit delicate suggesting he has his hearing tested! Hopefully a meter reading might set him thinking.

sasparillo

If you look on somewhere like Stagejobs pro where you can register for free, there are lots of sound production people, many still in training or recent graduates who are jolly good and will rig up a sound system at a VERY reasonable cost. I had to get in a sound person at the last moment for a theatrical performance in a church and not only did he rig up hanging microphones and got the levels perfectly with his own equipment but also was quick and extremely tactful, getting on well with the the church office which was very jumpy about having an outside sound person come in but only told us at the 11th hour why - that they were nervous about the settings being put back for the vicar's next service! Not only did he do a great job but he also calmed down the whole atmosphere and gained the confidence of everyone. He gained by gaining experience in a new type of venue. I spoke to him on the phone first and so could tell what kind of personality he had and explained the situation. The technical person at the church, who had been a bit difficult with us, then got on famously with him. So your sound person may get something out of it too if an outside person is brought in as a one-off!

marlot

In our church, the PA system sounds different in each area of the church. Ironically the sound desk is in one of the quieter places, and even had a big banner between it and the nearest speaker. I had to insist on it being moved when I took over the operations. When someone makes a comment to me about the PA, I first ask where they were sitting. And I often sit in different areas of the church myself when I'm not on duty - some are noticeably louder than others.

There are lots of people with opinions on what the mix should be, and how loud it should be. Often depending on the style of worship the PA operator prefers!

Yorkie1

The type and location of the speakers might also be relevant. We used to have single, huge, overhead speakers right up near the roof.

We now have quite a few discreet pairs of speakers much closer to floor level, but the overall volume levels are reduced yet there is greater clarity. (Sorry don't know the details of what they are - it's a few years since I did PA now).