Get the Best Sound Out of Your Church Choir
With Christmas around the corner, churches nationwide are preparing their choirs’ and bands’ musical performances. But choirs and bands can be challenging for musical directors to manage, especially with the number of microphones you’ll need. Audio quality can seem unpredictable, and many congregations struggle to deliver clear, pleasant sound from the microphones to the speakers.
Are microphones causing issues for your church, too? Microphones are an integral part of church audiovisual systems, and if your church in the Kansas City area needs help selecting, placing, and setting up microphones this Christmas season, here’s our advice.
First, Do You Need Microphones?
Some churches think that because their space is small or the choir is large, they don’t need microphones. However, without any amplification, a choir can easily become drowned out by other instruments on stage. Even in a small space, choirs often sound disjointed without proper mixing and equalization (more on that below). Lastly, if your church records video or streams online, you'll definitely need mics to capture voices clearly.
Use the Right Amount of Mics
‘More the merrier’ doesn’t exactly apply to wireless microphones. In fact, having too many microphones on stage can cause overlapping mics and phase issues. This can make the sound ‘hollow’ or ‘thin’ when two microphones pick up the same signal at once.
Instead, we recommend setting up wireless microphones according to the 3:1 rule. If you place a microphone three feet from the choir, place the second mic nine feet from the first. A quality choir microphone (when positioned correctly) should be able to cover up to twenty singers, so use the minimum amount of microphones possible to achieve clear, pleasant audio.
Find the Ideal Height
Choir and orchestra microphones are often positioned above singers and musicians and pointed downward. So how high should the microphones be? There’s no hard-and-fast rule for microphone height, but generally mount them about two feet higher than your tallest member. This way, you capture everyone’s voices and performance, not just the front row. But remind your choir to project their voices upward—don’t sing down into the songbook!
Adjust EQ on Mixer
Equalization (EQ) tools on sound mixers can be helpful when used strategically. High-quality microphones often mean you won’t need many manual adjustments. But fine-tuning EQ can elevate quieter voices while reducing some issues. For example, turning down lows can reduce handling noises and background sounds. Mid-range adjustments can make speech and singing more intelligible.
Prevent Bursts of Noise
Turning old analog wireless mics ‘on’ and ‘off’ repeatedly can cause an unpleasant burst of sound. Instead, tell speakers and choir members to use the ‘standby’ switch, which mutes mics without powering off the wireless link. Make sure your staff, choir, and band members know which switches to use and which to avoid. When everyone knows how to handle and speak/sing into mics properly, you’ll get better sound.
Contact the Church AV Professionals
Ready for superior AV solutions? Contact Advanced Sound & Communication for personalized guidance and a comprehensive selection of microphone systems, speakers, visuals, and more. We’ll assess your space and provide a system that sounds great and is simple to use. We can come to your rehearsal and help your team construct a mix. Call us soon. We are booking fast.