It is not likely that you will be able to move the sound board, to many cables run to it. My suggestion is to one if possible build an open closet behind it, or two if thats not reasonable invest in sound absorption material. Install it on the wall behind you. This will cut the echoes down.

Familiarize yourself with every instrument on stage and every persons voice that sings regularly. My old church when they remodeled installed a second board on stage. It was my job to control all of the monitors. If your sound is too loud be sure and check your monitor levels…how much of your sound bleeds out from them? Does your worship leader like the music louder? The sound from them can bounce back off of the stage wall and into your congregation.

Investing in a sound Db meter is a good choice. I would suggest one with a spectrum analysis. That way you can check the levels on different freq. Get ahold of sound checks…20 htz, 30, 50, 100, etc…find out what bands need to be adjusted when you walk around the room with your meter.

Im sure you have a set of headphones at your booth…USE them…they will help you learn what the raw sound sounds like. If you know what your speakers are putting out then with practice you will learn what your room sounds like with people…when you rehearse your room is empty. It is good practice to get a feel for your levels then…(in case someone after you comes back and moves them…not good)…but remember to raise them slightly with people in the room. they absorb a ton of sound.

Get to know your room…where do the echoes occur? Is it on the highs? Or the lows? Do you have feedback? What quality are your cables in? There are so many questions to ask…I would gladly let you bounce some off of me…email me any that you have…

James

p.s. hope this helps

I tend to spend a lot of time setting up the foldback (or monitor) levels during setup/practice so that the band and singers are happy. After that, I play with the front of house setup so that I have a reasonable level.

My thinking is that I won’t be able to communicate with the band or singers once the service has started so I make sure they’re happy and well set up. I can always play with the front of house mix because I can hear that mix from my desk whereas I can’t for the foldback mix.

The other thing I did, which is easier in a smaller church, is take a walk around once the service (or event) has started. That way, you can gauge sound levels when you’ve got warm bodies in there absorbing some of the sound energy.

Story time: I was running sound one day at church, an older guy came in to the church and said on his way past “you’d better not have that too loud”… I ran my normal mix and levels, at the end, this guy was complaining because he thought it was too soft!

Not my area by a long shot but I do understand a little bit.

This process may not give you enough flexibility. There are units that will allow you the needed flexibilty to “tune” the room.

Good luck!

There will always be complaints. Said slightly tongue in cheek, but if criticism bothers you a lot, find something else to do besides run sound. The arts, especially music, touch people deep inside. They know what they personally like and dislike. And you will rarely peak everyone’s like-o-meter at the same time.

You are smart to go out into the room. Sound booths are hardly ever in an optimum place. The great seats are for the congretation, space-consuming sounds booths go elsewhere. But you can calibrate yourself by walking the room and getting used to how it has to sound in the booth to make it sound right in the room. And it’s good to know hot and cold spots. You can make seating suggestions to frequent complainers based on this knowledge.

Improving your mix? A few suggestions: pay absolutely 100% attention while you are mixing. Never be afraid to tweak. Try things (especially during rehearsal). When you have the mix dialed in, worship with it – can you hear lead instruments, rhythm, vocals? Can YOU worship with that mix? Also, study. I have found a few blogs that are helpful. I can forward to you if interested. But mostly, be faithful, serve with all you’ve got. Most of it comes with experience.

- Wayne

Cograts for getting on your feet and moving around a bit! The differences across a room are pretty staggering sometimes.

As for the next step… I’d suggest you try to get the booth off the back wall. You need at least ten feet of clearance from the wall to minimize reflections that are going to affect your ability to hear your own mix. Walls and reflections are not your friend.

kdl