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Our sound system is a patch job put together over the years by well-meaning volunteers. It worked okay for traditional worship, but now that we're going contemporary, we have problems. What do you suggest?

Getting good sound for contemporary worship requires a thorough assessment of sound system hardware and room acoustics. A church committee should check available literature, define what it wants to accomplish, then call in a professional consultant or two who will assess the situation, then propose what can be done.

Though most consultants do basically the same kind of work in solving church sound problems, they can vary in their approach. For example, John Fuqua at All Pro Sound says his company helps a church by first evaluating its sound system and deciding if equipment should be added or replaced, or if a whole new system must be installed. The consultant then meets with church committee members to discuss further sound problems, such as poor music quality, inability to hear the pastor in certain places, or multiple system problems. The consultant then assesses the facility to determine whether an acoustical engineer is needed.

A consultant from ConnectSound, according to Patrick Conneen, gathers background information from a church sound committee, such as whether the church has one or two pulpits, a choir loft, a natural or miked choir, a band, or wireless mics, all of which determine required inputs. The consultant also finds out if the church needs recording facilities, playback capability, provisions for the hearing impaired, or integration of video with the audio. The latter requires careful planning to obtain seamless results. The consultant also recommends acoustic treatment, if needed.

Michael Bennis of Acoustic Solutions says a consultant from his company first calculates reverb (sound decay) time in a room and finds out the room's intended use. Then the consultant determines the absorption needed for proper reverb time and what kinds of absorptive materials to use. A church typically selects a fabric-wrapped panel in a color chosen from the company brochure or Web site, Bennis says. The company sends samples of this to the church for confirmation along with estimates on how much material is needed for proper reverb time (acoustic treatment starts at around $4 a square foot).

In critical situations, an acoustical engineer is called in. Acoustical Solutions offers many types of panels, including one that blocks outside sound and absorbs room sound and is ideal for a practice or choir room.

Nick Colleran of Acoustics First consults with acoustic engineers to ensure that they have the proper absorber and diffuser materials to correct reverb time and sound distortion. These materials include foam and fiberglass absorbers, ceiling tiles and baffles, diffusers for sound scattering, sound-absorbing fabrics in a multitude of colors, sound barrier/sound absorber composites, and many other specialty products. For sound consultants and engineers, Acoustics First provides a kit that includes descriptions, detailed specifications, and samples.

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