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NOTE: All prices used in this section are approximate street prices, and may vary with dealer.

A sound system can be as simple as a bullhorn, or as complex as a computer-controlled console with sophisticated line array speakers. Yet the purpose of a sound system remains the same—deliver the intact audio signal from the sender to the receiver.

Each component of a sound system must perform at an acceptable level for the system to provide acceptable results. From the input devices (microphones) through control and routing devices (mixers and processors) to gain-staging devices (amplifiers) and on to the final converters (speakers), each step is vital to the whole.

For most churches, upgrading the entire system is only practical during capital expansions. Individual component upgrades are most common, especially just prior to a large Christmas program or Easter play when the need becomes critical. To help guide your church toward the appropriate choices, this section is divided into the major sound system components with pointers and recommendations for any type of worship environment.

Operating principles and design make some microphones better than others in certain applications—here are some can't-miss recommendations.

Mics are the frontline of any sound system. Without microphones, voices and acoustic instruments would be lost to our ears. Microphones convert acoustical energy into electrical signals that are then altered and amplified by a sound system and finally reconverted back into acoustical energy by a loudspeaker. In essence, mics are small speakers in reverse.

The majority of live-sound mics use either the dynamic or condenser operating principles. Dynamic mics, such as the venerable Shure SM-58, place a pressure-sensitive diaphragm above a magnetic field. A coil of wire attached to the diaphragm moves in conjunction with varying air pressure to create an electromagnetic signal at the output.

In contrast, typical back-electret condenser mics use two electrically charged plates, one fixed and one floating. Changes in air pressure created by sound waves change the distance between the two plates, and a corresponding voltage change is sent from the mic to the downstream components.

It is helpful to consider the dynamic mic as the "male" and the condenser as the "female" of the species. The dynamic male is given to loud noises, is somewhat insensitive, and is simple to operate. The condenser female is focused on nuances, is sensitive to the surroundings, and more complex.

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