Weekend Wrap Up - 7/22 & 7/23
God is truly blessing C3! On the same weekend we have the privilege of having Phil Dooley from Hillsong visit us, we find out that we have made the list of the top 100 fastest growing churches in America! AWESOME!
We had a great weekend, but it was not without a few rough spots. Feedback problems on Saturday night detracted from the audio for the DVD recording, and then some unexplained problems with Matt's mic made for a few tense moments. Add to that a change in the positioning of the vocals between services, and a significant rise in the audio level part way through the video, bicycles, mopeds and Harleys and it was not a weekend where we could relax. I've been there for all four sermons, but I'm not really sure I've heard the message yet. Praise God for Podcasts!
First - thanks to Dolly and everyone else who offered observations, comments, suggestions and kudos. Having all those additional sets of ears at different places really helps.
What Happened
Saturday we did not get a good sound check on the Countryman mics. We were using two - one for Matt and one for Phil. Matt's EQ was off, as was Phil's. We had some unexplained feedback through Phil's mic.
Sunday morning, Matt's signal went crazy during the 8:30 service. We had gotten a good sound check on it beforehand. As Matt handled the announcements, he was way hot and feeding back everywhere. Without doing anything at all, his signal level dropped by 2/3rds! Yet the receiver was still showing a strong signal.
What We Did
Before the Saturday service, there was some negotiation over the vocal level in the monitors. The vocalists thought it was too loud, but it had to be to get the vocals back to the bass. No In-Ears for the bass player. I remembered the small 'hot spot' powered monitor we have, and hooked it up to the Aviom for the bass player. That way, he could have his vocals loud without overpowering the front of the stage.
I think that introduced some of the feedback we had Saturday. We kept thinking that the feedback might be from the monitors, but both of the wedges did not have any of the presenters' mics in them. Sunday morning I got a revelation. The 'hot spot' monitor DID have the presenters in it, on Aviom channel 7. When I checked the level for that channel in that system, it was set to more than 50%. So, if the little guy was cranked, were were getting significant high-end volume from it that reflected off the back screen. Much of Phil's feedback was high-end, and happened when he was to his right - right in line with the reflected sound from the screen. I turned the channel down and left instructions not to bring it up in that mix.
To fix the Sunday morning problem, I changed cable between the receiver and the board, and we re-tested the system. It was then fine for the rest of the morning.
What We Learned
First, Chris agrees that it is ESSENTIAL that we get a good mic check on the presenter's mics - not just a 'Can you hear me now?' test, but one that checks the EQ, volume, feedback, etc. He said that rehearsal should not take precedence over that test. Also, if the test has not been completed to your satisfaction, do not put the mics out to be picked up!
But Praise God that we have developed a back up plan. For the 8:30 service, we had Matt switch to the spare body pack, and the second half of the service went well. If we did not have that planned and in place, I do not want to think about how it might have turned out.
I have no doubt that we will continue to improve our services. As we have additional guest speakers, and new, innovative ways of getting the Word to people, there will be additional challenges. But God has put each of you at C3 for a purpose - His purpose. He has given each of us the ability to do what He has called us to do. As long as we are faithful to Him and His calling, His name will be glorified.
After each service those people who prayed to receive Jesus were asked to raise their hands. Tears of joy filled my eyes as I saw how many people raised their hands. Those people made every tense second, every last-minute change worth it. That is why we do what we do - for His glory!
We had a great weekend, but it was not without a few rough spots. Feedback problems on Saturday night detracted from the audio for the DVD recording, and then some unexplained problems with Matt's mic made for a few tense moments. Add to that a change in the positioning of the vocals between services, and a significant rise in the audio level part way through the video, bicycles, mopeds and Harleys and it was not a weekend where we could relax. I've been there for all four sermons, but I'm not really sure I've heard the message yet. Praise God for Podcasts!
First - thanks to Dolly and everyone else who offered observations, comments, suggestions and kudos. Having all those additional sets of ears at different places really helps.
What Happened
Saturday we did not get a good sound check on the Countryman mics. We were using two - one for Matt and one for Phil. Matt's EQ was off, as was Phil's. We had some unexplained feedback through Phil's mic.
Sunday morning, Matt's signal went crazy during the 8:30 service. We had gotten a good sound check on it beforehand. As Matt handled the announcements, he was way hot and feeding back everywhere. Without doing anything at all, his signal level dropped by 2/3rds! Yet the receiver was still showing a strong signal.
What We Did
Before the Saturday service, there was some negotiation over the vocal level in the monitors. The vocalists thought it was too loud, but it had to be to get the vocals back to the bass. No In-Ears for the bass player. I remembered the small 'hot spot' powered monitor we have, and hooked it up to the Aviom for the bass player. That way, he could have his vocals loud without overpowering the front of the stage.
I think that introduced some of the feedback we had Saturday. We kept thinking that the feedback might be from the monitors, but both of the wedges did not have any of the presenters' mics in them. Sunday morning I got a revelation. The 'hot spot' monitor DID have the presenters in it, on Aviom channel 7. When I checked the level for that channel in that system, it was set to more than 50%. So, if the little guy was cranked, were were getting significant high-end volume from it that reflected off the back screen. Much of Phil's feedback was high-end, and happened when he was to his right - right in line with the reflected sound from the screen. I turned the channel down and left instructions not to bring it up in that mix.
To fix the Sunday morning problem, I changed cable between the receiver and the board, and we re-tested the system. It was then fine for the rest of the morning.
What We Learned
First, Chris agrees that it is ESSENTIAL that we get a good mic check on the presenter's mics - not just a 'Can you hear me now?' test, but one that checks the EQ, volume, feedback, etc. He said that rehearsal should not take precedence over that test. Also, if the test has not been completed to your satisfaction, do not put the mics out to be picked up!
But Praise God that we have developed a back up plan. For the 8:30 service, we had Matt switch to the spare body pack, and the second half of the service went well. If we did not have that planned and in place, I do not want to think about how it might have turned out.
I have no doubt that we will continue to improve our services. As we have additional guest speakers, and new, innovative ways of getting the Word to people, there will be additional challenges. But God has put each of you at C3 for a purpose - His purpose. He has given each of us the ability to do what He has called us to do. As long as we are faithful to Him and His calling, His name will be glorified.
After each service those people who prayed to receive Jesus were asked to raise their hands. Tears of joy filled my eyes as I saw how many people raised their hands. Those people made every tense second, every last-minute change worth it. That is why we do what we do - for His glory!
posted by Kevin at 8:45 PM
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