A lot of churches out there have a mentality that they have to keep up with what other churches are doing. This is not a bad place to be as you want to stay relevant to your audience; however, not at the expense of those who are already attending. Deciding to purchase a new digital sound board because that’s the way everyone is going doesn’t make a lot of sense if you don’t need one. Here are a couple of my thoughts on the debate for soundboards.
So Many Different Questions
There are important questions to ask before you go purchase any equipment. How will this help our service be better? Will it make the job easier for your techs/volunteers? Will it add significant capability that you will honestly use in the future? What will the improvements looks like for your church? Will people notice a difference for the positive?
Specifically for digital boards: do you need the recall function, built-in compressors, effects, etc.? Do you need digital so you can implement a digital snake and/or an in-ear monitor solution? Why do you want to upgrade now? Is your current equipment beginning to fail or break?
Often, the answers to these questions will help you arrive at what you really need and not just what you want. A lot of churches don’t need to move to digital because the advantages are not weighty enough to justify the cost. In the end, it will likely be less expensive to repair or replace your aging analog equipment with newer analog equipment.
However, if you do find yourself with answers to these questions that point to digital, know up front that it will cost you some money and the old adage is still true today: you get what you pay for. Behringer equipment will serve you for a time, but if you are looking for something to last you 5-10 years, Behringer is probably not your best pick. Brands like PreSonus, Roland, and Yamaha all have incredible digital boards that will last, but you need to do your research as all digital boards are not created equal. Know the pros and cons of boards that use layers, know why you would need scene recall, and know that if you are moving from analog to digital, you will have a learning curve and you must account for that. I would recommend hiring a professional to come in and train your crew, but at the very least learn the terminology and the layout so you’re not fumbling through a live service looking for a control.
As always, if you find yourself with more questions than answers, contact a professional consultant or system integrator-they will be more than happy to answer your questions! What has your church decided to go with and why? Show off in the comments some pictures of your soundboard too!
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