How to Un-EQualize the Church?
The most common question I receive from churches is what equipment they should purchase. Answering this question led me to write the book Debtcibel. But there's also a second question that many of you have asked:
"What kind of EQ settings do you use?"
To answer this, you need to first understand that I don't have presets I use for different applications. In fact, the EQ settings I have on the same acoustic guitar could change from one song to another, depending on how it is played. There are two types of equalization categories: (i) Surgical and (ii) Creative. The equalizations that I perform are almost always creative. in other words, I'm simply enhancing the tone of an instrument instead of fixing it. Surgical equalization is when you are trying to fix a problem which could include a tinny sounding voice or a constant feedback in the sanctuary.
The real question you need to ask is:
What can we do to equalize less on the console? What can we do to not eq so much?
If you find yourself doing a lot of extreme equalization, chances are, you have a poorly tuned or poorly installed sound system. How do you define extreme equalization? If you constantly find yourself performing over 4-6db of equalization (besides dealing with broken instruments which should also be addressed), I would strongly advise you to reassess your system from its core. Normally when I perform equalizations, I seldom add or subtract more than 3db per gain knob.
What kind of situations are you facing at your church? What can you do to unequalize your church? Feel free to leave comments here or check out our FAQ section.
Here's an excerpt from Debtcibel that talks about the importance of good sonic foundations:
Starting with Good Sound
Good sound begins with good acoustics. To understand this, you need to first understand that sound is a physical property that cannot be seen, but it is very real. It can generate enough force to shatter objects like glass or be used as a weapon to destroy. Sound is limited by other physical objects, and it is controlled by the space it lives within.
A space can be a sonic black hole, causing sound to project poorly regardless of what you do or what equipment you use, and a different space could act like a concert hall, accentuating and beautifying every audible frequency.
Acoustics should take first priority in shaping your thinking about sound. Even if you are not currently in the position to correct your acoustics, understanding your limits with poor acoustics will help guide your thinking when making future sound investments.