SOUND CHECK One, Two, Three… (by Racquel Valeza)
AC and lights are turned on. Volume is pumping up. The coffee at the pantry is brewing. Shutters are clicking. Cameras are rolling. Video presentation is projected on the screen. You can hear footsteps walking down the stairs into the hallway down at the cave of WM Communications. Yes! It is Thursday morning.
The staffs are wide-awake and vigorous getting ready for something. Pens and papers placed on the table. Hands busy writing, collecting cash registration, distributing handouts and name stickers. A little bit of chitchats around, exchanging “Hi’s” and “Hello’s” while some gave out just simple nods. Sound check one, two, three… (white noise———) we’re ON!
Many if not majority of our Christian churches today do not enlist “audio” as a priority need of their congregation. Often times, churches think that having high-end instruments correspond to having good audio quality or the other way around. We felt that as long as the message is present, we can go a long way without being mindful of the technicalities. We have the impression that microphone feedbacks, distorted sound coming out from the speakers, sudden boosts of volume, voices cutting in and out and many others are strategic distraction by the enemy–always the one to be blame. We cannot deny the fact that the enemy is working double time whenever there’s a work of the Lord going on. But why take it sitting down if we can do something about it? Hence, the burden was felt and there came–SOUND CHECK 2012 | Church Audio with Mike Pedero.
It was 2011 when Audio professionals Erwin Balangue of CBN Asia, Audio consultant (TV5, CBN Asia etc.) Mike Pedero, Ervz Tia and Sean Tinio of WM Communications envisioned helping churches utilizing audio equipment to enhance worship and evangelistic experience of worshippers from large scale down to small size congregations. They felt that many churches struggle when it comes to audio technology such as knowing what to buy, what to bring, what works best in their space and how to operate what they’ve got. They desire to train new breed of audio specialists that will bring transformation to Christian sound. After several months of talk a formal conversation was set to conceptualize and start up an event aiming to provide basic knowledge in sound technology such as some audio theories, type of mixers, microphones and speakers, feedbacks, placement of speakers, operating equipment and many others.
51 participants coming from different churches and denominations rocked WM Communications studio at the NCEE Building, Asia-Pacific Nazarene Theological Seminary Taytay, Rizal as Sound Check 2012 seminar was unfolded May 10, Thursday. It lasted 3 days until Saturday 4:00 p.m. Mario Benipayo of Fore Runner Technology and Danny Escobar of JB Music demonstrated some mixing techniques and shared tips on how to improve sound and how to play along in mixing without compromising the quality of sound it’ll produce.
Beyond technology, speaker Mike Pedero didn’t forget to emphasize during the three-day seminar that being the church audio guy entails passion and love towards ministry, music and sound. It is being the extension of the pastor’s ministry where the message is being translated into sound waves coursed through the audio equipment towards the listeners. Significant time was also given emphasizing stewardship for it is God’s money that was used to acquire such and it is just rightful to take good care of the equipment as much as we take good care of our belongings. An audio guy should also develop an attitude of sensitivity. One should be sensitive enough to determine how much amount of sound or noise the congregation could take. Finally, regardless of the formal audio training and technical skill an audio man has acquired, it is still the heart that matters most.
A yearlong module condensed into a three-day workshop. No wonder many are asking for more. Indeed you can never have enough and so Audio guys are considering having another round of coffee meeting for the next SOUND CHECK stop. Visayas? Mindanao? Who knows? It might be in your very own local church.
(White noise—————–Signed Off).