Wednesday, March 8, 2023
SJC Sound System Update
Olin Johannessen
Take a look. It’s a view that most people don’t get on a weekly basis, unless you serve as an Usher, or in the Parish Choir. Admittedly, the ledge extending out at the base of the balcony needs fresh round of vacuuming (the last time we did that was in 2021 prior to the Altar Guild’s annual adorning of the balcony façade with the Advent garlands). Notice the speakers, their vertical placement seeming to connect the upper level “Composite” style, and lower level “Roman” style columns. If you showed this speaker placement to anyone with live sound amplification experience or expertise, you would likely get the same curious look and, ultimately, the question of why the speakers were installed there in the first place?! Having grown up here and served as an acolyte for many rectors including Father (Gordon) Allen and Father Dave (Carter), Interim Father Browning, and Father Tim (Rich) and Mother Ann (Stevenson) before heading off to college in the Fall of 2001, I can still remember a time when there were no microphones, no amplification. When serving as an acolyte I had to kneel facing the curved back wall of the altar during the Eucharist and ring the little doorbell buzzer to alert the bell tower that it was time to ring the bells during communion. The way our altar was designed, I presume back in the early 1800’s when this building was erected following the fire that destroyed Queen’s Chapel, with its clamshell-style shape, was specifically to provide acoustic support and throw the presider’s voice back over the heads of the congregation (you’ve noticed that our ceiling has a parabolic shape, haven’t you? That is a really great shape for natural sound amplification, too.).
Although I wasn’t in the room when these discussions were had, I imagine that the leadership in charge of making the decision around whether or not to implement amplification would have felt strange, if not also divided, over the choice of whether to have any additional amplification measures installed here in our old church. I imagine that the sound design company was brought in with the goal of creating a solution that would augment the speaker’s natural projection, and to add support for those using the lectern to read the morning’s lessons and psalms. It is the only thing I can come up with when I ask myself that nagging question of why our 22+ year old speaker system was set up the way it was: that this was a decision representative of trying to fulfill two goals. On the one hand, the way it had always been, using the church’s natural architecture to amplify the voice; and on the other hand, the acknowledgement of the need to provide additional amplification to help those who have trouble hearing and supporting those speaking in church. Fast forward to when the altar table was moved away from the back wall, and celebrants began facing the congregation during the Eucharist, and we have now shifted further away from the church’s acoustic design being used as a tool in the natural amplification of the voice.
On Christmas Eve, 2022, in the moments leading up to the 4:00pm “Family” service, I did what I always do when I get to church: I ascended the stairs, entered the technology control booth, and powered up the sound system. First step is to turn on the switch that powers the mixer and the sound processing and wireless microphone systems, and then turn on the amplifier that powers the speakers. This speaker system, signal processor, and amplifier have been in consistent weekly use since they were installed, back in the late 90’s or early 2000’s. True work horses! Never failed! Until that moment at 3:15pm when I switched on the amp, and watched in shock as blueish-white sparks flew out of the perforated metal faceplate of the amplifier, accompanied by loud popping noises; four or five altogether. Not being an electrician, nor one curious to find out what would happen if I did anything else in that moment, I waited a moment, then asked Jen McPherson, who was downstairs near the lectern, to speak into the microphone so I could learn whether we were up and running with power to the speakers, or if the sparks were something worse… Well I think we all know what happened next; the amp was dead (further confirmed moments later when it shot more sparks as I powered it down and ultimately disconnected it from power), and we had to shift to Plan B: our portable PA (public address) system that we use for outdoor services. Rob was a huge help getting it set up, and luckily I was able to connect that system with our audio mixer from downstairs so that our 8:00pm livestreamed service would have good quality sound.
Here is where things get interesting! One would assume that the installed system, the way we had been accustomed to hearing sound amplification for years and years, was the best for all of us; however, when we set up the single source small PA that afternoon, several parishioners remarked at how much better they could hear and understand the speakers during the service. This is the point at which we began attempting to answer the question “why is it better?,” and what we realized was that the sound reproduction and amplification was finally reaching our congregation from the same direction as the original source of the sound. Hitting our ears from the same direction from which it originated. We see the person speaking, we hear the sound coming to us from the same direction; not from above us (if we sit in the center section downstairs), or outside of our area (if we sit in the pews anywhere underneath the balcony), or, weirdly as ever, from beneath-outside of us (if we sit in the balcony or the choir loft area). The system that has been here all these years no longer served us the way we needed it to – it was all wrong!
Faced with the decision to re-power the original system long-term, or begin the process of moving in a new direction, we were empowered to rent a short-term temporary amplifier solution and explore what a modern solution might look and feel like, and cost. In early January, a meeting was set with John Coretto of WHB Concert Productions, our trusted audio person, myself, and Rob, and it was determined that another Bose-designed system would be appropriate; however this time, with speakers all designed to work in concert to bring faithful high-quality sound to all areas of the sanctuary – upstairs, and down; center section, and under-balcony. There would be no more dead spots in the church where sound didn’t reach. In early February, Rob and I brought John Coretto back to meet with Doug Nichols, Jonathan Philbrook, and Bud Moore of Nichols Electric to discuss how an installation process might be tackled with the two teams working side-by-side to create efficiency with the setting up of any scaffolding required to get things drilled and mounted up high, as well as being able to answer any questions in real time.
Monday, March 6 marked the beginning of the installation process with electricians beginning the process of running speaker cable, and John/WHB delivering the new system of speakers, mounting brackets, and sound processing equipment. Things began smoothly and have continued to progress and, as I write this, we are hopeful that things will be up and running prior to Sunday, March 12, but we won’t know until we get further into the process.
So what can you do to help?
Say a prayer! Get excited about this new positive change! Consider helping us with this capital improvement (non-budgeted!) project by sending in a check (please write "Sound System" in the memo line), clicking through to donate on Realm, or you can even text the code “SJCNH SOUND” to the number 73256 to send your support that way. We are grateful for your support in whatever way it may come, and know how eager we are to have this new aural reality up-and-running soon!
