Sunday morning – 7:00AM. I’m lying in bed, just waking up for the day. I roll over and check my phone as I am wont to do and lo and behold, I have missed a call. It’s from a customer. A local worship pastor so I expect they must have a serious issue. I shoot off a text message apologizing for missing the call and ask, “What’s up?”. The response: “We have no sound in the sanctuary…..” So, we run through a series of troubleshooting questions:
“Have you checked the amps? Is something unplugged from the back of the console? Are you getting input to the console? Are you getting audio to any other parts of the facility?” After that discussion I had a pretty good idea what was happening so I asked another, perhaps more important question: “What time does your service start?” The reply: “In 15 minutes…..” I told them I couldn’t be there that fast and asked when does the second service start. I was told it begins at 11:00 so I hopped up and the race was on!
My initial assumption, which ultimately turned out to be correct, was that their stage box was not functioning. They have a Soundcraft digital console and it just so happened that I know a guy who owns a production company that uses Soundcraft. He graciously allowed me to swing by his warehouse and grab a stagebox. I then rushed to the church and as soon as the first service was over I went to work un-patching the existing stagebox and getting it out of the rack. Then I installed the new stagebox and re-patched all of the cables and voila! They had sound for the second service!
Understand, I’m not telling this story to toot my own horn. I do pride myself on being there for my customers, but that is not what this story is about. It’s not every Sunday that you will be able to get in touch with your AV guy (or gal) to help you out of a jam. So what will you do if you find yourself in a situation where a critical piece of equipment fails at a critical time?
If your church uses volunteers to operate the tech systems like most do then it’s a distinct possibility their troubleshooting skills are somewhat limited. Afterall, it’s not their day-to-day job. They are doing it because they want to help your ministry and serve the Lord, but that doesn’t necessarily include having the skills to figure out why the system isn’t working while the pressure is on!
So, as a Tech Director, Worship Pastor, or lay person with the responsibility of maintaining these systems what can you do to assure you don’t find yourself telling the band they are doing an acoustic set on Easter Sunday?
Here I think it is wise to have a brief discussion about stewardship. Many times this word is interpreted as “spending the least money possible”. However, that approach often leads to a situation where you find yourself with less than ideal equipment. This can actually lead to more issues and more money being spent.
The actual definition is “the careful and responsible management of something entrusted to one’s care”. In other words, use wisely the resources that you have. That leads to the question of balance. You must find a way to balance purchasing the best equipment that you can to meet your needs with what you can actually afford and consider which items are critical and need backups in place.
In the case of the church in this story (shout out to my pals at Mt. Zion Baptist!) it would prove a fairly expensive purchase to buy a second stage box that is just going to sit on a shelf. But you have to determine for yourself if that is a worthwhile expense to prevent being without your audio system at a critical time. For some of you it may be video presentation systems. For others, lighting or your streaming system that are priorities. Whatever it is always have a Plan B.
Think of it this way: Consider which of these systems you are not willing to do without during your biggest day. Then consider what it will cost to purchase backup equipment. Also consider what it may cost if you don’t. The latter doesn’t necessarily have to be a financial cost. Then plan accordingly.
The good news is there are several ways to accomplish this goal. The first would be to meet a qualified AV integrator and have them work with you to develop a work-around in the event of a critical failure. For instance, in a case like the one above some analog lines could be run from the console to the amp rack that would allow for audio to pass with some quick and simple re-patching. Depending on your setup you should at least be able to use your wireless mics at that point. Make sure everything is clearly labeled and practice making those changes so they will be smooth should you ever have to make them on the fly.
Another approach that might go well with the first is to save up and purchase one piece of equipment at a time. It probably doesn’t make sense to have backups for every piece of equipment, but it may make sense to have back ups for those deemed critical. In some cases there are likely less expensive options that you could purchase to get you by. For instance, a stage box or mixing console with fewer inputs that you could use until the other can be repaired or replaced.
A third option would be to have a portable system on hand that could be used in an emergency. This could apply to audio, video, or lighting. The additional benefit of this approach would be that you could use those systems in other places for other events so it would benefit your ministry even if you never have to use it as a back up.
Ultimately, it comes down to planning. If you need help putting a plan together then plan a meeting with your current AV provider and get the ball rolling. If you don’t currently have a relationship with an AV contractor then we are here to help. Go to www.dynamicavsystems.com and schedule a call.
