In Episode 92, co-hosts James and Gary discuss the foundation of great audio. A solid base starts with the setup. System design, where the loudspeakers are located and where they’re pointed. System tuning, taking those loudspeakers and applying EQ and delay so they all work together. Finally the console setup, having a clear detailed map so you increase efficiency and make it easy for others to step up and run the show if you’re not there. The Church Sound Podcast is sponsored by DiGiCo and Elec...
May 08, 2024•56 min
In Episode 91, co-hosts James and Gary dive into the world of immersive audio. What is it, where do we find it and why is it becoming more popular? Is immersive audio worth looking into for your space? What are ways that it could be used for worship services? The Church Sound Podcast is sponsored by DiGiCo and Electro-Voice . Check out James Attaway’s new worship audio academy at www.attawayaudio.com/academy , and also visit our new Instagram page @churchsoundpodcast. Co-host James Attaway is th...
Apr 24, 2024•42 min
In Episode 90, the hosts focus on a critical pillar of audio: gain structure and balancing. They discuss how to prepare for a service so you don’t have to make gain adjustments during the worship service — it can throw off everything. They also share strategies and preferences when diving into a mix, including where they like to start. And don’t suffer from “console fog” — it’s important to get out from behind the desk to get a new perspective on the mix. The Church Sound Podcast is sponsored by...
Apr 10, 2024•48 min
In Episode 89, the co-hosts get back to the music. In a world with a million and one ways to shape, present, and experience music, how do we get out of our own way and be present in the moment? The Church Sound Podcast is sponsored by DiGiCo and Electro-Voice . They talk about ways to set up before an event and tips to make sure we don’t miss a beat during a live performance, and they also discuss reference tracks, how to know what to reference, how to use them to save time or prepare for any gi...
Mar 28, 2024•48 min•Season 5Ep. 4
If you're wondering if we added another bass player to the podcast, we didn't -- he plays drums. Samantha and James welcome on another new co-host, Gary Zandstra, to bring in new perspectives and even more educational content for you listeners. Gary is a long-time contributor and author for Church Sound Magazine, and we couldn't be happier having him on board! Check out our new Instagram Page @churchsoundpodcast James' brand new academy at www.attawayaudio.com/academy Co-host Samantha Potter is ...
Mar 07, 2024•34 min•Season 5Ep. 3
James is out having some family bonding time while they welcome their new daughter into the world! While James is away, the networking comes out to play! On this episode, Samantha welcomes Kat Taub from Audinate to discuss Dante and all the technology that's coming onto the network. Additionally, they discuss how to approach learning networked audio and Dante, even if you're brand new. Kat Taub currently works at Audinate as a Product Marketing Manager for networked video technology. Kathryn joi...
Feb 08, 2024•44 min•Season 5Ep. 2
James and Samantha welcome back Ben Ivey to talk all about mixing in houses of worship and beyond! Ben Ivey is a touring FOH Engineer, Production Manager and Consultant based out of Atlanta, Georgia. Ben serves a variety of clients ranging from national acts, corporate companies and churches. Within the last year his clients have included Priscilla Block, Lily Rose, Ludacris, Megan Moroney, Elle King, Trace Atkins, Jason Upton and Vineyard Worship to name a few. Check out James' brand new academ...
Jan 25, 2024•1 hr 7 min•Season 5Ep. 1
Can there be a party if there's only 2 people? We say yes! Happy Winter Holidays! That's a Merry Christmas to the Christians, a Happy Hanukkah to the Jewish, and a Magnificent Kwanzaa to those who celebrate it! Merry Winter Solstice and a Happy New Year to all! This week, James and I have a quick check in and reminder to everyone: we appreciate you for listening for 4 seasons now! Don't worry, there's no end in sight, but we want to express our joy for this community. Stay strong, and try to hav...
Dec 14, 2023•35 min•Season 4Ep. 20
You're frantically googling, trying to find out what the heck is so important about mixing even though there are seemingly 10,000 things to do! Have no fear, James and Samantha are here to help. This topic comes up constantly with new mixes and new volunteers always stepping up to the plate to help out. Let this episode shed a little light on what's most important when you first start mixing. Check out James' video on mixing for the first time! Co-host Samantha Potter is also co-lead instructor ...
Nov 30, 2023•58 min•Season 4Ep. 19
Achieving consistency is one of the most important goals for mixing as soon as you graduate from newbie to intermediate mixer. Whether that's consistency between services, between weeks, or between engineers, if we have consistency it leaves space for meaningful worship, quality broadcasting, and more cohesive experiences all-around. Samantha and James dip into the topic this week offering tips on exactly how we can start making consistency a priority. Co-host Samantha Potter is also co-lead ins...
Nov 16, 2023•46 min•Season 4Ep. 18
Crowd mics (and by extension, room mics) are an easy way to help out the musicians on stage, and everyone tuning in to the broadcast feed. James and Samantha dive into setting up crowd and room mics, what the difference is, how we process them, and when the best times to start using them are! Co-host Samantha Potter is also co-lead instructor with Church Sound University — a training program tailored specifically for worship audio techs that’s now also available online . Reach her via LinkedIn ,...
Nov 02, 2023•54 min•Season 4Ep. 17
When you do what you love, or you give your heart to volunteering, it becomes hard to distinguish sacrifice and burnout. In this week's episode, Samantha and James dig into creating a balance between our work and the rest of our life. Take care of yourselves out there as the winter holiday season is upon us -- an often draining time contrasted with joy and reverence and reflection. Co-host Samantha Potter is also co-lead instructor with Church Sound University — a training program tailored speci...
Oct 19, 2023•53 min•Season 4Ep. 16
What tools should every FOH have? What tools do we carry in our bags? This week, Samantha and James tackle the tools that are good to have in arm's reach. There are specialty tools, and there are generic tools. We need a good mix of both in order to cover any reasonable amount of issues -- batteries, tape, volt meter, spare mics, and more! **Coherence value (not correlation) is what lets us know our data is "good" in system's such as Rational Acoustics' Smaart. Co-host Samantha Potter is also co...
Oct 05, 2023•50 min•Season 4Ep. 15
Stage noise has this thing where it's everywhere and contributes heavily to out-of-control sound systems. In an effort to create a world with as little unwanted noise as possible, Samantha and James arm wrestle with tactics and techniques on getting control of our stages and all the distortion coming off of it. Some sanctuaries or venues are built to not have amplification in them, and that can add even more variables and make it even harder to get control to -- but have no fear, there are alway...
Sep 07, 2023•47 min•Season 4Ep. 14
How many bassists does it take to talk about live sound mixing? A lot, apparently, given that so many of us are bass players. In this week's episode, James and Samantha finally tackle the topic that could easily turn into a 3-part gear series: bass guitar. Bassists On Bassists -- what a world. Tune in to hear a whole lot of opinions, and some great starting points for nailing that persnickety bass. Co-host Samantha Potter is also co-lead instructor with Church Sound University — a training progr...
Aug 24, 2023•59 min•Season 4Ep. 13
That's right, "miking" not "micing". James and Samantha deep-dive into stereo miking techniques, why it's important, when we should do it, and why our lizard brains function the way they do. If you're curious about stereo miking, this episode is for you! Co-host Samantha Potter is also co-lead instructor with Church Sound University — a training program tailored specifically for worship audio techs that’s now also available online . Reach her via LinkedIn , on IG @potteraudio , or contact her vi...
Jul 27, 2023•50 min•Season 4Ep. 12
Eliminate variables, don't create them. In this week's episode, James and Samantha tackle every tech's most important and most feared skillset: troubleshooting. What happens when our wedges are feeding back? How come my iPad won't connect? How do I figure out what's happening? Join us as we wrestle with troubleshooting tips and tricks Co-host Samantha Potter is also co-lead instructor with Church Sound University — a training program tailored specifically for worship audio techs that’s now also ...
Jul 13, 2023•57 min•Season 4Ep. 11
What happens if you choose to believe the best in the people you serve with? How do you manage your leadership team? This week, Samantha and James discuss what it's like to work with leaders who are perhaps failing to lead, and what we can do to help drive our tech teams and our houses or worship to success. Co-host Samantha Potter is also co-lead instructor with Church Sound University — a training program tailored specifically for worship audio techs that’s now also available online . Reach he...
Jun 29, 2023•54 min•Season 4Ep. 11
This week, Brad Price from Audinate joins James and Samantha to discuss Dante Virtual Soundcard, when it's time to start implementing Dante, and if Dante is affecting sound quality, plus more! Networked audio -- it's time to get on board, folks! Audinate has some excellent training available, and we always highly suggest techs take at least the Level 1 Certification to familiarize themselves. Co-host Samantha Potter is also co-lead instructor with Church Sound University — a training program tai...
Jun 01, 2023•59 min•Season 4Ep. 10
While Samantha and James are recovering from some hectic travel and personal losses, we wanted to bring you the second part of one of our most popular episodes: The Best of the Best, Part 2! Where we've condensed nuggets of info from some of our most-downloaded episodes. This episode features clips from Episodes 52 (Church Gear), 51 (Letting Go of a Volunteer), 61 (Virtual Soundcheck), 65 (Audio Protocols), and 54 (System Tuning). Co-host Samantha Potter is also co-lead instructor with Church So...
May 18, 2023•50 min•Season 4Ep. 9
Low frequencies are notoriously hard to control. They have a tendency to build up and get out of whack. Why is that and how can we mitigate those problems? What's low-end feedback? Why should we invest time into this at all? Samantha and James discuss low frequencies in our systems and how to tackle issues before someone notices! Co-host Samantha Potter is also co-lead instructor with Church Sound University — a training program tailored specifically for worship audio techs that’s now also avail...
Apr 20, 2023•38 min•Season 4Ep. 6
Guitars (after vocals) are the most prominent instrument in modern worship services. Acoustic, electric, multiples of each, even! James and Samantha dive in to mixing guitars, miking them up, and how we approach guitars in mixes on Sundays. Co-host Samantha Potter is also co-lead instructor with Church Sound University — a training program tailored specifically for worship audio techs that’s now also available online . Reach her via LinkedIn , on IG @potteraudio , or contact her via email here e...
Apr 06, 2023•55 min•Season 4Ep. 5
More of the artistry in mixing this week on Church Sound Podcast! But this time... it's all before it gets to the console. James and Samantha explore microphone techniques and how to start experimenting with mic choice and placement. With so many to choose from, the options are nearly endless! Co-host Samantha Potter is also co-lead instructor with Church Sound University — a training program tailored specifically for worship audio techs that’s now also available online . Reach her via LinkedIn ...
Mar 09, 2023•51 min•Season 4Ep. 4
Samantha and James tackle our industry's most utilitarian tool: EQ! Where do we start using EQ, is there any particular go-to's, and what's the deal with low-pass filters? All this and more on this week's episode. Also, be sure to watch George Massenburg show how he uses parametric EQ : Co-host Samantha Potter is also co-lead instructor with Church Sound University — a training program tailored specifically for worship audio techs that’s now also available online . Reach her via LinkedIn , on IG...
Feb 23, 2023•53 min•Season 4Ep. 3
On this week's episode, keeping things simple! How can we not only prepare our houses of worship for the times we may be gone, but how can we better train and prep the volunteers so that a tool as complex as a sound console becomes digestible and easy to use? James and Samantha dive into keeping our consoles simple and user-friendly, even with all the bells and whistles at our disposal! Co-host Samantha Potter is also co-lead instructor with Church Sound University — a training program tailored ...
Feb 09, 2023•47 min•Season 4Ep. 2
Happy new year and happy new season! Tablets have made their way into our hearts and our toolboxes. But how do we set them up with a wireless router? What do we really even use them for? James and Samantha dive into tablets and iPads and how they've changed the game for us in so many ways. Co-host Samantha Potter is also co-lead instructor with Church Sound University — a training program tailored specifically for worship audio techs that’s now also available online . Reach her via LinkedIn , on...
Jan 26, 2023•47 min•Season 4Ep. 1
What's the big deal between stereo and mono? What even do each mean? Whether we're talking sound systems, buses, or inputs, there are some massive rules we need to understand about stereo and mono sound. Samantha and James discuss how we approach different sound system setups, and how we treat mono vs stereo inputs. Take a listen to explore more options within our stereo and mono audio world. Co-host Samantha Potter is also co-lead instructor with Church Sound University — a training program tai...
Jan 12, 2023•52 min•Season 4Ep. 1
What the heck is a protocol and which one is right for me? James and Samantha dive into audio over ethernet and audio over IP protocols. Proprietary vs Non-Proprietary, intermingling devices and so much more is discussed on this week's episode of Church Sound Podcast! Co-host Samantha Potter is also co-lead instructor with Church Sound University — a training program tailored specifically for worship audio techs that’s now also available online . Reach her via LinkedIn , on IG @potteraudio , or ...
Dec 15, 2022•49 min•Season 3Ep. 18
Our ears are no doubt our greatest tools when it comes to mixing. So how can we get those reps in to make ourselves even better? Well, to no one's surprise, it's training. James and Samantha dive into frequency and dynamic ear training, the "dumbbells" you can use to sharpen your listening, and even discuss musical arrangement training. Tune in to learn all about training our ears! Co-host Samantha Potter is also co-lead instructor with Church Sound University — a training program tailored speci...
Dec 01, 2022•43 min•Season 3Ep. 17
While James and Samantha are zipping and zooming all over the globe, we've decided to dig into our archives and rerun one of our most popular episodes (and it so happens to be the first episode James makes an appearance! We'll be back soon with fresh episodes, ready to regale you with our travel tales of pro audio progress! Co-host Samantha Potter is also co-lead instructor with Church Sound University — a training program tailored specifically for worship audio techs that’s now also available o...
Nov 17, 2022•57 min•Season 3Ep. 16
