How to plan the sound for your event

Whether it is a church crusade, a conference in a hotel or a public event in a stadium, the sound decides whether people follow the speeches, hear the preaching and enjoy the music. Planning it well is simpler than it sounds.

Start with three questions

• Where is it? Indoors or outdoors, the size of the space, and where the power comes from. Outdoor events need more speakers and often a generator.
• How many people? Two hundred guests and two thousand need very different systems. Bigger is not always better; the right size is clear without being painful.
• What happens on the programme? Speeches only, or a choir, a band, a DJ, a keyboard, recorded music, videos? Each one needs its own inputs and microphones.

Microphones: count them early

List everyone who will speak or sing at the same time: the MC, the pastor, a choir of twenty, a band with a drummer. Wireless microphones give freedom to move; wired ones are dependable for a pulpit or a lectern. Your sound company should plan one more than you think you need.

Always have an engineer

A sound system without someone running it is the most common cause of feedback, sudden silence and music that drowns the speakers. A good engineer adjusts the sound as the room fills up and the programme changes.

Book the sound check

Ask for the system to be set up and tested before guests arrive, with the people who will speak or perform. Ten minutes of sound check saves the embarrassment of a dead microphone on the day.

What to send your sound company

The date and times, the venue, the number of people, the programme, the performers and anything the venue already provides. With that, we can recommend the right system and send an itemised quotation.