Church Sound Podcast

Thank you guys for all of your support this year. I've got big plans for the podcast coming up this year (Lord willing,) and I'm excited to have you along for the ride. If you have any requests or ideas you'd like to hear on the show, please shoot me an email! I would love to know more about what you guys are interested in hearing. Happy New Year! So long, 2020! Host Samantha Potter...

This has been a year for the books. Some of us for better, some of us for worse. I asked Cortney Inbody, our pastor-in-residence, to join me in this week's episode because I felt like we all needed a deep breath and a check in. I think some of us are burned out, maybe frustrated, tired, and more. I don't want you to forget that I'm here for you (if you ever need anything -- tech rel...

James Rudder is a live sound engineer AND a studio engineer. With quite a varied background in audio, much of his career has been in tandem with Hillsong Church. James and I discuss the blending of these two worlds and the different techniques we can take from studio world for live-sound use. Live sound consoles are getting more and more powerful, so as every new firmware or console is released, w...

Gary Zandstra and Justin Edmonds of D16 Technologies join me this week to talk about the merging of technology and talent. This extends far beyond simply musicians and engineers, but what about technology in our worship services? As a part of an ongoing conversation about blending seemingly opposite ideas, Gary, Justin, and I explore what it means to work with others and stretch ourselves beyond o...

Have you ever heard of drum alignment? What about time alignment? Notable veteran audio engineer and AVID product developer Ryan John joins me on this week's episode and we explore implementing time alignment in our mixes. Playing with time (or distance, depending) can drastically change the relationship between mics in your console. If you've never played with the input delay on your di...

If you read the title of this episode and started singing the jingle, you're a cool kid. My friend Jim Yakabuski joins me in another episode this week. There seems to be so much content for us to consume, but how do we sift through it? What if we want something more formal? Jim and I swim through a multitude of different audio programs available in different formats -- in person, at a college...

This week, I thought it would be best to give you guys a way to listen to this incredibly important panel discussion. This episode, as you may have noticed, is a lot longer than my normal episodes. So, take your time -- but keep listening. A panel of incredible professionals in the field with a vast array of backgrounds and disciplines joins me. A discussion revolving the future of the audio indus...

Church tech and leadership conferences can be a great way to meet professionals and other tech teams, educate yourself or your team, or just find out the latest and greatest gear. Since WFX has discontinued, the vacuum for a church tech conference is in existence. CFX, church facilities conference and expo, is poised to fill it. Stephanie Lippi joins me this week as we discuss what virtual confere...

Wireless mics and monitors aren't getting any simpler, but so many churches want to begin implementing them earlier and earlier. So how do we begin understanding all this wireless mumbo-jumbo? Karl Winkler from Lectrosonics joins me this week in tackling these vast and complicated ideas. Wireless systems create so much value and can give us so much freedom -- but with great freedom comes grea...

Two gents from Group1 Limited join me today to discuss the transitions in technology -- a bridge we all inevitably cross. As always, communication is a huge tool in our arsenal. But what are our first steps? How do we know what's appropriate for us? When do we even know when we should start thinking about upgrading a system or transitioning to newer audio gear? The Church Sound Podcast is spo...

Jeff Hawley joins me this week. The Marketing Maestro at Allen & Heath USA, Jeff is an audio engineer, music industry veteran, and aspiring philosopher. We discuss the idea of "mixing-by-number". When should you use presets? When shouldn't you? At what point do we consider visual cues on a board a crutch? (Hint: your ears are important!) Pursuing some post-graduate degrees in ph...

Soundcheck can be a flurry of never-ending checklists and troubleshooting. My friend Ben Ivey joins me to discuss how we approach every soundcheck from the time we show up at church to the beginning of service. Building confidence in your skills can make soundcheck a breeze -- don't discount organization and repetition! Bonus: 25 tambourines (as compared to 1) is an SPL increase of 28dB = [20...

Chris Leonard, one of the hosts of the Signal To Noise Podcast and director of audio at IMS Technology Services joins me this week. What does it look like to play well with others? Chris and I discuss what it means to work with people we don't get along with (and why it matters most.) Additionally, we hash out adding in pads and tracks into worship sets. Also, what does the corporate world an...

David Jordan is the almighty ruler of the very popular Facebook group, Church Sound & Media Techs. Perhaps you've heard of it? David and I discuss what the future of church technology might look like once we are able to return to some sort of new normal. What have been your toughest adjustments so far during quarantine? What do you think church will look like from now on? David on Faceboo...

Repping Orlando, Florida, Beckie Campbell shares her experiences as a tech director and production company owner. Being a tech director takes a lot of knowledge, skill, patience, leadership, and communication. Not every church needs one, but the second your production hits a certain level it’s time to bring in the big guns. Beckie and I discuss the path towards some kind of legacy — acting selfles...

Networked audio... the new wave of technology we cannot escape from not matter how hard we cry. It's the way of the future and there's no getting out now. Dan Leafblad joins me this week to talk not only about audio, video, and lighting networks, but what ministry can look like beyond the walls of our church buildings in a technical and spiritual approach. Dan's first installment of...

Monitors. What a freakishly important, yet entirely ignored wonder of audio. Jordan Tracy joins me this week for all things monitor world. KLANG, personal monitor mixers, and IEMs galore! Jordan hails from SoCal but lives in the Midwest helping an admittedly massive church achieve perfect monitors for every musician that walks on stage. With a background working and learning with Hillsong Church i...

Get ready for an audio explosion. Brian Maddox (Patti LaBelle, James Brown, Herbie Hancock) is a pro audio veteran with enough experience to fill several books. Our main topic covers some best practices for live sound: the importance of proper gaffing, objectivity vs subjectivity, troubleshooting tips, and more. What are your best live sound practices? Brian Maddox on ProSoundWeb ProSoundWeb Forum...

Worship leaders and audio techs are two very different sides of the same coin. Mike O'Brien, a worship leader and producer from Atlanta Georgia, joins me this week. What can we do to help out the worship leaders and what can they do to help us? What happens when we nerdy audio folk let down our guards in an effort to avoid being an anxious presence? Mike and I answer these questions and more...

A healthy amount of skepticism will take you a long way. I welcome ProSoundWeb's technical editor Michael Lawrence onto the podcast for this special edition about technical information in the audio field. Plenty of people are clicking "Publish" these days to put info online, but how much should you trust? Email Michael Lawrence at michael@precisionaudioservices.com Michael's We...

This week, James Attaway from Attaway Audio and I examine various plug-ins including dynamic EQ and tube emulation. James is an audio engineer around Kansas City for assorted houses of worship including IHOPKC where they've been hosting 24-hour worship for over 20 years. What would you do if you couldn't have rehearsal? Imagine a track meet where you hand off the baton to the next runner...

Sometimes working with Pastors and Ministers can be like pulling teeth. If I had to pick an antonym to "technology" it would be "Pastor". This week, I'm joined by Cortney Inbody -- a self-described Luddite Pastor from the Heartland. We discuss joining pastoral teams and religious leaders with our tech teams: how we can better communicate, and what it can mean for our minis...

With all the hubbub going on, I wanted to take a few minutes to talk about some streaming basics and answer some of the questions I've gotten over the last two weeks. Enjoy this special edition episode of Church Sound Podcast Samantha's article: Setting Up Simple , Effective Streaming of Worship Dan Leafblad's article: Not So Mysterious: Defining The Basics of Digital Audio Networki...

This week, the incomparable Jim Yakabuski and I chat about the most common mistakes a church audio tech makes. As a mix master, Jim points out his favorite mix techniques including a couple of effect tips and tricks even I can't help but try! Work/life balance has been a hot topic online lately, and we just had to spend a few mins trying to sort it out. A great "Thank You" to Jim fo...

On this week's episode, Chris Huff from Behind The Mixer joins me in a conversation about getting started in church sound, having a career in houses of worship, and some finishing touches you can put on your live mix including gain correction, EQ techniques, and fader balancing. Check out Behind The Mixer Join the Facebook Community Chris' Article "Putting The Finishing Touches On Y...