Number One on my list:a decibel meter, manufactured for, and sold by, of all places, Radio Shack.
I actually have the "old school" version with an actual VU meter instead of this nifty LCD display model. The principle is still the same, however, acceptable sound pressure levels, (SPL's) can physically be measured. While things like tolerance, enjoyment and annoyance are very subjective and at best a moving target, and actual physical output level is not. Even if you are not trained or even acquainted with the various technical terms or scientific equations, you can still take a reading. At it's simplest form, if the number on the display is "100" and this "feels" too loud for your room or your situation, then it probably is.
Sound nerds will talk about the value of "A" weighting vs "C" weighting, a selectable option on the meter. To a certain extent, it's simply a matter of preference, but to explain it simply:
"A" weighting selected on the meter measures the SPL's of primarily middle and upper frequencies, or, the ones that hurt the most. "C" weighting measures a wider range of frequencies, extending down to the low end frequencies, as low as 90-100 hz, or typically bass notes. A measurement of 104 db C weighted will likely correspond to about 92 or 93 on A weighted. (You can check that out and correct me if you'd like).
The bottom line is this- rather than beating your head against the wall from week to week, it is possible to arrive at an average SPL level that is agreed upon by the interested parties, or at least the parties with the most influence. Our senior pastor at our church has "signed off" on approximately 92 db A weighted, or an average of 102, 103 db C weighted. Our church, as a part of our history and culture, plays a mix of contemporary praise songs, Black Gospel, traditional hymns, and original songs. The approximate length of our church from the back wall of the choir loft to the back pew where I stand (aka Front of the House) is about 96 feet.
My concept when setting the overall level of volume for Sunday worship services has changed over the years, and may be the subject of further articles. But for now, let me say this: my personal goal is to convey the energy and excitement coming from the stage, all the way to the back of the room. High energy music should be played with high level SPL's. This engages the entire audience. People who stand in the last four rows of pews, who have limited vision when the entire congregation is standing anyway, should not be asking themselves, "what's going on?", or be able to carry on a separate conversation while Worship is supposed to be happening. Now, some people might interpret this to mean that I am trying to beat the congregation into submission by overwhelming them with volume- and I must admit, I grin a little at that idea. But it's not the point at all.
The point for me is, the worship team and the musicians are (hopefully) playing their hearts out, and doing so for EVERYONE. That includes the people that come in late, the large groups of visitors all forced to sit together, the people who just have no place left to sit and end up on folding chairs in the narthex.
Over the years I have fielded both criticism and praise for my mix, including, I suppose the volume levels. Suprisingly, no one has ever said to me by way of praise, "Wow, great SPL level today", but rather, "Great mix", or "Nice work". Conversely, the critics have only one thing to say: "Too Loud". I always ask them to specify WHICH specific thing was to loud... the bass? The drums? The organ? The "Too Loud" comment is never directed at any one thing, it only has to do with "overall" volume. But seriously, the critics are outnumbered 10 to 1. This is not because I'm the greatest engineer in the world, but rather because I think we have finally found consistency in our sound. Control of the stage level, and therefore control of the overall room, is how we obtain this consistency. And this leads to me to the next indispensable tool in our tech arsenal: The Aviom system. In our next episode.
