Setting up a church or house of worship sound system can be a daunting task, and not just for first-timers. In this post, we review a few things to keep in mind as you plan.

Church sound systems aren’t very different from any other indoor sound system.

You still have the same basic components – a mixer, PA speakers, mics, in-ears or wedges, iso-booths for instrument speaker cabinets, lighting, digital mixers, and the instruments.

However, there are some distinctions about a church environment that you must keep in mind. As with any sound system setup – whether it’s a simple recording studio or a large indoor venue –  it’s easy to overlook the effect of the smaller components and their impact on the overall sound.

But before we get into the setup of your sound system, let’s cover what it should all sound like.

What is a “Good” Church Sound?

Good sound in a church or worship setting is all about control. The sound and experience should be focused primarily on the vocals, so the instruments need to be limited so as to not overpower the vocals.

The instruments will ideally be clean and punchy, but they shouldn’t be loud. The vocals should come through clearly without any harsh reverb or feedback. You want your congregation to be able to hear the lyrics and respond in the right moments, which requires controllable separation between the instruments and vocals.

#1. Know the Challenges

The problem sound engineers run into is that churches are often massive, open spaces with significant echo. Getting a tight and controlled sound with the vocals at the forefront is difficult – especially when the church band includes a lot of instruments.

As a sound mixer or engineer, unfortunately, there are a lot of factors out of your control. You have to trust that the band can play at the right level and that the church has done all they can to set up their building to be as acoustically friendly as possible.

With that out of the way, let’s dig into the things you can control.

#2. Control the Acoustics

Good sound is about control. And, as we mentioned, in a worship setting that mostly means controlling the noise levels of the instruments to prevent them from overpowering the vocals delivering the message.

To do this, you should use iso-booths for the speakers, plexiglass surrounds to dampen the drums, digital solutions that can connect to the right mixers, and opt for in-ear monitors instead of wedges. In-ear monitors allow you to mix the instruments for the performers to hear themselves without affecting the overall volume of the room.

#3. Pick the Right Cables

You can use the best equipment. You can mix everything perfectly. But if your system isn’t connected properly, sound, lighting, and effects will suffer.

Many people overlook the importance of good cabling in a sound system. Using poor-quality cables can negatively impact your sound quality by introducing noise and unwanted feedback into the mix.

Here’s a list of every cable you might possibly need…

• Microphone cables – to connect the vocals.
• Instrument cables – to connect your instruments.
• Interconnects – to connect everything to the mix.
• Headphone extensions – for in-ear mixing feedback.
• Speaker cables – to connect all the speakers.
• DMX cables – for any lighting needs.
• Cat6 – to connect any digital sound mixing equipment.
• S/PDIF – for any analog to digital recording needs like streaming or broadcasting the service.
• Stage box snakes – for any larger setups, so you’re not dealing with tons of individual cables.

#4. Organize Your Gear

Church sound systems are beasts and require planning and organization.

With so many cables running to mics and sending sound everywhere, cable organizers and gaff tape will be a critical part of your arsenal. They keep the cable runs discrete and help prevent people from stepping on them or tripping.

Preventative measures will also save you a lot of headaches, so consider using a cable tester to test connections and make sure everything is working properly before the service. Use instrument stands to keep unused instruments out of the way and undamaged. And finally, cleaners like mic sanitizers, surface and headphone cleaners will help maintain the condition and cleanliness of your equipment over time.

Conclusion

Setting up a church sound system is a process. But a little preparation goes a long way. If you account for the unique environmental qualities, you’ll be well on your way to getting a great sound for every service. Thanks to good-quality cables and plenty of intuitive digital sound equipment, homing in on the right sound for your church worship is easier than ever.

Everyone knows what a cable is for. But do cable connector components matter when it comes to tone or sound? Let’s find out.

Before we get too far into the post, let’s make sure we have the basics down.

What are Cable Connectors? – An Overview

Cable connectors are the ends or the “tips” of cables that connect the input and output devices that need to transfer signal. They’re designed to provide a consistent contact point and stable connection.

Most connectors are made with some combination of copper, gold, nickel, zinc, and tin. More expensive and higher-end connector alloys include silver, phosphor bronze, or rhodium, which can all have sonic advantages.

Overall, each of these metals brings its own properties to the table. For example, gold-plated connectors withstand corrosion more effectively because gold withstands corrosion more than most metals.

At the end of the day, it really comes down to what you’re looking to get out of a cable. If you’re looking for a cable that will transmit the best sound, then your connector components will matter. If you’re looking for something that will be durable and last from sessions to session, then the components matter less than the overall build quality.

Let’s get into some of the things to look for in connectors when shopping for cables.

What to Look for in a Connector

#1. Make Sure You’re Getting the Right Connector Types

First (and most importantly) you want to make sure you’re getting the right connectors for the equipment you want to hook up.

Some of the most common connectors for audio equipment include XLR, 1/4’’, RCA, and 3.5mm (often mistakenly called 1/8’’). These connectors all perform essentially the same function, although it’s good to know that RCA connectors can only be used for unbalanced connections.

If you need cables with mismatched connectors, that can be a challenge. Find a place with a lot of options will help you find what you need. You can always use our cable finder to find exactly what you’re looking for if you need a hand.

#2. Make Sure You’re Getting a Solid Build

The next thing to look for is solid build quality. Cheaply made connectors are more prone to fail. Some can introduce noise due to poor isolation, and it makes your cable microphonic – something you don’t want. If the solder points break down internally, it makes the cable unusable unless you can diagnose the problem and solder it yourself.

Make sure your cable connectors have solid solder points. This will make them more resistant to strain and wear and tear. Robust connectors have a better time handling the constant use of being on the road, some even having dedicated strain-relief components. They’ll also be able to withstand the elements better, especially changes in humidity.

Speaking of humidity, let’s talk about storage quickly.

Where you store your cables can have a huge effect on the durability of the connectors. Connectors stored in humid or ocean-coast climates are notorious for failure due to oxidation from the atmosphere. Also, wrapping your cables in the proper way can help ensure that the cable doesn’t break internally, and any fixes will be in the connector ends.

#3. Don’t Overthink It

Lastly, you really don’t have to overthink connectors. If you’re an audiophile, you can get into the detail on metal types and their effect on your sound. Often, these differences are inaudible to the untrained ear, so getting lost in the weeds when it comes to molecular properties and percentage of alloys is time better served towards more immediately consequential parts of creating sound.

Or, if you’re just looking for reliability in hooking up your gear, you can go with the more widely accepted industry standards and not think about it.

A good example is Neutrik and REAN connectors, which come with an industry-wide reputation for creating connectors that meet every demand. They are renowned for both their sonic transfer strength and reliable build quality. When in doubt, these connectors are a solid foundation to look out for.

Conclusion

To sum up, cable connector components do matter to an extent. You don’t want to use something that will break down after a lot of connecting and disconnecting. On top of that, you don’t want something that’s going to ruin your sound.

But finding the right connector doesn’t have to be a challenge. There are industry standards out there that are always solid options. Just make sure you’re getting the right connectors for your equipment and storing them properly.

Like everything in the music industry, you can go as deep as you want. There’s always the consideration of quality to cost, and how critical that is in your environment. The cables and connector types you might want in the studio for recording might not be the same ones you use on the road, or to practice in your bedroom.

No matter what you’re looking for, Hosa has connector components that will meet your needs. Check out our cable selection to see how we can connect your gear.

Nothing ruins a good recording session like cable noise. In this post, we’ll discuss what causes cable noise in a studio environment, including ways to avoid or eliminate it.

Let’s get something straight. “Cable noise” isn’t actually noise made by cables.

Rather, it’s when a cable picks up interference – typified by an errant hum or buzz in the background of a recording – which then degrades the overall quality of signal, and thus sound, being transferred through the cable.

Cable noise is bad in any environment, but it’s kryptonite when recording. If the input signal isn’t as clean or transparent as possible, the resulting degradation in frequency or sound cannot be fixed. You can’t unmuffle something that lost all its detail or remove noise that was present when you recorded.

Interference can also cause issues during the mixing stage. If a recording is degraded due to cable noise, the producer won’t be able to hear the cues they need to do their job.

So, yeah, cable noise is an issue. But what actually causes it?

3 Biggest Causes of Cable Noise

Cable noise can be caused by many factors. But generally, there are three main buckets that all factors fall into. If you’re experiencing unwanted humming or buzzing in your recordings, these are the first things to check.

#1. Electrical Environment

Some studios have more electrical interference and ground hums than others. That can depend on a variety of factors including the wiring of the studio and the electronics present at the time of recording.

Ungrounded outlets can cause humming and overtones in a recording. If your studio only has two-pronged outlets, chances are you’ll need to get an electrician in to safely and properly rewire your outlets to ground.

Another environmental factor is the amount of electronic equipment in your studio. The more you have, the greater the risk of interference. Make sure your equipment is properly spaced, and that you only have what you need.

#2.  Shielding

Cables are usually made up of four layers – the inner, central core, a dielectric insulator, a metallic shield, and an outer jacket. All these layers are important, but if you want to get a handle on eliminating cable noise from your studio, start by looking at the shielding.

Proper shielding of your cables and electrical components in your studio can eliminate much of the unwanted humming and buzzing.

First, look for copper shielding over aluminum shielding. Next, look at the shielding type and the cable you’re buying. For mic and instrument cables, you’ll want to go with braided shielding. For interconnects between devices carrying line-level, you only need spiral shielding. The greater the percentage of coverage the better.

#3. Cable Type & Quality

The last factor concerns the type of cable being used – balanced or unbalanced – and the material quality of its parts.

Unbalanced cables carry an unbalanced signal using a signal wire and a ground wire. On the other hand, balanced cables carry a signal with a ground wire and two signal wires that are reversed in polarity, helping to cancel out noise as the signal travels down the wire.

Despite what the internet says, balanced cables aren’t inherently better than unbalanced. If they’re properly shielded, unbalanced cables can be used over a short distance in a studio setting. But if your studio is more spread out, balanced cables can help ensure the signal stays pure from point A to point B.

Once you’ve decided on the type of cable, you’ll also want to make sure those cables have high-quality connectors. You’re looking for something that’s durable and forms a clean connection that will last for years being plugged in repeatedly.

Conclusion

There’s no one-size-fits-all solution to cable noise. Every studio space is unique. Each piece of equipment acts and reacts differently to its surroundings. High-quality, properly shielded cables can go a long way to fixing studio noise issues. But bad cables can do a lot to make the situation worse.

Regardless, a cable’s only job is to transfer signals as transparently as possible. If you’re experiencing cable noise, start with these factors to see what you can do to improve signal quality.

Looking for high quality studio cables? Check out our wide selection of studio-ready cables to get the cleanest sound you need.