You, the church sound tech, have the most important job during a church service, second to the pastor. The difference between you and the pastor? Most likely, they have years of training and professional education while you bring a willing heart and a love of audio. You and every other church sound tech should have training in the foundational aspects of live audio production.

Consider this page as the place to start. You'll find, in the areas below, a list of some of my top Church Audio 101 articles and resources. At the very bottom of the page is the archive of all articles on this site that are considered 101-level articles.

Starting Articles

Beginner
• How sound works
• Is there a difference between volume and decibel level?
• Reverb or Delay: Do you Know The Difference?
• Got Feedback?
• Phantom Power and When To Use It

EQ
• Why There is No Perfect EQ Setting
• How to EQ Speech for Maximum Intelligibility
• The Foundation of the Perfect Mix
• Vocal EQ Settings
• Top Eight Common Acoustic Guitar Mixing Mistakes
• The High-Pass Filter: A Sound Board's Most Underused Button
• The Art of Bass EQ; Using Eight Key Frequency Ranges

How-To
• EQ The Sound Stage: 13 Easy-to-Follow Steps
• How to Set Gain Levels For A Mixing Console
• Passive and Active Direct Boxes : How They Should Be Used
• Top Ten Problems Found During a Line Check
• How to Avoid the Seven Characteristics of an Amateur Mix

Work Ethic / The Job
• Rules of Professionalism for the Church Sound Tech
• Why The Sound Tech Is Ignored
• Top 10 Ways to Build Rapport with the Worship Leader
• Beware the Audio Dip
• Church Sound System Stress Reduction

Recommended Material

Audio Essentials for Church Sound. This is the complete step-by-step guide all church audio techs should own. It covers everything from the technical work to meeting expectations of the congregation to working with the worship leader. It even walks you through creating your mix for the worship band.

Stay Informed

You've got a hundred things coming at you all day long, from job responsibilities to remembering to stop at the store for a loaf of bread. The last thing you need is one more web site to add to your list of "sites to check every day." Drop your email address in here and you'll stay updated on all things audio. You'll learn new stuff that you can put to use each time you're behind the mixer. Plus, you'll get the free 27-page eBook on getting a great drum sound.