Church Sound System House of Worship and Church Acoustics Consultant

Welcome to JdB Sound Acoustics

There two main approaches to acoustics in churches.
One approach is call "sound system acoustics." That is when the acoustical fix is designed to get more performance from a sound system. This often means going overboard with a single action treatment which often "kills the room" or they provide just enough treatment to get enough additional performance to justify a sound system upgrade. While the sound system does perform better, it is most likely not working as well as it could and often the worship experience is reduced somewhat. In many instances the worship experience, especially the congregational singing is reduced a lot.
The second approach is called "Complete church acoustics." That is when the acoustical fix brings the room up to peak performance for almost all aspects of worship. In one step the fix is designed to make the room perform well for;

congregational singing
the praise and worship team
cutting the stage noise down
improving the sound of the choir
assisting the ministers to hear themselves better
hearing speech without a sound system to a larger area of the room without the sound system (up to 80 ft in most rooms)
people with hearing aids to hear further without assistance. If you can hearing well at 10 ft normal conversation in a quiet room, the church acoustics should be just as good. (depending on the type of hearing loss you may have.)
any acoustical performances such as the piano, the pipe organ or digital organ, guitars and orchestra instruments.
improving the bass response for all musical instruments and amplified bass
sub woofers
drum kits (reducing or eliminating the need for drum shields.)
tremendous gain before feedback
less distortion from the sound system.

The big question is, which acoustical fix will cost less?
The two approaches to church acoustics cost the same. If your sound system company is recommending an acoustical fix for your church to improve the sound system performance and they are not offering to fix any or most these problems at the same time, then you could be doing more harm to the spiritual growth of your church. Gaining a better sound system at the expense of congregational singing can undo everything your minister is trying to do as a leader.

We are often the last company churches call after having tried out their 4th or 5th sound system.
Our methods work. No church is too small or too large that we can't fix.

Many churches have concert hall qualities that are being masked by the acoustics anomalies. Have your church tested and if your church has such qualities, you will be notified. There is no extra cost to fixing a church to such quality over a generic room fix.

If you want to see a collection of Photos of Churches in General Please visit my Flickr Photos
http://www.flickr.com/photos/28011375@N04/
Some of the photos are of acoustical fixes. Others are photos of churches and other interesting sites and places I visit in my travels.

JdB Sound Acoustics uses the "EASE" acoustic modeling program
Full Simulation Services for Speaker Systems and Room Acoustics.
Full church simulated before building a new church or do any renovations.

JdB Sound Acoustics
Consulting Services

Ph - 416.248.9007
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Church Acoustics and
Sound System Consulting Company
- E-mail - jdb@jdbsound.com

*** Note - PDF files take a while to download

Example pages 10 and 11 - 2006 to 2008 NEW! PDF
St James Anglican Church 1984 -2007 New

Example page 1 and 2

Example Page 3 and 4

Example Page 5, 6, and 7

Example page 8 and 9

Projects in Progress

Projects Past and Present

Church Tips Updated 2006

New Church Buildings

Shure Note
Church Sound Standards Special PDF

Church Sound Articles

Seven Days PDF 3 month Update

CAPS™ A church acoustical standard

Telephone Star (*) Codes

Element 109 - Wireless System PDF

Kingston Road United Church NEW! PDF

The health effects of sharing microphones PDF
Dirty Screens, Microphone etiquette & The Flu

Archived Article NEW!

Update on our Church Sound Book

Recent Church projects and repairs

News Special. The experiment is over!!
Many church boards today have choices in dealing with acoustics and sound systems for a new building that have not available before. They don't have to wait until the church is finished to know the results. There is no need for putting it off and seeing how it turns out. As of today, God has yet to suspend the laws of physics and science. No matter how much money, prayer or beauty has been added to the church building, God's laws have been unmoveable. After the construction and occupation of over 900,000 churches around the world we now have enough examples and scientific documentation to predict the results before any church starts to build. Your church should not be another experiment or a test bed for the secular entertainment community. Acoustics and sound systems are 100% science.

Historic reports suggest that the guesswork in church acoustics was virtually eliminated in 1895 by Wallace Sabine who has been credited for establishing the science of modern acoustics. As we leap forward to 2009, many experts are still trying to decode his work and trying to duplicate his successes in other large space. The science that Wallace Sabine developed does work but the science for noise control, recording studio's and sound system often get included and creates a lot of myths, misconceptions, confusion, failed results, and a mistrust for real acoustical solutions.

Good church acoustics and sound systems are one of the few things that a church can invest in and see a return on the investment - often paying for itself within 18 to 26 months. Churches that invest in Air-conditioning will see a return in 7 to 12 years. Churches that upgrade their seating or church furnishings will see a return in 7 to 20 years. Churches that invest into Video projection and multi-media see a return in 12 to 20 years. Churches that invest in just the sound system can see a return in 24 to 48 months. Churches that invest in the sound system and acoustics, the return can be as short as 14 months.
How?
Church attendance can be affected up to 25% from church members who have slight hearing lose - including people with hearing aids. Often people with good hearing will switch churches which have sound quality issues. Church Sound and Church Acoustics are the two material things that affects church attendance and up to 20% of a church's income. This added income makes a church investment far greater than investing into banks, stock on high interest savings plans.
Isn't investing into church sound like the teaching of parable Jesus said in
Matt 25:22 He also that had received two talents came and said, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me two talents: behold, I have gained two other talents beside them.
Mat 25:23 His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. When people can hear, it bring joy and access to more money for missions and other important programs a church invests in. This investment return is not a one time return. If a church sound system pays for inself in 14 to 26 months, the church doubles the return on the one time investment again and again and again.

Section 2

Trivia Facts

- Opening doors changes the bass response of the Sanctuary.
- A sound system can roar into feedback as the humidity and temperature increases during worship services.
- Outdoors, sound decay 6dB every time you double the distant between the source and the listener.
- Indoors, the decay rate of sound decreases as the acoustical conditions gets worse

For assistance, please send an email asking for our PDF information file to Download. Please include:

Your Name - -
Church Name - -
Church seating capacity - -
City - -
Country - -
Phone Number. _

Send your email to jdb@jdbsound.com - - - - If you need prompt service, please call. Ph: 416.248.9007

We work on projects that have a wide range of budgets. Ready made solutions are often high cost. If your church wants to offer some volunteer help, the cost of fixing a worship space becomes much more affordable.

Here are some examples of projects with very limited budgets. For each church the worship space was changed from a hostile non musical, low intelligibility space to a high quality space that has an almost ideal balance of musical performance with great speech intelligibility whether the sound system is on or off.

2009 -St Marks Coptic Church, Montreal, Que, Canada - Glass walls - 600 Seating - cost under $5,000
2008 - Kingston Rd United Church, Toronto, Ont. Canada (Cathedral) 500 seating - cost $3,500
1997- 2009 - Parkdale United Church Ottawa, Ontario Canada- 450 seating - Cost Under $2,500.00
2007 - Shawinigan Baptist Church, Que, Canada - 400 seating - Cost under $4,000
Often rented as rehearsal space for members of the Ottawa Symphony at the NAC
2002 - Emmanuel Pentecostal Christian Church, Montreal, Quebec - 600 seating - Cost Under $4,000
2004 - East Pasco Seventh Day Adventist, Zephyrhills, Florida - Octagon Sanctuary, 500 seating - Cost Under $15,000
1999 - Indonesian Community Church, Toronto, Ontario Canada - Seating 500 - Cost under $8,000
2002 - First Baptist Church, Norman, Oklahoma - Seating 1000 - Under $7,000
1996 - St Paul's Anglican Church, Stroud, Ont. Canada - Seating 200 - Costing under $400.00
1999 - Waupaca Community Church, Appleton/Waupaca Wi, USA - Seating 350 - New Church - Under $15,000
2003 - Vineyard Church - Mundelein/Libertyville, IL USA - Seating 450 - Under $6,000
assistance and supervision by All Church Sound
1998 - Good Shepherd Church, Gloucester, Ontario, Canada - Seating 600 - Under $5000
1997 - First Independent Presbyterian Church, Sao Paulo - Brazil - Seating 1200 - Cost under $1,000
1999 - First Presbyterian Church, Meaford Ontario Canada - seating 200 Cost under $1,200.00
2001 - Heritage Alliance Church, Windsor, Ontario Canada - Seating 700 - Cost under $8,500.00
1999 - Orleans Community Church, Orleans, Ontario Canada - seating 900 - Cost under $11,000
2003- St Bernard's Church, Keene, NH. USA Seating 650 - Cost under $4,000.00
2005 Metropolitan Church of God, Toronto, Ontario Canada150 seating - Cost of repair $600.00
2006 Gateway Community CRC Church, Abbostford BC Canada seating 350 Gym - $700.00
2007 - St Andrews United Church, Fitzroy Harbor, Ontario Canada Seating 250 - $440.00

Fixing the acoustics shouldn't be expensive whether it's just to control the room
for a sound system or to make it like a concert hall. Both cost about the same.
It just needs to be done.

*JdB Sound Acoustics does not sell audio equipment, acoustical panels or do installations.*	E-mail address is - jdb@jdbsound.com *PH. 416-248-9007*

Section 3

This is it...a visitor walks into the church building and has taken the first step--a giant step. They have overcome every barrier that has kept them away; fear, intimidation, social inertia, weekend distractions, preconceived notions and a million other reasons that have kept them away until now.

Now, this moment and this moment only, you have the chance to make a first impression that might keep or forever color this visitor's opinion of you and your church.- or any church this person should visit in the future.

As a new visitor comes in, is the lighting right? Does the church look like it has been well kept? How does the church smell? Ok we have pass all of that.

As the new visitor enters the worship hall, was he greeted? Did he get a bulletin? Is the seating comfortable? How is the lighting? Is it warm and inviting? Does the room inspire and bring out a sense of awe, reverence and respect? Does the room make you feel like something great is about to happen?

The music starts. You look up and there are the words to follow along. Is the video bright and clear enough to be seen without dimming any lights? Does the room inspire you to sing and be part of the fellowship?

The music is over, the introductions are complete. The minister is about to begin the most important part of the worship service, the sermon. The minister is a messenger from God who is presenting us with information about God. Messages about love, hope and self improvement. Messages about fellowship, responsibility and life examples.

For a new visitor, the first thirty seconds of hearing your minister speak is a time when you must get it right. Visitors must be able to understand every word spoken, not just hear sounds through the audio system. Remember that a visitor will most likely not be familiar with church language, the subject matter or not used to the diction of the person talking.

Is the sound system free to do its job in delivering God's message? Are the sound reflections getting in the way of understanding speech or music. Is your sound system design the best one for the shape and geometry of your worship space? Are the acoustics of the room limiting the sound system's ability to deliver the spoken words clearly? If your church has a choir or praise team, can a visitor make out the words in the music they are not familiar with?

Did you know that a visitor must be able to understand at least 90% of every word and syllable to comprehend what is being said? When speech understanding is below 90%, then the person is most likely spending most of their time just trying to hear. Hence the wandering eyes, the yawning and the closed eyes with nodding heads. Did you know that a person who is familiar with the content and the speech patterns of the people they are listening to can fill in the blanks of what is being said down to about 78% of clear speech. Below that level most people are just trying to hear.

In a conversation people speak at about 180 to 220 words per minute. In the first 30 seconds of a sermon, every visitor looking for a new church or a new life will know whether they will come back to your church or not. The acoustics, the sound system and the minister have only 60 to 110 words to make that first impression on new comers, visitors and lost souls.

Your church can have the best visual impact a church can hope for. You can have the best of social skills to make people feel like they are at home when they walk into your church for the first time. What kind of impression is the acoustics and sound system making? What impact is it having on church growth and membership? Are they part of the solution or are they in the way? In the end, the only impact that really matters is how well first time visitors hear the first 100 words from your minister's mouth.

Section 4
Sayings church members have shared with us.
- There is an old saying "people who fix old boats are trying to fix a hole in the water."
Trying to make a church sound system work properly in a church with
acoustical problems is like trying to fix an old boat.

- You can't fix a church that was never acoustical planned - but you can finish what was started.

- Church acoustics costs more the longer you put off dealing with it.
The longer it is put off, the more you have to look at it. as well

More Sayings From Churches
- There are hidden cost to church acoustics - attendance - sanctuary usage - tithes and offerings - growing talented leaders.
There are other costs too. Missions, community outreach, planting more churches and
staffing the church with full time workers. Who knew!!

- For years I have been wonder what the pastor was saying. Now that I can understand what he is saying,
I have noticed that our minister is a very very good preacher.

JdB Sound Acoustics
PH. 416-248-9007
63 Lockerbie Ave. Weston, Ontario Canada

"Sufficient information is available to such an extent that it is inexcusable for any church building
to have poor acoustics. The acoustical results may be determined even before the building is constructed."
Page 163 - Planning Better Church Buildings, William A Harrell, Broadman Press -Southern Baptist Association Nashville 1947

Our e-mail address is - JdB@jdbsound.com

Section 5 Blah, ba blah ba blah blah

Trivia - Did you know that!
The penalty for ignoring room acoustics is a frustrated sound team, music ministry and praise and worship team.
Another penalty is lower church attendance, a smaller church budget, and often the church spirit seems affected too.

JdB Sound Acoustics Disclaimer

The information presented on this website is for your entertainment and exposure to the possibilities of affordable high performance church acoustics and church sound systems. The methods presented here are the results of the JdB Sound Acoustics room evaluations methods and/or testing. Each room shown on this website required a unique one of a kind fix. While the method of room repairs may seem to look similar, the implementation of each design is specific to each room's Architecture, shape, dimensions, orientations, reflection sequence and frequency response. Without proper room testing, the results can be unpredictable and detrimental to the spiritual health and growth of your church. Should you wish to duplicate any of these DIY projects and the results failed to fix the problems you were attempting to correct or if the problems changed or became worse, JdB Sound Acoustics and Joseph De Buglio cannot be held accountable. If you try to do your own room fixes or your church has been fixed by someone else using the absorption method and the results have fallen short of your worship needs, JdB Sound Acoustics may assist you.