Live-stream audio challenges
BACKGROUND
Many churches use their audio / video system to provide sound for both the sanctuary and online live-streaming, using the sound board to balance the audio for both purposes.
In the sanctuary, we hear the natural sound emanating from the instruments and singers, which is then augmented by microphones.
For the online stream, sound from the microphones is sent to the stream with some ability to modify the balance independent of the sound in the sanctuary.
THE CHALLENGE
The balance created for the online stream does not include the natural sound coming from the singers and instruments – therefore, a good balance in-person can easily be a poor balance online.
A good balance in-person can easily be a poor balance online
POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS
1. Run the sound from the main soundboard to another soundboard IN ANOTHER ROOM. This allows the operator to balance the audio without being “fooled” by the natural sound in the room. (This is done by the Winnipeg church Fort Whyte Baptist)
2. Run both mixes from the main sound board but have someone with headphones check the live steam balance and adjust accordingly. This can be problematic if the balance for in-person is being changed several times during the service as each of those changes likely requires a change to the live-stream balance. This can get good results if you have a dedicated team (or even individual) who not only switches back and forth between the in-person and online sound, but also reviews the live stream later in the week to see what adjustments need to be made. This is how it is done at the North Langley Community church in British Columbia.
In both the above cases, a pair of “room microphones” is important to capture the sound of the congregation and make the online balance sound natural. I worked with a church in the USA to get the right balance in their Room Mics by listening to a live rehearsal online and sending suggestions to the sound operator at that church.
Abandon sending sound from the music mics to the livestream and use a stereo-pair instead?
3. Another solution is to abandon sending sound from all the music microphones on the main sound board (keep those for all talking, preaching, etc.) to the livestream and, instead, setup a stereo pair of Room Mics to capture the same sound the in-person people hear and send that to the online stream.
This requires some experimentation to find the ideal place to put the Room Mics, but once found, requires no further adjustment. Please note that this will not guarantee a good balance, it just removes the need to deal with balancing for both in-person and online. The online viewers will hear pretty much the same thing as those in-person.
Recruit and train individuals with a both a musical ear and a technical bent
In all cases, it is important to recruit and train individuals with a both a musical ear and a technical bent – in other words, match the gifting to the task. But that is another topic…