Owning the Process

By Derek Volkmann, 1.25.2024

"Owning the process" is an area I've been drilling down for myself and members of my own team. We run a pretty lean operation, so a few people wear multiple hats. And to be honest, some of those hats fit better than others.?

In my case, my strengths lie in arranging, rehearsing, and performing music. The tech side? Not my forté.

Still, it's my responsibility to know our system well enough to make sure it runs right, sounds good, and looks great, especially because my team is fairly small. When I stepped into a new position, my first problem was not knowing enough about modern digital sound boards, along with running ProPresenter and our livestream set-up.?

It required a consistent "practice" routine of sharing responsibilities that I would normally delegate, which meant following through with "owning" the parts where I was weaker than others.?

Start with the Fundamentals

The most intimidating piece of the process when I started leading our creative ministries was the integration of audio and visual tech, especially with modern systems (digital boards, complex projection software, etc.):

• Front-of-house sound (FOH)
• Stage monitor sound (wedges/IEMS)
• Projection elements (slides, projectors, etc.)
• Live streaming integration (online and CCTV/in-house)

Each of these pieces contain their own workflows, frameworks, and specifics, and to the inexperienced, it's REALLY overwhelming.?

But the best way to eat an elephant is one bite at a time, and you can start almost anywhere. Here's what I did:

• Learned the start-up and shut-down sequence for all tech. Seems elementary, but this is crucial for properly maintaining your gear. Doing things out-of-step can result in damage to amplifiers, speakers, etc.?
• Learned how to adjust volume levels between FOH and wedge monitors/IEMs. Again, pretty basic, but it's the feature that's used most often.?
• Learned how to import songs and edit slideshows in our projection software (we use ProPresenter). Like adjusting volume levels for audio, being able to create and edit basic visual elements is fundamental to delivering a consistent experience your congregation expects.?
• Learned how to initiate a live stream. For many churches, this is quickly shifting from being an extra feature to a fundamental platform for ministry, so being able to get a basic live stream up and running is crucial.?

This education came from asking A LOT of questions of the existing volunteers, and then putting it into real-time practice. The best way for me to do this was to "live" with visual tech during the week, and then keenly observe/implement audio techniques during rehearsals when I wasn't scheduled to be on the platform.?

From there, I was able to go a bit deeper and build up my confidence in an unfamiliar area.

Move Deeper into the Weeds

Once I had a better understanding of the fundamentals, I was able to dig into the finer points of what made each of these pieces "tick" and how they were connected:

• Learn the connection points and routes for all A/V tech. This involves hardware like ethernet hubs, adapters, switchers, etc., but the biggest element is how we connect our audio from the sound board to our live stream room AND make sure it syncs with the video feed from our cameras. (Still learning the finer points here, but I'm able to make sure that each source is routed the proper way.)
• Begin learning how to adjust EQ and panning for FOH and IEMS/wedges. Right now, myself and the team have a pretty good grasp of how to adjust where each instrument and voice is placed in our "sound picture," but EQ'ing each channel is the next piece of the puzzle to master. The biggest hold-up in this is not getting enough time in the sound booth to play around with controls and experiment with how these adjustments affect the overall sound. Again, being able to simply pull up those controls and manipulate them is half the battle, so that's where I currently am in my learning process.?

As you move deeper into the weeds, you can then determine if your current system works well or if things need to be changed.?

Figuring Out What Needs to Be Replaced

Over the last several months, learning each system has kick-started my thinking into how to make it better for everyone involved, which usually comes down to:

• How easy is it to use?
• How easy is it to fix?
• Is the end result what we really want?

For our set-up, we were having recurring issues in getting audio signal to each IEM/wedge station, and came down to the cables we were using. To reduce the number of connection points in the chain, we needed to implement a new type of delivery, which meant purchasing new gear. We're actually in the middle of putting all of this in, but we've added significant improvements to how power and signal is routed across (or rather, UNDERNEATH) the stage, which frees up power outlets, extension cords, etc.?

When the new gear is fully integrated, we will be able to have a more reliable audio signal flow along with an easier user experience for each band member to adjust their mixes.?

Continuous Improvement is Key

Whether it's in your personal practice/learning or in identifying what needs to be updated in your systems and workflows, staying put IS NOT the place to be. Staying static leads to stagnation, and you miss opportunities to maximize the talents, experience, and perspectives of you and your team to plan, meet, and create goals.?

So simply: learn, evaluate, tweak, repeat. You got this!

Be blessed ????