By Jordan Richmond
If you have any semblance of modern, band-driven worship, I guarantee you’ve had complaints about volume. I had a guy who would stick toilet paper in his ears every week and obnoxiously pace the foyer during the music set.
Conventional wisdom tells us that more volume equals more energy. After all people don’t want to hear themselves sing right?
So what’s the perfect volume? In this case, Disney has the answer. Disney seems to have a knack for managing expectations and providing the best user experience on the planet. They can teach us a thing or two about worship. So during my last visit to Disney World I decided to conduct an experiment. Every show I attended I would take out my iPhone and fire up the RTA Lite app. This handy (and free) little tool let’s me measure the decibel level at certain frequencies. I can see the level of the bass, mids, and trebles. The results shocked me.
- Decibel Level – At every show and concert, the average level was about 75 db. That’s pretty soft—about the same as a dial tone with the phone up to your ear. Occasionally it might pop up to 85 db (city traffic), but not much more (hearing damage occurs at 90-95 db with sustained exposure). It was amazing how an explosion or kick drum had incredible intensity when everything else was at a pleasant level.
- Frequencies – The frequency spectrum was linear (as opposed to flat or the typical “smiley face” with enhanced lows and highs, and reduced mids). Bass was the loudest, and it would evenly taper off as it headed toward the higher frequencies. So the sound I heard was ultimately smooth. It had impact when it needed to, and was never shrill or brassy.
- Other Factors – Admittedly the shows I attended were family friendly—inviting young and old. EPCOT did have more concert/dance adult-oriented venues later in the evening. These were significantly louder (too loud for my taste). Also, every Disney venue featured Meyer arrays and trained sound men, so the end product was excellent.
So what did I learn from Disney?
I observed everyone, babies to grandmas, enjoying their experience. They participated. I also realized that sound is something we cannot escape. We cannot turn off our ears. We can look at something else if a light is too bright, but we cannot divert our hearing.
I attended a church service that weekend and felt almost assaulted by the sound (around 90-95 db). Admittedly I’ve subjected my church to that numerous times and wondered why they didn’t participate as actively. By all means pump the volume for youth groups. But for the large corporate service featuring all age groups (or children’s worship), it might be a good idea to bring the volume down.
More volume does not necessarily equal more energy. It insults your listeners, and robs you of the head room you need to emphasize dynamics and impacts when you need to. Turn it down. Smooth it out.
How loud is your church? Would you respond differently if the volume were different?
Jordan Richmond is a worship pastor at Idlewild in Tampa, FL. He has also served other local churches in Florida, Kentucky, and the Cayman Islands.
Posted on April 17, 2013
With nearly 40 years of ministry experience, Thom Rainer has spent a lifetime committed to the growth and health of local churches across North America.
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346 Comments
I complained to a pastor about rock type music that he let a church member play on dvds at our worship service. He said he too objected but got accustomed to it. I never did get accustomed to it and I came in later and later to avoid this kind of music. Once, I brought in a digital player and played the theme from “Delta Force” so I would not have to put up with the rock music on dvds. Since then, the church has dissolved. I will not attend a church that plays rock music.
@Jon Vernon, you said: “I will not attend a church that plays rock music.”: That’s your choice, for sure, but it has nothing at all to do with the article here, nor with the discussion. You are talking about worship styles, but the article is about sound levels in churches. Those are two very different things. Rock music can be played quietly, or loud, just like any other type of music, so your dislike of Christian rock music doesn’t seem to be relevant to the discussion.
Patrick’s comment was the only relevant comment, and the only one that made sense out of all the nonsense and noise expressed above: “If you cannot hear the congregation singing the music is too loud.” … It does not matter if your neighbor is off-key. The song leader is NOT more important than anyone else.
Here is how we set levels at Crossroads Church:
Strategy:
Congregants in the middle of the room should be able to sing full-throatedly without straining, hear their own voices and feel supported by the combined sound of the singing around them and the sound from FOH (front of house).
Heuristics:
We ask the sound team to do just that during the biggest songs. If you have to strain to be loud enough to hear yourself, turn the house down. If you don’t feel supported — you stand out — turn it up.
Practical experience:
This turns out to be more or less 85dB A weighted.
Caveats:
1. When the board operator first starts up for a rehearsal in the our empty room which has highly reflective oak pews, the 0 dB master fader setting left over from the last service is too loud. That setting may have generated 85 dB with a room full of people at the end of the service, but it’s too loud now. We generally pull it back 10 dB or even more.
2. When the sound team sits through a rehearsal and then starts the service up shortly after, their ears have adapted to higher levels and they perceive 85 dB as a little too quiet, but congregants just arriving perceive it as a little to loud at the beginning of the service.
Adjustments:
Ask the sound team to keep running the heuristic as the service proceeds. Needed levels tend to vary in the moment with the intent of the segment and the response of the attenders. An energetic song with dynamic congregational response can seem to require 90-95 dB, but needs a rethink after 5 minutes.
Absolutely cannot “set it and forget it” with either a number or a perception test.
Oh, and of course, volume is uneven in any room. Having sections that are 5 dB quieter or louder can be an advantage: people with common perceptions of the music might just fit a common demographic enjoying each others’ company.
Just sayin’.
The noise pollution emitted by church organs, church praise bands and even the rinky-tink of the church piano shouldn’t be too much of a concern anymore. Since congregations are drastically reducing in size in most christian faiths, it will only be a matter of time before many more house of worship close up shop for good. This is the 21st century. We are modernists, realists and many of us are materialists and reductionists. It is positively preposterous for people in this day and age to worship a non existent god. Science is the only path of truth that there is. (And that’s a fact!) So it only makes sense to close down those foolish old churches that serve absolutely no rational purpose, and extract the pipe organs from their lofty perches and install them in pizza parlors, or just use the old behemoths for target practice since virtually no one has any interest in those complicated, problematic, ancient pipe organs anymore.
I just read comments by Brady and wish to reply. He talked about a going to a loud African musical where the voices are very loud versus being in a quiet place with piano softly playing. That was almost like comparing it to a funeral. I cannot take volume that hurts my ears but love the African worship. The volume of the voices are never so loud that they literally burst the eardrums as the volume of instruments tend to do.
I am a born again believer and study Gods word to guide my life.
I’ve been a performing musician all my life. I also do private teaching. As a teacher of music, I have spent much time studying about brain and how it is effected by music. One of the things I have learned
about music in relation to the human being is this: If you break music down into its 3 basic elements,
it looks like this: 1. melody 2. harmony 3. rhythm. Now compare that with the human being: 1. spiritual
2. psychological. 3. physical.
Music Human
melody————–spiritual
harmony————psychological
rhythm————- physical
Which ever element is the most predominant is what will minister or impact the listener the most. In reference to the topic of the main article above, excessive decibels, especially in the rhythm, will cause a flood of neurohormones. This results in a pleasurable sensation to the listener. There is a danger of
this effect becoming overly stimulating to the point of being habitual. In the long term the pleasuable effects can become damaging to the brain. Case in point: Rock musicians are constantly exposed to this effect while performing. This can create a dependance of the feeling so when not performing they often recreate the sensation with psychotropic drugs.
If you apply the above scenario to the “rock-generation” church goer, they can fall into this stigma because they are exposed to the same stimulation syndrome by their recreational listening habits. They welcome the effect where-ever they can get it. Even in church service.
I feel the Ministerial responsibility should include explaining to the congregation the effects and
possible consequences of over exposure to hi decibels.
In addition, my personal experience in listing to “currant culture” praise music is that in addition to the decibel dilemma, many of the performers try hard to emulate the looks and actions of the rock musicians. Bringing the “World” into the worship service is a disturbing policy.
I would like to close with this scripture reference from Romans 12:2.
–and be not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you
may prove what is that good, and acceptable and perfect will of God.
Oh how I love this debate…
So I’m 25 years old, the director of Contemporary Worship at a church just outside of Pittsburgh, PA, and enjoy loud music from time to time.
I grew up in a church with a traditional style of worship with choirs, bells, and an organ. I’ve sung in choirs for most of my life and have loved every second of it. I’ve also been a part of very reflective, acoustic worship sessions that have drawn me closer to the Lord as well. And here is what I’ve learned…
Worship, like much of our faith, is about balance. On one hand, we are called to enter the presence of our King with reverence and awe. We can do so in soft reflection and contemplation. We can do so with soft instrumentation melodically drifting in the background. Hey, the db’s might even be below 75 in this context, and that’s ok.
On the other hand, we are exhorted in the Hebrew scriptures to lift loud, resounding praise to the Maker of Heaven and Earth. In fact, we are called to join with all of creation in doing so. In as many places as we are called to be still before the Lord, we are also called to rejoice. Most people love to ignore the last 6 Psalms which culminate with Psalm 150’s “Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet, praise Him with the harp and lyre, praise him with tambourine and dancing, praise him with the strings and flute, praise him with the clash of cymbals, praise him with resounding cymbals…” (I’m pretty sure the Hebrew word for “resounding cymbals” literally translates to “at least 75dbs” haha). No matter your background or stance on worship and worship music, this is an instruction, a command that you can’t ignore. So what’s my point?
I agree that we are called to be good stewards of the people God has placed under our care. We shouldn’t want to injure anyone’s hearing. That would be foolish. But to imply that “the world” and “the devil” invented loud music and the church should therefore avoid it at all costs is simply to be ignorant of the Scriptures’ clear instruction to praise God with jubilation and joy. Let’s not injure our people. But let’s not encourage a soft, safe, and lifeless form of worship that forgets that God is the maker of lightning, earthquakes, and all forms of loud sound.
Oh and if you think this is only a “modern rock-band worship style” problem, let me just tell you that our organist LOVES to use every pipe with the organ. And I’m sure Mozart loved to use every one of the 88 keys on a piano at full staff. And yes, he implemented pianissimo dynamics as well. Playing music at 60dbs doesn’t make someone a heretic. But neither does 85+dbs. So it’s all about balance, my brothers and sisters. Balance. Anything otherwise is simply too simple.
I never had a problem at around 95. It was when my Church hit an average last week at 106. That was nothing but noise. Most Churches are not built for that noise level.
All the discussion about the correct dB is meaningless without a reference. OSHA standards are measured in dBA SPL, That is a Sound Pressure Level measurement with A-weighting. A-weighting is a weighted frequency curve to mimic the human ear’s response. That said, you can have two sounds produced the same SPL when A-weighted, yet be very different in unweighted (Z-weighted) measurements, which is based on total sound energy.
It is also important to consider “perceived” volume, which is psycho-acoustical. The perception of volume is based on actual SPL, frequency characteristics and quality of the sound, as well as personal preferences and emotions. One example I often use; chalk board scratching at 80 dB SPL will be perceived by most people as being louder than ocean sounds at 80 dB SPL. This affect cannot be discounted in any relevant discussion on the correct volume.
Last, most Disney shows are meant to be watched and are in a highly controlled acoustical environment. In most churches, we want the congregants to sing along and participate. That fact alone typically requires a higher band volume. Also, the unique acoustical environment of each venue will also be a factor in determining the correct volume.
The key, as always, it to determine the correct volume based on your congregation, your system, and your room. It is not as simple as some make it out to be, or just copying Disney’s example.
Psalm 33:3 – “Sing unto him a new song; play skillfully with a loud noise.”
I can’t help but wonder how many of the people who are immovably adamant that “only XX decibels is right”, or “YY decibels is too loud”, or “ZZ decibels is too quiet”, have ever held a sound level meter in their own hands, or would even know how to interpret what they read on it if they did! And I also wonder if they would know which range to set the meter on (would you use “A” or “C” weighting?, for example), or how to set the time response (should you set it to “fast”, “medium” or “slow”?, for example), or even how to hold the meter correctly, in order to take a valid measurement.
Or even where to stand in the congregation to take such a measurement. Or when to stand there.
The point is, and I say this very respectfully and with Christian love for my brothers and sisters who have offered their opinions so far, that many of the responders to this article in reality have no idea what they are talking about, and are simply repeating numbers and phrases that they read some place, or heard some place. If you have never used a meter, and don’t fully understand that it is telling you, then you should not be telling others how to do it.
I don’t mean that in a belittling way, but rather as encouragement to take the time to learn about sound and acoustics, so you can help your church do a better job, but based on real personal understanding of the issues, rather than just “something I once read or heard”.
I would suggest that those of you who never have used a sound level meter, or have not been trained to use one, should actually get a meter and learn how to use it properly. I’d also suggest that you learn the basics of acoustics, so you can understand how tone, distance, sanctuary size, sanctuary shape, construction materials, furnishings, and treatment can have a huge effect on the sound, both the perceived sound, and the sound as measured with a meter (they are not the same). All of those have a far bigger influence on the actual sound that is PERCEIVED by the congregation, than you might think.
Perhaps then you will understand just how quiet 70 dB(A) is, and how loud 100 dB(C) is. Perhaps then you’ll be able to explain how a typical acoustic drum kit measures at around 105 to 115 dB(C) when played normally, and why it is unrealistic to then asking that it be heard at only 70 dB(C) a few feet away.
Sound is way more complex than most people realize, or even most church musicians and sound operators. Church sound systems are frequently not set up correctly for churches, nor are they correctly calibrated for the room acoustics and they type of service, since there are so few installers and contractors who really understand church sound. “Club sound” and “concert sound” and “disco sound” and “garage band sound” have very little relationship to “church sound”. If your church sounds like a disco, club or rock concert, then chances are you hired the wrong people to design it and install it…
Then of course, the term “church acoustics” is an oxymoron: Very, very few churches have properly designed and properly installed acoustic treatment in their sanctuaries. Some do, but not many.
If churches would only learn to “do sound right”, many of the complaints that are so validly listed by so many people on this thread, would never have occurred! By “doing sound right” I mean by getting professional advise from people who understand churches AND sound systems AND acoustics, then setting the goals correctly right at the start, and assigning the necessary budget to do it right. That seldom happens in churches, which is why this article and the resultant discussion even exists!
With what authority do I make such claims? It’s hard to clarify that without seeming to boast, but that isn’t my intention at all: if someone offers me advice on any issue, I like to know what their background is, so I’ll list mine: I design recording studios for a living. I have been running live sound in churches for decades, as far back as I can remember, since my early childhood when I helped my father do it. I teach seminars on sound and acoustics, specifically tailored for churches. And I provide consulting for churches, on this very issue: getting the sound right, so that it does not cause damage to the congregation.
And by “damage” I don’t just mean “hearing damage”, but also damage to the body of Christ itself, by causing arguments, friction, divisions, and worst of all, people leaving the church because of poor sound. If the sound is so bad, in whatever aspect (loud, soft, muddy, harsh, unclear, or whatever), then we have failed in our mission as Christians to spread the word and congregate. We have failed in following the instructions given us by Jesus himself, in the Great Commission. I’m also an elder in the church I attend, so caring for the flock is something that is near and dear to me. I have the rare and humbling privilege of getting to the church from both ends: from the pulpit when I preach, and also from the sound booth the rest of the time. Having that perspective brings things into better focus, from all sides of the issue.
Bottom line? If people in your church are hurting because of the sound, in whatever way, then please do something about it! It is just plain WRONG to known that a brother or sister is hurting, and do nothing about it.
Hire a local consultant in your area who understands churches, as well as sound, and also acoustics. Do NOT go to the local music store and ask them for help. Get a real consultant who understands the issues, and has a track record to prove it. And do check his credentials! Call up the churches he claims to have helped, and ask about the results.
But not just any consultant: Get one who will visit your church during services, take measurements, talk to the praise and worship team, talk to the congregation, talk to the sound team, talk to the pastors, elders, deacons, and other leaders: and above all, get one who will design the acoustics first, THEN the sound system afterwards! That’s one of the key points: It is impossible to fix bad acoustics with sound systems. Even the best sound system on the planet cannot make a bad acoustic space sound good. Yet even a mediocre sound system can be made to sound good if the acoustics of the sanctuary are decent.
In my work, what I see far more commonly than bad sound systems, is firstly bad acoustics, and a distant second, badly set up and badly operated sound systems. Most churches these days have usable sound systems. But most churches don’t have usable acoustics, and as others have pointed out here, very few churches have properly trained and qualified people running their sound systems. I see churches spending very large amounts of money on their sound systems, but nothing at all on acoustics, and even less on training. That is probably the biggest mistake a church can make in this area: spending more on acoustics will save you a LOT on what you then need to spend for the sound system. “Saving” on acoustics is not “saving” at all: it is false economy, and very poor stewardship of the church’s finances.
Next after poor acoustics, is poor sound operators. I don’t mean to denigrate those many, many enthusiastic sound volunteers who give up so much of their time so freely and unselfishly to try to keep the sound system running on their churches! Not in the least: the issue isn’t enthusiasm, or calling, or dedication, or hard work: The issue is training, preparation and experience.
I frequently ask pastors why they guard the pulpit so fiercely, only allowing truly qualified people of God to preach from it, or sing from it, but then they let any old person take the REAL controls of the sanctuary, back in the sound booth…. the guy in the sound booth can do just as much damage to the congregation, as the guy in the pulpit. Pastors tend to not see that at first glance. Some may disagree with me, but there’s a frightening statistic: around 17% of your congregation will leave and never return, if the sound in your church is poor. I’m not sure about other pastors, sound men, musicians, deacons, elders, and leaders, but I would really not like to have to stand before the Lord one day, and explain to Him why one fifth of my congregation left…
Having a properly trained CHRISTIAN sound engineer operating the console is just as important as having a properly trained Christian person “operating” the pulpit. Most churches insist that their pastors spend years in training and preparation, and have years of experience, before they ever get behind the pulpit (and the same applies to their praise and worship leaders), yet they are quite happy to let an “anybody” with little to no training get behind the console. Why would you do that?
As the original article hinted at: if you have a good sound engineer, with a good sound system, in a church with good acoustics, then you’d be surprised to see that the sound level in a typical modern praise and worship service would be around 80-85 dB(C) during the praise and worship, perhaps pushing 90 or even 95 momentarily, with nobody complaining and everybody fully participating. That would drop to around 65-75 dB(C) during the sermon and other pure speech segments, with everyone clearly hearing and understanding every word. It does not need to be much louder than that, and it cannot be much quieter than that, for the simple reason (in both cases) that the older members of the congregation will not be able to handle it! Go less than about 65 for the sermon, and it is too quiet for their ears to hear and understand the message clearly. Go much above 95 for the loudest peaks of the praise and worship, and it is uncomfortably loud for them, in addition to potentially causing permanent hearing damage.
Some here have argued along the lines “But most of our church members are young, and like it loud!”. I would respond that the very reason you have so few older members is precisely because it is loud! If you had a more balanced approach, with good levels that are loud enough for youth without hurting the elderly, you might find that you also had a more balanced congregation, with more older members… and yes, older members are a very necessary part of any church. An “all young” church is great and fun, but has no experience to draw on… no wisdom of age…
So keeping the level in the range 65-75 db(C) for speech and 80-85 dB(C) for music, makes it pleasant, comfortable, and safe for the congregation. For those few here who don’t agree: Check your Bibles, and show me where Jesus or the disciples yelled and screamed so loud in a sermons as to deafen their listeners, or spoke so quietly that not a single person could hear them. What is the point in that? Why would you want to preach a message that nobody can hear? Why would you want to preach so loud that it hurts and causes damage? Neither extreme is justifiable, or Biblical.
On the flip side, music that is too quiet is just as offensive as music that is too loud: Turn the music down to 60 dB(C), and nobody will participate, because the very act of doing so drowns it out! Even singing softly will be so loud that it overpowers the very music you are trying to sing to. To quite is as bad as too loud.
The point here is that both extremes are just plain wrong: There is a usable range for loudness (sound pressure level) that is needed in churches, and that range is as above: around 65-75 db(C) for speech and around 80-85 db(C) for music, with occasional bursts of 95. (It should be no surprise that professional recording studios, cinemas, theaters and other similar high-level rooms, are calibrated to a level of 80 dB for each individual speaker by itself, and 86 dB for the entire set of all speakers. Your church should be calibrated, and operated, the same way.)
All of the above levels should be measured with the sound level meter set to “slow” response time, so it averages out the “transients” properly. (“Transients” are the sudden very short, high peaks made by some instruments, such as the exact instant of the “hit” of the snare drum or the cymbals: If you set your meter to “fast” response, you will be measuring mostly those very short, very sharp spikes, instead of the average level, which is what you should be measuring. )
And all of the above should be measured at many places throughout the sanctuary during several typical services, not just one location or one service. Measuring at only one location tells you nothing at all about how the rest of the congregation is perceiving the sound. Measuring just once, for one specific service, tells you nothing about what other services sound like (more people, less people, different songs, different season, different spirit, etc.). So measure several locations over several services, note the loudest location, and set the highest level of the sound system for that location. Also note the quietest location, the set the lowest level of the sound system for there. Then you have all bases covered.
Its sounds simple and logical when expressed like that, but so very few churches ever seem to figure it out by themselves!
Finally, make sure your sound teams checks the levels during each and every service, and adjusts the sound system accordingly.
If your church doesn’t have a sound level meter, then get one! And learn how to use it. You might be surprised at what is REALLY happening inside your church. They are not expensive: a good one will cost around US$ 100 or so (just avoid the cheap “toy” things that cost around US$ 25 to 50: they are no use). Regular use of a good meter in your church will go a long way towards solving the issues highlighted in the original article, and commented on so much in the discussion. If your church can afford it, then go more upscale and get a meter that is also a “spectrum analyzer”: it not only tells you how loud all tones are, but how loud each individual tone is: Very useful. (but more expensive: US% 500 and up).
Finally, what I try to teach most in those seminars is that sound should be “invisible” in church: It should not be noticed. If people notice the sound during a service, then that’s a failure. The sound should be natural, clean, unobtrusive, and not noticeable at all. Anything else means that something is wrong, and it needs fixing.
– Stuart –
The expert Barbara on April 17, 2013 was correct. Too loud is too loud. Churches should be respectful neighbors. They should not be “neighbor’s from hell”.
Neighbors should NOT have to go to court to stop a church’s noise. Their noise should be within their 4 walls. Their noise should not be outside their doors into other people’s homes.
Our church made a change 2 weeks ago. New musician – new music. — This was my 1st Sunday hearing him. It was so loud my ears were ringing. I could not hear a word that was said over his music. — I spoke with the pastor afterwards. His comments made me realize my views and others around me were not important. I bought ear plugs for this week. I gave him a deadline for getting the volume down. Or me & my tithe would leave and find another church. — I doubt the volume will ever be lowered. — Anyone have a suggestion on what to say to the senior pastor?
Terry: more info is needed. Do you know what the dbA level was? I know not everybody owns an SPL meter, but at the same time just saying something is “too loud” doesn’t generally lead to productive discussions because there is a huge element of subjectivity with volume perception and tolerance. If you wish to seriously pursue this issue, I’d recommend checking with the sound tech team to see what levels they are measuring….or purchase an SPL meter for yourself. Fairly accurate models can be bought for not too much money. Beyond that, WHAT was loud? One instrument or vocal? Or the whole mix of vocals/instruments? If a single instrument, was the volume coming from the stage or P.A. speakers? Where were you sitting in relation to the P.A. speakers?