Audio Systems: Sound System for Church, congo drums, rich orchestra

Question
Hello Sir,

We are planning to renovate our sound system in our church. It is a medium sized church which can accommodate approximately 2000 people sitting on desks and standing. Normally the church will be packed with worshipers, i.e. an average crowd of 1000-1500 people. It doesn’t have a reverberant acoustic property.

Also we have an auditorium with the same size, without desks but only chairs. It have a lot o reverberant acoustic property. During some special days, when the church is full, we will send the people down to the hall to attend the mass with the help of short circuit television. Occasionally, we will conduct some musical events in the auditorium

Hope, now you are in our church, by keeping in mind all these specifications.

In regular masses, there will be church organ with pedal bass, a guitar and three male and four female. These songs have purely chorus style.

But, on the other side, Holy Masses will be celebrated with rich orchestra like Synthesizer, Rhythm Guitar, Bass Guitar, Drums (not so heavy), like Tabla, Congo Drums and Rhythm Pad. The songs will be mostly chorus and lead by strong and mellow voices.

Please let me know what type of sound system can we install. I prefer a mixer with 12 channels for the choir and podium with equalizer and reverb/echo facilities for the church, and another one for the auditorium.

Please let me know your suggestions regards speakers (approx 8 nos in the church, and heavy 6 nos for the auditorium), and microphones.

Awaiting your earliest response.

Regards,

Justin


Answer
Justin,

I would like to devote a bit of time to giving you some advice. Here is what I would suggest you do. I doubt that you have architectural plans (especially CADD drawings) but if you do you should send me PDF's of the rooms. Floor plans and elevations. Or you might have someone in your congregation who might be able to assist you in a few computer generated drawings as accurate as possible. It would help for me to know dimensions of the rooms including ceiling heights. Finished construction material such as floors, walls percentage of glass on the walls. Do speakers need to be esthetically pleasing? What restriction (as far as height) is there for placement of the speakers? If you can take a few pictures, even on a cell phone and especially of the ceiling the pulpit and a mass with musicians that would be helpful. What is your budget? What do you mean by - "approx 8 nos in the church, and heavy 6 nos for the auditorium". Would you like the ability to get a CD quality recording from the masses? Do you want to combine the program from any of the rooms to the other rooms?