Get the best church audio video systems your house of worship can afford
Church leadership has an important responsibility to be good stewards of their congregation’s money. Whether the funds come from donations, events, or taking on debt, the church must adhere to a budget and spend money wisely. If church audio video systems break down or are just not performing like they used to, church leaders might be worried about large, unexpected expenses.
Let’s put it this way: If you are the head of a house of worship of any religion or denomination, what goes through your mind when you realize the congregation can no longer hear the spoken word or church choir due to a faulty sound system? Or that your projector or LED screens have stopped working?
Questions to Ask When Your Church Audio Video Fails
If your church technology breaks down – or is constantly breaking down, requiring quick fixes, you probably have a few questions:
- Can it be repaired (again)?
- Do we need to replace the whole sound or video system or just certain components?
- How much is this going to cost?
- Who can we find to help? (If you’re reading this, you probably figured out that Dara AV offers custom AV systems for your church in NJ, Staten Island, Manhattan, and across the New York Tri-State area.)
- How long do I have to get it fixed before it severely impacts services?
The answer to that last question? Not long at all.
“If you have a small sanctuary, you might be able to get away with a small, borrowed PA system for a service or two,” said Jak Daragjati, president and owner of Dara AV, your Staten Island-based custom audio video solutions provider. “If your church has excellent acoustics, the choir might be able to perform without amplification – but they may not sound as good as they are used to.”
It all depends on the church.
If your congregation relies heavily on amplified music, you need your sound system up and running by the next service. And if you have LED screens for image magnification, live streaming, worship lyrics, or digital signage and wayfinding, dead screens detract from the worship experience and overall atmosphere in your church.
Now, to answer the rest of the questions.
Repairing Your Church Audio Visual System: Yes, It Can Be Done
“When worship leaders come to Dara AV with broken video or sound systems and a limited budget, we want to help,” Daragjati said.
This could mean replacing or repairing bad components and leaving the rest of your system intact. “It depends on how old the original system is, how many parts can be re-used, and even if the older components are compatible with newer ones,” he said. “Church AV installers should focus on helping churches figure that out – not just trying to sell them equipment they may not need.”
Fixing Older Systems – Is It Worth It?
If you’re looking to revamp your video or audio systems while keeping some of the components, take inventory of what you have and if it can be fixed. Decide if the cost of repairing it is worth it. As with cars and home appliances, when something is older and it breaks down, it’s more likely to break again.
A trustworthy audiovisual consultant should be able to advise you on whether or not it’s worth repairing older components. “It’s probably not worth repairing a broken LED screen, since that technology is changing so fast and is fairly affordable,” Daragjati pointed out.
Costs of a New Church Audio Video System
Many people think having a high quality audio, video, and lighting system designed and installed costs more than they expect or can afford. While it’s true that custom audio video systems can surpass six figures, that's not always the case. Not every church needs that level of audio visual capabilities.
If you’re outfitting a small, local Catholic church with good acoustics for choir and spoken word already in place, Dara AV can design and install your church audio system for much less.
Budgeting for New Church Technology
Budgeting for a video or sound system doesn’t have to be complicated. You don’t need a sophisticated church sound system cost calculator. (Although it might help if you’re a spreadsheet person that wants to see everything laid out on the screen.)
If you decide to opt for a full church system upgrade, you’ll need to connect with the other decision-makers in your church. Decide:
- How much you can afford to pay
- How much you’re willing to pay
These numbers might not match; you may have money available but don’t want to spend it. Or, you may decide that new church technology is worth spending more, but you don’t have the funds. Then, you’ll need to decide the best way to raise or borrow money. But first, you’ll need to calculate exactly how much you want to spend.
List out each component (with the help of a church AV specialist or members of your tech team, if you have one) and do some research to figure out the low-end and high-end of what it will cost to replace it.
Some examples of equipment to consider include:
- Main Speakers
- Bass
- Fill speakers (if needed in a larger space)
- Amplifiers (if speakers aren’t powered)
- Microphones
- Monitors
- Mixer
- Equipment racks
- Control system
- Sound processing
- Projectors and screens, LEDs or video walls
- Equipment for overflow rooms
When you’re pinpointing these dollar figures, ask yourself (and your AV designer or tech team): “If I spend a little more, will I appreciate the extra quality of the product?”
Daragjati explained the reality of AV equipment price points: “Sometimes just a few extra bucks will get you to the next level of equipment,” he said. “Other times the two levels are very far apart. The next level is not always necessary. If you have a room that can only hold 75 people, well, a soft whisper could be heard and there’s no need for a big sound system.”
Likewise, if you have a traditional Catholic church, you may not need video at all, which can reduce your budget by thousands or tens of thousands.
Remote Monitoring and Management: Worth the Cost to Keep Your AV Systems Up and Running
One thing Daragjati recommended, if a house of worship can free up the money for it, is a remote monitoring and management system. This can be as simple as adding a computer to your network-connected AV components.
“If the system goes down an hour before Sunday service, we don’t have to dodge city traffic to provide technical support. We can troubleshoot the problem, reboot the system, and handle many emergencies from wherever we are…. Even if we’re getting ready to head to church ourselves,” Daragjati said.
The Choice Is Yours
In the end, church leadership has to make the final decision on how much to spend on church AV. Always take advice from the source. Is your design consultant looking to stretch your budget to the max or convince you to spend more than you have?
“Don’t be sold on a system that’s over the top, if you’ll never reach its potential with your style of worship. On the other hand, don’t sell your congregation short on a super worship experience because you don’t want to spend money. Get the right system for your budget. Dara AV is here to help with that,” Daragjati said.
FAQs
How do you get a good church sound?
Good church sound comes from a variety of factors, including the acoustics in the church and the quality of the church sound system, including speakers, mics, and digital signal processing.
How much is a church sound system?
Church sound systems can range in price from $10,000 for a basic system up to millions in mega churches that deliver a concert-level experience.
What is the job description of an AV in church?
AV in church stands for “audio visual.” The AV tech in a church is responsible to maintain and manage all the AV systems. This person often works with church AV installers if systems need repair, upgrading, or replacement. Many Catholic churches and smaller houses of worship don’t have a tech person on-staff. That makes finding church AV installers that church leaders can trust even more important.
What is the best PA system for churches?
Many AV manufacturers provide high quality church PA systems. JBL and Community offer excellent systems on a budget. The BSS London Web has all the processing you need in just one rack space. Crown and QSC amplifiers offer the power most church systems require.
