Lighting and sound?

[SouthernStateElectrician]

We have a customer, a church, that wants us to help elIminate some feedback issues on their
Sound equipment. I'm not familiar with how the two actually effect each other or how to truly
help or eliminate their current issues. They've mentioned separating lighting and sound circuits in separate panels. Any info would be great!

 

[Little Bill]

We have a customer, a church, that wants us to help elIminate some feedback issues on their
Sound equipment. I'm not familiar with how the two actually effect each other or how to truly
help or eliminate their current issues. They've mentioned separating lighting and sound circuits in separate panels. Any info would be great!

Although most systems are in separate panels, I don't know if the lighing affects the sound system much, other than maybe ground loops. Fluorescent lights can play havoc with sound, often causing an A/C hum.

Ground loops are the most often problems found with sound systems. Make sure sound equipment isn't connected to multple grounds.
Separate panels is a good start to help with ground loops. Some even use a separately derived system for each.
Also, an isolation transformer can help eliminate unwanted noise/feedback.

 

[kwired]

I think you need to determine if the problem is "feed back" or something else like the mentioned "ground loop".

I am not a sound expert but isn't "feed back" when the microphone is picking up sound, even if inaudible to people,that was created by the speaker it is supplying? The result is often high pitched sounds in the speaker and echoing effects of audible sounds. This is fixed by placement of microphones in relation to speakers and/or adjustments of input levels of the microphone

The ground loop issue involves making wiring changes.

 

[SIRSPARKSALOT]

As kwired stated you need to determine if it is feedback or a hum or other noise. Feedback is typically caused by improperly gained/trimmed inputs on the mixer, equalization problems or improperly placed monitors/microphones. This is very common at churches and similar venues as most people do not understand how to use the equipment and there are usually multiple people making changes to the equipment which ultimately compounds the problem.

My church had a very bad problem with feedback and gain issues. After joining and going several Sundays I asked to see the equipment. After about twenty minutes of re-triming and re-equalizing all of the inputs the equipment worked perfectly. The pastor said the equipment never sound that good in 15 years. No one had any knowledge of how audio equipment worked. They were just winging it.

Good luck!

 

[SIRSPARKSALOT]

often high pitched

Although it is often high pitched, feedback can happen throughout the entire frequency range from low to high. Microphone placement as well as EQ/gain are typically the problem.

 

[kwired]

Although it is often high pitched, feedback can happen throughout the entire frequency range from low to high. Microphone placement as well as EQ/gain are typically the problem.

You are right, I do hear feedback in all ranges at times, but the high pitched ones are the ones that seem to get the most attention from listeners, even those that are not actually listening end up noticing it:happyyes:

 

[SIRSPARKSALOT]

You're not kidding. Something I always think about is when I see people with in-ear monitors. We take for granted that when there are speakers that squeal we can cover our ears, turn or heads or leave the room. I recall watching a gig where the female singer was using in-ear monitors and out of nowhere yanked them out of her ears and walked off stage. As it turns out she couldn't finish the gig and ended up with permanent hearing loss. When I talked to the sound engineer (a term I use loosely in describing him) there was no limiter being used in the in-ear monitor mix. He caused her hearing loss. It was tragic as she was only 22 years old and extremely talented.

I know its off topic, but just throwing it out there.

 

[Besoeker]

We have a customer, a church, that wants us to help elIminate some feedback issues on their
Sound equipment. I'm not familiar with how the two actually effect each other or how to truly
help or eliminate their current issues. They've mentioned separating lighting and sound circuits in separate panels. Any info would be great!

Is it dimmable lighting?
If so, there could be interference from that.