A few years ago, I was working at a church in Texas where the PA had become a constant source of frustration. Feedback on vocals and speaking mics. Poor stereo imaging. Coverage that didn't match the room anymore.
The easy answer would have been to rip it out and start fresh with a new system. But that's not always the right call.
The Real Problem
The church had a Meyer M1D line array and M1D Subs, which was a great sounding system. But something had changed since it was installed, at some point the church extended the stage forward. The pastor and vocalists were now standing in front of the PA instead of behind it.
If you've ever had a singer with a mic standing in front of your main PA, you know exactly what happens. Feedback. Constant, frustrating feedback.
PA before the move. Pastor and Vocal positions in front of the PA.
But that wasn't all. The arrays were hung:
too wide - killing the stereo image for anyone not sitting dead center
too high - firing into a decorative sound cloud that bounced energy back onto the stage
too far upstage - vocalists and pastor in front of the PA with the new stage position.
What the Data Showed
I set up Smaart from Rational Acoustics to measure what was actually happening. The results confirmed what my ears were telling me.
Smaart measurements comparing front of house to stage positions. Notice the peaks at 2 kHz and 7-8 kHz on stage - my primary feedback frequencies.
When you look at the image above, the red line is what the PA system measured at front of house. The other lines were three different positions on stage, with yellow being center stage.
The PA was putting too much energy onto the stage relative to the house. That 2 kHz peak? Every time I pushed a vocal mic, that's where it would ring.
Here's the important part: the problem wasn't the PA itself. The PA was working fine. The problem was positioning.
The Decision Framework
When your PA isn't performing, you have three options: redeploy, repair, or replace. Here's how to think through it:
Consider redeployment if:
The room has changed (stage moved, seating reconfigured, walls added or removed)
The PA position no longer matches the coverage needs
The speakers themselves still produce clean output when tested
Consider repair if:
Testing reveals failed components (amps, drivers, power supplies)
The system is worth maintaining and parts are available
The number of failed components is manageable
Consider replacement if:
Multiple components have failed beyond practical repair
Parts are no longer available
The system was undersized or wrong for the room from the start
The church volume requirements have changed (ie went from only preaching and choir to full band with bass and drums)
Often the answer is a combination. We redeployed and repaired - moved the PA to the right position and replaced the components that had failed during testing.
What We Found When We Brought It Down
Once we had all the speakers on the ground and tested every box with Smaart, we discovered problems we didn't know existed. Blown tweeters. Failed amplifiers. Woofers producing no output. These boxes had been hanging in the air, contributing nothing - or worse, contributing a degraded signal.
We started with 12 boxes per side. After testing, we ended up with 10 healthy boxes per side. Still plenty for the room.
The Result
After the redeployment, feedback reduced dramatically. Stereo imaging improved. Coverage matched the room. The church saved the cost of a full PA replacement and got several more years of solid performance while they planned for a future expansion of the same room.
One Important Note
If you're considering moving a hung PA system, please do not attempt this as a DIY project. Always use structural engineers to verify rigging points and professional riggers who carry proper insurance. The cost of doing it right is insignificant compared to the risk of doing it wrong.
Until next time,
Drew
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