Howdy!
My name is James Wasem. I've got a passion for great sound and for helping others learn how to get it!
But guess what. I used to struggle to deliver consistent quality live sound. And the fundamental concepts of getting great sound were sometimes confusing and over my head - even as a young professional.
Then I discovered a few simple skills and often overlooked steps to getting great sound. Now I am able to get better mixes, save listeners from common sound system distractions, and more importantly...
I’m confident mixing behind the console.
I eventually learned all this stuff from acoustics and engineering books, trade magazines, product manuals, technical training sessions, and "doing sound" every day as a professional. But there was simply NO WAY my fellow sound volunteers at church were going to go through all that hassle to figure out how to mix like a pro.
The hardest part (after figuring out how to actually get great sound) was trying to train my volunteer team.
I tried giving them the Yamaha Sound Reinforcement Handbook. Yeah. That went over real well! (Great book - it's just too technical for most new volunteers.)
So,16 years later...
I finally wrote the book that I wish I had when starting out - something that is all about helping the volunteer sound guy (or gal) feel confident and competent as they operate the sound system for their church.
Great Church Sound is not a tome covering the exhaustive history of audio systems, nor is it an advanced encyclopedia on the physics of sound.
It is a guide for the volunteer.
A handbook that teaches the concepts of audio in a way that is fun and easy to understand.
A tool that allows a complete novice to start crafting great sounding mixes with confidence.
Well, at least that's what I hope it does! You'll have to check it out for yourself and let me know what you think.
Christy Kohnle
Limitless Ministries
"James has developed his Great Church Sound guide so that the true novice will become comfortably acclimated with new terms and concepts without feeling overwhelmed. This is a wonderful resource for anyone who is led to serve in tech ministry."
Stephen Arruda
MicRentals.com
"This book is tailored to the unsung hero, the church volunteer. I used this book to train someone who knew nothing about audio and it was amazing to gradually see the lights turning on in their understanding. This book is a great resource."
Scott Clement
ChurchMix
"He has taken the sometimes hard to understand technical side of mixing and made it easy to understand and apply to your mixing. Whether you are a veteran looking to build your skills or a beginner just starting out you will find this book extremely helpful."
Great Church Sound & James Wasem have been featured in these great communities:
Make sure you have all the tools to get great sound at church!
Discover the advice and training that thousands of churches and sound techs have used to improve the quality of their sound each week. There's something for everyone on your team – free mobile app, books, video training, and more.
The App
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The Book
This best selling book is the perfect resource for volunteers, team leaders, and pastors who want to empower their sound team for success.
Video Training
Take your sound to the next level with online training that starts with the basics and walks you through each step of building your mix.