Tech Quick Reference (FOH · Monitors · Media · Lights · Stream · Stage)¶
Owner: Tech Lead
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Two pages for everyone behind a console, a deck, or a cable. Every line points into the skeleton; if this sheet and the linked page disagree, the linked page wins. Your church’s clocks, rooms, and boot order: Our Congregation.
Why tech exists¶
Technology succeeds when nobody talks about it afterward — except to say they could hear and see clearly enough to sing (Tech Overview). Priorities, in order: 1 Safety · 2 Intelligibility (spoken word + lead vocal) · 3 Stability · 4 Beauty · 5 Experimentation — never at the cost of 1–3 on Sunday.
Minimum viable Sunday¶
| Seat | Sunday is OK when |
|---|---|
| FOH | Pastor’s mic works; lead vocal clear at the back; nothing hurts; hands off at freeze |
| Monitors | Everyone hears click (if used), lead vocal, themselves; nobody shouts for a mix mid-song |
| Media | Right words on the house screens on time; confidence shows lyrics + section cues; safe slide known |
| Lights | People visible (and on camera); no strobes; prayer and word are calm; blackout and restore known |
| Stream | Audio healthy; live at the agreed time; fallback known |
| Stage | Nothing to trip on; spare mic / cable / DI where the plot says; inputs match the list |
One tech, several hats — boot order: power (amps last) → show file / deck → wireless & batteries → line check (pastor mic first) → house + confidence up and routed → spare vocal path → freeze at doors.
Non-negotiables¶
| Rule | Means | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Prior rehearsal — same bar as band | Scheduled tech attends the midweek rehearsal tied to the service; no rehearsal → default do not serve; exceptions granted in advance by the Director, Worship Lead, or Tech Lead with a qualified cover | Rehearsal Standards |
| Rehearse the way we serve | House/overhead and confidence monitors run at midweek; stream optional unless training or broadcast-critical | Lyrics & Stage Displays |
| Ready, not present | Show file/deck live, outputs verified — that is “ready” (= call time) | Definitions |
| Freeze | Default: doors (or T−10); the Worship Lead or Tech Lead calls it once on talkback. No new patches, routing, or console changes unless safety/failure. Monitor freeze after the final run | Pre-Service Rehearsal |
| Routing is verified every service | Confidence-only content never lands on house; house / confidence / stream are three intentional outputs | Lyrics & Stage Displays |
| Show files are predictable | Golden template per room; YYYY-MM-DD_Service_Descriptor; never overwrite golden without a note |
Show File Standards |
| Hearing is people-safety | Anyone reports pain → turn down first, then tell the Tech Lead; hearing protection in a known place | Tech Overview |
The week, from the booth¶
| When | What happens | Tech |
|---|---|---|
| Set confirmed | Song Selector proposes, Director confirms; Worship Lead publishes keys/forms/charts; Selector flags new, track-heavy, or production-special songs | Tech Lead scans for unusual needs; show files and decks staged |
| Midweek T−0:15 | Tech open / line check; house + confidence up | FOH/Monitors: gains, talkback, RF, click; Media: deck to plan, both outputs routed |
| Rehearsal (90 min min.) | Review → warm-up → every part → every transition → 20-min full run | Stabilize gains early; run slides for real; confirm confidence readable from stage; capture fixes with owners |
| Before Sunday | Amendments land | Deck / cue / input-list fixes done; merge intentional improvements to golden |
| Sunday pre-service | Line check → confidence glance → 1–2 problem spots → opener + one transition → freeze → prayer | Present → ready for run-through → service-ready by the local clock |
| Service · strike | Quiet professionalism; people first, then process | Minimal kind in-ear chatter; save intentional changes with a date note; packs charging; issues logged |
Role by role¶
| Seat | Midweek must | Pre-service must | During |
|---|---|---|---|
| FOH | Build the mix against the real band; talk sparse vs full with the Worship Lead | Power in order; correct show file; line check, labels, phantom only where needed; pastor mic + spare handheld live; walk the room | Spoken word → lead vocal → groove → the rest; don’t chase every peak; hands off at freeze |
| Monitors | Build stable mixes early; discourage rebuilds | Packs labeled, RF coordinated, click metered; pack-death default agreed (spare → wedge → room) | Requests through the cue workflow; “more me” over louder wedges; monitor freeze after final run |
| Media | Deck matches order and sung forms; house advancing; confidence readable; note fixes | Spelling/theology lines checked; 2–4 lines per slide, phrase breaks, contrast; spontaneous folder; backup; outputs isolated | Eyes on the Platform lead; next slide armed; lost → safe slide, never random verses |
| Lights | Run key cues against the set when cue-heavy | Patch OK; cue stack matches plan; blackout / restore known | Invited-to-sing bright; prayer / word = static warm wash; no strobes |
| Stream | Lock routing, lower-thirds, handoffs (full encode optional) | Destination right; meters healthy; recording if required; fallback known | Chat moderation is a separate role; no routing experiments after doors |
| Stage | Plot matches who is playing; labels match the input list | Pathways clear; spare SM58 / cable / DI in the known place; hazards gone | Quiet mic handoffs; watch the Platform lead; strike and reset |
When something breaks¶
People safety first; preserve the moment second; one message on the day-of channel. Someone collapses → stop the music, mute open mics, lights up, ushers / emergency services; any lead may call it. (Incidents & Contingencies)
| Failure | Do | Owner |
|---|---|---|
| Lead vocal or pastor mic dies | Spare handheld at once; FOH prioritizes the spoken word | Stage + FOH |
| Click / tracks die | Worship Lead counts in; live arrangement | Worship Lead + playback owner |
| Lyrics freeze | Holding slide; lead carries; switch to or reboot backup | Media |
| IEM pack dies | Spare pack → nearest wedge → play on the room; tell the Worship Lead once | Monitors / Stage |
| Feedback howl | Pull the offending fader, not the master; find the open mic | FOH |
| Stream drop · power blip | Room continues; restart encoder when safe · wait for power to settle, amps up last | Stream · Tech Lead |
Afterward: care for people, then a short factual note — Incident Log (no protection matters, no minors’ names). Broken gear → Gear Issue Ticket.
Scheduling, communication, who to ask¶
Schedule requests answered within 48 h, swaps within 24 h; availability covers rehearsal and service — can’t make rehearsal → don’t accept the slot unless an exception is already granted. You find a qualified cover who takes rehearsal and service; final when both people and the swap confirmer (Director or Tech Lead) agree; <24 h → phone. Escalation: section lead → Tech Lead → Director → pastor; safety and care issues skip the chain (Availability & Swaps · Scope & Authority).
Where to look¶
| Need | Page |
|---|---|
| Everything tech | Playbook · Roles · Rehearsal Standards · Midweek Rehearsal Runbook · Tech (checklists, displays) · Equipment · Tools & Systems · Glossary |
