The band, worship team and choir all rehearse to play well together, though often there isn’t time before a service for the sound operators’ rehearsal (that’s a separate discussion for another time). Whether you have time for a sound-check / rehearsal or not, there is one check that must be done every time the system is turned on and before the service or event begins. It’s called a “line check” and it’s nothing more than verifying that every input source is working properly.

Every microphone should be tested to ensure sound passes through it to the speakers. This includes wireless microphones – and this is a good time to check the batteries to be sure they’ll last the duration of the service.  A microphone that worked last time may have failed or may be routed differently through the console and may not work. Every playback source (CD players, DVD players, computers, and etcetera) should be checked to ensure the signal not only shows up at the mixing console, but passes through to the speakers.

Doing a line-check before every service helps ensure there aren’t any surprises during the service that could have presented.