Whenever you're buying a mixer, the biggest consideration is the number of channels you'll need. But if you're a small church, odds are even the lower-count channel mixers will be enough. For example, our top pick - the Behringer X32 - still has 40 channels. That's plenty for a small church, even if you have four or five people on stage.
We're a church of roughly 175, and we usually have two to four people on stage at any given time.
The breakdown is something like this:
- Pastor 1 lapel mic
- Pastor 2 lapel mic
- Lead worship vocal
- Lead worship acoustic
- Backup vocal 1
- Backup vocal 2
Sometimes we'll add bass or a second guitar, but generally we're only using six of the 48 channels we have available. So when we were buying our mixer (from Allen & Heath) our options were pretty wide open.
My Best Recommendation for a Small Church buying a Digital Mixer
In most cases, I'd recommend starting with something from Behringer, since they're really affordable. The Behringer X32, like I mentioned earlier, gets you 40 channels, so they're my top pick for small churches.
Browse on Sweetwater: The Behringer X32 Digital Mixer
The Behringer X32 gives you 40 channels at a very decent price. It's our top pick for small churches.
If you want something a little nicer that might allow you to expand more, here are a few honorable mentions I like:
Our second mixer was the Allen & Heath, but all of these are good fits for small churches. If you have questions, leave them in the comments section below.
Don't Overlook Dimensions
One aspect that can fly under the radar is the physical size of the mixer, which landed us in the situation of having to build a custom wooden cabinet with wheels to store the thing and keep it raised for easy adjusting.
If you don't have a dedicated sound both or room, you'll need to give some thought to how you'll store it and/or set everything up. Thankfully, most of the mixers in this list are on the small side, but even the smaller digital mixers can get big. If all else fails, a solid wooden table or desk should do the trick.
Real quick, here are the dimensions of the Behringer X32.
Even small mixers need a plan for placement in your church's sanctuary.
Other Specs to Keep in Mind
Check the mixer's output configuration and make sure it can accommodate your speaker/monitor setup. Typically you'll have two mains (speakers) and several stage monitor connections. With a mixer in the 30-40 channel range, this is very unlikely to be an issue. It's just something to keep in mind.
Questions?
If you have questions about the Behringer X32 or other mixers we've recommended for small churches, or even setup questions, leave them in the comments section below. If I can't help you, I know plenty of people who can and will chime in. Good luck finding the perfect setup.
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Written by Bobby Kittleberger on Pro Audio & Roundups
Written by Guitar Chalk on Pro Audio & Roundups
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