The Real Question About Church Broadcast Audio: It’s Not What You Think

When churches ask about switching their broadcast audio software, they’re usually asking the wrong question. The real conversation isn’t about which DAW to choose—it’s about understanding what actually makes a broadcast mix sound good.

Beyond the Software Decision

A recent community discussion started with a simple question: “Should I switch from Logic Pro to Waves LV1, Studio One, or Pro Tools for our broadcast mix?” But as the conversation unfolded, it became clear that the software choice was just the tip of the iceberg.

I’ve personally experienced the frustrations with Logic Pro in live broadcasting situations. The time drift issue was a major factor in why I switched away from using Logic for livestream mixing. Logic would gradually fall behind my video stream, sometimes by two seconds or more, creating a sync nightmare. I’ve never experienced this kind of time drift with other DAWs like Ableton or Pro Tools. This highlighted a deeper issue: Logic Pro wasn’t designed with live broadcasting as a priority. It’s studio software being pushed into a live application.

The Context Problem

Here’s where most churches get tripped up: they think better software or equipment will automatically create better broadcast mixes. But seasoned audio engineers know that’s rarely the case. The magic isn’t in the gear—it’s in understanding your entire audio ecosystem.

Before you start shopping for new software or hardware, ask yourself some uncomfortable questions. Do you have proper acoustic treatment in your worship space? Is your PA system properly tuned? Are you dealing with excessive reverb that makes everything muddy, or dead spots that create inconsistent sound?

A dedicated broadcast mixing system might improve your sound by a small percentage, but addressing fundamental acoustic issues can transform everything. Yet churches regularly consider spending thousands on new mixing solutions while ignoring the five-second reverb tail in their untreated room.

The People Problem

There’s another reality most churches face but don’t talk about openly: the staffing challenge. Most churches have one or two really experienced sound engineers and several others who are learning. The natural tendency is to put your best people on the main front-of-house mix and have the learning engineers handle the broadcast mix.

This creates a frustrating cycle where expensive broadcast equipment is operated by less experienced people, resulting in consistently mediocre broadcast mixes. Sometimes the better solution isn’t a separate mixing system at all—it’s having your experienced engineer manage a well-crafted matrix mix from the main console.

Getting Your Priorities Straight

The most valuable insight from experienced engineers is this: master what you have before you buy what you want. This applies whether you’re looking at software, mixing consoles, microphones, or lighting systems.

One churchfront client I recently consulted with shared a perfect example of this mindset. She wanted to upgrade her lights and microphones. They had plenty of lights but didn’t understand lighting theory—they just knew they had hot spots and dark areas. They had eight wireless microphone systems but were trying to use them across multiple rooms without proper antenna management. The solution wasn’t more gear; it was better understanding and implementation of what they already owned.

The Real Questions to Ask

Instead of “Which software should I use?”, start with these questions:

What specific problem are you trying to solve? If it’s time drift, that’s a technical issue with a technical solution. If it’s “our broadcast mix doesn’t sound good,” that’s likely a much bigger conversation about room acoustics, system tuning, and operator experience.

Do you have someone dedicated to managing your broadcast mix? And not just someone willing to do it, but someone with the skills and time to do it well? If not, you might be better served by optimizing what you already have rather than adding complexity.

Have you addressed the fundamental issues in your space? It’s hard to justify spending significant money on broadcast mixing equipment when basic acoustic and system issues remain unresolved.

When Professional Guidance Makes Sense

Every church’s situation is genuinely unique. Room size, architecture, existing equipment, staff experience, budget, and ministry priorities all factor into what makes sense for your specific context.

This is where professional consultation becomes valuable—not to sell you more gear, but to help you understand your system holistically and identify the most impactful improvements. Sometimes that’s new software. Sometimes it’s acoustic treatment. Sometimes it’s training for your existing team.

The Bottom Line

The best broadcast audio system for your church isn’t necessarily the most expensive one or the one with the most features. It’s the one that fits your space, your team, and your actual needs rather than your perceived needs.

Whether you end up with professional broadcast mixing software, a matrix mix from your existing console, or something in between, success depends more on proper implementation and skilled operation than on any particular piece of technology.

The software question is worth asking, but it’s not the most important question. The most important question is: what will actually make your broadcast mix sound better for the people you’re trying to reach?