About James Wasem

Author / Audio Engineer
Great Church Sound | Missoula, MT
greatchurchsound.com
@James_Wasem

James Wasem has been fascinated by sound and electricity from an early age. His love of music and technical gear made sound engineering and systems integration a natural pursuit. James has spent the last 20 years performing and touring in bands as a drummer, mixing live sound for churches, schools and theatres, and working as an audio systems installer and designer. James believes that technical ministry volunteers provide a critical service for their congregations and should be well equipped with quality tools to help them grow in craft, skill, and spirit. James and his wife Kate live in the beautiful Rocky Mountains of Missoula, Montana.

Stop Complaining About What You Don’t Have

Many of us in church tech can get caught up in the temptation to complain about the things we don’t have or can’t afford. This grumbling may seem justified by our limited (or non-existent) budget, a lack of appreciation, or apparent disrepair of certain system components. A common refrain in... read more

In-Ear Monitor Tips

In-Ear Monitor Tips & Tricks

In-ear monitors or personal monitor systems can be a great tool for both the worship team and the sound team.   One of the primary benefits of using in-ear monitors is that they can dramatically reduce the overall volume on stage. This lower stage volume helps the sound tech craft... read more

Sound Outside

Sound Outside of the Sanctuary

When most people think about church sound, they immediately think of speakers, microphones, and the mixing console in a sanctuary or worship center. And that makes sense.   However, quality sound reinforcement at church often involves more than just making sure your primary worship space sounds good. It’s important to... read more

audio compression tips

Audio Compression Tips for Church Sound

Compression is a great tool that can tighten up your mix and enhance the punch or power of certain instruments. But it can also cause some serious problems if you’re not careful.   An audio compressor is used to control the dynamic range of an audio signal, or the difference... read more

great church sound

How to Prepare for Great Church Sound

Great sound at church is the result of thoughtful preparation and diligent effort.   Sure, there can be some rather technical components involved, but I would argue that the thoughtfulness and care that you bring to your mix plays a much bigger role in achieving great quality sound than that... read more

Mixing with EQ

Mixing with EQ, Panning & Reverb

Mixing live sound is a lot more involved than simply raising or lowering the volume level of various audio sources.   You’ll want to use a few simple tools to help create a mix that has depth, texture, clarity, and focus. Fortunately most consoles have these simple tools built in... read more