For churches that can't afford a professionally installed system. Portable systems can provide backup when the usual sound operator is unavailable. They can also be used with music inputs and recorders, or as a monitor for installed systems. We'd like to start a handbell choir. Bells are grouped in octaves, with 13 bells in the first octave and 12 in other octaves, says Kermit Junkert of Schulmerich Carillons.
Most handbell music is written for three to four octaves.
You can have up to seven, but that's unusual. Literature from a bell company such as Schulmerich or Malmark can help you decide how many bells to purchase to get started with a handbell choir. A representative from the company will offer recommendations on bell purchasing as well as financing. Warehouse Sound Makeover Crossroads Community Church in Las Vegas, Nevada, leased a 26,000 square foot warehouse, intending to convert it into a church facility with sanctuary, classrooms, and offices. The biggest audio challenge was the sanctuary, which was nothing more than a cement box with exposed metal girders.