Seminars4Worship’s Andy Bussey on DSP
We know Andy Bussey from Seminars4Worship pro audio workshops, where, along with Shure’s Doug Gould, he is a member of the audio panel.
When he’s not teaching classes and answering questions, he integrates technology into worship environments as an audio engineer for Aplabs in Alpharetta. Georgia. He’s had as much experience as anyone with DSP in the house of worship field, so we decided to put a few questions to him. Here’s what he had to say.
I have been involved in pro sound for about 20 years now. I was fortunate enough to play music in church, under a Julliard graduate no less, as I was growing up. And when I studied to be an electrical engineer in college, my interest in computers came at a time when the computer industry was just beginning to create all kinds of new career opportunities.
After I received my degree in electrical engineering at the University of Hartford, I looked for a place where God might use my talents. I ended up on the road with Mylon Lefevre, at that time one of the biggest Christian touring bands around. This began a period of honing my technology skills in just about every area of audio engineering.
Since then, I have toured with many groups on many major labels. Along with handling production tasks, I’ve consulted, designed and installed systems in venues and recording facilities around the world with Aplabs, which is an acoustical and engineering firm. What I enjoy most, though, is the educational and training work I do through Integrity Music’s Seminars4Worship.
What was your first experience with DSP?
The early DSP engines where just not high quality enough to have in your main signal flow so I primarily used them for monitors and other signal routing. DSP engines today are now good enough to have in even the most critical of signal chains.
What problems were you trying to solve and what was the result?
We were always looking for affordable tools to make things better – something that would be easy to use, wouldn’t take up a lot of space and could be portable.
Trying to EQ a system from some remote rack has always been a challenge. With DSP, you can be out in the house where you can hear and control the gear in the closet. Wireless IP makes it possible to be anywhere you need to be to hear and still control the gear. (Editor’s Note: Shure’s Application Department can be of assistance in answering questions about Shure DSPs and WiFi connectivity. You can reach them at support@shure.com)
Space is always an issue at a church. Now one rack space can provide everything that used to require an entire standing rack. And since every church has to think about budget, DSP can replace a lot of costlier gear. Depending on what the church needs to do, it can actually save a lot of money in the long run.
Can you give us an example of a specific church application? What were the challenges? How did it work?
We just used DSP at churchinthenow.org to provide signal processing. We were able to go to each different listening area in a 2000-seat facility and make the changes necessary to balance the sound everywhere.
It works so well. It freaks people out when you can sit in any seat in the place with a wireless laptop and tune the system. We also use the interface on the computer to remotely shut amplifiers on and off, too.
You’re using a DSP in your traveling Seminars4Worship programs. You seem pretty happy with it. Why?
We have different band members with different tastes who have specific monitor preferences. Using DSP allows us to store and recall settings for different band members as well as PA settings for different rooms. Very flexible.
Let’s take a small church. What should be the drivers in adding a DSP?
If all you need is one EQ for the pastor’s lav, then perhaps DSP might be a little expensive. But, if you EQ the pastor’s lav and use other tools to improve the overall sound quality, then maybe a DSP engine makes good sense.
Any other tips?
Like any piece of gear, it’s important to understand what it can and can’t do – then really know how to use it. Education is key. Understanding how a compressor works or any of the other myriad of functions a DSP can perform is key. Store and save. Experiment – you can always recall the initial settings.
Shure Notes readers can meet Andy at Integrity Music’s Seminars4Worship seminars, where he leads pro audio workshops. We thank him for assistance with this article.
DSP Made Simple Seminars4Worship's Andy Bussey
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