My last post fell off the first two pages without a reply, so we'll have another shot with a different discussion title... =)

I'm new to DJing [outside my bedroom] and have been asked to DJ several small college parties [50-150 people]. If all goes well, will soon be in the market for a mobile dj set-up [sound and lighting]. I'm planning on renting a set-up for the first few and see if their is enough demand to justify buying.

I'm looking for some equipment suggestions for a small, first-time mobile setup [brands you like, ones to avoid, specific models and sizes, etc]

I know very little about specs for speakers or PA systems, so you might need to break it down for me [or point me to a website or other threads that will help].


Thanks in advance...

..and here's why :)

www.scratchlive.net

For some reason that last post really got under my skin...

A question about what editing/bpm program to use or 'what's the best file format' would deserve such a reply, as those are covered on a daily basis on the forum ...

I did extensive searching on the subject and found little useful help for a novice.



Ramblings about equipment between professionals who know what they are talking about and specific advise or help for someone who is new to the whole thing are two different things.

Being new, I'm looking for the latter and didn't get it from threads I found through searching.

If the information is out there and your expertise in searching has uncovered it, then please, enlighten me on where I can find it. If not, then ignore the post like the rest and move on. No need to be a prick.

Any one else willing to be a little more helpful?

found out how much the rental place is gonna charge you to rent said equipment. most places seem to charge about 35-40% of purchase cost so it could pay for itself real quick if you find a place that offers "90 days same as cash" or something.

you don't need too many lights for under 100 people, but even a simple disco ball can add some pizzaz and set you apart from an ipod.

Thanks DJ 3pm ... I hadn't thought about 'rent to own' I'll look into that.

Any suggestions on number of speakers needed/speaker sizes? Most 'all-in-one' packages I've seen only come with two speakers ... is it necessary to have a sub also?

Here's the advice I wish I'd been given on starting out:

1. Buy powered speakers. Lighter, faster load-in/out. Less configuration. Best decision I ever made.

2. Don't buy one-sub-two-satellites. I have a couple of HK Audio LUCAS 600 systems, which are a bit restrictive in the function market because the two satellites are closely tied to the sub. It is better to have the placement option of sat+sub, sat+sub. If you buy good, powered tops, you can add (or hire) subs later.

3. Hiring is good. If you have a reputable hire company who will hire and support good quality equipment, you can avoid a lot of early mistakes. If you don't have the cash to spend NOW, don't buy the speakers on credit.

4. Don't buy cheap. Cheap speakers are like cheap anything - they just won't last. In powered speakers my personal favourites are the dbTechnologies Opera 415s, and the ART 315s (expensive, but great in-built mixing functions), and there is a perpetual debate from fans of JBL, Mackie, EV, etc.

5. If you are looking to DJ college parties, the two most important measurements for you are SPL and low frequency response. Look for a speaker which has an SPL of 125-130db at 1m, and a low distortion frequency response starting at around 40Hz.

5. Don't be fooled by WATT measurements. They are practically meaningless.

6. Buy speakers which have MATCHING subs available. Nothing looks worse than a patchwork quilt of speakers.

7. Buy speaker bags. You'll need them.

8. Lights - you don't need them.

9. If you MUST have lights, and you are doing college parties, don't get the trashy, tacky, spinning balls and related plastic gadgets.

10. The only lighting brand worth buying for a mobile DJ is MARTIN. They work and work and work, are totally robust, have great warranties, and did I mention work?

11. The best Martin lights for a mobile DJ are Acrobat, T-Rex and Raptor.

12. For college parties, if you don't want flashing lights like those mentioned above, a great alternative is one strobe and a few blacklight cannons. Add some UV paint and girls dressed in white, and you'll be invited back time and time again.

13. DON'T BUY CHEAP LIGHTS, especially blacklight and strobes. They are a waste of money.

^^ That's a hellva post! Much love for all the time and effort ...

Couple of questions...



Knowing nothing about them, what's the difference between powered/unpowered? Do I need an extra piece of equipment for unpowered ones to work?



What is SPL? Why is it important?

Thanks again for all the help ... I'll google your suggestions and see what else I can learn.

i play out with 2 tiny 10" powered mackies....they both fit in the front seat on top of my mixer case. they're great for small gigs and sound fine and are light. got em fer $500 each. (for larger gigs, i bring my single 18" powered jbl sub. like djHSL said,... Lighter, faster load-in/out. Less configuration. Best decision I ever made too.

My pleasure :)

Powered speakers have the amplifier built in. You connect the output from your computer directly to the speakers. That means you don't have to buy another amplifier.

SPL is Sound Pressure Level. Basically it is a measure of the loudness of sound, rather than the power consumed in producing that sound. Comparing two speakers, one might claim 400watts output, another 250 watts ... but the second speaker might have better components, cabinet, etc., and have an SPL of 129 compared to 120 for the "more powerful" speaker. In this case the 250 watt speakers is DEFINITELY louder, and probably clearer as well.

HSL, are you self taught? cuz your a genious.

Lorrence: Well, I have to have something to compensate for being ugly and grumpy, right?? *grin* I learned by making many mistakes over many years, some costly and some just embarrassing. I was a nightclub DJ in Australia and Asia for almost 15 years, got too old to enjoy 10am closings with a head full of chemicals and retired, got bored and went into mobile work as a hobby business. That's around 20 years in the industry, and I've never stopped learning and trying to get better.

dang! 10am... it's like that movie studio 54 :)

hehe like the movie? I think it's still like that at the one here in vegas. When utopia was open they went till sunrise all the time.

Clubs in my town close at 1:30 ... gotta love the midwest

wow, i envy you, clubs in my town ----- 4:00 a.m.

yeah, it has it's advantages ... being in bed by 2:00 a.m. during the week allows me to keep my day job ... but on the weekends I'm not usually ready to leave when 1:30 rolls around =)

Last year i bought 2 Mackie self powered SRM450's and one mackie 18" sub... Best system i have ever had! These things seem to handle any size party. I've done parties outside and i was a little nervous at first but it worked for a party in a large ballroom holding nearly 900 people. So i definately recommend mackie srm's. I wish i had a system like this when i was younger.. LOL The sound is crystal clear and the bass is tight.

djHSL,

(RE: Here's the advice I wish I'd been given on starting out:)

What a great post! I have been in the business for a long time and I know that everything you said about equipement is right on. I had to spend thousands of dollars and several years of my life learning what you just took a few minutes to tell our newbie friend. You are a good guy, and I hope your patience wears off on some of the folks who bite peoples heads off when they ask questions.

For my money Mackie powered are the best, but EV and JBL are good too. As Kasper says, two srm450's and an 18 sub will sound great in almost any venue.

Cheers,

Yaz

HSL, do know much about the JBL SRX series?

Sorry, no. I've never used those speakers, and I don't want to comment on something I haven't actually used/heard.

HSL is there such thing as too much sound?

Yes, Grasshopper ...

... if my memory serves me correctly, at my first mobile gig I scared EVERYONE into other rooms ... my solution was to turn the sound even louder ... whereas the path to true enlightenment was to use SOFT sounds to lure people to the dance floor, then gradually raise the volume to just higher than loud speech.

As a mobile DJ, always be responsive to the requests of venue operators for sound moderation. The success of the party depends on your music, mixing, and "the vibe", not the number of decibels you can pump out. You'll never be invited back to a function venue if they get complaints from staff or other guests.

... and if you are talking about equipment, having more power can never hurt, because you can always turn it down. Having insufficient sound means that you will overdrive (and ruin) your speakers.

hm in general people like it loud right? hmm..my understanding from your geniosity, is that i should keep it kinda loud at first, then progressively raise the volume throughout the night?

I should have been more clear in my earlier post ... I think many DJs over-rate the importance of loudness ... a more general guidelines is that private parties should be quieter than functions, which should be quieter than bars, which should be quieter than nightclubs.

HSL didn't you say somethin about 5 watts per person?

Yes, that is a good rule of thumb for the amount of sound you should provide. Remember, however, that SPL is more important than Watts. You can't get high SPL without high wattage, but high wattage on its own isn't a good measure of sound quality and/or loudness.

If you plan to play parties of, say, 200 people, you should be looking for a total of around 1000 watts RMS of sound. With good SPLs that will give you plenty of headroom (the difference between your playing volume and the maximum volume your speakers can generate) and help them last longer.

Just because you have 1000 watts doesn't mean that you have to use it all. My earlier post about loudness was meant to say that some mobile DJs often play too loud for their customers and guests, and that often they would do better by reducing the volume.

i was at this one wedding where the dj had an awesome (meaning hella bumpin) system, my daughter was only 9months old at the time, and we sat way at the back of the hall, and we still could feel the massive waves of the thunderous bass. i was like, wow, this is cool, but then after 5 minutes of that, we left....i was concerned of her hearing...and mine :)

WHOA!!! Thats some good advice, considering im not in any of the clubs and my only gigs right now are mobile, this is the greatest thread ever!!!! When i first started about 7 months ago, i had to take systems to gigs that wasnt tested to suit the venue i was doing, luckily it was only for highschoolers/elemntary kids. Im glad it all worked out, but from now on im going to check this thread out before any big gig i do just incase theres even better info(not that there could be :))
-Thanks for being dope

feathers and fans, LOL hell yeah!