DJing Discussion

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Wedding DJ Speakers?

refrusloi 2:35 AM - 6 February, 2017
Hey guys,

I have been doing some searches on Google and YouTube for the past couple hours but not 100% confident on the answer yet. I am trying to figure out how many speakers I will need to DJ weddings. I understand that it depends on the amount of people, but it seems that in a lot of videos you can get away with 2 main speakers and a sub?

This is the same setup I use for other mobile gigs. I DJ on Saturdays but would like to switch over from bar/clubs to do some weddings as well.
Rebelguy 2:40 AM - 6 February, 2017
Speakers would actually be pretty far down the list of things to worry about if you are going to enter the wedding DJ market.
refrusloi 2:42 AM - 6 February, 2017
I'm asking as I've had multiple requests, so I am trying to educate myself.
Johnnie J 3:02 AM - 6 February, 2017
Just A good pair of powered speakers is all you really need maybe a pair of QSC K12s would be awesome , but if you like sub sat idea go for a powered 6,8 or even 10"top box with a good 15 or 18 in sub. My main reason for suggesting a sub / sat is that smaller mid drivers will generally voice vocals a little better from a audio quality point of view , in the audiophile world it is considered a good idea not to have a crossover point in the vocal range i.e. 300 to about 3k and this is possible with 6 or too a lesser extent 8" drivers. But bang for buck a pair of K12's
Hanginon 1:18 PM - 6 February, 2017
"Looks" count a lot with weddings, and in IMHO, two tops over two smaller subs looks better than two tops on tripods with one large sub.
577er 1:52 PM - 6 February, 2017
Agree two subs with two tops is the way to go. Looks good and sounds good. I prefer wide dispersion speakers for weddings because you are always in different rooms and need to use the same speakers for ceremonies, toasts, background music and dancing. 90 degree or greater boxes tend to be the most useful.

I would add a second sub to your setup and spend the big money on nice microphones (two at least, hand held and lav). Nothing worse that cheap mics dropping out in the middle of a heartfelt toast or ceremony.
Taipanic 3:27 PM - 6 February, 2017
Two tops and a sub will cover a lot of weddings under 300 people, depending on the room size, where you are allowed to set up, and the quality of your speakers. I use a single Yorkville LS800p sub with either EV or Yamaha tops, I would use two subs if they were not the Yorkville L800/801 series. Very important to have good speaker stands that will get the tops high enough and hopefully you can angle the speakers as well, either with an angle pole cup built in to the speaker or hardware like the BT-12 tilters.

Most important for doing weddings is the understanding of procedures and the ability to MC well. Music is a small part of running a wedding reception. Knowing how and when to kick off each event like the introduction, dances, cake cutting, etc... and to sound good and professional is key. I average 20-25 hrs of work for every wedding I do, in meetings, prep, load in/out, and execution. If you are serious about doing weddings well, there are events like the Mobile Beat show in Vegas that you can learn a lot about event DJing from people who are very good at it.
DJ Reflex 11:07 PM - 6 February, 2017
^^ Good advice all around ^^ I've been doing weddings for over 20 years. I still learn a few things here and there.
deezlee 7:48 PM - 7 February, 2017
Yer gonna need some extra speakers, cables etc.
Ask a lot of questions about where sound is needed.
A wedding can end up with music and mics needed for the:
Ceremony area
Cocktail area
Dinner area
Dancing area
Sometimes those are the same area, often not.
I've done a wedding where the food/speeches were set up half inside and half outside, with mic and speakers needed for both and I needed to be able to control the mic as well as pass it around.
Ended up running hella cable (get gaff tape and those rubber doorway runners) so that I could control the mic from a mixer inside and a mixer outside.
Weddings are a puzzle (audio, dealing w people, timing etc) for sure.
DJ Reflex 11:27 PM - 7 February, 2017
deezlee - this is all true and I've encountered this situation before, but...

For a beginning wedding DJ, this is not a major concern. Besides, it's not like this the of set-up is sprung on you at the last minute. This should be laid out (in contract) well in advance. Get started with basic speakers/lights and build from there. Extra speakers and cables and such can be added later you feel the need and are comfortable setting all that gear up.

I do agree that you need back up of pretty much everything. Not saying you need twice as much gear, but be conscious of ho you an still keep a party going if a speaker, light, mic, or even your laptop craps out!

And if you need 2 cables, buy 7. If you need 7 cables, buy 22!
Hanginon 1:32 AM - 8 February, 2017
+1 everything DJ Reflex said.

Weddings for most people are (hopefully) a one shot deal - you have to get it right the first time.

IMHO, the wedding DJ's best friend is a small Yamaha/Peavey/A&H mixer. Good microphone preamps, and in a moments notice, you can switch to your phone's (or mp3 player's or whatever's) playlist, while you sort out a technical problem with your big system.
deezlee 5:26 AM - 8 February, 2017
Yup I'm just saying make sure to ask questions or you could easily get a wacky situation sprung on you!

Clients don't always think about the mixer being inside and toasts outside etc.
577er 4:18 PM - 8 February, 2017
Yeah hardwear is only a fraction of the game at a wedding, you need a timeline for music and for everything else, floor plans, playlist requests, rain plans... and most of all you need to be flexible and cool under pressure.
DJ Reflex 1:54 AM - 9 February, 2017
Quote:
and most of all you need to be flexible and cool under pressure.


A+ there buddy!