DJing Discussion

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Mackie Thump 15 with a Mackie Thump 18s and a DBX DR260

DannyS 6:17 PM - 15 June, 2017
Can anyone help me. I was instructed to pick up a Driverack 260 to better eq my performances. Now I know very little on how to set it up. The DJ that was supposed to help me has gone MIA and now I am left holding a piece of equipment with no knowledge on how to use it. I am using 2 Mackie Thump 15's and a Thump 18 sub. how do I go about setting up the Driverack to use with my setup? Any help is greatly appreciated.
DJ Reflex 5:58 AM - 16 June, 2017
You shouldn't need the drive rack at all. The Mackies have their own built in cross-overs. Just plug 'n play.
Culprit 10:17 AM - 16 June, 2017
Quote:
You shouldn't need the drive rack at all. The Mackies have their own built in cross-overs. Just plug 'n play.


Indeed, also that Mackie line is really low budget. Don't expect much from that rig.
DannyS 11:19 AM - 16 June, 2017
I've gotten that from some friends of mine and then I've also gotten people that swear by their driveracks. Either way thanks for the replies guys. Do you guys suggest it for feedback suppression?
DJ Reflex 12:16 AM - 17 June, 2017
The driverack has limiters, gates, EQ, delay, and all manor of sound processor filters in it. What are you looking to get out of your sound other than what your Mackie system already does? More bass? Less mids? Delay compensation? It might help with feedback, but you can do that with proper mic placement and gain settings on your mixer.

A live band with a large passive array will definitely benefit from the driverack. Using it on a pre-EQ'd powered combo won't do much.
pdidy 9:02 PM - 17 June, 2017
to own Mackie Thump's means that you dont really care about sound anyway. But to buy a quality dbx 260 with Mackie Thump's is like putting vasblog.vehicleadminservices.com
DannyS 1:25 AM - 18 June, 2017
Dj reflex. Thank you for helping me a novice to this game out. I bought the mackies on a budget. I'm a beginner and like all beginners we gotta start somewhere. Over time I have been upgrading my setup and with time I will have a decent speaker setup. Unlike Pdidy here you took the time to give me a concise explanation of what to do. I was trying to get the DBX set up for a gig I had last night but I just hooked up my mixer and manually set all gains etc. Event turned out alright. Just had to deal with echoing since the space was a gym. Any input on how to deal with that?
dj_soo 1:31 AM - 18 June, 2017
Yea, that's a really nice processor youre using with some really mediocre speakers
DannyS 2:07 AM - 18 June, 2017
Quote:
Yea, that's a really nice processor youre using with some really mediocre speakers


So I've been told. Lol. Guess I'll hold on to it and get to work on getting some decent speakers. Any suggestions? I hear EV's or RCF's might be good?
dj_soo 9:11 AM - 18 June, 2017
qsc, ev, rcf, jbl, yamaha - you can't really go wrong with any of those so long as you go for the midrange and up models.
Hanginon 12:24 PM - 18 June, 2017
Tough group!

Quick Start Guide -
3e7777c294b9bcaa5486-bc95634e606bab3d0a267a5a7901c44d.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com

Owner's Manual -
3e7777c294b9bcaa5486-bc95634e606bab3d0a267a5a7901c44d.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com

Speaker Tuning. It has presets for Mackie SRM450 - should be close.
DannyS 3:24 PM - 18 June, 2017
Thank you Hanginon. I wasn't sure if using that preset would help me. But thank you for the assistance. Any info is very much appreciated.

Dj_soo thank you as well for that input. Damn the DJ game is expensive. But I'll tell you this for someone who likes to entertain and Ives music, there's nothing more gratifying than when you look out on the dance floor and you see a crowd of people just looking up at you and feeling your set. Having the right equipment goes a long way in giving the people what they want huh?
DJ Reflex 12:10 AM - 19 June, 2017
Quote:
Damn the DJ game is expensive.


I'm glad it is too! I started off on a home stereo and a Radio Shack mixer. I hear your frustration. But, the more "professional" I became, the more I appreciated quality gear... at a premium price. It separated the men from the boys and shows that you are committed to excellence. It's the Craig's List bottom feeders that try to pass off Fischer Price gear and bite off way more than they can chew.

Nothing wrong with starting with Mackie Thumps. Make the best presentation you can with them, but also understand their limitations. As you grow in this business, you'll appreciate top-end gear more and why it comes with a hefty price. Reminds me of that quote from The Incredibles... "When everyone's super, then no one will be."
DannyS 1:28 AM - 19 June, 2017
Quote:
Quote:
Damn the DJ game is expensive.


I'm glad it is too! I started off on a home stereo and a Radio Shack mixer. I hear your frustration. But, the more "professional" I became, the more I appreciated quality gear... at a premium price. It separated the men from the boys and shows that you are committed to excellence. It's the Craig's List bottom feeders that try to pass off Fischer Price gear and bite off way more than they can chew.

Nothing wrong with starting with Mackie Thumps. Make the best presentation you can with them, but also understand their limitations. As you grow in this business, you'll appreciate top-end gear more and why it comes with a hefty price. Reminds me of that quote from The Incredibles... "When everyone's super, then no one will be."



Deep. But you make all the sense in the world. Thank you for taking the time to shed some light in the right direction. Guess I'll deal with what I got and whatever profit I make I will be flipping it towards more professional gear.

Thanks again.
Culprit 7:30 AM - 19 June, 2017
We are here to help you and be honest with you. Also it's never been more affordable to be a DJ in history, to this point.

Yes, old man rant to start.. buying 2 copies of every record, before someone else gets them, also joining a legit record pool.. way more than current pricing on even some of the best pools.. refurbished macbook pro's around $600, brand new pioneer mixer $250 includes DVS and $350 for brand new turntable with basic but functional needs to get you started.. that's just to start my friend

Not to discourage you ya know.. just being honest with you
Taipanic 3:09 PM - 19 June, 2017
Quote:
Damn the DJ game is expensive. Having the right equipment goes a long way in giving the people what they want huh?


It's way cheaper and the entry bar is way lower than what it used to be. Used to be $1-2,000.00 for hardware, no exceptions for proper gear. Then count every song in your music collection that you have "acquired" and multiply that by a number between $5-$12.00, then add in another $1-300 for new music and styli monthly.

Put the DR away for now and just use the Mackies as intended. Start saving for better sounding/more durable gear. Buy once, cry once is a common saying - you are better off buying quality gear that will sound good and last for years for a higher cost than budget gear with mediocre sound and questionable built quality.