Hiring A Disc Jockey, by A Disc Jockey
Forget checking for a business license (anyone can get one), or endorsement by some far removed, “official” DJ association. Send them their required fee and they will endorse you too.
Whether your entertainer is “certified” on paper or not, how his or her system sounds is critical. Most DJs are not experts in the technical realm of sound specifications. They may not even know what signal to noise ratio, total harmonic distortion or frequency response is. The truth is, DJs often put together a sound system that is limited by how much they can afford to spend. The resulting sound may turn out to be shrill (too many highs), unclear or “muddy” and even distorted.
This is where your ears come in. Ask for a live audition so you can gage for yourself how the DJ’s equipment looks and sounds. We always offer a live listening experience to our clients. This is the only way to know if you like it. If your DJ is not willing to “audition” for you, it may be because he is embarrassed by the look or audio quality of his rig. This is a red flag.
Have your prospective DJ play a song you know. Think of one that that incorporates bass, drums, keyboards and vocals so you get a full range of sounds. Dance songs are usually good. Ask the DJ to turn it up for a moment. Now close your eyes and listen.
You don’t have to be an acoustic expert to know if you like it. Is it full and warm or hollow and “tinny”. Does it sound like an AM radio or more like what you might hear in a movie theatre? Is the base “punchy” but not overwhelming, allowing room for the mids and highs? Are the highs too brassy, making dogs howl and babys cry? Are the mid-range (vocals) present enough? Is the overall sound flat or is there “depth”?
Remember, this is what you and your guests will be hearing all night long.
While the sound can be enhanced by the use of equalizers and sonic enhancers, the right speakers are key. Whether it’s JBL, Yamaha, Mackie or others, speakers have their own sound characteristics. And off-brand, budget speakers are often lacking in sound quality.
Ask the DJ why he chose the speakers he has. Often great sounding, name brand speakers are not much more expensive than low-end, budget cabinets. If the DJ is scrimping here to save a couple of bucks, what else is is he cutting corners on?
I personally dislike “hissing” brass or cymbal sounds (highs) or too much bottom end (bass). For me, the midrange is where the melody is and I like to hear it. Warm and full vocals, keyboards and guitar with the highs and lows serving as complimentary bookends. For example, I’d rather hear emphasis on Sinatra’s voice over his bass player.
Now go find the sound YOU like. You’re already an expert as you’ve been listening all your life. Do a little earwork and you will feel confident as your event approaches, knowing your guests will experience complete sonic satisfaction!
-DJ Craig
U.SERIES PRODUCTION MIXERS-IN STORES NOW!
Mackie is happy to announce that the U.Series Production Mixers are now available at a store near you.
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U.SERIES PRODUCTION MIXERS-IN STORES NOW!
Pioneer Presents Christopher Lawrence with Gold Plated Mixer
Pioneer?s Pro DJ Division recently presented trance DJ Christopher Lawrence with a coveted gold-plated DJM-800 mixer for winning the 2008 America?s Best DJ contest at an award ceremony held at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on Tuesday, September 2.
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Pioneer Presents Christopher Lawrence with Gold Plated Mixer
NUMARK BUNDLES EZ VINYL CONVERTER 2.1 SOFTWARE WITH ALL USB TURNTABLES
Cumberland, RI, USA – June 20, 2008. Numark, the world’s leading developer of products for the DJ market, announces that the all-new 2.1 version of EZ Vinyl Converter 2 with automatic track separation is now shipping with each Numark USB turntable. EZ Vinyl Converter 2 greatly simplifies the process of converting old vinyl records to MP3. Version 2.1 of the acclaimed software reads incoming audio from a turntable, listening for spaces between songs and automatically breaking the album into individual tracks, freeing the user from standing by the turntable as the record plays in real time, manually placing track markers.The program automatically imports the newly created files directly into iTunes. This automated process saves users countless hours of time. No other software makes the vinyl-to-digital conversion process as fast or as easy. EZ Vinyl Converter 2 even comes with a free download of Gracenote® MusicID technology to automatically fill in the artist, album, and song information for PC users.EZ Vinyl Converter 2 now ships with all Numark USB turntables including TTUSB, TTXUSB, TTi, LP 2 CD and PT-01USB. Current owners of these turntables can download the new version of the software for free at www.numark.com.
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NUMARK BUNDLES EZ VINYL CONVERTER 2.1 SOFTWARE WITH ALL USB TURNTABLES
DONT BE AFRAID OF THE DARK
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DONT BE AFRAID OF THE DARK
QSC ROLLS OUT RED CARPET FOR CLUB BUD IN BEIJING
QSC sound system deployed in Budweiser’s hospitality venue. Download a hi-res version of this photo Download a hi-res version of this photo Beijing, China, September 2008 – Away from the action on track and field, Velodrome and Water Cube, there was plenty of social ambience at the recent Beijing Olympics – much of it created by Official Sponsors, Budweiser
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QSC ROLLS OUT RED CARPET FOR CLUB BUD IN BEIJING
Harman Professional Brands Brew Perfect Sound For Oktoberfest 2008
LONDON, England — In another example of the worldwide movement by audio professionals towards complete sound systems comprised exclusively of Harman Professional components, Oktoberfest 2008, which takes place in Munich later this month, features four major tents equipped with audio technologies from Crown Audio, Soundcraft, JBL Professional, AKG and BSS Audio. The systems for the Hacker, Weinzelt, Armbrustschützen and Löwenbräu tents are provided by Max Ihm and Andreas Wallisch of LUTV (www.lutv.de) of Forstinning on the outskirts of Munich.
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Harman Professional Brands Brew Perfect Sound For Oktoberfest 2008
Loudness Sonorização Select Crown Amps To Power Brazilian Red Bull X-Fighters International Motocross 2008
LONDON, England – Powering a sound system for a concert with screaming fans is never an easy task. Powering a sound system with screaming fans and dozens of motorcycle engines revving at the Red Bull X-Fighters Motocross in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil is even more difficult. Showcasing the power and sound quality of Crown’s I-Tech amplifiers, Brazilian sound reinforcement company, Loudness Sonorização selected 60 Crown I-Tech amps to power a JBL line array loudspeaker system for the motocross event in Rio.
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Loudness Sonorização Select Crown Amps To Power Brazilian Red Bull X-Fighters International Motocross 2008
Harman Pro Group Showcases HiQnet System Architect™ Version 1.8 At PLASA ’08, Opening Door For Third-Party Control
LONDON, England — Reaffirming its commitment to advance HiQnet System Architect™ as the most progressive, versatile and user-intuitive interface for system configuration and control, Harman Professional today gives System Architect Version 1.8 its European debut at PLASA’08. New advances include the ability to copy HiQnet parameter strings directly to the Windows clipboard for pasting into third-party control interface applications enabling system-wide control from control interfaces such as those manufactured by AMX and Crestron. System-wide events can now also be triggered from device-specific error conditions, such as recalling a preset for a zone based on the conditions of individual amplifiers. A user-definable selection of controls can be automatically readdressed to different devices/parameters on a Custom Control Panel in a few simple steps, and advanced zonal control is now possible. A Fast Meter control has been added for improved meter response and device synchronization has been simplified and improved.
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Harman Pro Group Showcases HiQnet System Architect™ Version 1.8 At PLASA ’08, Opening Door For Third-Party Control
Bruce Springsteen Tours World with Audio Analysts and Crown Audio I-Tech Amplifiers
Sirius Showequipment AG provided Audio Analysts with sound reinforcement system for European leg of tour.
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Bruce Springsteen Tours World with Audio Analysts and Crown Audio I-Tech Amplifiers
