Check out my competition tonight
- Thread starter rickryan.com
- Start date
You say "They jammed you up in a corner!!!! That is a big venue and you were up in a corner??? Did you do a site visit and spell out where you wanted your setup and speakers to be? I saw many areas for different setup based on the pics from the event.
In the photo you posted of your basic rig, those speakers take away from the beautiful Gobo you were projected. They are too conspicuous.
Forget the link, post a few pics right here on ODJT now and then.
Let's hear about some of the POSITIVE experiences you have!
I'd rather hear about your WIN SOME moments, rather than the LOSE SOME moments!
That gobo was what I started the Live-Pics out with. The "real" gobo was projected on the wall, behind the head table:
At that particular gig, they didn't provide me with Memories' slideshow pics. We don't usually start running the Live-Pics until after 1st dance. As for site visit, I've worked at The Factory several times already and they were last minute on their setup so driving by there would be for nothing. I guess I could've whined and asked them to change things up but I make it a habit to go with flow when possible. The setup was fine but I felt sorry for the photobooth dude (a friend of mine). I was pounding him with sound and my scanners were all over his setup.
Rick, you put on a great and classy show from what I have seen. Get it out of your head that asking for what you want is going against the flow. You are a professional in what you do. You can negotiate and compromise without getting into a fight or getting blackballed by the venue. Longer speaker cables can be your friend. The proper placement of the speakers are more important than your booth setup space.That gobo was what I started the Live-Pics out with. The "real" gobo was projected on the wall, behind the head table:
At that particular gig, they didn't provide me with Memories' slideshow pics. We don't usually start running the Live-Pics until after 1st dance. As for site visit, I've worked at The Factory several times already and they were last minute on their setup so driving by there would be for nothing. I guess I could've whined and asked them to change things up but I make it a habit to go with flow when possible. The setup was fine but I felt sorry for the photobooth dude (a friend of mine). I was pounding him with sound and my scanners were all over his setup.
You can setup anywhere as long as you can see the dancefloor. This is what you have to impart to your client. When a client thinks DJ area they are usually thinking Booth space. I have no problem setting up in the corner if my speakers are where I want them to be. Never, never, never ask "Where do you want me to setup?". Instead start learning to say, First "This is where I want the speakers to be". Second, "I can setup here, here, here....etc."
I'm working at The Factory at Franklin tonight in what they call "The Commons Area". It's like a food court type area for the mall. 150 guests. I'm hitting a pair of 18s, and Carvin neo12 tops. The next room is a 5k-7k sq ft hall (where I've played before). I was over at the door for their GE and thought there was no music. Keep in mind there's is a big hall, full draping, high dollar uplighting, lekos on the dance floor. Check out the DJ they hired:
That's right, looks like a Fender Passport. Two dudes (actual working DJs) sitting behind the table with their laptop and passport amp sitting on the table. It's sounds like crap (of course).
what is that other speaker for in the far corner top right of this picture?
That's one of the passport speakers, just taken at a different angle, so it looks like it's in front of the screen.
I didn't go close to the table. Got close enough to see it was a passport, heard the weak, tinny tone, shook my head and left.
BTW, here's my normal rig (same thing I used this past weekend.
All this complaining about DJs and their cheap gear can go both ways... For example,
I hate cheap LED fixtures. The shot above shows what happens when DJs try to do uplighting - these dogs have about a 12 deg. beam angle and absolutely NO convergence. The optics are non-existent - instead of a color mix you have a green center with red border and a blue perimeter. Cheap ligting fixtures produce cheap results no matter who you are - which is very different than audio where a great DJ can still sound good even on cheap gear.
This is why "diversifying" generally doesn't work for a DJ - most simply don't have the capacity or expertise to do other disciplines properly and so they become both the discount alternative and the purveyors of passe' trends long after the novelty has worn off. By the time DJs get hold of a trend it's commercially effective life is generally over.
I hate cheap LED fixtures. The shot above shows what happens when DJs try to do uplighting - these dogs have about a 12 deg. beam angle and absolutely NO convergence. The optics are non-existent - instead of a color mix you have a green center with red border and a blue perimeter. Cheap ligting fixtures produce cheap results no matter who you are - which is very different than audio where a great DJ can still sound good even on cheap gear.
This is why "diversifying" generally doesn't work for a DJ - most simply don't have the capacity or expertise to do other disciplines properly and so they become both the discount alternative and the purveyors of passe' trends long after the novelty has worn off. By the time DJs get hold of a trend it's commercially effective life is generally over.
Cool beans as on the example shot you just dissed, one of the top planners in town loved it and has been actively pitching me on jobs. Maybe you should specialize on critiqing DJ work also?
It just means she's never seen anyone do it correctly - which might make your stint a temporary assignment.
We don't know that there is anyone actually working in this example. What proof do you have that this was a DJ and not simply her nephew running some background music for the video? For all we know they left after dinner and then danced all night to a band somewhere else.
It just means she's never seen anyone do it correctly - which might make your stint a temporary assignment.
One of the most established and high-end planners in town? Ha, not likely. All I gotta is keep delivering the goods. You just keep specializing.
You wouldn't know it from this photo, that's true. Before our event started, the DJ on their event was over, chatting with our photographer. I figured that he was just in street clothes but when I peeked in later.................guess he thinks that's professional attire.
First things first. You're doing a wedding for a client and take the time to take a picture of another DJ's setup. What happened to you keeping your focus on the event the client booked you for? I think we can agree that we both wouldn't use a passport to do a wedding regardless of the size of the room. What did people have to say about the job you did? I would have been more concerned about that then this DJ's setup. Like it has been said you don't know the details of why they picked thiese guys to be their entertainment.
It could have been that after spending all the money on all the other things for their wedding that left them with a tiny budget for their entertainment. So they just picked these guys. What we hate to hear but is true that not everyone is willing to spend ton of money on a DJ to come do their wedding. Nor do some take what we do seriously. Some just see what we do as us just playing music. So what's the big deal? How do you know that for these DJ's this is just a hobby of theirs and it's not all that serious? For some DJing is just a way to make some quick fast money. They don't care about being the best or close to the most exspensive. All some care about is making some extra change to go in their pocket.
Now let's take the focus off of them and put it back where it belongs and that is on you. It's been told you've had some equipment problems with speakers blowing up on you and maybe such other things like that. Don't get me wrong we've all had a mishap happen while at a gig before. Now can you keep an open mind and let us help you with your setup? Let us help you with finding some speakers that won't give you the problems you've had in the past. I know that true professional DJ gear isn't cheap but always remember you get what you pay for. If you're having problems with speakers you might want to consider to upgrading to a better set of speakers. You might want to consider buying some really good powered speakers. Buying them brand new would be the ideal thing but if you don't have that kind of money you can look into used. Just make sure you know what you're getting is truly the right stuff and worth it. You want stuff that will perform well and last you a long time.
I used to didn't care about powered speakers until i was made to keep an open mind. Now i'm in love with the setup i have now. How's about working on making your show better? What do you need to improve on? Me i know i need more people contacting us about wanting us to be their entertainment at their event. I use the word entertainment instead of DJ because to me i'm more then just a DJ, i'm an entertainer.
It could have been that after spending all the money on all the other things for their wedding that left them with a tiny budget for their entertainment. So they just picked these guys. What we hate to hear but is true that not everyone is willing to spend ton of money on a DJ to come do their wedding. Nor do some take what we do seriously. Some just see what we do as us just playing music. So what's the big deal? How do you know that for these DJ's this is just a hobby of theirs and it's not all that serious? For some DJing is just a way to make some quick fast money. They don't care about being the best or close to the most exspensive. All some care about is making some extra change to go in their pocket.
Now let's take the focus off of them and put it back where it belongs and that is on you. It's been told you've had some equipment problems with speakers blowing up on you and maybe such other things like that. Don't get me wrong we've all had a mishap happen while at a gig before. Now can you keep an open mind and let us help you with your setup? Let us help you with finding some speakers that won't give you the problems you've had in the past. I know that true professional DJ gear isn't cheap but always remember you get what you pay for. If you're having problems with speakers you might want to consider to upgrading to a better set of speakers. You might want to consider buying some really good powered speakers. Buying them brand new would be the ideal thing but if you don't have that kind of money you can look into used. Just make sure you know what you're getting is truly the right stuff and worth it. You want stuff that will perform well and last you a long time.
I used to didn't care about powered speakers until i was made to keep an open mind. Now i'm in love with the setup i have now. How's about working on making your show better? What do you need to improve on? Me i know i need more people contacting us about wanting us to be their entertainment at their event. I use the word entertainment instead of DJ because to me i'm more then just a DJ, i'm an entertainer.