First time for everything, never thought static was a really serious issue...

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well, that's the thing, it was really really bad, to the point I could not have DJd. But, 3 hours later, it was gone.

Perhaps a bottle/can of Static Cling might be useful to have around in or kit bag. Spray around the room/floor?
 
My speakers were basically light stands going into the venue. I told them I had to bring my speakers b/c they are what the lights mount/sit on, so they agreed to that, so long as they were unplugged.

We finally made the switch to my system right before the doors opened, but to answer your question, NO, I could not use my speakers as monitors.

The sound system at the venue was 10 small 8-inch speakers spread evenly along the wall I was DJing. They had subs on either side too, but the whole system sounded awful when turned up. Really distorted sounding. My Bose Compact could have done a better job. My guess, just not enough power going into the distributed system. Great fo lively background music, and nothing else.

Luckily, we ended up using my sound system, and I was so happy about that- they just kept on telling me to turn it down, but at least it was clear/clean audio.
I wasn't asking to cause a fight here. I asked because I don't care to use a venues system in such a place. Normally the system is a cheap piece of junk. A lot of these places won't spend some really good money to get a really great quality system put in by a professional. They will buy some cheap crap that will sound like s***. Then another issue is having someone using the system that don't know what they are doing and causing damage to the system. Some systems simply were not made to be cranked up at a high volume. They are only good for a certain amount of volume. You have those who will look to push a system beyond its limitations causing damage to the system and eventually the system is a big mess and sounds horrible. Sometimes resulting in having to replace the system.

I also don't like using a venues system because if something goes wrong they will blame me even when it's not my fault. I like using what we have because we know how to use it and it's limitations. Also if something does happen to the gear we're mainly responsible.

Some will see a big system and think the way to impress the people is to crank it up. When it's too loud that causes distortion making things sound like crap.
 
Macho, I don't like using anyone else's stuff as well. Not many do!! No one is arguing that. In this situation, I was informed the day before. If it would have been at the time of booking, I would have declined the gig.

It's in my contract that if I am forced to use another venue's sound system, I cannot be held responsible...

If Client’s selected venue(s) require JASP use the venue’s in-house sound system and/or audio equipment, JASP shall not be liable and cannot be held accountable for any interruptions, such as, but not limited to: Sound cutting out, equipment failure, loss of audio signal, disturbances, malfunctions, poor sound quality or distortion, or venue-mandated low volumes.
 
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Macho, I don't like using anyone else's stuff as well. Not many do!! No one is arguing that. In this situation, I was informed the day before. If it would have been at the time of booking, I would have declined the gig.

It's in my contract that if I am forced to use another venue's sound system, I cannot be held responsible...

If Client’s selected venue(s) require JASP use the venue’s in-house sound system and/or audio equipment, JASP shall not be liable and cannot be held accountable for any interruptions, such as, but not limited to: Sound cutting out, equipment failure, loss of audio signal, disturbances, malfunctions, poor sound quality or distortion, or venue-mandated low volumes.
What sucks is when you're forced to use the venues system and it's a bunch of crap that you know will make you look bad to the client and their guests.
 
I made sure the client was fully aware of the situation and, they were none to happy.

During the ceremony, their EV ELX's overheated, and I had never seen a bride get so upset. The venue is going to get an awful review, and half of it will be based on sound restrictions and poor sound quality.

But like I mentioned, in the end, it worked out b/c I got to use my system.
 
I made sure the client was fully aware of the situation and, they were none to happy.

During the ceremony, their EV ELX's overheated, and I had never seen a bride get so upset. The venue is going to get an awful review, and half of it will be based on sound restrictions and poor sound quality.

But like I mentioned, in the end, it worked out b/c I got to use my system.
She was supposed to be upset. They paid their money to have an event there and then the DJ as well to find out that. Not to mention their equipment messed up during the event. I would be pissed off too.

We're supposed to be getting paid to do what we do which should be us using our own system if we have it. The beauty is we have backup to the backup. You covered your part in this so the bride wasn't blaming you.
 
she also signed a contract over a year a go that she did not read so ultimately it's on her. Now, with that said, she hired a planner who should have read the contract, so she is most pissed at the planner for not reading the venue contract.
 
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Out of curiosity, what was it about the ELX's that overheated during a ceremony? I have ELX's and indoors, I have had 0 issues with them going thermal (especially during a ceremony). Outdoors in the sun, total different issue.
 
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yes, it was outdoors, and 3 out of 4 of them overheated. It was really embarrassing for PSAV.

Almost all my weddings are outdoors, and I have never had that happen with my gear.

Half the guests complained, and as I mentioned, the bride lost her shit. I am glad I was not in charge there. I just opted to use my lapel mic through their system as I don't use handhelds for ceremonies.
 
I frequently work in 3 venues where I revel in using the stellar venue/house system but it is with compete knowledge of the venue and consideration for the clients.

Knowing the venue's rules, capacities and limitations is part of being a professional. Learned that lessons decades ago when I was self deluded into thinking my practices were worthy of being characterized as professional.

Example #1 - Arrived with no recon or contact with anyone other than the client (not the venue), pulling my trailer with primary and backup gear in tow only to have the following thrust upon me within a 2 hours of ignition:

Load in for performers using their own gear are required without exception to use the Hotel's HD service elevator that could only be operated by a union operator. Guess who wasn't aware of or informed of that reality...neither the client nor me. Therefore, no operator was on duty.

The room had a capable system but, as one could guess, there was no one on staff that was authorized to allow access to said system.

With no means to access the room, prohibited from using the main or any other entrance, by Hotel policy, and having no choice, I had to alert the client who NOW had to plead his and by proxy my ignorance of the circumstances and was made to wait, intentionally for punitive purposes, to under an hour before the on site manager informed us that we were going to be allowed to use the elevator for load in only and would be responsible for any damage. That was clearly a problem as I was not leaving my gear there after the event, unguarded overnight and the client was understandably concerned about specious damage claims.

Luckily my contract includes language that specifies room access requirements and the client was now probably going to be forced to pay exaggerated overtime fees to bring in an emergency union operator.

It was PURE and BLIND lucky for both the client, mainly, and myself as I was able to finagle an agreement from a kind and understanding professional friend, whose production company was working an event in another room and they had their own operators for this hotel, to stop the elevator by my room when they were moving their gear for their event. I only had to derp around in the service area for a few hours after my event and the client didn't have to pay the ransom.

Had I done ANY homework, which I always do now, I would have known and been able to avoid this potentially catastrophic circumstance by one of several means: 1) Making sure my client hired the necessary venue personnel; 2) I could have had the client hire the production company to provide the PA system for me to plug into or; 3) the client could have simply paid more for me to us the capable house system, for which I would have likely discounted my rate slightly given the reduction in costs and work required.

From that day on, I would never sign a contract without knowledge of a venue's vendor/performer rules/requirements.
 
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The problem was that when I touched any of my equipment on my table (all meta cases) or even touch the venue's mixing console, not only would one get shocked, but it would cut the sound off.

Q: What brand was the mixer? Where was the amplifier? and what is you Sound Card or Controller?

The sound drops out in the system because one or more poorly designed data links or non-shielded digital pathways are disrupted by the static discharge and lose synchronization.

Something in that sound system (or your own equipment) that relies on a digital data link, lost sync with certain levels of static discharge. The sound returns when the sync is reestablished.
 
It was happening even when my setup was not connected. Their mixer was a&h. Speakers powered my lab gruppen.

I still find it so odd that it didn’t occur after about 5 PM. Before that, it was a disaster.
 
It was happening even when my setup was not connected. Their mixer was a&h. Speakers powered my lab gruppen.

I still find it so odd that it didn’t occur after about 5 PM. Before that, it was a disaster.
Aliens ...
 
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Direct sunlight. The fact that multiple of their elx’s did it, shows me that they don’t do well in direct sunlight.
I'm assuming it's the heat build up inside. Don't know the ELX, but they could be shutting down from thermal conditions (most likely) or the heat is causing issues with the motor assemblies. It seems they don't have fans so not a lot of surface area to dissipate excess heat (again, assuming the rear panel IS the heatsink). The ELX sound fine, just not a real robust construction and outdoor use in the sun is stressful to gear.
 
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yes, it was outdoors, and 3 out of 4 of them overheated. It was really embarrassing for PSAV.

Almost all my weddings are outdoors, and I have never had that happen with my gear.

Half the guests complained, and as I mentioned, the bride lost her shit. I am glad I was not in charge there. I just opted to use my lapel mic through their system as I don't use handhelds for ceremonies.
Outdoors in the sun will do it - and there is a warning on all active boxes about this. The times I have used the ELX's outside, I still had no issues but I try to keep them out of direct sunlight if I'm using them.
 
What should be installed into a venues system is a limiter. That way a DJ can't turn the system up but so far so the system doesn't get damaged by a DJ wanting to go crazy with the system thinking it's got to be extra loud to impress the people at the event. Also so they can't mess with the knobs on it, have it in a closed case where they can't mess with it. Have someone set it and forget it.