Quality of service is based on price?

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Papa Deuce

Mac Daddy DJ
Aug 8, 2006
19,843
594
64
Valley Forge Area
OK, this is NOT a slam against the DJ I saw last night at my kid's "Father - Daughter" Dance. The same DJ has been doing it for years and I never talked to him til last night. Anyway, he was in a lull last night so I just went up to say "Hi", and exchange cards.

Long story real short, he says he does lots of high end events. Well, I have always noticed that this guy never hides wires, only tapes down the bare minimum, and uses fairly low end equuipment.

He volunteered - because he was ashamed??? - that his setups and equpiment are dictated by the price of the event.

I can totally relate to equipment, but I'm having a hard time accepting that not hiding wires, and barely taping down wires is something that should be based on price.

BTW, the kids always have a great time with this guy... though it is funny that I can almost give you his playlist in order, verbatim. : )
 
Sorry, but I tell everyone one of my bands you give the exact same performance, no matter if there are 3 people in the audience or 30000.

Same applies here.
 
It only takes a few minutes to hide or cover cables. I shouldn't think that the paycheck would determine how much (or how little) effort is put into bringing in a few carpet mats to throw over the cables. People take pictures at events inexpensive and upscale.

The audience danced and had a good time. That's the important part. :)
 
Im actually finding his thoughts ludicrous. I wonder how many potential high end gigs he loses at these lesser events cause they dont see neatness and proper quality. I even hide cables at 20 minute setup school events of course they are all hidden behind my table barricade which serves two purposes gear protection and hiding the wires. When I dont have this option my wires are secured neatly even on my stands for speakers and lights. You never know who is in the crowd.
 
Jon Tuck said:
Im actually finding his thoughts ludicrous. I wonder how many potential high end gigs he loses at these lesser events cause they dont see neatness and proper quality. I even hide cables at 20 minute setup school events of course they are all hidden behind my table barricade which serves two purposes gear protection and hiding the wires. When I dont have this option my wires are secured neatly even on my stands for speakers and lights. You never know who is in the crowd.
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Ya know, I never thought of it this way, exactly. Excellent point. ( But in my mind, I never pictured this guy doing any high end events.... in fact, I still am having a hard time picturing it )
 
patrickrlewis said:
Sorry, but I tell everyone one of my bands you give the exact same performance, no matter if there are 3 people in the audience or 30000.

Same applies here.
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To a point, I agree.... Not bringing my Bose or my JBL systems to do kids parties, though. They get the Berhinger. ;)
 
Papa Deuce said:
Ya know, I never thought of it this way, exactly. Excellent point. ( But in my mind, I never pictured this guy doing any high end events.... in fact, I still am having a hard time picturing it )
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Yep... we've seen a few of these guys in the field. I loved the comment we got from the sponsor of the Curves shows. She said she wished we'd been at her wedding. I asked why. Her reply: "Because you're professional!" :eek:

Honestly, we've seen 'em at the bridal shows and out in the field.

DJs in open-neck shirts, dressed like they're going to a bar.

Half-assed, jerry-built plywood racks out in the open.

Crumpled, plastic advertising banners that no used car dealer in his right mind would be seen dead with.

Battered up Eons.

A snake pit of cords and cables.

A guy who sat on his dead ass all night and monkeyed with the system, trying to look important.

All in all, a friggin' jacked up mess. :rolleyes:

But they're cheap. So much for price shopping.
 
Fred Wright said:
Yep... we've seen a few of these guys in the field. I loved the comment we got from the sponsor of the Curves shows. She said she wished we'd been at her wedding. I asked why. Her reply: "Because you're professional!" :eek:

Honestly, we've seen 'em at the bridal shows and out in the field.

DJs in open-neck shirts, dressed like they're going to a bar.

Half-assed, jerry-built plywood racks out in the open.

Crumpled, plastic advertising banners that no used car dealer in his right mind would be seen dead with.

Battered up Eons.

A snake pit of cords and cables.

A guy who sat on his dead ass all night and monkeyed with the system, trying to look important.

All in all, a friggin' jacked up mess. :rolleyes:

But they're cheap. So much for price shopping.
Click to expand...


Fred,

Stop talking about my rig it is not right to diss another DJ on their GEAR!

Frankly when I do a large funtion such as a high School dance I have visible wires all over the place (located where they will not be stepped on or triped over) I wish I had pictures of what my amp stacks look like behind the speaker stacks at a large event (looks like a noodle bowl)

If I were to hide, tape down and cover up every visible wire for such an event I would be adding about 6 hours to my setup time. I am already in the cielings (or rafters in a gym pulling wires for scanners and mirror ball. (yes those wires are fairly hidden for the most part well not hidden but sort of out of sight.

Other wires my be out in the open going from one light stand to another. While I block off access behind the speaker stacks the wires there are still pretty visible.

Doing a wedding where a smaller system is used the wires from the computers and mixer box are pretty well hidden, speaker wires are snaked around perimeter walls etc. and are not overly visible.

The one constant is the music and show are still run with the same professional additude the music is what is requested or needed to produce the best possible party with the largest amount of participants.

I will spend the least amount of time hiding the wires to maximize the amount of time I spend tuning my system for the venue. What a system looks like may turn off a very few people but what it sounds like can turn off everyone at the party.
I have seen some great clean looking systems that you can tell the DJ spent a huge amount of time taking care of every little detail in how it looks, only to lose his entire crowd to the room I am playing in because my sound was better, my music choice was better and his group could hear me better even standing in front of his speakers!

Looks - 5%............. Sound - 50%........... Selection and choice - 45%......... Time spent on setup and prep for a gig reflects those same percentages.
 
For my part, I don't do DJ work any more but with computers and web work. When someone tries to talk me down and I take the job just to get money in my pocket, I don't do as much as I normally would. I always do the job I'm contracted for BUT if something else needs to or should be done I won't 'go the extra mile' for someone who couldn't pay my full fee.

For instance if someone pays me to install a hack for vBulletin and I see an error on their board or something that should be fixed I won't do it. I'll advise them of it though.

For DJs, I think this guy is really hurting himself more by having a sloppy looking rig than anything. Say one of the chaperons has a party or wedding coming up they probably won't even consider him based on how his setup looks.
 
I call shenanigans.
I think he's lying and only has that crappy rig and knows it, so he feels the need to come up with some story to make himself look better when talking to another DJ.
 
Steve is being nice to me. I'm sure he saw my old RS rig a time or three back in the day. :eek:

I've seen Steve's work. Don't let him fool you ~ it's all professionally set up and managed. Steve doesn't claim to have all the answers... but you'd be hard pressed to find many people who know install and touring rigs like Steve does.

Steve is my hero. Shirl and I visited with Steve and Jo some years ago so that we could absorb some of the Steveness through osmosis. :)

I guess the thing that puzzles me is the DJs who are loading no more than a pair of Eons and a simple tabletop rig. Surely the cables can be strapped to the poles with some Velcro. Surely the rack case can be covered with something, even if it's just a black bedsheet.
 
WaydeWest said:
I call shenanigans.
I think he's lying and only has that crappy rig and knows it, so he feels the need to come up with some story to make himself look better when talking to another DJ.
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Well, that MAY be true, but he also told me that he was the DJ for an event I know of that was the night before. It is rather higher end, but not HIGH end.... who knows?
 
what no photos ???

now thats even worse when you dont get photos!!
 
Steve you are so full of **** I hide my wires in minutes. It is who "I am. Hell I dont even wrap them as you do and I still make it happen. 6 hours is bull****.
Thunder said:
Fred,

Stop talking about my rig it is not right to diss another DJ on their GEAR!

Frankly when I do a large funtion such as a high School dance I have visible wires all over the place (located where they will not be stepped on or triped over) I wish I had pictures of what my amp stacks look like behind the speaker stacks at a large event (looks like a noodle bowl)

If I were to hide, tape down and cover up every visible wire for such an event I would be adding about 6 hours to my setup time. I am already in the cielings (or rafters in a gym pulling wires for scanners and mirror ball. (yes those wires are fairly hidden for the most part well not hidden but sort of out of sight.

Other wires my be out in the open going from one light stand to another. While I block off access behind the speaker stacks the wires there are still pretty visible.

Doing a wedding where a smaller system is used the wires from the computers and mixer box are pretty well hidden, speaker wires are snaked around perimeter walls etc. and are not overly visible.

The one constant is the music and show are still run with the same professional additude the music is what is requested or needed to produce the best possible party with the largest amount of participants.

I will spend the least amount of time hiding the wires to maximize the amount of time I spend tuning my system for the venue. What a system looks like may turn off a very few people but what it sounds like can turn off everyone at the party.
I have seen some great clean looking systems that you can tell the DJ spent a huge amount of time taking care of every little detail in how it looks, only to lose his entire crowd to the room I am playing in because my sound was better, my music choice was better and his group could hear me better even standing in front of his speakers!

Looks - 5%............. Sound - 50%........... Selection and choice - 45%......... Time spent on setup and prep for a gig reflects those same percentages.
Click to expand...
 
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