1st Lighting Set-up--- What should I get 1st?
- Thread starter DjSoulrebel
- Start date
Mix .. looking better .. you should get some longer cables so they can be velcroed down the poles and not coming off at an angle .. would look cleaner.
Houston, I'm gonna say looking at this photo, it is VERY similar to how i set-up a large portion of my weddings. Granted our set-up is longer so the speakers are about 9 feet apart, but still we create a large booth effect when we are right on the dance floor and i wouldn't wanna switch that up at all. I know you're all about spreading the speakers but with great speakers with the proper coverage there's no need.
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As far as recommending lights - i would recommend you look into getting a facade from Dragon Frontboards and pick up a pair of American DJ Mega 24 pro bars, and a pair of scanners, that will allow you to get into school and Wedding events. Use the bars to wash your dance floor and use the scanners to create energy with moving lighting. Then you can build from there. If you really want to start growing your light show then i recommend looking into Chauvets DMX software called Show Xpress. There is a bit of a learning curve with the software but once you've mastered it the sky's the limit to how far you can go and what you can create.
It is not just about coverage. It is also about the look. It becomes very conspicuous when everything is clumped together like that, especially when using a Lighted Facade. It just draws one's attention to that spot. This is why Photographers, Venues and Brides try to get DJs in a corner so they don't have to deal with the look. When everything is separated it tends to blend in better. Also with wider spread you are not apt to use as much volume. Even some of the original non believers from this Forum will attest to that fact. My living Room certainly cannot accommodate the people that would be at many of the Weddings/Functions described but yet I have more spread at home than most have when they do a room that is certainly much larger than my Living Room. To me it is more like a follow the masses type syndrome. Again, to each their own. If you and others want to sacrifice your hearing and the overall look in lieu of using longer cables that is your choice. Try it and see for yourself. Be open minded instead of dispelling another option.
The closer the speakers are together the more singular and monophonic the source becomes. True stereo needs the separation.
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I have tried and use all types of set-ups. All i'm telling you , is after using EVERY set-up, speakers on opposite walls of the room, etc, 75 percent of the time the booth look is what the brides love. We also do a lot of lighting, maybe that makes the dfference but the speakers tie into our design. There is nothing clumped in my set-up, it frankly just looks ( and sounds ) awesome. I also run compressors , Eq's, etc... at my events so we're not just hooking up speakers and running here. Just pointing out there's more than one way to doing something well. Putting the speakers in the center is not always as bad as you make it out to be.
But .. as we know .. mono is probably the better alternative in situations where there is wide or uneven coverage and people are set up inside and outside the boundaries of the speaker coverage.
I think we think too much "theoretically" and not enough "pragmatically".
For some reason, I find that VERY funny.
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I am not going to get drawn out into a debate about this all over again. Do what pleases you! My eyes do not deceive me. When everything is placed together it forms a clump. Its great when one has to look for where the speakers are located rather than have them jump out at you at first glance. The most important thing too is one's hearing. I don't know about you but I value mine and I don't think it is such a bright idea to have that intensity of volume in my ears for hours at a time.
Not sure how that is an issue .. most will place their speakers in a line "in front" of the plane they work on, so the energy is a good 2 feet in front of them, though closer. Your setups have the tops generally in a plane behind where you are standing (from your photos) generally, putting some of the energy directly back at you (though further away). I think it's 6 of one .. half dozen of the other.
You suffer from thinking there is only one way to do things right. Properly managing your DB will protect your hearing, not simply spreading your speakers. Just be responsible. When it comes to sound i work with some of the best in the country, trust me when i tell you, your taking your personal preference and pushing it on everyone who does it different. But like you said, do what pleases you ( If everyone else is doing it one way and your the only one doing it different, that's something to think about ). Your personal listening preferences may be hurting your own appearance with your clients, what you see as clumped up, a lot of clients would see as impressive.
You are kidding me right? I already do both of those types of events. I am not a Johnny Come lately to this business. I have been doing this professionally since 1978. The Facade I use is a Black one from Grundorf that is very elegant. I also have a special Accordion/Box Pleated skirt attachment made for it especially for more Traditional Events such as Weddings. I prefer to be heard not seen!
I have been entertaining some ideas for DMX applications. Show Express is my first choice for small scale applications for now but I am also contemplating a small size Light Desk Console to give me even greater flexibility.
I believe the "lights comments" were directed at the OP ... not you.
The lights recommendation was for the opening poster Houston - in response to his question about lighting.
Where did I ever say it was the one and only way? You must have drank some of the other's Kool Aid. No, I am not the only one doing it the way I do. Maybe in your area they do. Why do you think they make 50', 75' and 100' Cables? I did not invent those. When you see others putting 15" two ways atop 18" subs on each end of a six foot table don't try and tell me that there is no Comb Filtering going on!
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You had quoted me at the beginning of the post!
Yes, with the subs spread there is a bit of an issue, but not nearly enough to say you shouldn't do it. Sometimes we cluster, but often we don't. Each event has a set-up that fits it and i'm telling you that sometimes the cleaner look ( in your opinion clumped ) is what the customers want. Now of course just as i'm accusing you of pushing your own personal preference i'm doing the same. But the point is there is more than one way to do things well. Just like sometimes we use a dual 18 under our set-up behind the facade, sometimes we also cluster our single 18's and use the tops on the stands. We do use multiple set-ups based on the sound requirements of the venue, but majority of the time we can use the typical , single 18 on each side with tops pole mounted and it'll sound great. With sound obviously it isn't a " one set-up fits all " but i'm just telling you my preferred set-up for when it works in the space.
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I know, i see where the confusion happened there, but the second part about lighting was in response to him, not you. I apologize for the confusion.
You make claims like this often enough that it begs the question. Do you think that everyone in Houston (your area) does things like you? Do you think they lose work because they don't do what you do? I'm betting there is no change, similar to the rest of the USA. I'm even willing to bet there are DJ's that see things the same way we do down there. There are different DJ's in the whole world - and they all do different things. If all of you in TX do the same thing (which would totally obliterate your "I'm different" story), then maybe it's you all that are drinking the kool aid. Are you better than the others? Absolutely not. Are they better than you? Absolutely not.
They make various length cables because they have no idea how you will be using them nor what you will be using them for. They were not thinking about the DJ specifically when they made speaker cables. Maybe the speakers are on a stage and the cable path is 50' back and 50' to the amp. You're making an awful wide assumption there. Just as you didn't invent them, you have no idea of their intended use other than plugging in at both ends.
I do too.
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Appearance-wise, the facade was about $350, and the truss was about $1200. You can find cheaper trusses, but I wanted a solid piece across the top so that I could leave my lights mounted for quicker set up and tear down.
Lights are:
Chauvet 4 Bar
Chauvet ColorStrip
ADJ Freq 5 Strobe
ADJ Galaxian 3D Laser
ADJ Revo 4
ADJ Dekker
All the lights are controlled with an Elation DMX Operator.
Speakers are Yamaha DSR115's over DSR118W's.
The only other things that you see are my MacBook Pro (cost more than my damn trailer), and a Blue Encore 100 microphone. Here is another pic of my setup that is what I use today. Let me know if you want more info, I put a lot of work into the whole mess, especially the custom roadcase that I use now. I can now set up in 30 minutes or less (including dbx setup and sound check), and I am loaded and on the road 20 minutes after I say "Good Night".
Lights are:
Chauvet 4 Bar
Chauvet ColorStrip
ADJ Freq 5 Strobe
ADJ Galaxian 3D Laser
ADJ Revo 4
ADJ Dekker
All the lights are controlled with an Elation DMX Operator.
Speakers are Yamaha DSR115's over DSR118W's.
The only other things that you see are my MacBook Pro (cost more than my damn trailer), and a Blue Encore 100 microphone. Here is another pic of my setup that is what I use today. Let me know if you want more info, I put a lot of work into the whole mess, especially the custom roadcase that I use now. I can now set up in 30 minutes or less (including dbx setup and sound check), and I am loaded and on the road 20 minutes after I say "Good Night".
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Are the ferns your? I really gotta get me some of those.
he he.....great-looking setup, seriously.
Sshhh man. They're not ferns. They are party favors that we like to grow in KY. Just like the stuff that looks like water ain't really water.
Thanks for the compliment!
.Thanks for the compliment!