Was just sent some old set up pics

[djcrazychris]

So i got a surprise direct message from an old client from the 90s this evening...and they sent over a couple photo's from 2 seperate events i did for them back around 92 or so...

i have to apologize to Mix on this one....my cable management game was pretty sad....and apparently i sat down for atleast a moment... (never remember ever sitting down to dj...lol)


So this first photo is a booth i built...i called it the grey beast....it dismantled into two pieces...u can see the seam.... both pieces were probably 100 to 150 lbs each...lol... it had the light attached... a gooseneck for the mic...and we even added that digital scrolling sign on the front....we could put text up...congratulating the guest of honor....it even had little animations like fireworks.... super tacky by todays standards....but it dazzled clients back then...lololol ... you can also see a primitive fog machine in front...




within a few months of that party i had saved up enough to replace my consumer cd players ...amps and speakers for more professional fair.... as well as added to my light show and hired on a pretty good team of assistants who ran the lights and helped set up... we even had team jackets (i think ive posted pics of them...)

the light rig was a fairly complex light board...with color coded output jacks and sent out to multiple power strips that then merged into 2 giant snakes that fed to each light stand... we also had effects lights controlled on a rackmount power strip.....it was such a mess...but it worked

 

[Jeff Romard]

i have to apologize to Mix on this one....my cable management game was pretty sad....and apparently i sat down for atleast a moment... (never remember ever sitting down to dj...lol)

I think we alkl looked like that in '92 LOL....Some of us much longer

I had more hair though

 

[djcrazychris]

I think we alkl looked like that in '92 LOL....Some of us much longer

I had more hair though

lol...i started balding at 17...

cc

 

[steve149]

lol...i started balding at 17...

cc

My theory is it's the result of too much brain mass .. at least that's what I told myself .. I started at around 27.

 

[djcrazychris]

My theory is it's the result of too much brain mass .. at least that's what I told myself .. I started at around 27.

makes total sense ... lol

cc

 

[PhaseIIPro]

So i got a surprise direct message from an old client from the 90s this evening...and they sent over a couple photo's from 2 seperate events i did for them back around 92 or so...

i have to apologize to Mix on this one....my cable management game was pretty sad....and apparently i sat down for atleast a moment... (never remember ever sitting down to dj...lol)


So this first photo is a booth i built...i called it the grey beast....it dismantled into two pieces...u can see the seam.... both pieces were probably 100 to 150 lbs each...lol... it had the light attached... a gooseneck for the mic...and we even added that digital scrolling sign on the front....we could put text up...congratulating the guest of honor....it even had little animations like fireworks.... super tacky by todays standards....but it dazzled clients back then...lololol ... you can also see a primitive fog machine in front...

View attachment 37518


within a few months of that party i had saved up enough to replace my consumer cd players ...amps and speakers for more professional fair.... as well as added to my light show and hired on a pretty good team of assistants who ran the lights and helped set up... we even had team jackets (i think ive posted pics of them...)

the light rig was a fairly complex light board...with color coded output jacks and sent out to multiple power strips that then merged into 2 giant snakes that fed to each light stand... we also had effects lights controlled on a rackmount power strip.....it was such a mess...but it worked


View attachment 37519View attachment 37520

Is that a car speaker box in the first picture?

 

[Jeff Romard]

My theory is it's the result of too much brain mass .. at least that's what I told myself .. I started at around 27.

I almost made it to 40 must have less mass than you guys . I can still grow the top and sides but up the middle is pretty thin

 

[DJ Ricky B]

I was 10 in '92. My Dad had a '92 PontiacV8 Firebird with T Tops on it at the time.

I was playing with Super Soakers, riding my bike around, playing football, and basketball, or hanging out at the pool all day taht summer. I did not know yet that I would get into deejaying, lol.

 

[Music Medic]

Is that a car speaker box in the first picture?

Sure looks like! (not that in the VERY early days of the mid-80s I didn't use my Honda Civic hatch sub-boxes to "beef up'' the sound in small rooms...).

I started small while still in junior high school and eventually worked up to a pretty respectable set up (Rat Shack consumer stuff to Peavey and Cerwin... vinyl to hard drives... manual switch lights to DMX).

Through the late 80's until 1997 worked in radio - while still doing mobile and the occasional club gig. Still keep a hand in here and there.

Been quite a ride!

I'm enjoying these forums - you guys are great!

Mike

 

[steve149]

Is that a car speaker box in the first picture?

Looks like any number of cheaper speakers of the time .. not car speakers, but used many similar components like those grills.

 

[djcrazychris]

Is that a car speaker box in the first picture?

it may have been...hahaha... u gotta understand... i was scraping together anything and everything for sound at the time... my uncle had some cerwin vega home stereo speakers... i borrowed them...and someone scratched it at a party....so he made me buy them...so i carpeted them and put grills on them too...lol...

A few months after the first pic i drove to virginia beach to an actual dj equipment store and bought proper gear....those 15 inch peaveys served me well for a few years

cc

 

[PhaseIIPro]

it may have been...hahaha... u gotta understand... i was scraping together anything and everything for sound at the time... my uncle had some cerwin vega home stereo speakers... i borrowed them...and someone scratched it at a party....so he made me buy them...so i carpeted them and put grills on them too...lol...

A few months after the first pic i drove to virginia beach to an actual dj equipment store and bought proper gear....those 15 inch peaveys served me well for a few years

cc

Haha, Definitely not knocking your hustle. Was just noticing how the piezo horns were setup on that box. I have to dig up some old pics from back in the day. I started as an 8 year old in 1978. I know for a fact that I was the youngest working/battling, dj/rapper on Long Island at the time. We had several setups and I would sometimes do complete parties including setting up/wiring by myself. I’m the young kid in glasses. I have to find some battle pics when we would have 2-4 dj’s setup in venues or parks and compete.

 

[djcrazychris]

Haha, Definitely not knocking your hustle. Was just noticing how the piezo horns were setup on that box. I have to dig up some old pics from back in the day. I started as an 8 year old in 1978. I know for a fact that I was the youngest working/battling, dj/rapper on Long Island at the time. We had several setups and I would sometimes do complete parties including setting up/wiring by myself. I’m the young kid in glasses. I have to find some battle pics when we would have 2-4 dj’s setup in venues or parks and compete.

Haha love it!!

cc

 

[MIXMASTERMACHOM]

So i got a surprise direct message from an old client from the 90s this evening...and they sent over a couple photo's from 2 seperate events i did for them back around 92 or so...

i have to apologize to Mix on this one....my cable management game was pretty sad....and apparently i sat down for atleast a moment... (never remember ever sitting down to dj...lol)


So this first photo is a booth i built...i called it the grey beast....it dismantled into two pieces...u can see the seam.... both pieces were probably 100 to 150 lbs each...lol... it had the light attached... a gooseneck for the mic...and we even added that digital scrolling sign on the front....we could put text up...congratulating the guest of honor....it even had little animations like fireworks.... super tacky by todays standards....but it dazzled clients back then...lololol ... you can also see a primitive fog machine in front...

View attachment 37518


within a few months of that party i had saved up enough to replace my consumer cd players ...amps and speakers for more professional fair.... as well as added to my light show and hired on a pretty good team of assistants who ran the lights and helped set up... we even had team jackets (i think ive posted pics of them...)

the light rig was a fairly complex light board...with color coded output jacks and sent out to multiple power strips that then merged into 2 giant snakes that fed to each light stand... we also had effects lights controlled on a rackmount power strip.....it was such a mess...but it worked


View attachment 37519View attachment 37520

No need to apologize to me. You learned over time what your setup should look like. I ordered a new facade because the wooden one is messed up and we can't keep trying to fix it. I ordered one that comes with a bag. I got it to use at Saturdays event. It should be here today.

 

[adj2ent]

1992. That’s about the time we started to convert over to CDs. Numark had recently released the 5020 dual CD player. It had pitch control but no instant start. So you would hit the button and wait a second for the sound. Denon had a dual CD player in 1989. That one had a controller where you had to select deck one or deck two. I’d love the meet the genius who thought of that. I actually saw the unit at the New Music Seminar in New York City that year. The New Music Seminar was for DJs, artists, producers and etc before the DJ Times Expo started. About that time CDs were starting to take hold. And between that and Denon potentially releasing a CD player for DJs, Most DJs weren’t very happy about the thought of vinyl being replaced and I didn’t think the people from Denon we’re gonna make it out of the conference. I guess if you told me that time I’d be spinning with CDs in a couple of years I probably wouldn’t have believed it too. But in 1992 we were doing an event at Columbia University on a rooftop on a windy day and we were unable to play any records, CD only. Well, I looked around and saw how much equipment we wouldn’t have to move And I decided to switch to CDs ASAP. I actually hit every CD shop in lower and midtown Manhattan eventually walking all the way up to Broadway & 86th Street to build my collection. The best place I found to buy CDs was in Europe, mainly London and Rome. They had the best compilation CDs I’ve ever seen. When I was overseas I promised my wife I wouldn’t go into any CD shops. Yea, That lasted one day until I walked by a large Tower Records in London and the big hook came out and pulled me in.

 

[Bob Kreider]

OMG what a mess...…..oh, not you, the equipment aesthetics. Now, I hope the phrase, "you've come a long way" applies.

In the last picture, you do have a table skirt, but why are all those wires dangling across the front?

 

[djcrazychris]

OMG what a mess...…..oh, not you, the equipment aesthetics. Now, I hope the phrase, "you've come a long way" applies.

In the last picture, you do have a table skirt, but why are all those wires dangling across the front?

lol... i had zero frame of reference at the time... all i cared about was music... had no idea the cables should be cleaned up...i did duct tape them down for safety from tripping hazards....theres probably still duct tape residue at some of these old venues from me...lolol

cc

 

[Bob Kreider]

I'd be embarrassed to show pics of my system in the 80's and 90's too. They would be similar to your system. But, like most of us....we've come a long ways. And duct tape went away years ago for me. Now, it's nothing but the very best gaffers tape I use. And a minimal amount of wiring and the cable management is better. Plus a fully clothed booth sides and front.

So much nicer 30 years ago.

 

[djcrazychris]

yeah...im a huge proponent of gaffers tape as well...

hope i dont offend....but im not sure im a fan of your facade tho... looks a little hand made ...and needs a wash

cc

 

[steve149]

I agree with Chris .. The whole look is fine, but the facade fabric needs to be made taut somehow .. looks a bit unkempt ..