Archive for the ‘DJ Equipment Reviews’ Category

The Realization

Over the weekend I purchased the iDj Live from Numark for the application Djay from Algoriddim.    For the last few months I have been bringing my ipad 2 to gigs wishing I had a physical controller.   I knew the iDJ Live was available for the iPad application Djay, heck I wrote about it in my ebook, but I just didn't take the time to go buy and try it for myself.

The Disappointment

In excitement before a gig on Friday, I went to Guitar Center to pick up the piece.   I got to my gig and set everything up. I unwrapped the iDJ Live, connected it to my iPad, and waited for something fantastic to happen.  Nothing happened.  No lights lit on the unit, no messages on my iPad, and utter disappointment on my part.   I tried resetting the iPad, reinstalling the app Djay, and making sure all the connecting were tight.  Still nothing.

Faith In Numark

I don't know why the unit didn't.  Maybe my lack of patience jinxed my experience.  I knew the IDJ Live controller was going to work even if i had to go out and buy a new one.  That night I searched online to do some troubleshooting.  The recommendation was resetting the iPad.  Since nothing worked I returned the unit and exchanged it for a new one with faith that the new would work.

Faith Beyond Restored

The iDJ Live lit up almost immediately after I plugged it into my iPad.  I connected the Headphone splitter to my iPad (included with the idj live).  I then connected my headphones to one side of the splitter and my main speakers to the other side of the splitter.  That's it.   This controller is outstanding just in the fact that I can search songs with the browse knob and load songs into either deck.  I can cue songs in the headphones, match beats, and since there is very low latency I can seamlessly mix my tracks.

Synopsis

Whether you are a beginner DJ or a Pro DJ, this is an excellent addition to your setup if you use DJay on your iPad. Considering the price floats around 100 bucks, it's a pretty solid unit too.  It's a heck of a lot of fun and to be honest I think eventually laptops may be "old school" as newer tablet technology develops.   Subscribe to the newsletter as more reviews about the iDJ Live and other popular units unfold.

Price it on Amazon:

Numark's IDJ Live for the iPad

The Rii Mini Keyboard is the greatest keyboard for mobile DJ's. It's small, light, easy to use, and has a backlight to help you find songs when it's dark behind the DJ booth.  Currently we use it for the Pioneer MEP7000 system and we are getting another one for the Denon Media Player.  If you don't have one, get one…. here is the link that I got from Amazon….

Rii Mini Wireless Keyboard with Touchpad

Desc from Amazon.

This keyboard is a great accessory for your laptop/home pc, ps3 or wiki gaming systems. Its small compact frame allows you to carry it anywhere and maintain full control of your system. Like having a full size keyboard and mouse in the palm of your hand. Backlight function with a handheld keypad2. 4G wireless receiver integrated design. The world's first Touchpad 90-degree flip design. Innovative design of the Navigation keys. Windows Multimedia Control, Perfect control PC entertainment features. Built-in rechargeable lithium-ion battery. With a true notebook Touchpad and QWERTY full-function mini keyboard
.

• 3-in-1 multimedia wireless keyboard (Keyboard, TouchPad, LED light)
• Built-in rechargeable more staying power lithium-ion battery
• 2.4GHz USB wireless receiver; works within 30M
• This is a handheld keyboard with back lit – With 26 PCS dazzling bright LED lights to help when using in poor lighting environments.

How's the DJ2GO for portability? 

DJ2GO

Things You'll Need:

*  laptop
*  DJ software
*  1/8" plug to 1/4"connector cable
*  Speakers or a system to plug into

So you want to learn how to DJ on your laptop. you need decent software that you can download off the internet. Some of the better programs will cos you but are completely worth the money.  These programs have trial periods to mess around with, so I suggest you do that right now.  My 2 favorite are Traktor PRO and Virtual DJ, However I use virtual DJ. (I use these programs on a MAC and PC.

You need good music, and the right kind. You have to consider the events you want to DJ for.  Go to Itunes and look up the "Top Songs" and download the styles of music you may need from the Top Songs list. When looking at a genre in Itunes, you will notice the songs that are most popular by looking at the Download meter net to the song. Songs to Have on hand: recent top 40 (rock, beat hip hop, and dance), Old favorites like Frank Sinatra, Classic rock (haha… just look up "Guitar Hero" or "Rock Band" popular songs … seriously). Also look up most popular songs from 2000, the, 90's, 80's, and disco.  make yourself a music budget and keep to it.

Playing the songs the right way! ALWAYS cross fade. Do not cut songs off and then start other songs cold. You want to avoid any type of accidental musical silence.  If you are playing a dance set, you want to BEAT MIX right.  look a the BPM (Beats Per Minute) and try to find songs within 5-10 bpm's of each other. Never go drastic (from 100 to a song that's 130 or 130 to a song that is 100) you will lose your dancers. However, it is ok to do this if you are changing the feel of your set.  Try to beat mix whenever possible. HOW? Oh My Gosh! You will love this!  When playing a song on your left side, keep your fader to the left and choose a song to go on your right side (similar BPM).  Hit play on the right side and Hit the "SYNC" button. This synchronizes your beats. now slide the slider slowly to the right. keep practicing you PRO!!

DENON DNMC 6000 USB DJ CONTROLLER & AUDIO INTERFACE

This weekend was HOT!  We used the DN-MC6000 Professional Digital Mixer & Controller for the first time!  DJ Masterminds Chris D'Amico and John Lynch had a killer rig this past weekend while DJ'ing a wedding.  Chris and I controlled the Pioneer mep7000 rig and John Lynch ran the Denon 6000 rig.  Why?  Chris and his company, D'Amico Entertainment, ran their plasma tv show.  These plasmas were connected to his Macbook Pro which was connected to the Denon 6000.   The plama monitors were used to play videos/music while the pioneer mep700 rig was used for the formalities.

John's DJ software of choice is Virtual DJ.  John had Zero issues running the Denon with Virtual DJ. He said there was no latency as opposed to when he uses the Denon HD4500.  The buttons and faders are simple to figure out and use.  This was actually the first gig John had used the Denon 6000.  Actually, he learned to use it with Virtual DJ an hour before the gig!  

Great night of mixing.  While John only used the Denon DNMC 6000 for songs that he had videos for, we were able to bounce from system to system seamlessly beat mixing.  if you want to know what John was playing on his screen while the Pioneer MEP7000 system was playing the music, be sure to come back to check out the pics we'll be posting on the site.  

We were vey happy with how simple the Denon 6000 was to use.   We will be looking to use it more often as our video library increases and John becomes even more comfortable with how it functions with virtual DJ.  Once again, Denon is developing better tools for professonal DJs.

So a good friend of mine works for a major middle-man supplier of audio/dj equipment who sells to companies like Guitar Center and Sam Ash.   I met up with him at one of my Gravity rehearsals (A cover band that I am playing guitar, keys, and sax in) and he said there really isn't anything revolutionary that has been introducted in the market, at least not something practical.  A few months ago I was doing some research on new equipment and I found a really cool touch screen controller for Virtual DJ!!  Here is the video for that.

This next one is CRAZY COOL!!!!!  It's a transparent DJ media controller!!  Not only does it look cool, it looks AMAZING.  I'm sure you'll see dance clubs investing in these in the near future. 

Ok, remember earlier in the article I said there was really nothing out there.  Well there isn't for your typical event /club dj but these devices will probably be seen at parties more often as the prices decrease. DJ media controllers like the Denon HD series, Pioneer's MEP (SEP) 7000, Numark, and vinyl emulation CDJ's are still populating the booth's of most DJs. 

Just like the first $10,000 dollar 50" flat screen plasma came down in price within a few years, this new DJ technology will also become more affordable and accessible to the general public.  Until then, if you are looking for the newest and most practical DJ'ing tools, Virtual DJ and a top brand media player/controller will probably be your best bet. 

CHEERS

Vinyl, Cd's, laptops, media controller? What are DJ's using out there at events? We are going to be talking about how cd's are on their way out and laptops and media players are taking over the DJ booths. We'll talk about Club DJ's and Vinyls in following podcasts.

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The ipad 2 is great for any DJ, however you'll have to find the right application.  As you may already know. there are so many garbage applications for the iPad.  Unfortunately most of the DJ iPad applications fall into this catagory.  As of right now, do not buy any applications with low reviews like these: Mixer 3, Mix Muse dj HD, Turntable DJ, Analog Scratch DJ,Mix DJ, or any that have ratings of one or two stars.  

An iPod DJ application that has been getting great reviews and one that I personally love is called "djay"  it's a little more expensive than the other applications but at least you'll finally get what you pay for.  With the djay app you can simply load and mix tracks.  If you don't like Djay or if you want to look at something else, take a look at DJ World Studio!  This is another really cool iPad application for Dj's. "Baby Decks"  is an older application that many iPad users have downloaded but Djay and World DJ are rating much better. 

If you want to learn how to plug your iPad directly to a DJ system, pick up my ebook "DJ Masterminds"  <a href=”http://www.djmasterminds.com/dj-ebook/”>DJ Ebook</a>.

The Pioneer MEP 7000 Media Controller

The Pioneer MEP 7000 has really taken DJ'ing into a new level of professionalism.  The MEP 7000 is media controller (with Side A and Side B) that controls CD decks and it also connects to external hard drives (iPods included) to load your digital audio files.  

The set-up is fairly simple.  Connect the MEP 7000 to any DJ mixer (obviously connected to speakers) and your ready to mix your tracks with CD's or by connecting your external hard drive. The proper set-up includes a rack to mount the unit.  The rack will have a top mount to mount the controller and mixer, and a front rack to mount the cd unit and power strip.  Once you plug the mixer to your speakers, you're ready to rock and roll!

Pioneer's MEP 7000 does everything you need it to do. It has 2 sturdy scratch wheels, play, cue, jog, scratch mode, and it even comes with pretty slammin' effects all ready to go with a push of a button.    The large color screen is not only easy on the eyes but it makes looking for songs simple.  The controller makes it easy for anyone to scroll through playlists and makes finding songs stress free.  Along with scrolling through the playlists, you can search for songs by even using a keyboard connected via usb.  The best habit you can get into is organizing your songs in set-lists/playlists in the folders within the external device you are using.  If you would like great ideas for playlists and recommended beat mixes, visit Mixes That Work.

The Pioneer MEP 7000 (Pioneer's SEP) also has the capability to act as a laptop media controller for great DJ programs like Serato, Virtual DJ, Traktor, and PC DJ.  Instead of using your mouse to mix music on your laptop, connect the MEP 7000 and you'll be able to access all of the great features and capabilities of your DJ software on a real dj system. 

The Pioneer MEP 7000 has been around for a few years now and will continue to be one of the most powerful dj controllers in the industry.  Once you get one, you'll discover it has a thousand more features and functions that you can easily learn and then apply as a DJ.  I'm not sure if you'll find any other DJ controllers with the versatily and functionaly of the MEP 7000.

Denon HD2500 Media Controller Review

I have been using the Denon HD2500 for 2 years now and although it has annoyed me a few times,  it has been a phenomenal DJ media controller.   The HD2500 has a 40 gig built in hard drive and the unit comes with it's own software so you can create playlists on your laptop or PC.  My first gripe with the Denon HD 2500 was that the software is not Mac compatible.  

I am primarily a Mac user and I wasn't happy when I needed to install a windows operating system on my Mac's Bootcamp just to use the software.  Once I accessed the software and plugged the unit to my Macbook via USB, I also did not find it very easy to load and convert songs with the proper song information.   I probably spent 2 days trying to load 40 gigs worth of songs (and then correct the song data) on the external hard drive. 

What I loved about the Denon HD2500 as well was the capability to use it to control DJ Software like Traktor and Virtual DJ, of course using a windows operating system. I played around with it for a while and it was really cool!   Although using the HD2500 as a media controller works great, my intentions were to plug in an external hard drive and play all of my digital audio files.

If you are going to use it to read an external hard drive, you'll have to get a powered USB hub to be able to plug in multiple devices, like a second hard drive or a keyboard.  You can also plug in iPods, however another set back is that it does not read the iPod touch, at least not at the time I bought it. 

I was able to plug in my 250 gig external hard drive, with 100 gigs of music and simply create a new database.  After about 30 minutes, the HD2500 is able to read all of the folders on the hard drive.   I was excited to see how easy everything loaded onto the device, but I noticed a lot of my songs were missing.  Then I looked at the manual and found out the device does not read Mp4's or AAC files.  It mainly reads mp3's. Oh this really frustrated me.  I had to spend another day converting all my mp4's to mp3's.  After I did that, all of my songs were loaded on the media controller and I was once again excited to get mixing.  Although I went through a few frustrating days, from then on, I made sure I converted everything into mp3 files before loading them on to the device.

The big white and blue screen on the HD2500 sits between the 2 scratch wheels.  It's easy to read and navigate through the each feature with the knob selector on each side.  What I like about this media controller is that the screen is basically split into 2 sides, side A and side B.  You can easy find songs and scroll through playlists.  After a song is selected and is playing, it is easy to see the necessary track information, like the name of the song, the BPM's, and the time lapse.  Talking about BPM's, This media controller also has a key lock feature to keep the song in the original "Key" as you move the pitch slider up and down to change the tempo.

I love the features of the device.  On the top of the unit,  you'll find  3 built in effects; flange, filter, and echo/loop. As you press the effect button, you'll spin the scratch wheel to control the depth of each built in effect.  On the bottom of the scratch wheels you'll find 3 addition features including "Brake" (which stops the music like when a record player is turned off), "Dump" (when you know a bad word is coming up you can press this and it jumbles the music for as long as the button is depressed), and Reverse (self explanatory).   Yo can also "Hot Start" and create slammin' loops with the "Looping" buttons.  I'm telling you that once you get on this thing, it gets addicting and it's so much fun!

This unit can do so much more but I wanted to mention one more thing that I enjoy about the Denon HD2500.  The unit can crossfade and relay tracks. This is a great feature to use when you need to continuously play a playlist without you having to be there.   During dinner sets or cocktail hours, I push the "continuous play" feature and I can walk away and enjoy the party. 

I think I covered all of the major features and benefits of the Denon HD2500.  Again it's an affordable unit that is simple to use.  You may find some difficulty in setting up the software if you are trying to do it on a Mac, and you may find it frustrating that you have to convert most of your files to mp3's,  but other than that it should be smooth sailing.   If you decide to buy the HD2500, check for software updates as they may have improved the software functionality. 

The Denon HD2500 is one of the most recommended media players in the industry.  As with any technology, you will encounter issues and glitches.  The key is figuring out how to overcome each challenge and learning how to truly master your device.  You can visit DJ Masterminds for more mixing techniques on the HD2500.

Thie Pyle Pro iPod DJ system is an attractive little iPod mixer. This Dj system is fun for a kid, effective for a teenager who wants to mix songs when friends come over, and can also be a good tool to use as a backup for semi-pro DJ's. While this is not the best iPod Dj system to use at clubs or big events like weddings, it would be great for house parties, birthday parties, and other small events.   What I like best about the Pyle Pro iPod DJ System it is the look.  It's black and yellow contrast is great and the ergonomic crossfader is something I have never seen before.  It isn't as feature packed as Numark's iDJ 2 and it does not have the ability to plug in XLR speakers, however, this device is more portable and easier to use.   It can easily be plugged into any home stereo system or professional DJ rig.    If you already own 2 ipods and you are looking for an inexpensive iPod Dj system, the Pyle-Pro PDSIU200 Dual iMixer is a good choice. 

Check out Amazon's Description:

Product Description

This dual iPod player is a powerful little device that allows you to crossfade between two iPods for a banging mix. It’s compatible with a wide variety of iPods, including the iPod touch. You can also hook up another source MP3 player using the included 3.5mm jack, or upload music to your computer with the USB interface using Audacity. Fuzz up your mix using one of the five included effects. Cross-fade between audio to blend your songs together for the ultimate mix. The jog wheels simulates the scratching of a real turntable, so you’ll sound like a pro. It’s also equipped with cue channels and headphone jacks for a real professional setup. Runs on 110 and 220 V.

Product Features

Pyle-Pro PDSIU200 Dual iMixer

Numark NS7 Set Up

What do you do when your good DJ equipment goes bad? It really doesn’t matter how good the brand is or how much you spent on a piece of equipment. Learn how to prepare when a DJ disaster strikes.

Generally speaking, the more money an item costs, the better the quality may be. Consider Apple’s Macbook for instance. The Macbook is almost twice the price and offers less programs than many PC laptops but have overall better quality, performance, durability, and dependability. This doesn’t mean they are flawless. My Macbook froze during a gig, not sure why, but it was an easy fix. I went to my other music system, reloaded my macbook, and I was back in business. Anyway, I always have a few media players as a backup.

PC laptops are cheaper but are more difficult to fix when a problem occurs. My brother’s super-powered $500 Acer Laptop crashed before a gig, and then crashed again at some later point. Although it was much cheaper than Apple’s product, it gave him multiple issues. Eventually, he sold his Acer and bought a Macbook which has given him no issues at all. The same idea applies to dj equipment.

Buying cheap dj equipment may seem like a good idea to save some money up front, but may eventually cost more in the long run with repairs, replacements, and technical issues. The important point to remember is that even good dj equipment can have issues, just less issues. Dj controllers or media players bought for 80 bucks like the ION AUDIO are ok for regular consumers but not for a real DJ.  It is going to feel cheap, glitch often, and will not be very effective for learning how to dj well. Name brands like Denon, Pioneer, and Numark are going to cost more money but it’s worth the peace of mind knowing that issues are rare and you won’t be embarrassed when the music suddenly stops playing during a really good dance set.

When good dj equipment fails, it can be really frustrating. I have had very few glitches with our pro dj equipment but understanding that good DJ equipment, even great equipment, glitches too, I always have some type of backup plan. Recently, I had to Dj a big outdoor event and my Denon HD2500 wasn’t reading my hard drive which contained 30,000 songs and all my playlists for the party. I knew how to fix it, but a hard reboot would have taken too long. The previous night I loaded the party set lists onto my Macbook and was able to run the whole party off my laptop. It’s not as much fun as using me denon and doesn’t look cool, but it did the job.

Last week, I Dj’d a wedding with the Pioneer MEP7000. This is a pricey piece of dj equipment but in some of it’s “glitchy” moment, it takes 10-20 seconds to load a song. This is not good when your doing introductions for weddings! I had my laptop as a backup. We Dj’d a wedding a few months back and my Macbook using (Djay software) froze and I couldn’t read the playlists on my laptop. I had my Denon HD2500 to back me up there. Another experience we’ve had is The Numark IDJ2 freezing up during a performance. Even our Serato Scratch glitched once as it did not properly load before a gig. Yes, even good dj equipment goes bad.

Good DJ equipment may fail, but only temporariy. Cheap and poorly made Dj equipment never miraculously become good. Cheap dj equipment is going to remain poor most of the time. It is important to do research on products and look at consumer reviews. Many times, these reviews will tell you what specifically may go wrong with a piece of dj equipment and you’ll know the issue before it happens.

Most importantly, always have a backup plan. If your media player/controller fails have a backup plan.  Your backup plan can include an iPod, iPad, Laptop, and also be sure to back up a hard Drive. Now that you know how to prepare for gigs with good dj equipment, your next step is to load your digital music crates with great music for your parties.

The Pioneer MEP-7000 Professional Multi-Entertainment Player is the Mercedes or Bentley of Consoles within the world of DJ'ing.  It does just about everything except make your morning coffee.  It is sleek, looks great, sounds great, plays anything your throw at it, and the MEP-7000 truly feels like a high quality piece of equipment. 

The Pioneer MEP-7000 reads just about everything.  It plays CD/CD-ROM/DVD-ROM and Even any USB connected to it.  Unlike many other lower standard players, the Pioneer MEP 7000 accepts MP3/AAC/WAC/ and Even AIFF Files.  This is the best piece of DJ equipment any professional DJ can own.   It is perfect for the DJ who is limited in space but wants access to a wide array of media.

Other Features of The Pioneer MEP-7000

• Big COLOR LCD display with video output for connecting an external monitor
• Controls Pioneer's DJ software and other PC applications
• Auto Mix: Playback tracks registered on the "Play List" automatically
• High Quality Touch-Sensitive Job Dial, Perfect for Scratching and Cuing
• Industry's first Area-Color OEL display
• Excellent Push Button Effects (FX) – Reverb, Echo, Jet, Flange, etc….

Stay tuned for more reviews about the Pioneer MEP-7000. I've had some great experiences with it but there are some things you should be aware of while perfecting your performances.

by JJPeterson

­More Info and Special Pricing on the Pioneer MEP 7000

An Event DJ is an entertainer that travels to locations to provide entertainment for a specific events usually with good DJ equipment.  Where will you see an event DJ? You’ll see an event DJ providing entertainment for Birthday Parties, Sweet 16’s, Bar-Bat Mitzvahs, Weddings, Class Reunions, Graduation Parties, Corporate Parties, etc. 

Event DJ’s weren’t so mobile before the turn of the century.  Their dj equipment consisted of large turntables, a big mixer, big amplifier, big speakers, huge heavy crates full of 78’s, lots of wires, and just too much stuff and not easily mobile. Although Big Club DJ’s and some “old school”  DJ’s still love spinning on turntables, it’s just not efficient for a typical Event DJ.  As technology gets smaller and more efficient, Good DJ Equipment is becoming much easier to transport, set-up, and operate.

The DJ’s that use the larger turntable systems look and sound amazing while beat mixing but you won’t see many of them DJ’ing smaller events that may just require some background music.  A kid with an iPod, with a good playlist, and speakers can probably provide decent songs while a big turntable mixing system is just overkill.  A good event DJ with good DJ equipment can be very profitable and successful at these events and can even begin building a reputable DJ business.  As the business builds, and gigs begin to accumulate, it’s important to have DJ equipment that is reliable, easy to set-up, and effective.

When looking for good DJ equipment as an event DJ, it’s important to look for “name” brands.  Even with name brands, a DJ has a choice between lower quality-lower prices, higher-quality, higher-prices.  For MP3 and CD Players, names like Gemini and American Audio are cheaper “name” brands but they are lower in quality than Denon or Pioneer.  Numark, previously a mid-level quality company has been reaching new technology (check out Newmarks, NS7FX) that is beginning to compete with the big boys.

Here are some of the most popular Dual CD/MP3 Players with example-averaged prices being used by DJ’s:  Gemini CDMP-6000 ($399.95), Gemini CDX-2400 Rackmount ($170.00),  American Audio CK 1000 Table Top Dual ($399.00), American Audio Velocity Professional Dual  ($599.00), Numark CD Mix-1 Dual (199.00), Numark CDN22 Rack Mount Dual CD Player (149.00), *Denon DN-D6000 Dual CD MP3 Player ($850.00), Pioneer CMX-3000 Dual Rackmount CD Player ($1,000).

You can obviously see a price difference but you will experience a noticeable difference in quality between a cd controller selling for $200 as opposed to the Pioneer CMX for a grand.

Some Event DJ’s have even decided to make their set-up even more mobile by doing away with CD’s and purchasing MP3 Players that have external hard drive or iPod connections.  I run all my parties with MP3’s no CD’s. Although I have a Denon 4500 CD player in my system, it is only used if someone has cd they want me to play.  

Here are some of the most popular MP3 players with example averaged prices. Numark’s IDJ Mixing Console for iPod ($160.00), Numark’s IDJ2 DJ Console for the IPod and External Hard Drive connections ($399.00), Numark’s D2 Director Mass Storage Player and Manager,  Denon DN-HD2500 Hard Disk Media ($599.00), Pioneer MEP-7000 Professional Media Player with CD Decks ($1400)

Some of these units can be used as controllers for popular Laptop Mixing Software like Traktor, Virtual DJ, PCDC, and Serato Scratch.  There are popular controllers like the Vestax VCI-100MV Mixvibes Edition DJ Controller that is specifically designed to control laptop software. Numark’s NS7 DJ ($1300.00) is getting some big attention from Serato users.

If DJ’ing on a laptop, consider using that laptop solely for DJ’ing. Other programs or files on the laptop can slow the necessary processing speed.

Once the DJ has a player, now a good mixer has to be considered.  Again, there are good name brands with lower quality-lower prices and good name brands with higher quality-higher prices.  Behringer is a dependable brand on the lower end.  Consider the Behringer DX626 Pro Mixer ($100.00), Vestax PMC-280 4 Channel DJ Mixer With Digital Effects ($499.00), Denon DN-X1100 4 Channel DJ Mixer ($700.00), or the Pioneer DJM-800 Professional Mixer ($1,700.00).  A DJ can’t go wrong with any of these selections but the pricier mixers do offer more features like effects, more mic inputs, talk over, etc.

Once a Player is selected, and a Mixer is selected, all that’s left are some good powerful speakers.  The best type of speakers a mobile dj can use is Active/Powered Speakers.  Passive speakers would require an amplifier or a powered mixer with more weight added to the rig.  A Dj can run an XLR cable out of the mixers, plug directly into the powered speakers, plug the speakers in, and voile, sound!  ‘

There are a few decent companies that I could suggest. Here are a few products: Behringer Eurolive B208D Active PA ($180.00), American Audio XSP-10A Powered Speaker ($200.00).  Here are the companies that I highly recommend: Mackie, JBL, and RCF.  Mackie SRM450 v2 Active PA ($500.00), Mackie SRM350 v2 Active, JBL EON515 450 Watt 15” Powered ($800.00),  JBL PRX535 3 Way 15” ($1000.00), RCF ART312A or RCFART315A Powered Speakers 15” ($1100.00).

A Event DJ should have a pretty simple Set-up.  At this point we have discussed a Media Player (CD/MP3 or only MP3), Mixer, and Powered Speakers.  I have mention a lot of really good DJ equipment that professionals use often.

The final piece that needs to be considered is a sturdy rack case ($200-$400).  The Player and Mixer will be screwed down on the top, and in the front of the rack you’ll have the dual cd decks (if a cd player is purchased) and a power strip to plug everything in.  Now the rig is; 2 speakers, the case with all the components all safe and secured, a bag with wires (xlr cables, rca cables, etc.), and speaker poles.  

Now all you’ll need is music and set lists.  Besides learning how your equipment works, this is the most challenging part of DJ’ing.  Good DJ set mixes and great music is what separates good dj’s from poor dj’s no matter how expensive or elaborate their dj equipment may be.  Dj’s who have been entertaining for a long time have learned from experience what songs work for specific sets.  

Where do new DJ’s or Intermediate DJ’s go to learn set-mixes that work?  A website has been developed for Event/Mobile DJ’s called http://www.MixesThatWork.com to give DJ’s immediate access to Set lists for all types of parties; Weddings, Birthdays, Kids, Sweet 16’s, Graduations, and great mixes for popular dance music, updated monthly.  It is also a resource site for DJ’s to go and get all types of helpful tips, how-to’s, and information, song programming techniques, and event forms.  

Being a mobile DJ is fun, exciting, and very profitable!  As technology gets smaller and easier to use,more and more people will be trying to master DJ’ing.  Buying good DJ equipment  is only half of the battle.  The other half of being a great DJ is knowing your music and being confident in your set lists.  Ve sure to Visit www.mixesthatwork.com and sign up to receive valuable information and music programming tips that the most experienced DJ’s are willing to share!

original author: jjpeterson

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