Members Coppertone Posted February 13, 2007 Members Share Posted February 13, 2007 I am starting to get some equipment to start DJ'ing small venues (local bars, and parties) My current gear is:Dell LaptopBehringer Eurorack 802 small mixerMackie FR-800 power amp (I couldn't pass up for 199.00 new) I am currently on the hunt for some speakers (tops) that will match well with my amp. I'm thinking about getting the Peavey Pr12's to start with, then later I can add on another amp and subs. Am I missing any gear that would be crucial to good sound??? (crossover, different mixer) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CMS Author Craig Vecchione Posted February 13, 2007 CMS Author Share Posted February 13, 2007 For DJ work, good subs are a must, as is a crossover. You can use one sub to start. It pays to get the best speakers possible. Look at what your competition uses, and strive to go at least one step better. You're the new guy, so you need to offer something better in order to get your foot in the door. Really good sound is the best way to offer value. Consider too that a laptop (or any software-based system) may not be the best solution for sourcing your media. What happens in the event Windows (or whatever OS) hangs? The silence can be deafening. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members flanc Posted February 13, 2007 Members Share Posted February 13, 2007 You won't need a crossover till you get subs. Eventually, you'll want to get an EQ to put between the mixer and your amp to shape the sound. When that time comes, resist the advice of your DJ cohorts who'll urge you to configure the sliders in a "smilely face" pattern. Those PR12's will be a nice, lightweight entry-level speaker to do smallish gig's. Don't push your system beyond it's limits or you'll end up with some blown cabinets. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Coppertone Posted February 13, 2007 Author Members Share Posted February 13, 2007 Well, I'm friends with the owner of the small bar (my main weekly gig), so I don't think that I have to automatically "top" my competitors. Would a Peavey 18" sub and another Mackie FR-800, plus the addition of the Pr12's make for an Ok system? What is a good, cheap crossover do you guys recommend? Also, my mixer, is that a good mixer for doing what I want to do? I bought it to mix my 2 peice band's guitar and vocals, and just assumed that it would do what I wanted it to do for Dj'ing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members redkadinger Posted February 13, 2007 Members Share Posted February 13, 2007 PR12 $155.00 x2PV118 sub $189.00Mackie FR800 $299PV23xo crossover $89PV215 EQ $99.00 I have tested all of the PR speakers and they are ok if EQed well and they suck without eqGator 6 space rack for amps and xover $89.00cables speaker and line about $150.00 Total $1225.00960 watts I have set up a system similar to this and its ok I think you may outgrow it pretty quick. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Coppertone Posted February 13, 2007 Author Members Share Posted February 13, 2007 Thanks for the input red. What model and depth case did you buy? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members redkadinger Posted February 13, 2007 Members Share Posted February 13, 2007 Gator GR6L im not certin how deep it is but it has enuff depth for any standard amp. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Coppertone Posted February 13, 2007 Author Members Share Posted February 13, 2007 It says 19". Where did you get it for that price? It's 124.99 on musicians friend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members redkadinger Posted February 13, 2007 Members Share Posted February 13, 2007 I must be wrong on that I bet that you could find it a bit closer to $100.00 if you ask for the good guy rock star price at a gc or similar type store. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members solomaniac17 Posted February 14, 2007 Members Share Posted February 14, 2007 In the event that my laptop crashes. i have a backup laptop. its my "ginny pig" its old. has nohing on it except the OS. the main part of this idea is just like Craigv said.. If your laptop crashes what do u do?? i bought this secondary laptop for 100 bucks..it works great. another thing i do is i set it up just for request. ppl can browse through it when i get harasssed by all the drunks. the most important part of my setup though are my external hard drives.... i would highly recommend buying an external hardrive just for your media files...i have three. two for each laptop. and one backup..they normal work of USb, and u can get them for around 80$ CND. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Coppertone Posted February 14, 2007 Author Members Share Posted February 14, 2007 Thank's solo......what program do you use to play tracks? Also, what format whould I play tracks in?? WMA, MP3, AAC? Sorry for all the questions guys, I'm just looking for a good start. Thanks!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Al Poulin Posted February 14, 2007 Members Share Posted February 14, 2007 Thank's solo......what program do you use to play tracks?Also, what format whould I play tracks in?? WMA, MP3, AAC?Sorry for all the questions guys, I'm just looking for a good start.Thanks!!! Whatever you do, don`t compress too much. If you are copying from original CDs, keep your bitrate at 256kbps (near CD quality) or 128kbps minimum (sounds good to most people). If your music is downloaded, be very careful. Here in Canada you need an AVLA (audio video licensing agency) license if you have any material that is not the original CD. You can also buy a license for 1 hard drive's worth of music. Be informed or risk losing everything if you are caught with copied/downloaded music. Just a heads up! Al - Party-Time! DJ Services Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Coppertone Posted February 14, 2007 Author Members Share Posted February 14, 2007 Thanks for the tips. I will use Windows Media Player for now, until I can get some more specific software for my application. If you have any suggestions, please feel free to let me know! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ThorProductions Posted February 14, 2007 Members Share Posted February 14, 2007 If your music is downloaded, be very careful. Here in Canada you need an AVLA (audio video licensing agency) license if you have any material that is not the original CD. You can also buy a license for 1 hard drive's worth of music. Be informed or risk losing everything if you are caught with copied/downloaded music. Just a heads up! Al - Party-Time! DJ Services Yes, and here in the United States, ASCAP, BMI, SESAC and the RIAA. Here is some good reading information on the subject: http://www.rotations.com/mobilebeatriaa.asp Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members DJ Swydez Posted February 14, 2007 Members Share Posted February 14, 2007 Thank's solo......what program do you use to play tracks? Also, what format whould I play tracks in?? WMA, MP3, AAC? Sorry for all the questions guys, I'm just looking for a good start. Thanks!!! I'm a DJ and I use Virtual DJ 4.2 Pro myself to mix the music because it has all the features I and most DJs need and is very easy to use. Eventually, I want to get a couple of Technics turntables, a Pioneer or other good DJ mixer, and an external soundcard all connected up to the Virtual DJ software on my computer and really mix the music, but I don't have the cash that requires right now. Also, all the music I use is downloaded or ripped off CDs into MP3 format @ 192 kb/s, which seems to sounds good and does not take up as much space as 256 or 320. Oh, and I always have a backup computer on the scene in case of problems with the software or computer. We normally use my laptop, but we always have my partner's in the car or under the table for backup in case of problems. However, I really want to switch our stuff over to my partner's Sony Vaio Desktop PC, which would give us much more processor power and much more internal hard-drive space, plus it has a better sound card and a 19" screen vs. my 15". But I would still bring my laptop for backup. I keep all of my music on an external USB hard-drive that I connect to my computer, and I will be getting a second one soon. Oh, and on the issue of requests and opening the computer to the crowd, I would be very hesitant to do that at many gigs because I would not trust drunks, hyper teenagers, etc. fighting to look at my computer and request their favorite songs. I usually just put out a list on either side of the table and check them periodically (people tend to get tired of writing so they usually only request 1 at a time, which is better). Just my $0.02... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Coppertone Posted February 15, 2007 Author Members Share Posted February 15, 2007 What is the big advantage of keeping music on an external HD? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CMS Author Craig Vecchione Posted February 15, 2007 CMS Author Share Posted February 15, 2007 What is the big advantage of keeping music on an external HD? It's not exactly a big advantage, but you can use the drive on multiple machines if that's a plus for you. For instance you can copy new music to it from a desktop pc at home and then just take the drive along if your DJ rig is packed in case in a trailer or truck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Coppertone Posted February 15, 2007 Author Members Share Posted February 15, 2007 I see, I see and the dj software, like PCDJ, will read the music straight off the external HD? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members DJ Swydez Posted February 15, 2007 Members Share Posted February 15, 2007 I see, I see and the dj software, like PCDJ, will read the music straight off the external HD? Yes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.