As a professional mobile DJ there are several important things that set us apart from those who may not take their services seriously. Now if you're a DJ who's just starting out and are looking to better themselves in the DJ industry this can help you go farther. Having the right tools to confirm with your new and current customers shows that you are creating a professional persona. Being able to work at any venue or facility is a necessary step to performing at more places.
If you look on craigslist or any classified ads website, there are numerous mobile DJs who advertise the lowest price and best deal with the most amazing packages. What many don't offer is peace of mind service. You'll very rarely see DJ Scratch'em Up at the Marriott Hotel or Ritz Carlton. Why is this? Most hotels build relationships with their vendors and require liability insurance, business license, references, etc. Some may require none, some may require only liability insurance. But having the important pieces to perform at a wedding or corporate affair will get you in the door. Having liability insurance is an absolute plus for vendors to work at many facilities. The standard is $1,000,000 to $2,000,000. You can obtain insurance from several places for as little as $350. Two places that have specific mobile DJ insurance are WEDJ.com and RV Nuccio insurance. It's easy to sign up and print your forms. Some facilities will ask for you to be additionally insured which is basically the same as sending over your liability insured form. The only extra thing you need on the form is in a small box at the bottom where the specific title of the venue and address are required. Your insurance company can fill this in for you. I guarantee having liability insurance will show your true professionalism and allow you to perform just about anywhere.
A professional website and planning tools is another great feature you can offer your customers. Having party or wedding planning forms and timelines will give your customer an added option to telling you exactly what they want. Custom music lists and announcement forms will give you exactly what you need to look and sound like a professional while mixing music and coordinating the announcements and activities. A couple of companies online that offer integrated planning tools are wedj.com (Gigbuilder DJ) and DJ Intelligence. Both have different features but have similar qualities.
Another tip for performing as a professional is attire. I have seen a lot of DJs who show up to wedding receptions wearing a polo shirt and pants or a plain white T-shirt and pants. If the affair requires formal attire make sure you at least have some very nice presentable dress shirts and pants with a coat and tie. You can even buy a couple pairs of black pants and vest. Something simple but stylish will help guests remember you as the (DEEJAY) not the guy who was playing music.
The last tip that is a must to being a professional is PREPARATION! Too many DJs show up and slap the show together. Having all the music checked off the list, the songs in a folder for the reception or party and the sheets with everyone's names being introduces is soooooooo important. Practice the names being introduced or even some of your announcements on the mic. Go over at least once or twice with your customer the outline and information so you know what you're doing. So many DJs show up and hope that they have what is needed. This is a key piece in being the best! Being prepared will show your true professionalism.
What is something you do before heading to a gig?
- Billman
DJ Miami
Thursday, March 28, 2013
Friday, March 22, 2013
More Mobile DJ Wedding Reception Planning Tips
In this day and age a disc jockey is no longer a "Disc Jockey." It's absolutely true! When a customer calls or inquires to book an event with your service, they are (in addition to finding someone that can spin their wedding tunes) looking for an "Entertainer." The DJ concept has incorporated a master of ceremonies, crowd motivator and even games master. To top it all off their also looking for a side line party coordinator. All of these things to a beginner may sound like an insane process. And for those of you who are professionals may think, brides and grooms don't pay us enough to do what we do best. I have some solutions and tips to help you look and be amazing without actually having to kill yourself out there during the event.
Having a music list from the customer is definitely a plus. Now many DJs out there get really annoyed when a bride emails a list of 100 songs to play. But why would the bride take her time out to send this ridiculous list of songs? She obviously wants to hear a good portion of her playlist. Unlike many of the DJs who are 20 year veterans and crank up a storm.......you can use this to your advantage. Once you receive the brides music list back start putting it together right away. Whether you use a laptop or computer for DJing or CDs, you can compile the songs that are slower for the cocktail hour and dinner and use the rest of the more danceable songs for later on. The strategy I've come up with is have your music pre-set on your software (Virtual DJ, Serato, PCDJ) or create a CD or CDs with the tracks for each part of the night. You can even use a program like Nero to add a crossfade to the CD so you don't have to do it. Your CD decks may even have a auto crossfade feature on them. Now a lot of DJs may think that this seems like tedious work putting together all the music mixes. Well let me tell you what I do. I have several pre-made dinner mix CDs or mixes on the laptop. I put one of those on and walk away. I don't have to sit there and mix track to track. If the bride gives me a dinner I put the music on auto-pilot and come back 30-45 minutes later about the time to dance and didn't have to do a thing. You can also do this with your ceremony music and have all the songs lined up in order. I'm telling you, having everything pre-made a week or 2 before the event or however long it takes to get the music back from your brides and grooms gives you a stress free reception.
This is another must for any wedding reception. Send the bride a wedding timeline with fill in the blank areas for all of her songs and announcements. Take that wedding sheet and put all the songs in order track by track on a CD or on your computer and its totally hassle free. You just can't go wrong with organization, it makes the day so much easier. Plus sometimes I give the wedding CD to my brides and grooms with a business card and they actually refer more work to me. They always tell me that they loved the wedding CD I gave them and recommended me to another couple getting married.
One more good tip for you mobile DJs out there. This is self explanatory but it's also an extremely important detail. Call the bride (or groom) the week of the wedding even 3-4 days prior to the day. Ask for about 10 minutes of their time to go over the details one last time. Go through the timeline from beginning to end and double check all details. Make sure to check that everything you have is all the information the couple sent you. Once you have went over the names of the bridal party, announcements, activities, songs and music you're good to go. You absolutely cannot go wrong once you've taken these steps. All the preparation prior to the wedding can be a lot of work. You will be so happy that everything is practically on autopilot the day of the reception.
What do you do as a mobile DJ to prepare for a wedding? Do you have any tips to getting the details together?
- Billman
DJ Port St Lucie
Having a music list from the customer is definitely a plus. Now many DJs out there get really annoyed when a bride emails a list of 100 songs to play. But why would the bride take her time out to send this ridiculous list of songs? She obviously wants to hear a good portion of her playlist. Unlike many of the DJs who are 20 year veterans and crank up a storm.......you can use this to your advantage. Once you receive the brides music list back start putting it together right away. Whether you use a laptop or computer for DJing or CDs, you can compile the songs that are slower for the cocktail hour and dinner and use the rest of the more danceable songs for later on. The strategy I've come up with is have your music pre-set on your software (Virtual DJ, Serato, PCDJ) or create a CD or CDs with the tracks for each part of the night. You can even use a program like Nero to add a crossfade to the CD so you don't have to do it. Your CD decks may even have a auto crossfade feature on them. Now a lot of DJs may think that this seems like tedious work putting together all the music mixes. Well let me tell you what I do. I have several pre-made dinner mix CDs or mixes on the laptop. I put one of those on and walk away. I don't have to sit there and mix track to track. If the bride gives me a dinner I put the music on auto-pilot and come back 30-45 minutes later about the time to dance and didn't have to do a thing. You can also do this with your ceremony music and have all the songs lined up in order. I'm telling you, having everything pre-made a week or 2 before the event or however long it takes to get the music back from your brides and grooms gives you a stress free reception.
This is another must for any wedding reception. Send the bride a wedding timeline with fill in the blank areas for all of her songs and announcements. Take that wedding sheet and put all the songs in order track by track on a CD or on your computer and its totally hassle free. You just can't go wrong with organization, it makes the day so much easier. Plus sometimes I give the wedding CD to my brides and grooms with a business card and they actually refer more work to me. They always tell me that they loved the wedding CD I gave them and recommended me to another couple getting married.
One more good tip for you mobile DJs out there. This is self explanatory but it's also an extremely important detail. Call the bride (or groom) the week of the wedding even 3-4 days prior to the day. Ask for about 10 minutes of their time to go over the details one last time. Go through the timeline from beginning to end and double check all details. Make sure to check that everything you have is all the information the couple sent you. Once you have went over the names of the bridal party, announcements, activities, songs and music you're good to go. You absolutely cannot go wrong once you've taken these steps. All the preparation prior to the wedding can be a lot of work. You will be so happy that everything is practically on autopilot the day of the reception.
What do you do as a mobile DJ to prepare for a wedding? Do you have any tips to getting the details together?
- Billman
DJ Port St Lucie
Saturday, March 16, 2013
Coordinating Wedding Receptions as a mobile disc jockey
As a mobile DJ for weddings your job is not just playing music and making announcements. A Disc Jockeys job is to also help coordinate the main activities and timeline with the other vendors. Wedding DJs have gotten much more technical over time helping the wedding planners, photographers, videographers and facilities to create the most amazing events. But to create the ultimate atmosphere for your bride, groom and guests you have to be aware of all the things that will take place.
Having awedding timeline preparation sheet / form make all the difference in planning the event. We send the brides and grooms this wedding form to give them the option of telling us what types if things they want to have. For example, the bride and groom may want to pick their ceremony songs, first dance, father daughter, mother son, cake cutting, songs. Some brides are extremely particular in what time they would like to have certain activities and others don't need specific times and are more general about what they want. Taking the information you know and discussing this with the facility and other vendors will make a flawless reception. You can also get the emails of the vendors you're working with and send them a copy of your timeline or request there's as well. The other vendors will be impressed with how organized you are.
Now if you don't have a chance to communicate with the other vendors prior to the wedding then you can always arrive extra early to go over the itinerary. The wedding planner, catering director or whomever will be happy that you have taken the time to discuss your plan of action and relay that to the photographer. The reason why all the vendors need to know what you are planning to do is you (The DJ) is in charge of the announcements and will be telling everyone what's happening. Always make sure that everyone who is in charge of their area of the event is ready. Anything you do check with your photographer so they don't miss important shots, check to make sure champagne is poured before the toast, the cake is ready to be cut and the bridal party is lined up and ready to go for introductions. Introduce yourself to the vendors so they are aware of your duties and can check with you on what is happening moment by moment. Make sure you always check with any of the vendors and facility on any input they may have. Be open minded and flexible as things can always change. Your attitude and willingness to work with the professionals and guests are what makes or breaks the flow of the party!
What is the one thing you make a point of doing to ensure that your party or reception goes just right?
- Billman
DJ Port St Lucie
Having awedding timeline preparation sheet / form make all the difference in planning the event. We send the brides and grooms this wedding form to give them the option of telling us what types if things they want to have. For example, the bride and groom may want to pick their ceremony songs, first dance, father daughter, mother son, cake cutting, songs. Some brides are extremely particular in what time they would like to have certain activities and others don't need specific times and are more general about what they want. Taking the information you know and discussing this with the facility and other vendors will make a flawless reception. You can also get the emails of the vendors you're working with and send them a copy of your timeline or request there's as well. The other vendors will be impressed with how organized you are.
Now if you don't have a chance to communicate with the other vendors prior to the wedding then you can always arrive extra early to go over the itinerary. The wedding planner, catering director or whomever will be happy that you have taken the time to discuss your plan of action and relay that to the photographer. The reason why all the vendors need to know what you are planning to do is you (The DJ) is in charge of the announcements and will be telling everyone what's happening. Always make sure that everyone who is in charge of their area of the event is ready. Anything you do check with your photographer so they don't miss important shots, check to make sure champagne is poured before the toast, the cake is ready to be cut and the bridal party is lined up and ready to go for introductions. Introduce yourself to the vendors so they are aware of your duties and can check with you on what is happening moment by moment. Make sure you always check with any of the vendors and facility on any input they may have. Be open minded and flexible as things can always change. Your attitude and willingness to work with the professionals and guests are what makes or breaks the flow of the party!
What is the one thing you make a point of doing to ensure that your party or reception goes just right?
- Billman
DJ Port St Lucie
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
Tips to Get Noticed as a Mobile DJ
In the industry of mobile disc jockeys and music entertainment, it can sometimes, well....... a lot of times be difficult to get noticed. You're trying to figure out what you can do for places and people to remember you. You want facilities and potential customers not to forget who you are. There are thousands of independent DJs in the nation and to be quite honest, many DJs who think their Gods gift to the DJ industry. Well, I'm here to tell you that these amazing DJs who say that their top of the list," A+ mixologists" are not as stunning as they may lead you to believe. Half of the battle is creating a persona for yourself.
Great tools to get noticed and remembered in the DJ industry at any place you go to and perform at is your personality. It's true! Courtesy, professionalism and great personality goes so far these days. Having a smile and amazing attitude will always get you recognized. Whenever I work at a facility or party venue I always maintain a happy persona, smile and say hello to the staff and create a fun atmosphere.
Now I'm not going to knock other DJs in the south Florida area, but if you do some research just about all the amazing DJs who perform at weddings and parties you will find a negative review of some kind. The one thing that is in common with many of the high end DJ companies is the fact that they have the need to control the show. You alwaysH have to keep in mind that DJs can help coordinate an event. They are NOT the main event coordinator. Having some input in the plan of action and allowing the caterers and facility to also control some of the activities helps to create a 50/50 atmosphere. Event facilities love this! They will remember you for working with them to make it flow perfectly. If you're a seasoned veteran Disc Jockey or just starting out my tip to you is talk with the main event coordinator and tell them about what details you have and find out what they have. Be personable and never argue over a time frame. While you're on the clock keep in mind that it's about the guest and guest of honor so making the party as easy as possible will earn you brownie points with the place you're performing at and the customer.
Another valid tip is play the best mix of music for your audience. Your audience is not just your guests but your facility as well. I've had numerous staff members at these events tell me, "Great music! Good mix of songs DJ!" Do your best to keep that dance floor packed, this will show to your facility and of course the customer you care about the party. Have fun with your event! Whether it's going out to the floor to teach some dance moves, Emceeing the event, having participants on the floor put their hands up and wave them around or just your overall excitement level. When a guest asks for a request that is either totally off or works great, do your best to accommodate. It can always work if you say something to the effect of, "Let me see what I can do." Or, "I will try to fit it into my mix but it might be a little while." Shutting a guest down creates negative feelings and showing that you care with a smile helps you stay remembered by your audience.
Overall, amazing personality, a great smile, willingness to work with your catering manager or coordinator and be flexible. If the photographer is late taking group photos, don't be mad because plans changed, keep the music flowing and accommodate as best as possible.
- Billman
DJ Port St Lucie
Great tools to get noticed and remembered in the DJ industry at any place you go to and perform at is your personality. It's true! Courtesy, professionalism and great personality goes so far these days. Having a smile and amazing attitude will always get you recognized. Whenever I work at a facility or party venue I always maintain a happy persona, smile and say hello to the staff and create a fun atmosphere.
Now I'm not going to knock other DJs in the south Florida area, but if you do some research just about all the amazing DJs who perform at weddings and parties you will find a negative review of some kind. The one thing that is in common with many of the high end DJ companies is the fact that they have the need to control the show. You alwaysH have to keep in mind that DJs can help coordinate an event. They are NOT the main event coordinator. Having some input in the plan of action and allowing the caterers and facility to also control some of the activities helps to create a 50/50 atmosphere. Event facilities love this! They will remember you for working with them to make it flow perfectly. If you're a seasoned veteran Disc Jockey or just starting out my tip to you is talk with the main event coordinator and tell them about what details you have and find out what they have. Be personable and never argue over a time frame. While you're on the clock keep in mind that it's about the guest and guest of honor so making the party as easy as possible will earn you brownie points with the place you're performing at and the customer.
Another valid tip is play the best mix of music for your audience. Your audience is not just your guests but your facility as well. I've had numerous staff members at these events tell me, "Great music! Good mix of songs DJ!" Do your best to keep that dance floor packed, this will show to your facility and of course the customer you care about the party. Have fun with your event! Whether it's going out to the floor to teach some dance moves, Emceeing the event, having participants on the floor put their hands up and wave them around or just your overall excitement level. When a guest asks for a request that is either totally off or works great, do your best to accommodate. It can always work if you say something to the effect of, "Let me see what I can do." Or, "I will try to fit it into my mix but it might be a little while." Shutting a guest down creates negative feelings and showing that you care with a smile helps you stay remembered by your audience.
Overall, amazing personality, a great smile, willingness to work with your catering manager or coordinator and be flexible. If the photographer is late taking group photos, don't be mad because plans changed, keep the music flowing and accommodate as best as possible.
- Billman
DJ Port St Lucie
Saturday, March 9, 2013
Tips for Setting up gigs mobile dj help setting up Equipment
This might be a topic that not a lot of mobile DJs cover when writing a blog or post. There are so many important steps to being prepared and ready for you dj gigs. Having all the necessary information to get you to your show on time and setup with just the right amount of time can be a tedious process. Many people do believe that you just show up plug in the equipment and start the music. Little do they know that it takes planning, preparation and knowledge to make events amazing. A major part in this process is setting up and arrival.
The best way to start off preparing for the event you're doing is by researching the venue. Directions to the event, where to park your vehicle and where to offload your equipment. It can be much more difficult if you're setting up equipment at a hotel or country club. You have to pull up to the main door, make multiple trips from your vehicle to the party room and try to find your way to the correct room. Tip #1 is bring a hand truck or rolley cart. You could even bring a couple carts to load your equipment onto. This way you roll your dj equipment right through to the room on a couple of trips less than walking each piece of your gear. Tip #2, when walking into the venue for the first time bring something with you inside. Whether it's your laptop and music book, cd case, or small piece of equipment, bring it inside with you to minimize going back and forth. Tip #3, find out where your event is distance wise and add in an additional 20-25 minutes to your setup time. That way when you arrive and setup early you have an additional amount of time incase of traffic, difficult unloading, etc. If you end up having the extra time then just relax.
Some other useful ways to prepare yourself for events is to call or email the venue and talk with the person in charge. They can tell you where to park, where to bring your dj equipment or music equipment in and offer you the best way to get it into the room. Research the facility on the web. I do this all the time and it helps tremendously! I go on a facility or party venues website and look for pictures, maps, information and who the contact people are. It usually saves me about an extra 10 minutes. Here is a great side note that has helped me lately. Have you ever been to a country club that had an elevator that was slower than a turtle? It's a 2 story clubhouse and you are setting up on the second floor that has stairs to the main floor and an elevator............... What I do to save time is, put the equipment I can't lift on the hand truck, leave it by the first floor elevator, click the button take small items to the second floor, then once the elevator gets to the bottom, I ride up with the heavy stuff to the second level. If I was to wait and take everything up the elevator it would take an additional half hour. I have done this thousands of times. (Yes I said 1,000s)
One more great idea to have is a gig log of the facilities you've worked at. I keep a log of all the places I've worked at and make notes of; where to park, how far to walk, where the rooms are, etc. Some of the things I've mentioned seem a little time consuming as well but trust me! These few tricks of the trade will help you save time and rest more. Also try to setup your system as a portable as possible so that in case an elevator is broken for some reason, you can atleast carry dj or music gear down the stairs.
Questions or comments, feel free to add them below.
What was your best experience working at a facility?
What was your most difficult experience working at a facility?
- Billman
DJ Miami
The best way to start off preparing for the event you're doing is by researching the venue. Directions to the event, where to park your vehicle and where to offload your equipment. It can be much more difficult if you're setting up equipment at a hotel or country club. You have to pull up to the main door, make multiple trips from your vehicle to the party room and try to find your way to the correct room. Tip #1 is bring a hand truck or rolley cart. You could even bring a couple carts to load your equipment onto. This way you roll your dj equipment right through to the room on a couple of trips less than walking each piece of your gear. Tip #2, when walking into the venue for the first time bring something with you inside. Whether it's your laptop and music book, cd case, or small piece of equipment, bring it inside with you to minimize going back and forth. Tip #3, find out where your event is distance wise and add in an additional 20-25 minutes to your setup time. That way when you arrive and setup early you have an additional amount of time incase of traffic, difficult unloading, etc. If you end up having the extra time then just relax.
Some other useful ways to prepare yourself for events is to call or email the venue and talk with the person in charge. They can tell you where to park, where to bring your dj equipment or music equipment in and offer you the best way to get it into the room. Research the facility on the web. I do this all the time and it helps tremendously! I go on a facility or party venues website and look for pictures, maps, information and who the contact people are. It usually saves me about an extra 10 minutes. Here is a great side note that has helped me lately. Have you ever been to a country club that had an elevator that was slower than a turtle? It's a 2 story clubhouse and you are setting up on the second floor that has stairs to the main floor and an elevator............... What I do to save time is, put the equipment I can't lift on the hand truck, leave it by the first floor elevator, click the button take small items to the second floor, then once the elevator gets to the bottom, I ride up with the heavy stuff to the second level. If I was to wait and take everything up the elevator it would take an additional half hour. I have done this thousands of times. (Yes I said 1,000s)
One more great idea to have is a gig log of the facilities you've worked at. I keep a log of all the places I've worked at and make notes of; where to park, how far to walk, where the rooms are, etc. Some of the things I've mentioned seem a little time consuming as well but trust me! These few tricks of the trade will help you save time and rest more. Also try to setup your system as a portable as possible so that in case an elevator is broken for some reason, you can atleast carry dj or music gear down the stairs.
Questions or comments, feel free to add them below.
What was your best experience working at a facility?
What was your most difficult experience working at a facility?
- Billman
DJ Miami
Sunday, March 3, 2013
Getting started at a DJ, how to find gigs, how to start DJing
This is a short post on how you can start DJing, get your feet wet in the art & business of being a disc jockey and find gigs. There are numerous DJs out there and especially on Craigslist or on the web. There are DJs in every town and dozens of DJ websites showcasing; skills, pictures, music, info, prices and more. So how can you get in the mix of being a mobile or club DJ? Do you know anybody who's a DJ? Have you ever been to a party, wedding or function where they had a DJ?
First thing you need of course in quality equipment. Quality equipment isn't that expensive. You can find good equipment on the web or any music professional's store such as; Guitar Center, Sam Ash, George's music, etc. The equipment you need is going to be in another article so check that out. Once you have your basic DJ setup; CD players, speakers, case, dance floor light and maybe a couple of speaker stands, than you can move onto the next step. You definitely want to check and re-check your equipment before you even begin to do any kind of event. I have seen many DJs who have some good equipment mixed with home stereo type parts and end up closing down shop early.
Next you will want to find a gig or show. For you inspiring mobile DJs, the way I originally got into the business of DJing is by performing at local fundraisers and charity walks. Great places to look into for your first gigs are the Heart Walk, MS Walk, etc. Many large cities or even small towns have benefits and charity events to help out an organization. Find out the contact information for one of these places and send your contact information to them. You will want to donate your time for the first few that you do to get your foot in the door. I also had some professional flyers made and faxed them (yes I faxed them because it was the 90s) to organizations and schools for their charity events. Make sure you have business cards handy at the events you do. Once I had a few people take my cards at these free charity events then I had a couple of them call me to perform at birthdays and picnic type events. One major tip that I can give you which is a huge mistake that many DJs make on Craigslist or Classifieds is the name they use. "DJ Scratch'em, DJ Powerhouse Pump it, DJ
Knock'em Out." Those are not names that other organizations would feel comfortable referring business to. Pick a name that highlights your service or company. Something creative but isn't going to scare your potential customers. A walk-a-thon type of event is more interested in a company that uses something like, "Music Masters Entertainment," or "Modern DJ Productions." Those are just examples and you can come up with something along those lines. Good luck and I will be adding more information on this topic.
If I have any DJs who started many years ago or started from the ground up, we'd love to hear how you got started in the disc jockey industry. How did you get noticed? If you are a new upcoming DJ what are your plans and ideas to get started? Questions and comments welcome!
- Billman
DJ Miami FL
First thing you need of course in quality equipment. Quality equipment isn't that expensive. You can find good equipment on the web or any music professional's store such as; Guitar Center, Sam Ash, George's music, etc. The equipment you need is going to be in another article so check that out. Once you have your basic DJ setup; CD players, speakers, case, dance floor light and maybe a couple of speaker stands, than you can move onto the next step. You definitely want to check and re-check your equipment before you even begin to do any kind of event. I have seen many DJs who have some good equipment mixed with home stereo type parts and end up closing down shop early.
Next you will want to find a gig or show. For you inspiring mobile DJs, the way I originally got into the business of DJing is by performing at local fundraisers and charity walks. Great places to look into for your first gigs are the Heart Walk, MS Walk, etc. Many large cities or even small towns have benefits and charity events to help out an organization. Find out the contact information for one of these places and send your contact information to them. You will want to donate your time for the first few that you do to get your foot in the door. I also had some professional flyers made and faxed them (yes I faxed them because it was the 90s) to organizations and schools for their charity events. Make sure you have business cards handy at the events you do. Once I had a few people take my cards at these free charity events then I had a couple of them call me to perform at birthdays and picnic type events. One major tip that I can give you which is a huge mistake that many DJs make on Craigslist or Classifieds is the name they use. "DJ Scratch'em, DJ Powerhouse Pump it, DJ
Knock'em Out." Those are not names that other organizations would feel comfortable referring business to. Pick a name that highlights your service or company. Something creative but isn't going to scare your potential customers. A walk-a-thon type of event is more interested in a company that uses something like, "Music Masters Entertainment," or "Modern DJ Productions." Those are just examples and you can come up with something along those lines. Good luck and I will be adding more information on this topic.
If I have any DJs who started many years ago or started from the ground up, we'd love to hear how you got started in the disc jockey industry. How did you get noticed? If you are a new upcoming DJ what are your plans and ideas to get started? Questions and comments welcome!
- Billman
DJ Miami FL
Friday, March 1, 2013
Turntable CD player Laptop DJ equipment preferences
This is a shorter post but what my main point is going to entail is the preference of DJs and their audio decks. There are pros and cons to every setup that mobile DJs and Club DJs use. There of course is always a war of technology to become better, more efficient and easy to use for any computer or analog DJ system. What is your preferred DJ sound system? I will explain the basics to each kind of DJ setup and you can decide what works for you. Feel free to add your comments and questions below the article.
Professional CD player systems are the first category of technology that are used by numerous DJs around the globe. The positive sides to CD players are they don't crash in the middle of performances, if a CD has a scratch or it doesn't work you can move on to another disc and continue your show with minimal issues. They also come in several different layouts. You can buy dual cd player decks which are great to mount in a DJ box and connect directly to a mixer of your choice. Another style is the single deck CD players such as the CDJs or Denon CD deck. These are capable of scratching, remixing and pretty much any application of production you need. The great capability of having single deck CD players is you can mix and match them or add 2,3, or 4 decks and create many different setups. Many dual CD Players and single deck players can also hook to usb devices, external hard drives and thumb or jump drives. The options are vast so you can use cd players now with almost anything. What is your favorite feature of CD players for DJing as a club or mobile Disc Jockey?
DJing on a laptop has become an extremely popular method of DJing within the last 6 years. There are 3 top programs available for DJs using a laptop for mixing; Virtual DJ, Serato and Traktor DJ. Virtual DJ doesn't need any kind of a controller, as you can mix and DJ right on the laptop program. Mobile DJs use Virtual DJ as their main wedding, party and special event software. Serato is popular as a club DJ software allowing for ease of mixing and smooth beat matching. Traktor DJ can be used for a wide variety of applications but many producers use this program as a way of blending music and special effects. You can use this program to DJ or produce or both. All programs are capable of hooking up a cd player controller, midi controller or turntables to mix the music using your
hands.
Last but not least turntables and analog DJing. You can DJ and mix your music using turntables hooked into Serato or other Deejay program or you can buy your own vinyl and DJ without anything except for a mixer. Some DJs like to use the old school methods and create their own mixes without watching a computer screen or LCD screen on their player decks. With Serato you can use just 2 analog vinyl records and play an unlimited number of tracks in your library. It requires a little more practice than Virtual DJ. Those are just barely scratching the surface (no pun intended) and there's many more features and options available. What is your preferred method of DJing? CD / Laptop / Vinyl?
Questions and comments feel free to leave them below
- Billman
DJ Boca Raton
DJing on a laptop has become an extremely popular method of DJing within the last 6 years. There are 3 top programs available for DJs using a laptop for mixing; Virtual DJ, Serato and Traktor DJ. Virtual DJ doesn't need any kind of a controller, as you can mix and DJ right on the laptop program. Mobile DJs use Virtual DJ as their main wedding, party and special event software. Serato is popular as a club DJ software allowing for ease of mixing and smooth beat matching. Traktor DJ can be used for a wide variety of applications but many producers use this program as a way of blending music and special effects. You can use this program to DJ or produce or both. All programs are capable of hooking up a cd player controller, midi controller or turntables to mix the music using your
hands.
Last but not least turntables and analog DJing. You can DJ and mix your music using turntables hooked into Serato or other Deejay program or you can buy your own vinyl and DJ without anything except for a mixer. Some DJs like to use the old school methods and create their own mixes without watching a computer screen or LCD screen on their player decks. With Serato you can use just 2 analog vinyl records and play an unlimited number of tracks in your library. It requires a little more practice than Virtual DJ. Those are just barely scratching the surface (no pun intended) and there's many more features and options available. What is your preferred method of DJing? CD / Laptop / Vinyl?
Questions and comments feel free to leave them below
- Billman
DJ Boca Raton
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