What Is a DJ?
The term “DJ” has an extremely wide meaning, covering everything from the person in charge of keeping the music going at the wedding reception to performers who deconstruct, combine, and create electronic music before a live audience. But whether you’re cuing up “The Electric Slide” or tearing up trance tracks, the vast majority of your live sound needs are very similar. Your job is to provide the entertaining atmosphere only a reliable professional can deliver, and these tips can help you make that happen.
Consider the Big Picture
Before you even consider pricing gear, you need to get a firm sense of what kind of system you’re putting together.
Who is your audience?
If you’re providing the music for social mixers at the senior living community, you’re probably not going to need the 1,000-watt subwoofer that’s an absolute necessity for the homecoming dance. On the other hand, one sub may not be enough if you’re turning a warehouse into a one-night dance club.
How much coverage do you need?
Think about how big and how spread out your audience will be. If you only need to cover a modest dance floor, then a pair of large speakers and a sub are fine. If you’re providing entertainment for an art gallery, a few well-placed speakers throughout the building will offer a more even volume that’s appropriate for the venue.
How portable is portable enough?
You’ll want to figure out exactly how portable your system needs to be. If you’re only DJing once a month, you may be able to get away with bulkier gear, but if you’ll be out two or more times a week, a lightweight, portable setup will save you a lot of grief.
Start at the Source
If you don’t already have your go-to medium for music playback, or if you’re considering an alternative/backup, then here’s a brief breakdown of three popular options.
Laptops
While media as old as vinyl is still in use today, laptop computers have become the most popular method of music playback for DJs. Computers offer several clear advantages over traditional media, including their ability to support many file types and encoding formats. DJ software provides powerful performance options for creative mixing, but you don’t even need to beat mix to appreciate the flexible browsing and cuing options these applications provide.
Laptops also provide a number of challenges for modern DJs. Crashes and reboots can cause your show to come to a jarring halt, and the downtime can range from merely embarrassing to deeply dissatisfying (and consequently, expensive). It’s not that laptops are unreliable — especially if you keep a dedicated machine just for DJing — it’s that they’re just reliable enough to convince DJs not to bother with a backup. Don’t be that DJ — always keep some form of backup media player on hand.
Flash Media
It doesn’t get more reliable than flash media. Because flash media drives don’t have moving parts to wear out, they virtually never fail during playback, and you don’t have to be too worried about them being jostled around in transit. Beyond the medium itself, the actual music players are functions of your DJ hardware and are commonly found in modern DJ mixers and control decks. These players tend to be easy to use, but they’re not as flexible as DJ software. They’re a great backup to your laptop-based DJ setup, but beware, thumb drives are extremely easy to lose.
Disc Players
Modern DJ disc players are far more sophisticated than the CD decks of the past. The modern equivalent can play WAV files, MP3s, AACs, DVDs, and many other formats. If you still own a disc burner, then you can comfortably store days of music on a single disc, and sophisticated browsing methods make it easy to find your tunes. But disc media has steadily gone out of fashion over the past decade, largely because disc media is notoriously unreliable. And while it’s nice to be able to play a track if someone approaches you with their favorite CD, the need to carry around discs can make DJing with CDs cumbersome.
Choose the Right Mixer
For most PAs, the mixer is the heart of the entire system, but do you even need a mixer to DJ? You may, but you may not need a DJ mixer.
Do you need a mixer?
The basic function of any mixer is to combine multiple sound sources and send them to one or more destinations. The simple way to tell if you need a mixer at all is to figure out if you need to combine multiple sound sources. For many DJ systems, that simply isn’t a need. For example, if you’re running DJ software, then all the actual mixing is happening in your computer, and all you need is a high-quality audio interface. Many DJ controllers include excellent audio interfaces, with inputs for microphones, separate outputs for the mains and headphones, and a layout that’s familiar to most DJs. However, if you’re DJing with two or more media players or CD decks, then you may need a mixer.
Why use a DJ mixer?
Without getting too deep into the intricacies of DJing, there are three major advantages a DJ mixer offers over a standard live sound mixer. First, there’s the crossfader, which allows you to smoothly blend together or transition between two independent mixes. Even if you aren’t beatmatching your music, smoothly fading between tracks can keep the energy level up and keep your audience on the dance floor. Next, there’s the ability to cue tracks in your headphones. This private mix makes it easy to preview tracks and have the next song ready to go as the last one fades out. Finally, there’s the EQ. The EQ on DJ mixers tends to include the ability to isolate frequencies, which allows you to blend tracks together for even more seamless transitions.
What should you look for in a DJ mixer?
The first qualification for any mixer is that it has to have enough inputs for everything you need to connect to it. Two stereo channels with the right kind of inputs will usually do, but you’ll want at least one microphone input, too. If you’re going to be doing any kind of sophisticated mixing, then quality EQs and filters are also essential. Effects can be a real bonus if you’re more of a performance DJ, but otherwise they may be unnecessary.
Don’t Forget the Microphone
Even if you don’t see the need for a microphone in your initial plans for your DJ PA rig, it’s a good idea to keep one in your kit anyway. You’ll be amazed how often you’ll be asked to make an announcement over the PA. If you’re DJing wedding receptions, bar mitzvahs, or other social functions, you may want to pick up a wireless microphone, since the person footing your bill is almost certainly going to want to make a speech, and that kind of added convenience literally pays off.
Always Pack Headphones
In addition to allowing you to discreetly cue up tracks, a good pair of headphones is an invaluable diagnostic tool if something goes wrong with your rig. While there are many headphones specifically designed for DJs (usually featuring convenient single-ear monitoring), any quality closed-back headphones that provide enough isolation for you to hear your mix in a loud environment will do the trick.
Selecting Amps and Speakers
The wonderful thing about amplifiers and speakers is that there are many great ways to get the output and coverage you need. That leaves you plenty of leeway when you consider other important factors. Portability is always important, but both a powered speaker with a lightweight Class D amp in its polypropylene shell and a birch-ply passive speaker cabinet on casters can be described as portable. Likewise, expandability is important, and different systems offer various methods for growing and adapting to your needs. For a full rundown on speakers alone, check out Sweetwater’s PA Speaker Buying Guide.
Passive Speakers
The most traditional PA setup pairs passive PA speakers with one or more rackmounted power amplifiers. Although this kind of system does require a basic understanding of power amps (check out our Power Amp Buying Guide [/insync/power-amp-buying-guide/]), and you’ll need a rack or case for mounting your amplifiers, passive PA speakers have a lot going for them. If you start off with ample power, adding extra speakers for added coverage is wonderfully simple. The speakers themselves are less expensive than their powered counterparts, and they tend to be lighter, too. What’s more, if one component in your passive PA system breaks, you can replace just that one speaker or amp, rather than a more costly all-in-one active speaker.
Powered Speakers
Powered or active PA speakers combine loudspeakers, active electronics, and specially matched power amplifiers in a single cabinet. Many DJs love powered speakers because they are incredibly easy to use. There’s no special wiring or external amplifiers — just plug in, turn them on, and turn up the volume to taste. Expanding your active PA system (or even building onto a passive speaker rig) is as easy as adding another powered speaker, and you’ll find models in any size, shape, and configuration. Many powered speakers also include small onboard mixers, which in some cases are enough for a small DJ rig. Powered speakers do have a few drawbacks, such as their tendency to be heavier and less affordable than passive speakers, and you have to run electrical power to each speaker, but they make up for it in convenience.
All-in-one Powered Mixers
A third option is an all-in-one PA system built around a powered mixer and passive speakers. This kind of system is highly affordable and comes with everything you need for basic sound reinforcement. Many of these systems are designed for extreme portability, and although the power amplifier is in the mixer, they offer similar convenience to powered speakers. Granted, there are fewer expansion options for powered mixer systems, but they are an excellent choice for small and extremely portable DJ setups.
Adding PA Management
PA management is one of the most overlooked and critical aspects of your PA rig. A concept popularized by the dbx Driverack series of dedicated processors, PA management systems use digital signal processing to provide optimal sound to each set of speakers, often through the use of simple diagnostic tools that automatically configure your sound system.
The benefits of these systems include sound that appears to be louder without adding volume and a better overall sonic balance. They also help preserve the life of your speakers by preventing power amp clipping and overloads. There are two main ways you can add PA management to your DJ rig: you can pick up a dedicated PA management processor, or you can choose an amplifier with onboard loudspeaker management. Either way, you’ll be glad you made the investment into your equipment.
Light It Up
As a mobile DJ, your job isn’t just to provide music, it’s to provide an entertaining atmosphere. You don’t have to go overboard, but adding a few lights to your setup will go a long way to adding energy and ambience to your show. Two or three fixtures can be enough, and we recommend a nice blend of PAR-style wash lights and effects fixtures. There’s a whole world of lighting technology to explore, but you don’t need to dive into DMX (lighting control technology) to get started. Look for fixtures that feature sound-activated and automated programming to get going fast. Wireless remote control is also a bonus.
Also, don’t forget haze. Unlike fog machines, which pour out thick pools of dense fog, haze machines emit a thin, almost imperceptible atmospheric element that makes your lights visible. Even in a high-class venue where fog wouldn’t be appropriate, haze will generally go unnoticed, but it will dramatically enhance your light show.
Bonus Tips from Active DJs
Have backups for everything
Seriously, you don’t need to have an exact spare of everything in your rig, but expect the most important parts of your system to go down and have a backup plan. This can be something as simple as a solid-state media player to keep the music going while your laptop reboots or a spare powered speaker in case your amp dies or a passive speaker blows. A less-than-ideal PA can still keep the party going and your reputation intact.
Keep an emergency kit
There are some things no mobile DJ should be without, and a well-ordered emergency kit will save your show more often than you realize. This kit should include spare cables as well as a multitude of adapters in case you need to make do with the wrong kind of cables in a pinch. Always have a permanent marker on hand, and don’t leave the house without gaffer’s tape (cables left unsecured may trip guests and cause havoc, not to mention liability). Keep at least one flashlight and some spare batteries in there, so that if you throw a breaker, at least you can find your way to the breaker box. Last but not least, if you can’t afford a crew, buy a utility cart — it will save you time and save your back.
What’s the Bottom Line?
Now that we’ve covered the basics, and you know what you need in your DJ PA system, it’s time to form a plan. Be honest with yourself about your budget before you start buying gear, or you’ll end up with half a system you can’t use. The bigger your system is, the more important having backups becomes, so you are better off starting small and building up over time than buying a larger system you can’t support if a key component fails.