I posted this in the Summer '05 IB thread at the request of several other IBs and thought I'd cross post it here for anyone it might help.

I was a DJ on radio and in clubs for six years, and did private parties and raves for four years after that. (In case you are wondering if I'm just a really big geek. )

ari's very long and hopefully simple guide to being your own DJ with a laptop or iPod and some rented equipment

I googled "audio equipment rental boston" to come up with local places. You can do that for your town or check your yellow pages.

You will need

1. speakers large enough to accommodate your space. (discuss this with your rental equipment place - find out the approximate dimensions of the room from your site coordinator. How high the ceilings are makes a big difference in sound quality. The bass needs to hit the ceiling and bounce back for full sound and if your ceilings are high - you'll need large speakers or an extra subwoofer)

2. an amplifier with sufficient power for the speakers you have selected. (more than you ever wanted to know about how speakers work)

3. something to out put music (CD player, turntables, laptop, MP3 player) that can be plugged into the amplifier or a mixing console. (tape decks are a bad idea.)

4. heavy duty speaker cable long enough to place the speakers where you want them and with the appropriate plugs for your speakers.

5. if using an iPod - a dock and monster cable stereo connector or a laptop with RCA cables that can plug into an amp. I believe they would plug into the headphone jack on your laptop which is an Audio out.

6. A power strip and heavy duty extension cord

7. A table for your laptop or MP3 player and someone to keep an eye on it! ( a lock is a very good idea for the laptop) The iPod can be safely held in someone's purse or pocket until needed.

(optional items)

1. A four track mixing console if you are using turntables or CD players and want the true DJ experience - or if you plan on using things like microphones.

2. a microphone

3. duct tape to tape down cables so people do not trip over them.

4. stereo head phones - if you are using a console and mixing music old school.

* * *

The set up is very simple and actually logical. Nothing should be powered on during set up. You can blow the speakers or shock yourself.

The speaker cables plug into the back of the amplifier in the space marked OUT and the music source plugs into the IN. Music goes from the source (mixer, laptop, MP3 player) into the amplifier which amplifies it and sends it into the speakers where it comes out and is audible.

A little flow chart of how the sound travels:

(scenario one)
(iPod)--> (amplifier)--> (speakers)

(scenario two)
(laptop)--> (amplifier)--> (speakers)

(scenario three)

(iPod/laptop/CD players)--|
..................................(mixer)--> (amplifier)--> (speakers)
(microphone)--------------|


HELPFUL HINTS:

Make sure your iPod is charged and bring the AC cable so you can plug it in and don't have to worry about it running out of juice. Same with laptop.

* * *

How to setup

Make sure everything is turned off and all volume controls are on the lowest settings on the amplifier, mixers, iPod, or laptop.

1. Place the iPod and its dock, or your laptop on the table. put the amp next to it (unless it is in wheeled case in which case you can stand it next to the table)

2. Put the speakers where you want them

3. Run speaker cable from the speakers to the amp and plug the cables into the back of the speakers and into the back of the amplifier into the OUT plugs.

4. Plug the monster cable or RCA cable into your laptop or iPod Dock and then into the back of the amplifier.

5. Plug all the power cords into the power strip and plug that into a wall outlet (you may need an extension cord).

6. If the power strip has an on/off switch - flip it on. They usually light up red when they are on.

7. Power on the amplifier after making sure it is on the lowest settings. It should have dials or slides that look like volume controls. If there are two for left and right then - turn them both up or both down as needed.

8. Turn up the controls a little on the amplifier and test out your system. Make sure sound is coming out of all your speakers.

Music sounds different in an empty room than it does in a room full of people. So you may have to play with the sound levels to get them right.

With a mixing board:

If you are using a mixer pick a slide or dial for the music and plug into that jack. Let's say we pick channel one.

If you are using a microphone plug that into your mixer on a different jack than the music. And make note of which one you picked. Labeling them might be a good idea. Masking tape will work fine and can be easily removed.

Instead of plugging the laptop or iPod into the amplifier as above you would plug the mixer into the amplifier instead. The components (laptop, iPod, microphones, turntables, etc plug into the mixer) so you can switch from one to the other and control what comes out of the speakers.

If you are playing music and want to change to the microphone you slide the #1 dial or slide control (called a "pot") down to zero and the #2 pot up (not all the way!!) so that the microphone can be heard coming out of the speakers instead. You can get fancy and have them both coming together so that the speaking can be heard over the music by turning down pot #1 to a lower lever and turning up pot #2 so that the mic is audible over the music.


* * *

Please ask me questions or let me know if I typed up anything crazy. And do not be afraid. If you can hook up a CD player or home stereo you can handle this equipment.

You might also be able to hire the equipment place to set it up for you too if you are leery.

If the space between songs on an iPod or regular play list bugs you (as it does me) you can download mixing software or I am pretty sure use Garage Band on iLife for Mac to mix the songs together and create several hours of premixed seguewayed music. It won't have the spark of a live DJ who is good at playing to the crowd but it is a lot cheaper and no cheesy talkovers of songs you hate.

[Updated on: Wed, 27 April 2005 11:19]

I would not worry too much about this since it is a wedding and not a night out clubbing!

Well, it helps to know your crowd. A good DJ knows how to control a floor - which is sort of hard to explain. You have to clue in to what people are doing and what mood they are in.

With prerecorded music you'll just have to guess. I don't think there is a formula for fast to slow music - but avoid abrupt changes. If people all hop up to dance to Blondie or Deeelite and you follow it up with something really slow - it clears the dancefloor.

You don't want to play two fast songs and then a slow one and then switch back to fast. Start with a few sure numbers to get everyone up and dancing. Mix in songs of faster and slower tempos without any dead stops. Going from "I want to be Sedated" to "Fly me to the Moon" is not a great idea.

Also from a DJ's perspective the music is not for you. You are not playing your favorite songs. You are playing songs people want to hear and that people want to dance to. As the couple getting married and also mixing your own music you might want to consider both songs you dig and songs you know will get people up out of their seats.

Here is a random list of (somewhat cliched) songs I have ALWAYS seen people get excited about:

1. Gloria Gaynor - I Will Survive (maybe not very wedding-y)
2. Deeelite - Groove is in the Heart (people squeal and even my grandma danced to it)
3. Bust a Move - Young MC (weird but true)
4. Jump Around - House of Pain
5. almost anything by Blondie
6. YMCA by the Village People
7. Day Oh - Harry Belafonte (I blame Winona Ryder in Betelgeuse)
8. The Theme from the Loveboat. (but only if people are feeling festive and also are somewhat drunk)
9. Come On Eileen - Dexy's Midnight Runners
10. Play that Funky Music Whiteboy - Wild Cherry
11. Copa Cabana - Barry Manilow
12. Funkytown - Lipps Inc.
13. Celebrate or Jungle Boogie - Kool and the Gang
14. Whip It - Devo
15. She Drives Me Crazy - Fine Young Cannibals
16. Mickey - Toni Basil
17. Tainted Love - Soft Cell (again not weddingy)
18. Our House - Madness
19. Addicted to Love - Robert Palmer
20. Centerfold - J. Geils Band
21. Only Want to be with you - Hootie and the blowfish (I hate this one so much)

This list is horribly devoid of current music but it has been at least five years since I've been out spinning and I'm old!

[Updated on: Thu, 17 February 2005 16:37]

[Updated on: Fri, 24 June 2005 01:19]

[Updated on: Mon, 21 February 2005 18:25]

[Updated on: Mon, 18 April 2005 19:59]

[Updated on: Tue, 26 April 2005 12:31]

[Updated on: Wed, 27 April 2005 11:18]

No, LD the anon is being either idiotic or rude, possibly both.

[Updated on: Wed, 27 April 2005 12:42]

[Updated on: Thu, 05 May 2005 07:03]