Putting 'Mobile' Back Into Disco
You arrive at the venue, and for one
reason or another, you only have half an hour to set up! Can you do it? If not,
it may be time to look at how 'mobile' your disco really is. Here's some ideas
...
Loading in
Be honest... how many of us lug a box into a venue but
haven't delved to the bottom of it in years? You could be taking unnecessary
items into a venue that could easily be left in your vehicle. By separating up
your essentials from your back up and ensuring that everything you take into the
venue is used, you are not only reducing the number of trips back and forth, but
also the debris you need to store behind you.
Have you counted how many
trips you make into the venue with your equipment? Is there a way you could
reduce these by using trolleys, stacking and grouping differently or adding a
set of casters to an item? The purchase of one trolley, especially the
convertible type that can be a sack or flat bed, could save you time and wear
and tear on your legs!.
The Mixer Rack
Most DJ items such as amps,
lighting controllers, some radio mic units, digital controllers, CD decks and
mixers are rack mountable. Connecting up all these items at a gig can take up
valuable time. With some imaginative use of space and a careful choice of rack,
it is possible to fix most things into one unit.
Example 1 incorporates the
mixer, a Ryger lighting controller, lighting switch bank, a radio mic receiver,
a sound card, a mini disc player and a back up CD player. Sound & lighting
outputs are provided on each side.
Example 2
contains a mixer, a Numark controller for use with Virtual DJ, a twin radio mic
receiver, a single mic receiver, a keyboard and an external quad sound card.
Heavy
amps in a rack can make it unmanageable. The two examples above both connect to active
speakers thus negate the need for any amps. Its worth considering when deciding
on speakers.
Lighting
Some disco lighting is more fragile and needs to be cased or
bagged for safe transporting. On the other hand, if
you run sturdy and lightweight LED lights such as the impossibLEDs or Revo's,
have you considered pre mounting them on a bar to save time? Mounted lights can
still be protected during your journey by either housing them in a trunk or
making padded covers for them (see example below). Having lights pre-mounted
also enables you to prewire (and tidy up) your cabling.
Cabling
Is
yours a mass of spaghetti which requires painstaking disentanglement? Winding up
the wires and securing with a Velcro strap may seem like a labourious job, but
can save many minutes when setting up. If a group of cables are regularly used
together, consider binding them in their 'arrangement' with electricians tape or
similar, thus creating a 'snake'. This will cut down valuable time and ensure
your leads don't knit or crochet themselves together.
Is there anything
else?
Any element of your set up where you could save a minute or two soon
adds up can reduce the overall set up time considerably. Try timing how long it takes you
to do each segment and look at imaginative ways to reduce this time (& make it
easier for you too!). Even labelling plugs and sockets, or investing in easy
release clamps could make a huge difference.
Till next time....keep
mobile.
Sandy
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DJ Hank Latest...
 "The Trials & Tribulations of a Mobile
DJ" follows a true story this month (with some
out-takes at the end for fun).
DJ Hank almost gets caught out at a wedding but all's
well that ends well
You can watch it on the
MobileDJUK channel. and follow him on
Facebook
Highland Battle of the DJs
 On 1st September 2011, there will be an old skool vs. new DJ battle,
to be held in an Inverness nightclub. The battle will feature 5 old skool and 5
new DJs and will be hosted by Si Paul, the Ibiza DJ of Lost Witness...
more
Latest News ...
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Thought for August
"The world is moving so fast these days that the man who says it can't
be done is generally interrupted by someone doing it."
Elbert Hubbard
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