Can U Believe This?

[digitaldistortion 0]

Hi Guys!

 

I just thought I'd share two experiences with you. One of them personal, the other related to me by my daughter!

 

(And I sincerely hope that nobody recognises themselves here!) :scared:

 

Yesterday, I was at a prize giving/xmas bash. Originally, I was supposed to DJ here, but due to a disagreement (about their own equipment) with the organiser, they opted to do the gig themselves (on said equipment). I realised when I got there, as a guest, that they were, in fact, using an outside disco (1000% improvement on their own gear).

 

BUT, as the evening progressed, I realised that there was little or no bass, despite the presence of subs, and the sound was awfully mangled in the mid range. Later still, at high wattage, the distortion was unbelievable (well, pretty bad anyway). What amazed me was that nobody (DJ or organiser) appeared to notice this. At one point the sound was pretty excruciating on the eardrums!

 

I don't want to start a techie discussion on the whys and wherefores, suffice it to say, my theory is one of two (or a combination thereof): small amp/large speakers OR large amp/small speakers combined with no or incorrect xovers/cutoffs!!

 

Actually, if I'm honest (not sour grapes), he was s :cense: te. He played several bum tracks that cleared the floor instantly, didn't correct himself, and didn't learn. Plus, some of his linking sucked.....big time!

 

Enough of that....

 

My daughter, who works in her spare time at a neaby hotel was helping at a barmitzvah tonight. I asked whether there had been a DJ, and there had!

 

Apparently (and this I find to be tacky in the extreme, BUT it is obviously a personal opinion (so don't start shooting at me!)), the disco had 'dancers'. Good idea, I hear you say (I hope not), but the 13 y-old was climbed all over by these 'dancers' (the inverted commas are because I won't use the word my daughter used).

 

I realise that I'm getting on a bit, but does this sound like a good idea to the rest of you, cos it sure as h:cense:l doesn't to me!

 

Let me hear your comments (I know you will!)

 

:Thumbup:

Edited November 27, 2006 by digitaldistortion

[norty303 0]

The lack of bass could have been due to phasing issues, if the subs were out of phase with the top boxes, and the top boxes didn't have a high pass filter there may have been cancellation. If the subs were bandpass boxes wired the conventional way this would have been the problem i'd guess. Its generally practised that 6th order bandpass boxes require wiring out of phase due to the group delay inherent in the design

[Paul Smith 0]

The lack of bass could have been due to phasing issues, if the subs were out of phase with the top boxes, and the top boxes didn't have a high pass filter there may have been cancellation. If the subs were bandpass boxes wired the conventional way this would have been the problem i'd guess. Its generally practised that 6th order bandpass boxes require wiring out of phase due to the group delay inherent in the design

 

Absolutely

 

I would imagine that a vast number of guests at the barmitzvah would have been horrified - wonder what the 13 year old thought :shrug:

[brianmole 0]

Nice one norty :Thumbup:

[UKHero 0]

The lack of bass could have been due to phasing issues, if the subs were out of phase with the top boxes, and the top boxes didn't have a high pass filter there may have been cancellation. If the subs were bandpass boxes wired the conventional way this would have been the problem i'd guess. Its generally practised that 6th order bandpass boxes require wiring out of phase due to the group delay inherent in the design

 

As above or had he forgot some leads and not plugged them in and just there for show...

 

I think punters need to go see a DJ work before booking them.... Then you guys could stop moaning about bad DJing and I could get more moaning in about laptop DJs vs CD djs lol :dan+ju: :dan+ju: :dan+ju:

 

 

Nik

 

[BigBen 0]

Then you guys could stop moaning about bad DJing and I could get more moaning in about laptop DJs vs CD djs

 

I've thought about dancers/asisstants to help get the crowd going early on. I'm still undecided to a degree...but what happened here is just terrible. I'm sure the 13 year old was terribly embarassed along with everyone else in the room. Reminds me of the hen party scene from the film Bachelor Party!

[Jimbo55 0]

When doing early teen parties I enlist the help of my daughter (22) to help show/teach all the dance moves, some old some new, Cha Cha Slide, Saturday Night etc and the latest from Hollywood Musical. It has always gone down well and she has a great rapport with early teens. She Dj's every Monday night at a local mencap club (My Old Job) and knows what is 'hot' and what is not.

 

Back to the equipment/sound issue If no-one was to tell you you had a problem how will you know?

Yes it would mean a tactful approach and not an easy one.

 

As for dancers clambering over a 13 year old their would be some very serious issues to address if a complaint was made.

 

My advice for when DJing with kids is a hands off approach and only touch e.g. when a game demonstration or party trick is required and only then with both parent and child's permission and ensure that the parent is present. This is to protect you from malicious complaints. It DOES happen.

 

Jimbo

[digitaldistortion 0]

When doing early teen parties I enlist the help of my daughter (22) to help show/teach all the dance moves, some old some new, Cha Cha Slide, Saturday Night etc and the latest from Hollywood Musical. It has always gone down well and she has a great rapport with early teens. She Dj's every Monday night at a local mencap club (My Old Job) and knows what is 'hot' and what is not.

 

Back to the equipment/sound issue If no-one was to tell you you had a problem how will you know?

Yes it would mean a tactful approach and not an easy one.

 

As for dancers clambering over a 13 year old their would be some very serious issues to address if a complaint was made.

 

My advice for when DJing with kids is a hands off approach and only touch e.g. when a game demonstration or party trick is required and only then with both parent and child's permission and ensure that the parent is present. This is to protect you from malicious complaints. It DOES happen.

 

Jimbo

 

The organiser at the prize giving etc. was a dance school teacher (this is a dance school we're talking about), and she did do a couple of sessions on the stage for cha cha slide etc. These dance school parties are always full of 'group' dances, both pupils and guests, so thats okay. BUT, according to my daughter, as regards the barmitzvah, the 'dancers' were more of the eric pryde/ pussycat dolls video type dancers, rather than pans people (if you follow my drift!). Oh, they also ran a session of karaoke tracks where the 'dancers' did the vocals, as a kind of live show (which in itself could be interesting in the right setting).

 

[Gary 0]

I've seen a couple of these "bad DJ" observations on DJU over the last few days.

 

The instant question that comes to my mind is: "How long has the DJ under scrutiny actually been DJ'ing for?"

 

...after all, we all had our invisible "L plates" 'round our necks at some point.

 

Of course, if any of us see a disco being performed in a way that is less than ideal (from our own point of view) there's nothing to stop us taking the guy a drink and mentoning this forum as a place where all sorts of help and advise is available.

[digitaldistortion 0]

I've seen a couple of these "bad DJ" observations on DJU over the last few days.

 

The instant question that comes to my mind is: "How long has the DJ under scrutiny actually been DJ'ing for?"

 

...after all, we all had our invisible "L plates" 'round our necks at some point.

 

Of course, if any of us see a disco being performed in a way that is less than ideal (from our own point of view) there's nothing to stop us taking the guy a drink and mentoning this forum as a place where all sorts of help and advise is available.

 

If I'm to believe the discreet enquiries about the DJ on Saturday: Over 20 years...

 

[Bolan-Boogie 0]

Cowboy Dj's Most probably no liability insurance, no pat testing... another fifty quid fred by the sounds of things !

[Andy Westcott 0]

Quote Norty:

"If the subs were bandpass boxes wired the conventional way this would have been the problem i'd guess. Its generally practised that 6th order bandpass boxes require wiring out of phase due to the group delay inherent in the design."

 

Well done! :Thumbup: :bouncy: :Thumbup:

Tell it like it is! smile icon

 

Actually, I'd rather think he just forgot to switch on the bass amps.....

 

Anyhow, DD, I'm interested in these bad links - the ones that sucked.

Can you give us any examples of the kind of thing you disliked?

I ask simply in order to avoid making the same kind of mistake myself!

[norty303 0]

Hey, what can i say, it was gone 3am, i was more than likely pi:cense:ed!!

 

You gotta feel for the people who come out drinking with me.....

 

;)

[digitaldistortion 0]

 

Anyhow, DD, I'm interested in these bad links - the ones that sucked.

Can you give us any examples of the kind of thing you disliked?

I ask simply in order to avoid making the same kind of mistake myself!

 

I think I mentioned the one that REALLY cleared the floor (and woke me up) in another topic:

 

The Power to Gypsies, Tramps & Thieves.

 

There were others, but they are beginning to fade into the mists of time.

 

Anyone can do this kind of thing (I guess), but I would prefer to believe that even a relatively inexperienced DJ would throw another dance track (ANY dance track) on ASAP. He was using a laptop, so it's not a case of being unable to find a suitable track!!!!

 

[Andy Westcott 0]

Ahh, I see what you mean now. By 'links', I thought you meant the talking between tracks.