Opinions On My New Setup Please Guys!

[NRG Roadshow 0]

Tried out my new look rig for the first time at an 18th last night.....

 

Im more than happy with how it looks, but I would like some oppinions, praise or criticisms from you guys to see if I can maybe make it better.

The only plans I have currently is to upgrade the sound system, but appart from that Im pretty pleased with how its turned out.

 

The Lighting is as follows...

 

Insignia - Dynatwin - Chamelion 4 - Chamelion 4 - Dynatwin - Insignia

 

And I dont normally have all six on at one time, I tend to alternate only having two pairs on at anytime.

 

So whats the verdict then chaps?

 

http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a311/aquanick2001/DSCF000.jpg

[Mattaious 0]

Looks ok to me -

 

I reckon those insignias really set it off and are the icing on the cake tongue out icon :ads:

 

But id move the boxes and other stuff out of view

 

 

The only other comment - The pictures blurred

[NRG Roadshow 0]

Yea they are ok them Insignias aint they LOL

 

Yea....I didnt notice the boxes and stuff while taking the pic, yah dont notice things like that till after and your looking at it at home.

 

Yea I know the pics blured, dont know how that happened usually my camera is spot on.....might have not held the button down for it to focus properly before snapping the pic.

[C.S 0]

looks smart, neat and tidy to me.

[Dream Catchers 0]

Very smart.

I did like your screens though.

Did you make or buy the starcloth?

Well done.

 

Jim

[NRG Roadshow 0]

Starcloth is an NJD one, better looking cloth than the prolight one IMO, serge wool I belive its called.

 

Cheers for the comments, I certainly like the look of it and its nice to know others do too.

 

The lightscreens will be up for sale soon, complete with disco setup and trailer to keep it all in.

[Andy Westcott 0]

Don't like the "two little speakers on poles, and a cloth thrown over the front" look myself - looks like so much other stuff at the budget end of the range. Sorry if that upsets you, but you did ask for opinions! tongue out icon

 

I still think a disco should set itself as the main feature in the venue, and for this light boxes of some decription are more or less necessary. The setup pictured is neat, yes, but also appears pretty basic when viewed from this side of things.

 

And yes - I know I'm still living in "the past" with my idea of what a disco should look like, but my wife and teenage daughter also agree with my opinion, so maybe it's not just me? My wife actually said, "it looks like a magician's act"!

Hmmm....

Edited November 18, 2007 by Andy Westcott

[Paul Smith 0]

looks smart, neat and tidy to me.

I agree :good:

[Norfolk DJ 0]

Looks good to me.

 

Plenty of lighting there and the speakers look ok. I know Andy is a fan of lightscreens and so am I, but I think they are alot of hassel and starcloths are a lot easier.

 

well done

 

Rob

[NRG Roadshow 0]

My wife actually said, "it looks like a magician's act"!

 

Well thats because Im a Magician behind my decks......I can change people from sitting down boring people to standing up dancing fun people tongue out icon Now thats Magic....Your gonna like this, not a lot LOL

Your comments dont upset me Andy, there would be no point in posting and asking for oppinions if everyone just said what they thought you wanted to hear. I was after comments good and bad or I cant get a propper oppinion of what people think.

So everyone is entitled to an oppinion.....

But I have posted the same pic on another forum too.....and most have said they like it. I think the scores are somthing like.

 

Against = 3 (thats you, your wife & Daughter)

For = 15ish

 

Seriously though.....I do see what you mean.......kind of........

Im also a fan of lightscreens etc and I believe they do have a place in todays disco world and my current lightscreens are great and have served me well.

But...

 

1) I cant be bothered to carry them anymore.

2) I couldnt fit them in the motor (well I could but dont want too)

3) I cant be bothered to carry them anymore (I know technically thats only two reasons, but I felt it was a point worth making twice.)

 

Dont spose you wanna buy my lightscreens then Andy?

Edited November 18, 2007 by NRG Roadshow

[4zzz 0]

Looks good to me.

Nice and neat with no clutter.

[kenny wisdom 0]

I like it - it's precisley the kind of set up I am veering towards when I get rid of my lightboxes. The boxes do add a nice bright vocal point and additional lighting, but I like the neatness and compactness of the starcloth look.

 

What stand do you have there, out of interest?

[NRG Roadshow 0]

Its a 4ft Girarfe stand......with a modification by me to take the starcloth at that height, as its about 4" above the top deck bars.

[UKHero 0]

I like it but I think it depends on the occasion and venue size. I did a gig on sat night in a very small bar and used very minimal kit worked fine carried all the kit in in 3 trips and all were happy. How ever did a gig a few weeks back on a big theatrical style stage and this rig would have looked lost and sounded naff.

 

Just an aside to this thread their have been a few comments along the lines of too much hard work cant be bothered etc. Don't forget we are paid to do a job for the customer and should be bothered and also your potential clients may read this post. Not having a go just making a point.

 

Nik

 

[Gary 0]

Don't like the "two little speakers on poles, and a cloth thrown over the front" look myself - looks like so much other stuff at the budget end of the range. Sorry if that upsets you, but you did ask for opinions! tongue out icon

 

I still think a disco should set itself as the main feature in the venue,

 

Having just done two DJ events (BPM & SEDA) within a week of each other, I've got plenty of DJs explanations, fresh in my mind, about what they do, how they do it and...extremely important to me, the "Why" they do it.

 

"Stage Presence" is yet another one of those things which, within certain obvious parameters (such as neat & tidy, not dangerous to customers or you PLI etc), has no real "right" or "wrong".

 

I know of DJs who perform perfectly with a massive show which takes them 2+ hours to set-up, brimming with lighting, needing 6+ controllers, combinations of DMX, bare bulbs, retro and ultra new... and at the other end of the scale, I know DJs who, in terms of "stage presence", would rather more-or-less set-up next door and just DJ through the letterbox...well, OK, I'm exaggerating....Some DJs perform a totally satisfying night from behind a 1-metre wide podium/deck-stand, with just a couple of carefully chosen, discreet lighting effects. Again...no rights, no wrongs.

 

From the photo above, I'd say that its neat and tidy on the front line.

 

On the sides, you've got the speaker tripods, which obviously have the trip hazard issues as the legs have to project further out in all directions than the speaker itself - no real way of avoiding having those - although I believe Ultimax have started selling a bracket for mounting speakers (with top hats) from the upright poles on their Ultimax stands. Not sure if such a bracket would work with other brands of stand.

 

Above - my own opinion is that full thickness Tri-lite can look very "industrial" especially in its raw colour. Have you considered getting that length of tri-light in black, to match all the other metal work on the show (eg: the speaker tripods)? or having a black cloth which could velcro over the front of the tri-lite.

 

Behind - Out of sight is out of mind, but depending on the venue we dont always have enough space to hide boxes, spare lights etc, or the spare time to take the empty boxes back out to the vehicle to keep them out of the public eye. This is perhaps a minor point. However, if you assume that the view in the photo above is what the audience will see for 4+ hours (admitedly under lower lighting levels), the less spare kit/empty boxes that are visible to them, the better.

 

 

[Revelationroadshow 0]

Having just done two DJ events (BPM & SEDA) within a week of each other, I've got plenty of DJs explanations, fresh in my mind, about what they do, how they do it and...extremely important to me, the "Why" they do it.

 

"Stage Presence" is yet another one of those things which, within certain obvious parameters (such as neat & tidy, not dangerous to customers or you PLI etc), has no real "right" or "wrong".

 

I know of DJs who perform perfectly with a massive show which takes them 2+ hours to set-up, brimming with lighting, needing 6+ controllers, combinations of DMX, bare bulbs, retro and ultra new... and at the other end of the scale, I know DJs who, in terms of "stage presence", would rather more-or-less set-up next door and just DJ through the letterbox...well, OK, I'm exaggerating....Some DJs perform a totally satisfying night from behind a 1-metre wide podium/deck-stand, with just a couple of carefully chosen, discreet lighting effects. Again...no rights, no wrongs.

 

From the photo above, I'd say that its neat and tidy on the front line.

 

On the sides, you've got the speaker tripods, which obviously have the trip hazard issues as the legs have to project further out in all directions than the speaker itself - no real way of avoiding having those - although I believe Ultimax have started selling a bracket for mounting speakers (with top hats) from the upright poles on their Ultimax stands. Not sure if such a bracket would work with other brands of stand.

 

Above - my own opinion is that full thickness Tri-lite can look very "industrial" especially in its raw colour. Have you considered getting that length of tri-light in black, to match all the other metal work on the show (eg: the speaker tripods)? or having a black cloth which could velcro over the front of the tri-lite.

 

Behind - Out of sight is out of mind, but depending on the venue we dont always have enough space to hide boxes, spare lights etc, or the spare time to take the empty boxes back out to the vehicle to keep them out of the public eye. This is perhaps a minor point. However, if you assume that the view in the photo above is what the audience will see for 4+ hours (admitedly under lower lighting levels), the less spare kit/empty boxes that are visible to them, the better.

 

Gary,

 

Out of interest, how do you mount speakers? I'm interested in yours and a few others comments about speaker stands. without using bass bins with pole mounts on the top (which can be completely inapropriate for some gigs), what alternatives are there to using speaker stands?

[NRG Roadshow 0]

Just an aside to this thread their have been a few comments along the lines of too much hard work cant be bothered etc. Don't forget we are paid to do a job for the customer and should be bothered and also your potential clients may read this post. Not having a go just making a point.

 

Nik

 

Yea I see your point Nik.......when I said I couldnt be bothered thats possibly not the real reason for me changing from my light screens, sure the cloth takes up less room in the motor so thats a plus point, but it does take longer to setup than the lightscreens, they are literally just unfold them in front of the deckstand and plug them in.......

I think the main reason for me changing is becaused I think I have made the whole thing look beter than it did, sure its horses for courses and some probably like the lightscreens I had, but I do think the cloth looks marginally better, although I still like my lightscreens.

 

As for the speaker stands, yea they do stick out a bit, but are tucked in as close to the trussing stand legs as possible to make a smaller target for drunk punters....

 

Alternative to speaker stands would be to "fly" them off the truss as I can add to 0.6m pieces to either end which would give me enough to hang them off.....Im still waiting to see what kind of bracket I need to do that but it is an option Im looking into.

 

And as for the alloy coloured truss......I kinda like it that colour, I think it breaks up the blackness of the whole thing up a bit.....maybe not the most appropriate for some gigs, but as I am aiming my marketing at the 18ths and 21sts, I think its somthing that would appeal to them as its the kind of thing you often see lighting hung in nightclubs from, so I feel its gonna get a kind of nightclub feel to the lighting.

[Dukesy 0]

I like it but I think it depends on the occasion and venue size. I did a gig on sat night in a very small bar and used very minimal kit worked fine carried all the kit in in 3 trips and all were happy. How ever did a gig a few weeks back on a big theatrical style stage and this rig would have looked lost and sounded naff.

 

Just an aside to this thread their have been a few comments along the lines of too much hard work cant be bothered etc. Don't forget we are paid to do a job for the customer and should be bothered and also your potential clients may read this post. Not having a go just making a point.

 

Nik

Neat and tidy.

 

Totally agree with Nik too.

 

Reminder to new members:

 

This forum area is 100% viewable to non-registered members, potential clients if you wish, who will see pics but more importantly read the obvious excellent care and attention each and everyone of us puts into the business as 'professional service providers', with either our contact or name beside the post.

[llcooljoe 0]

I really like the look of your set up too. As well as being a dj I'm a graphic and interior designer and think this has a real modern more hi tech look to it. My set up is like the poor mans version of yours. Mainly coz I'm just starting out. I personally don't like the light sreens as they look at bit 80's to me, just a personal opinion.

 

Because I didn't have the money to spend out on a cloth or screens I did my own thing and use a large black board, which I've covered with silver metallic stars that are normally applied to cars etc. and I'm really pleased with the results, and cost me only 20 pounds to do!! I actually get really positive comments on it too which is weird. My whole set up is black and silver and chrome and for a basic set up looks cool and not cheesy. More than I can say about the music I play!

[rictic 0]

i think it is neat tidy and compact. probably looks a lot better with the lights down and the effect lights on. but to be very honest i prefer the star cloths at the back, gimme a light screen all day long. but thats just me being retro.

 

all in all a nice looking little rig.

[Gary 0]

Gary,

 

Out of interest, how do you mount speakers? I'm interested in yours and a few others comments about speaker stands.

 

Well, for the last 10 years or so, up until recently, I was using 2 bass cabs (approx 22inches high), with 2 x full range cabs (also 22inches high) interlocked on top of the bass cabs.

 

[NRG Roadshow 0]

I really like the look of your set up too. As well as being a dj I'm a graphic and interior designer and think this has a real modern more hi tech look to it. My set up is like the poor mans version of yours. Mainly coz I'm just starting out.

 

As for your rig looking like the poormans version.......I now look like a poor man coz Im skint LOL

 

Thanks for that.....dont forget it takes time to build things up......

And to be honest my setup only looks the way it does by being on the forums and seeing how others do it, and taking little elements I liked of their setups and mixing it all up and coming up with my own.

So my rig cosmetics are largely down to the boys and girls of the forum, so thanks very much all of you :thanks:

 

And if you want me to be honest......rig cosmetics are allways gonna be secondary to what service you provide to your customers with.....as long as it looks reasonably neat and tidy then people are not gonna mind.

Most punters dont care if you have Martin lighting or Ones from Maplin, it dont make that much difference to if they enjoy their party or not........

 

The only thing Im gonna add to my lighting is an Acme Impossibled!

Saw a video of it the other day.....and boy thats one tasty effect.....looks amazing!

[Mattaious 0]

Just one thing i forgot to mention is - When i met up with you at your res, the only thing i can remember is how bright those lightscreens you used were.

 

They emitted loads of light so perhaps the starcloth will be better for you so you can see the effects of those amazing insignias!

 

tongue out icon

[DJ James Lake 0]

Looks much better than before definetely.

 

My only comment would be if you are aiming at 18th and 21st functions you are going to need to seriously beef up you speaker system. Not necessarily for loudness but for bass presence which most expect at that type of function.

 

Stage presence is also a big thing at these types of function, they expect big setups.

 

I'm currently using 3k for most 18th and 21st now. (4x 18" subs and 2x 15" tops) and for most functions all the power gets used.

[NRG Roadshow 0]

James.....

I know what your saying about beefing up the sound system......its the only real thing Im gonna do to my rig.

 

Just looking round for the right deal for me now, whether to go active or passive etc.....and then Im sorted.