Mobile DJ Equipment Advice
Working as a mobile disk jockey (DJ) presents a whole load of challenges that a resident club DJ simply doesn’t have. Not least is the need to carry all of that essential DJ equipment wherever we go.
I’ve worked in clubs as both a guest and residential DJ, on cruise liners, as a radio DJ and these days I make my living as a moble DJ. Each week I meet new people with diverse musical tastes in some fantastic locations. I’ve gigged in stately homes, onboard ships and yachts, on a private jet and even one night in a well known London museum. It’s the variety that I particularly like about this work, but lets get back to the challenges.
One of the main problems we must manage as mobile DJs is carrying all the equipment we need to each gig. The club DJ only has to carry his tunes, maybe as records or CDs, whereas I need a medium sized van to carry all of my gear.
These days I have an assistant who is a great help in setting up and breaking down my PA and lighting rig at each gig. Only a few years ago I needed to do all the setting up and breaking down myself. The important factor to consider when selecting DJ equipment for mobile use is compactness. It must be compact and as light as possible.
The DJ speakers that I use are the powered variety. This means I avoid having to carry power amplifiers and it simplifies the system setup considerably. There are far fewer cables to worry about and less that can go wrong. I’ve been using an excellent pair of JBL active PA speakers for the past two years and they have been fantastic.
Another important consideration for us mobile DJs is the lighting system. Club DJs rarely need to concern themselves with club lighting systems as these are generally already in place and often have their own dedicated operators. For us mobile DJs we’ve got to do it all ourselves. But luckily these days there are some compact DJ lights that use LEDs making them relatively lightweight, low power and cool.
But probably the most essential piece of mobile DJ gear is the music. This is music media, not equipment, I hear you say and you’d be right. But I’m really referring to the medium which can be vinyl records, CDs, DVDs and MP3 files. This means I need to carry turntables, CD players, a DVD player and some sort of MP3 player. I tend to stick to just one CD player, a pair of Technics decks and my laptop computer. I route all of these through my excellent DJ mixer and I’m just about ready for any requests, from Mantovani to the Wombles.
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- Mobile DJ Equipment Advice | Cable and Satellite TV
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