I'm old school I don't get it (DJ using IPod) *

Discussion in 'Audio Hardware' started by taters, May 28, 2007.

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  1. Grant

    Grant Life is a rock, but the radio rolled me!

    This is the way it is done now. DJs use mp3s that are stored on CD-Rs, memory cards, and jump drives. They even make DJ gear that plays these items. Many DJs just use a laptop with a soundcard. They all have "scratch", elaborate faveing and editing capabilities.

    See, it's too costly and heavy to lug around records and turntables anymore. And, in a club enviornment, no one cares if the sound is coming off an mp3.
     
  2. XMIAudioTech

    XMIAudioTech New Member

    Location:
    Petaluma, CA
    It's been about 4 years since my last DJ gig, but then I used a PC for the stuff on MP3 (which replaced the five 12" vinyl crates and the four gigantic CD boxes that I used to lug around before the 'digital revolution'), a CD player (you never know when someone will bring in a CD for 'that certain track' that you don't have), and at least one turntable (but usually two) for the one crate of 12" vinyl (LPs and singles) and the two boxes of 45s (that hold approximately 250 records each) that I use.

    -Aaron
     
  3. I attended a dance year and a half ago, that was run with iPods. The sound was horrible. I hope to never experience that again. Compressed, thin, maximized music blasting out of huge speakers. Almost went back to my vehicle to grab a pair of earplugs, that's how bad it was. :shake:
     
  4. Jay Casey

    Jay Casey New Member

    Location:
    City, State

    As a wedding DJ, I find your comment both uninformed and offensive. As I do little advertising and depend on word-of-mouth for a portion of my business, I find that my previous clients DO remember me. The evaluation forms that I receive from my clients show that THEY believe that, on average, I am over 90% responsible for the success of their reception.

    According to a survey published in "St. Louis Bride & Groom Magazine" in 2003 (Sources include: Simmons, 2001; USA Today, 2002; National Bridal Service, 2001; The Knot, 2002; Brides Magazine, 2001.), "When asked, 81% of guests say that what they remember most about a wedding reception is the entertainment."

    Hardly a "throw-away thing".

    Please do not present blanket, uninformed statements as fact. If it is only your OPINION, please state so.

    For the record, I use 2 Denon cd players and play real cds. I also bring over 1300 cds to the reception.
     
  5. Onward

    Onward Forum Resident

    Location:
    Oslo, Norway
    Whats with the constant ipod-bashing on this forum? I'd rather have a mp3 of a good mastering than a cd of a bad one.

    It really doesn't matter (to me) what equipment a wedding dj uses. As long as he can entertain people with good music, read the crowd and run the show he does a good job. To me it seems like an ungrateful job thats very easy to pick on...
     
  6. StyxCollector

    StyxCollector Man of Miracles

    +1 on entertainment is not a throw-away at a wedding, Bar Mitzvah, etc. Whether it is a DJ or a band, if you're good, people remember. But if you're bad, they remember, too. The guests could care less if the bass player has a MusicMan about as much as they would care if the DJ is using two iPods (or other MP3 player) and an mixer that they sell now specifically for DJing for an MP3 player.

    Now, if they ripped at a low bitrate, shame on them. If you're doing to DJ on an iPod, at least rip at lossless or something reasonable where you're going to have sound quality. Having said that, if everyone is ripped, most people won't notice, but that's a whole other issue. You should never assume people won't care about quality.

    In the end, entertainment is about doing the right job for the event and playing what the bride and groom ask for.
     
  7. audiodrome

    audiodrome Senior Member

    Location:
    North Of Boston
    I also don't understand why it seems like people are blaming the bad sound quality on iPods and mp3s. I've used an iPod at a party with my sound system and the music sounded excellent.
     
  8. Grant

    Grant Life is a rock, but the radio rolled me!

    mp3s, or any lossy file-type does not have to sound bad. There are so many variables that factor into the sound. They don't all sound the same.
     
  9. Buzzcat

    Buzzcat Bankrupt Radio Lifer

    Location:
    Madtown, WI
    I agree with Jay here. The company I worked for in the 90's did ZERO advertising. Total word of mouth. And, months after doing a wedding, a couple from the reception saw me in a store and came up to me saying, "Hey, weren't you the DJ for (I don't remember their name)'s wedding reception?"

    Of course, I didn't remember them, but I used to drink a bit on the job. The DJ is vital to a successful wedding reception. And, can also make it a horrific event.

    And, I'd hate to be doing that job nowadays with I-Pods. I'd probably be drinking much more to keep from cringing.
     
  10. JayB

    JayB Senior Member

    Location:
    CT
    I agree..and if ripped with at least a reasonably high bit rate, (preferably lossless) it should sound fine.
     
  11. Vinyl-Addict

    Vinyl-Addict Groovetracer Manufacturer

    Location:
    USA
    DJ's are a thing of the past. What we have now are "bit jockeys" ;)
     
  12. Barry Wom

    Barry Wom New Member

    Location:
    Pepperland
    (Hard) Disc Jockeys

    HDJ's - I can see it happening:D
     
  13. Walt

    Walt Forum Resident

    Location:
    Baltimore, MD
    I've been to a few receptions the last few years with iPods (or whatever brandname) utilized and I really do not notice the sound quality. I'm too busy mingling or having fun to worry about the bitrate of the mp3. I will notice if the music sucks - and i left a reception fairly early a few weeks ago when the dj kept playing what amounted to classic rock and pop-country (apparently more guests left after we made our exit... the couple wasn't too happy, but that'll happen when the dj sucks...).

    I was a wedding reception dj for two summers during college. I hurt my back lugging equipment to a wedding reception - two MP3 players would have been welcoming. Most reception halls in the area i live in have horrible acoustics (they're either firehalls or church basements) It doesn't matter if you have a live band or audiophile equipment - there's going to be a lot of echo (unless the couple has invited enough guests to soak up the sound). Word-of-mouth advertising kept me a little busy, but I grew tired of the demands from guests. Many many times the couple would say "don't play country" but a few rowdy guests would request/ demand country... Plus, my tastes in music veered very far from what's expected at wedding receptions. I was buying music that I liked but wasn't exactly playable at receptions - so I gave it up. I get offers every once in a while, but I'll never do it again.
     
  14. Tullman

    Tullman Senior Member

    Location:
    Boston MA
    As a professional musician, I hardly consider "DJs" entertainment. It takes no talent to accumulate a bunch of songs and run them through a computer. Basically, I consider DJs as people taking work away from real musicians.:thumbsdn: IMO.
     
  15. BigJoe

    BigJoe Formerly Kalowski<br>Banned

    Location:
    Back in the UK
    Yes. There's no problem here. The guy probably had thousands of tracks on his laptop/I-Pod which means that almost anyone in the party could ask for a popular track and he would have it. Hell, he's probably got Magic by Pilot ripped from a Party Hits from the Seventies disc.
    I can't believe that anyone would notice the sound issues at a wedding. Can you imagine the bride's father and his speech, "I'd like to welcome you all to this wonderful day where I hand my beautiful daughter over to this man she trusts and loves, but I am worried that the DJ has been ripping at 128kbs so the whole day is spoiled."
    And Jay Casey, I understand where you are coming from. I guess the thing people remember most about the entertainment is simply, "The DJ played some great songs," or, "Man, that DJ was bad!" so you got to entertain the people - sod the sound quality.
     
  16. Feisal K

    Feisal K Forum Resident

    Location:
    Malaysia
    funny you didn't follow on with the acronym :D
     
  17. Glen B

    Glen B New Member

    Location:
    USA
    Another divisive, uninformed statement. I was a DJ for 11 years during 1970 and 1981. You should try playing for a tough crowd -- especially of people who have paid good money to attend a party -- and not mix the music right. You will soon know what its like to be jeered at and pelted with bottles. Develop a reputation as a crappy DJ and prospective clients will avoid you like the plague. That's how it was in my day. It takes skill to know how to read a crowd and play the right music selections at the right time.
     
  18. BradOlson

    BradOlson Country/Christian Music Maven

    Glen is right on the money
     
  19. XMIAudioTech

    XMIAudioTech New Member

    Location:
    Petaluma, CA
    ...But it DOES take talent to successfully 'work the crowd', and consciously choose your material as the gig progresses to keep your audience happy (and hopefully dancing)... You make it seem as we just load up a playlist and click 'play'. How much more wrong can you be?

    So I guess you want all music on the radio to be broadcast LIVE?

    Hopefully without sounding like a hypocrite, I would replace the word 'DJ' in your quote with 'Karaoke' as far as real musicians (including singers) go.

    Live music and a DJ are two completely different animals, whereas Karaoke [done wrong (read: drunks at the local nightclub)] can be a total embarrassment to one's musicianship. As a semi-pro musician and mobile DJ, I know.

    -Aaron
     
  20. Tullman

    Tullman Senior Member

    Location:
    Boston MA
    Like I haven't played for tough crowds.:rolleyes: Try the "Outlaws" motorcycle gang in Milwaukee.

    Yeah some skill. Hey whatta you guys wanna hear?
     
  21. Tullman

    Tullman Senior Member

    Location:
    Boston MA
    I suppose live acts don't have to work a crowd either.:rolleyes:

    In the old days they had live music on the radio all of the time and it was really good!

    I've played live on the radio many times.
     
  22. Feisal K

    Feisal K Forum Resident

    Location:
    Malaysia
    I don't recall reading anyone saying that.
     
  23. Lazlo Nibble

    Lazlo Nibble Forum Resident

    Location:
    Denver, Colorado
    Claiming DJing isn't a skill because all you're doing is playing other peoples' music is like saying acting isn't a skill because all you're doing is saying other peoples' words. Any schmuck can get up there and say the lines; it takes talent to do it in a way that brings the audience along for the experience.

    Trust me, if any ******* with a record crate could keep 10,000+ sweaty, amped-up kids moving out on the floor for six hours straight, promoters wouldn't be paying guys like Digweed and Tiƫsto the kind of money they make to do it.
     
  24. Jay Casey

    Jay Casey New Member

    Location:
    City, State
    1. Can you play over 10,000 songs?

    2. Can you play over 90% of the songs requested in a 6 hour gig? BTW, thats six REAL hours, with no breaks. Don't confuse that with the "play 40 minutes, then take a 20 minute break" hour that ALL the bands that I have run sound for do?

    3. Do you meet with the Bride and Groom as many times as they want, at no charge, to discuss the flow of the ENTIRE reception?

    4. Do you provide the Bride and Groom with a 4 page Reception Planner, including lists of suggested songs for their First Dance, the Bride and Father Dance, the Groom and Mother Dance, the Wedding Party Dance, etc. that allows them to customize their reception to their tastes??

    5. Do you release tables for the meal, just to help make the flow of the reception more orderly, at the Bride and Grooms request?? (This is discussed with the Bride and Groom during our meeting).

    6. Do you greet ALL of the guests as they enter the reception hall, and point out to them where the gift table is, where the restrooms are, where the bar is, where the hors dourves are??

    7. Do you coordinate the ENTIRE reception, and follow the written plan that has already been discussed and approved by the Bride and Groom??


    I do.

    The above are just SOME of the reasons DJs are taking away "your" business.

    BTW, ALL of the music on ALL of my CDS is played by REAL musicians, not just some cover band. And my business model is about SERVICE, not ego.
     
  25. Tullman

    Tullman Senior Member

    Location:
    Boston MA
    Bottom line:

    People hire DJs to save a buck.
     
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