Best Buy DJ Turntables

The music is the best part of being a DJ, but the party also needs a little light and action from time to time. Professional DJs often come to a gig prepared with DJ lighting that creates a club effect in any space. The types of lighting used vary from the classic disco ball to LED light shows. The more advanced the DJ lighting, the more money you will put into the purchase and upkeep of the lighting and special effects.

The Classic Disco Ball

There was once a time when every club was fitted with a disco ball. The ball reflected spot lights in the room with its mirrored finish. The disco ball DJ lighting tended to be very heavy and required permanent installation from the roof of the club or room. Today, digital disco balls are much lighter and much more portable. The mirrors have been replaced with LED lights that provide a retro look to any space.

The LED Light Show

Most popular DJ lighting equipment will utilize multiple colored LED lights to create a light show. These pieces range in price from less than $100 USD to more than $1000 USD. The simplest LED DJ lighting is the table top unit. These are perfect for smaller rooms or dance floors. The LED DJ lighting comes programmed with light shows or allows the DJ to change up the flashing patterns based on the beat of the music.

The DJ lighting can make all the difference when trying to boost the mood of a party. Lighting sequences can improve guest interaction and the number of people you pull to the dance floor. Just remember, DJ lighting does not have to be expensive to lighten up the mood of any party.

photo credit: MShades

No matter how passionate you are about being a DJ, if you have no basic understanding of audio equipment, entertaining the crowd may be difficult. All DJs need to know how to connect DJ equipment before taking their first paying or free gig. Connecting DJ equipment is really quite easy with a little preparation.

First Things First

Most DJ equipment will have detachable cords. These need to be marked with the name of the equipment they will be used to connect. If one USB cord goes to the turntable, a small piece of masking tape can be used to mark that cord with the appropriate machine. Color coding the cords is another option. Just remember to place a dot of color on both the cord and the bottom of the machine. After the cords have been sorted – there are 5 steps to connecting DJ equipment.

Step 1 – Plug it all in. Turn off all DJ machines and plug the equipment into a power strip with a surge protector. The electrical strip also needs to be powered down before plugging in the equipment.

Step 2 – Connect the music to the mixer. The music source should be connected to the mixer using audio outputs and inputs. The cord should be plugged into the music output and the mixer input.

Step 3 – Connect the mixer to the amplifier. The mixer will feed the music into the amplifier. The cord needs to be attached to the mixer output and the amplifier input.

Step 4 – Connect the amplifier to the speakers. The amplifier needs to be connected to the speakers so the guests can hear the music. The cord should be connected to the amplifier output and the speaker input.

Step 5 – Check the sound. Once all pieces are connected, turn on the power strip and all machines. Once booted, check to ensure the sound quality is correct.

Once all equipment is working properly, tape down all cords on the carpet with duct tape. Colored duct tape can be used to match the carpet color. The tape keeps the cords safely close to the carpet or flooring so nothing comes unplugged and no one trips on the cords.

photo credit: _sarchi

Walking into a party, club or wedding and seeing the DJ spin his or her turntables can be more than enough to make you want to pursue a career in DJing. If you need to know how to learn to DJ, you may be surprised to know the process starts before the official training begins. DJing requires a great ear, attention to detail and the ability to get along with nearly every type of personality.

A Great Ear for Music

Listening to all styles of music is an important first step to learning the DJing process. Depending on the type of gathering you are hired to DJ, the entertainment could be formal or casual. In a perfect world, a list of song titles will be provided to the DJ, but this is not always the case. Understanding different types of music styles gives you the edge to fulfill the needs of your clients without too much interaction. The client can say they want a country wedding reception and you can play music that will fit their needs because you understand different music styles.

Attention to Detail

All the preparation in the world will not prepare the DJ for the real life party experience. Before embarking on that first gig, the novice DJ can practice paying attention to the moods of people in their surroundings. The perfect place to accomplish this feat is an airport or train station. Watching people and predicting their emotions can help the DJ learn how to read the party for mood changes. If, when playing for a party, the mood seems to be a bit drab, the DJ can change up the music style or interact with the crowd to kick start the crowd.

Dominant Personalities Need Not Apply

If you are the type of person who does not get along well with others, no how to learn to DJ tips will prepare you for the personal interaction needed to be a great disc jockey. The client, just like the customer, is always right and as long as they are not being abusive, they can be loud, obnoxious and demanding. The DJ must learn how to take the punches and keep rolling while still keeping the people happy and dancing.

photo credit: Discos Konfort