Archive for Arts And Entertainment
Choosing the Best DJ Equipment Speakers
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Are you looking to be the best DJ the club as ever seen? Do you want to get the party jumping when you step in the building? Well before you can do all that you have to first have the proper DJ equipment. One of the main essentials that you should worry about is the DJ equipment speakers. You want your audience to have the highest satisfaction possible.
If your speakers are not clear, and sound like crap, do you think you will get another call to do another gig? The answer is NO! You need to have the crowd jumping, with clear, crisp sound. So if you're trying to be the best you have to have the best, so let's get familiar with some DJ equipment speakers, and what they do.
Let's start off with Monitor speakers. Monitor speakers allow you the DJ to be able to hear yourself and what you're mixing in a loud bar. You also have to know what you're playing; if you don't like what you hear do you think the crowd will.
Now let's move on to PA speakers. PA speakers are what you are use too at school, or church like the intercom. Let's say you want to get the crowd hyped even more by saying a few words, there is a certain speaker that is used to get that message across, without distortion.
Now let's talk about Power speakers and passive speakers. Power speakers which are also called active speakers; they are speakers that already have amplifiers built in so that you can minimize all the wires from the speakers to the amp. Passive speakers are basically the opposite. They don't have an amp built in; you will have to connect an amplifier to them which would require more wires.
Choosing the right DJ equipment speakers is key to being the best out there. When checking out speakers you need to check the sensitivity rating. You want to select a speaker with a high sensitivity rating. A speaker with a high sensitivity rating will allow you to play high volume tracks without drawing crazy amounts of power from your amplifier.
Another area you should look at is if the DJ equipment speakers that have high impedance. These types of speakers won't damage your amp, because they are made to handle strong signals.
Everything here that you just read is important in becoming the best DJ out there today. If the sound that is coming out of your speakers sounds like crap, you will too. So to keep getting gigs you have to choose the best DJ equipment speakers on the market. After you have proven to be the best, and have the best you won't have to look for gigs they will look for you!
DJ Vs Live Music
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Music is the lifeblood of any party. It is the one thing that will get people to get out of their chairs and dance or just sit back, relax and set the mood for a really good time. There are many ways to have music playing in the background. The setting is important when determining how you will be presenting the music. For example, if you are planning a bar mitzvah, an engagement party, a wedding or a prom, the decision has to be made as to how the party with have the music presented.
There are many options to choose from, you can have a DJ perform at your special function, be it a wedding in Toronto, a school prom at the end of the school year or a bar mitzvah. Another option is to choose a band to play live music. Both options are good, but some options are better than others, and below we are here to point them out.
When deciding between the 2, some things to consider are, cost. A live band will cost upwards to $1500 dollars depending on the notoriety on the band within the community or status, and that might not include a singer, that might be a separate charge that will have to be added on. A DJ on the other hand, charges about half the price, depending on what packages you choose from the DJ and depending on the event, however, the general difference is about half the price.
A second option between a live band and a DJ is dealing with a individuals, with a live band there maybe a manager or you may have to deal with the entire band depending on the setup, whereas a DJ tends to represent themselves. With this setup, there is no need to have to worry about having "too many chefs in the kitchen" which might cause some problems.
How Far in Advance Should I Book the DJ For My Wedding Reception and Dance?
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Well while there really is no clear cut amount of time I have been in this business for a decade and a half and do have quite a few points and suggestions when it comes to acquiring entertainment for your big day. Firstly despite what others may tell you, it is not a good idea to book over a year in advance. Although you are in love today you must keep in mind that things happen, some of your friends may be in several different relationships within the next 12 months all in the time you are waiting to tie the knot; my point being that relationships blossom and disintegrate every minute of the day and month of the year. I realize however that that's not always the case, not very often at all in fact, but the possibility is always underlying so it's good to keep that in mind before you start shelling out hundreds for a disc jockey deposit a year and a half in advance.
Not to say that you should wait until the last minute or even month though, if you don't have your disc jockey booked and you are just weeks away from your big day you could find yourself in hot water. Some companies will take advantage of this by charging 'emergency disc jockey' fees and such, yes folks if it's a week or two before the reception they know you are desperate and like a shark in the water that smells blood a good majority of disc jockey companies will really take you for a ride, unfortunately for you there is no denying that you're in a bind in this instance either.
In my opinion your best if you book your disc jockey around 6 to 8 months prior to your event, this is early enough that your date will most likely still available, but as I stated above you definitely are not in a desperate situation and so at this point most entertainment companies will actually bend over backwards to get your reception booking.
Always make sure your DJ will have a one on one consultation with you at no charge, it's important because this meeting will give you a really good idea of what your host is all about. I have met with dozens of couples who had booked and met with the competition prior to calling us; but for one reason or another they were weirded out or had a strange vibe and actually ended up canceling their booking to meet with us. Do you really want to trust the most important day of your life to somebody, based on the fact they have a cool website?
Also important is that you ask at this time whether this is the same person who will be there to run your event the day of your reception. If it's not I would simply tell the company owner that you wish to meet with the actual disc jockey that is your host. Although this may seem trivial it's important to know that you have a responsible person as your host and meeting up one on one is the only way to get a good read.
So now you know when to reserve your date let's take a good look at who to book for your special day. This is actually a very easy question; obviously everyone has a different set of needs. Both our Oshawa and London Ontario locations use an Intelligence software system on the websites that pretty much automates everything and allows me to offer free in depth on-line planning forms, timelines, special song requests, music library etc. This is definitely the way to go if someone in your area offers this type of system. It allows you to be as involved in your reception planning as you like, the best part in my opinion is the fact that as a bride you can't possibly miss any of the important things like garter toss, cake cutting and such because there is a space for everything on the planning forms, you don't need to fill in everything though. If you don't need it you just leave it blank, just that simple.
So to break it down my advice would be hire your wedding disc jockey 6 to 8 months in advance for the best reception package deals and if possible use a company with a free online planning center in your area, so your disc jockey company can see all your details in real-time and you can change any pertinent information 24/7.
From a wedding reception hosts point of view this is without a doubt the way to go. Then simply fill out all the relevant information like bridesmaids and groomsman, special dance songs and in no time at all you can move on to the other import planning that awaits you.
Top 40 Radio: When the Good Guys Ruled
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Once upon a time there was Top 40 radio. And the kings of Top 40 were the Good Guys.
The term "Good Guys" was first used as a promotional gimmick by a radio station in New York City to refer to their disc jockeys. Soon, the term was appropriated by Top 40 stations around the United States.
Top 40 radio was born in the 1950s and reached its zenith of popularity and influence in the 1960s. After television killed the radio drama, the main thing radio had going for it was music. Top 40 turned out to be the ideal format for playing and listening to the new rock 'n' roll records that swept the American pop music stage starting in the mid-50s.
The idea behind Top 40 was that a radio station would play a limited rotation of songs over and over through the day, based on its list of the 40 top-selling records that week. Songs near the top of the list would get more airplay than those near the bottom. Each week, a new Top 40 list would be released, and listeners would eagerly await to see which songs had moved up, which had moved down, and which had fallen off the list entirely, as well as what new songs had broken through to a place on the list.
In practice, some stations actually had a Top 50 list. Some had a Top 30. For a time, some experimented with playing records only from a Top 10 list -- that is, the same 10 songs playing over and over and over!
The great thing about Top 40 in those days was that the lists were usually compiled based on local record sales, as reported by local record stores. In an era before focus groups and nationally programmed playlists, it was possible for one city's big hits to barely register on the charts elsewhere. These were the days of the regional hit phenomenon--a record or artist that would achieve a big breakout locally but never enjoy nationwide visibility.
This is where the power of the Good Guy was felt most strongly. Unbeholden to national corporations, local disc jockeys could and often did discover new talent, creating new rock 'n' roll stars almost on personal whim by giving obscure records playing time they probably would not otherwise get.
Top 40 disc jockeys strove to be true personalities, each one developing a style or shtick all his own.
In my hometown of Mobile, Alabama, the WABB Good Guys were local celebrities, my friends and I made sure to show up every time they did a live broadcast from some shopping center parking lot. We even thought it a special honor, once, when they asked us to hand out copies of the latest WABB Top Hits list to the assembled crowd. (Somewhere I still have copies of many of those lists from the 1960s. Perhaps they're collector's items now.)
Is radio as fun now as it was during the Top 40 era, the reign of the Good Guys? I think not. Happily, much of the excitement of over-the-air radio of bygone days can now be found on the Internet, through the proliferation of streaming audio, independent music production and distribution, podcasting and similar technological and creative developments.
Thanks to the Internet and the Web, we can all be Good Guys now, if we want.
Best DJ Equipment – Where to Find It
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This is actually not a trivia game of some sort. Common sense will tell us that everything is actually pretty simple to handle, we are the only ones who complicate things. So without further ado, let's answer what most disc jockey find a little trivial --- where to find the best DJ equipment in town? If you're one of the many who are looking into adding a few new waves and moves to your stuff, then nothing beats getting a few new gear as well.
The truth is that there are pretty much everywhere. Sometimes though, we tend to choose the not practical ones and end up buying more than what you really need. For starters, your typical DJ equipment would include DJ decks, packages, turntables, mixers, CDs, CD players and a few very simple essentials --- when you finally start to thinking of upgrading in which all disc jockeys will eventually decide on, that's when your options start to get a little more demanding and you start to wonder about your lighting, recording studio gear, pro audio essentials down to the karaoke and keyboards. So when can you possibly get the best of these without burning your purse? Here are the top three simple ways:
Surf online.
Yes, the web is a great source of product details and research and more and more disc jockeys are actually making their purchases and transactions online. You can pretty much conduct business on the web or you can even do it personally if you want --- either way, it gives you the opportunity to look and test the equipment. You can pretty much expect high quality services that come with warranty (which is very important) and they even offer money-back guarantees that can make you have ample amount of time to test your DJ equipment and see if it works just the way you want it.
Talk to other disc jockeys.
Nothing beats a friend's recommendation --- they almost always reliable. Nothing's wrong in checking out secondhand gear and there's even no reason to worry if you're purchasing it from a friend --- but of course, you should check the DJ equipment's condition at the same time. Don't hesitate to ask the experts about their opinions on a certain equipment brand --- they will give you sound advice that you'll need and make use of.
Make a couple of trips to your DJ stores.
Sure you can actually just have them delivered but nothing beats going deep and in-depth --- it makes your DJ equipment purchase so much special and absolutely memorable --- among other things of course. When you make that extra effort before the big buy, you will be rest assured that you're making the right choice. And it will keep you geared up and confident during your gig nights with your precious DJ equipment. Now that definitely counts.
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DJ Songs – Club DJ Song Recommendations
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What types of DJ songs are you looking for? Are you looking for songs to please a bunch of your friends at a house party? Are you looking for songs to DJ an extravagant wedding? Are you a DJ looking to spin songs at a packed dance club? In this series, DJ Songs, I will be addressing questions any type of DJ may have regarding how to find songs for their specific event.
If you are looking to be a club DJ, the world is your playground (as long as the "world" has a good beat). There are millions of songs from all around the world and of different genres composed for different types of Clubs. Club DJ's have the flexibility to be whoever they want to be and create a beat-mixing style that is unique by combining songs they love with creative DJ'ing techniques.
As a club DJ, the songs you choose to play will determine what type of club you want to play in. You can be a TOP 40 DJ (playing the dance songs that are most popular on the radio), you can play hip-hop, rap, house, and trance songs, or you can even be creative and record your own beats and spin your own beats at the clubs. What type of club do you see yourself playing in? Go and visit different clubs in your area and see which styles of music you like best.
Some of the BEST club DJs combine all different types of songs, including their own beats. I can't tell you what to play. What I like, you may not like. I personally don't like mixing rap songs or trance songs, so I don't search in the genre of rap or trance when looking for songs. My advice is to go to iTunes (or where ever you find your music) and look up certain genres of music that you like.
Once you have your songs, experiment with them and listen to which songs mix well together. Once you get yourself set, you may want to learn how to create your own beats using computer software like Reason, Ableton Live, Frooty Loops, and even Garageband. Stay tuned for more great DJ tips and techniques!
To recap, becoming a successful club DJ is all about finding the right songs that you love and your audience will respond to. first, think about what type of club you want to DJ at. When you decide that, search for songs and begin your journey as a successful club DJ.
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Computerized DJ
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A Computerized DJ or a Computer DJ based in Ontario, Mississauga, Toronto or any other part of Canada is a Disc Jockey who uses a computer, mostly laptops to play digital music. The music is usually .mp3 or .wav encoded audio music files played to a public crowd. Some common DJ entertainer software programs include Traktor DJ Studio, Ableton Live, Torq, PCDJ, Virtual DJ/Numark Cue, Scratch live, Deckadance, Ultramixer and djay. A good example of computer disc jockeys are the majority of professional Toronto DJs, the best among them being Toronto wedding DJs.
Professional Toronto Dee Jays are among the worlds best and are taking this spinning business into new dimensions. They even have Toronto wedding DJ services. When one books one of these Toronto professionals they are booking a whole entertainment suite that will cater for all the wedding entertainment services from beginning to end. Toronto wedding music professionals are some of the most professional disk jockeys due to the challenges they face in adapting to different wedding scenarios. The of them are organized into formal registered associations. What technology does the wedding Dee Jay use to be ranked among the best?
They usually use MIDI controllers with laptops to give them a better interface and control of software since the controllers provide physical controls like those found on any typical music mixer. Sound card audio interfaces and external hard disk drives are also often used. The majority of the professional entertainer PC programs allow integration and manipulation of external audio inputs encouraging many professional Toronto DJs who previously only used CDs or Vinyl to integrate laptops with other setups. This especially goes well with those who have to integrate some old analogue church systems to their advanced digital systems.
Additionally, they also use packages based on the Linux operating systems. These Linux entertainer party packages include the following. BeatForce is a system designed for 2 players having independent mixers, samplers, play lists and song databases among other features. BpmDj is an extremely interesting program set for Linux. DBMix is an audio mixer system. DJ Krazy is a CD/MP3 mixer for Linux. DJPlay is a DJing Linux application. Final Scratch is a pro-audio system by Stanton Magnetics. GDAM (Geoff and Dave's Audio Mixer), is a new Linuxmixer. These digital DJ systems are real party packages providing the best of entertainments and a serious Professional should own at least two.
The professional Toronto DJs are organized into Disc Jockey entertainment companies which provide various entertainment and Master of Ceremony services. The top quality Toronto entertainment services provided include music for weddings, fund raisers, corporate functions, school functions, birthdays, anniversaries, christenings, communions, confirmations, bar mitzvahs and private parties. These professional Toronto DJs and Master of Ceremony service companies even plan other event thrillers like party games and other party packages thus are not exclusive to music services only. The Toronto wedding DJ is the professional music specialist to call for ones wedding event, dollar dances, garter auctions and bouquet tosses.
7 Tips For Marketing Your Mobile DJ Business
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Without proper marketing techniques, you will never be able to create a client base to get the income and profits you need for your DJ business. However, it is not a mammoth task to go for the effective marketing for your mobile DJ business. Here we look at 7 tips for marketing your DJ business effectively.
Customer Survey
It pays to know who your targeted customers are and what are their interests and requirements. The idea is to make your clients happy through the music you provide. If you are aware of the stuff that can interest them the most, the chances of your success with marketing are better.
Approach People To Gather Feedback
Try to establish what people like and dislike with your performances and events. Hence it becomes important for you to know their feedback. Approach the people after an event and gather their feedback and opinion to help improve your performance.
Maintain A Website
Maintaining a website gives your business credibility and professionalism. Furthermore, a website helps in the promotion of your business by providing your business information to people as advertising. You can even advertise the upcoming events and post testimonials and price lists on the website for the viewers.
Promotional Shows
Host a promotional show to let people see how you perform. Presenting a live performance can be a great way to generate an interest in them. You can even distribute your details and website address in the invitation cards for such events. This is a great way to spread awareness about your business.
Educate Yourself
Read through the various articles and news about the DJ industry to keep you updated with the rest of the community. Learn the latest tips and stay ahead of your competitors by hosting better events for your clients with such information. Read through magazines or browse through the internet for such information.
Meet Clients Personally
Try and meet people who can be potential clients and provide them the option to use you for the next event they plan to host. Personal contact always works better than mails and emails.
Advertise Online Or Offline
Spread the news about your business either online or offline. You can either go for the various free resources the internet provides or even look to publish articles in magazines and brochures offline for people to read through.
These are the 7 tips for marketing your mobile DJ business effectively for the best results.
Who Is the World’s Best DJ?
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Disc Jockey's or DJs have been around since Leon Scott invented the phonograph back in 1857. The term was coined in America in 1935 when Walter Winchell nicknamed a radio announcer called Martin Block after the 'disc' which he played and 'jockey' as someone who operates a device. The term has stuck and DJs have become one of the most popular types of artist around the world. DJs appear on the radio as presenters, as solo artists and as parts of music groups. With such a diverse range of mediums available in which it is possible to perform as a DJ, who is the world's greatest DJ?
Armin van Buuren
A Dutch born DJ and producer, Armin van Buuren was voted No.1 in DJ Magazine's annual list of the Top 100 DJs in the world. His weekly radio show apparently has over 30 million listeners and his live shows are always sold out, no matter how big the venue is. As you can tell, he isn't exactly a wedding reception DJ! His album releases include: '76' 2003. 'Shivers' 2005, 'Imagine' 2008, and 'Mirage' 2010. Armin's style can be described as progressive, techno and trance music.
Tiësto
Tiësto is often either just ahead or just behind Armin van Buuren in the DJ rankings. He is also Dutch and is also a DJ and record producer. His style as DJ Tiësto comes under the genres of electronic dance, trance and progressive trance. He was named number one DJ of the year by DJ Magazine 3 times from 2002 until 2004.
Sir Terry Wogan
Terry Wogan is a long established voice of radio after working from the BBC on BBC Radio 2 for most of his career. Before his retirement in December 2009, Terry had a regular 8 million listeners who tuned in for his Wake Up to Wogan morning show, making him the most popular radio show in Europe. He is not only a radio star but is a beloved character on British television. He was also the host of the UK commentary for the Eurovision Song contest from 1980 - 2008. I'm sure he must be one of the most sought after DJs for Weddings in the country, but with his glittering radio career it must be incredibly (if not impossible) to book him!
Jimmy Savile
Jimmy Savile according to his autobiography claims to have been the first ever DJ, having started playing records in dance halls in the 1940s in Leeds. As well as a career as a club and radio DJ, Jimmy Savile had a significant TV career having been the original host of 'Top of the Pops' and host of his own show 'Jim'll Fix It' from 1975 - 1994.
Who is your favourite DJ of all time?
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Become Your Own DJ Using DJ Software
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Producing and managing your own audio mixing, thanks to the dj software that are available and the best thing is that they allow you to produce standard and quality work by yourself. The software are available for each type of computer system you are using, you just have to find the compatible software.? You can simply search for suitable online audio mixer where you can access all the top mixes and new mixes for use or make a new mix on your own.
For a start, get dj software or use many of them that can be found online. Make sure you get one that is easy to use although you can master using it within a short period of time and most of them come with a tutorial. Depending on the software, you can take advantage of many audio mixing features available such as combining sections from different music. There are advanced software that come with all the latest features and are even compatible with many formats.
You can get free dj software or buy one but if you want one with the best features, most of the commercial ones come with more useful features but depending on your needs, there is free software that can take care of all your needs which can help you make music online easily. Your internet connections and type of software will determine the kind of work you produce.
The features that come with the commercial dj software help you to better enhance your creativity as opposed to the free ones, most of which are simple and won't give you a lot of options. Audio mixing is all about being creative and the more creative you are the better the work you produce. When going for commercial software, look for the added features that make the software unique such as allowing you mix audio from various formats.
Becoming your own DJ is advantageous because it not only helps you save a lot of money but you also learn the technique too. Audio mixing is something done by professionals but is also something you can learn to do with patience. Professional DJ mixes are better produced with professional software and you should invest in a good one online.
Using dj software for your own music mixing is also a good way of customizing your music. Think of finding an audio production school where you can learn about audio mixing and the various available software as this is the first step towards becoming your own audio DJ. Most of the software is updated regularly so you can simply update it for more advanced features instead of going for a completely new one.
dj software is easy to download and install and most of them especially the commercial ones would have a demo that will help you test the software first before paying for it. You can test as many of the dj software as you want before selecting.
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