Category Archives: Audio

Surviving a Marathon DJ Gig

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dj-turntable

Ever struggled to keep a DJ set tight for six hours? It’s a DJ gig hell-ride, to be sure…but there are a few things you can do to survive a very long set, whether you’re spinning in a club, doing on-air DJ work or playing a party or wedding. I’ve done extended sets in just about every one of these situations–on the air, parties, you name it.

Naturally the setting you’re doing your DJ work in dictates a lot about how you manage a very long night, but there are a few specifics I’ve found apply no matter what. This ain’t a guide to how to make your DJ segues flow or how to keep the club jumping, this is more about keeping your body feeling as close to top form as you can get in hour number four, five and beyond.

Blood Sugar is a huge factor. When you load up with a lot of carbs, sugar or alcohol, the crash is coming, believe it. Your DJ set will be much better if you’ve packed a protein bar or two and keep some kind of carb control snack on hand that’s formulated to level out your blood sugar. You WILL feela difference. The second your energy starts flagging, don’t go for the Red Bull, try eating a small carb control snack or a few bites of a protein bar. Don’t eat the whole thing, try 1/4 of a bar at first and see how you feel.

Foot Fatigue isn’t always a factor in a club or a radio station, but if you’re DJing a wedding, chances are you’re standing on concrete or flimsy tile in those rec halls and reception centers. When I’m on the decks for an extended period, I make sure to pack a small area rug in my DJ equipment box. You can laugh if you want, but it delays the onset of foot fatigue and makes your entire gig much more comfortable.

Hearing Protection seems like a no-brainer to me, but I am shocked by the number of DJs who don’t wear hearing protection during their gigs. If you play longer than two hours you need this more than ever–prolonged exposure to high SPLs is a major occupational hazard for DJs and no club DJ or party spinner should ever play long sets without safeguarding the ears. It saves you in so many ways, but for me personally, a DJ set with hearing protection is much less stressful overall–I find extended high volumes physically draining without the earplugs.

Technics SL-DZ1200 Digital Turntable

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by Joe Wallace
Technics says their Technics SL-DZ1200 was the world’s first Direct-Drive Digital Turntable. I don’t care if it’s the hundred and first, the idea that you can carry around your library on a removable SD card is pretty sweet–even if it does feel totally contrary to nature. While digital turntables are no longer hot-off-the-presses front page news in the DJ world, Technics is still one of the warhorse names in the business and it’s no surprise they’d try to dominate in the digital realm as well as with the analog turntables.

The Technics SL DZ1200 supports CD, MP3 and AAC formats. In light of my previous post on Christian Marclay, I do wonder how this DJ gear will enable a whole new crop of DJs who I’d label “post music” performers. Imagine doing a set comprised solely of manipulation of your library of samples rather than actual songs.

Consider that you wouldn’t even need to create a proper playlist if you were skilled enough with the manipulation of a pile of self-created samples. Sounds like a challenge waiting to be taken up by anyone with enough dosh to shell out over $1100 apiece for these digital monsters.

The specs on the Technics SL-DZ1200 digital turntable:

On-board Effects
Vibration resistant
Pitch lock
Free wheel
Adjustable speeds
Cue Point Functionality
Full scratch capable
SL Type Direct Drive Platter with Forward and Reverse Option
CD, CD-RW, CD-MP3, SD Audio Playback
SD Card Storage for Settings and Sample

While we’re on the subject, here’s a clip of the Technics SL-DZ1200 turntable at work.


Crosley Record Player

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I seem to remember seeing one of these great Crosley turntables at Target, of all places. I really love the old-fashioned design of this Crosley record player, combined with the built-in CD player.

My friends in Hyperbubble have a Crosley record player in the guest bathroom, the perfect place to chill out to some glorious vinyl albums which relaxing in a hot bath. Add an ice cold beer and you have perfection.

Best thing about the Crosley picture here? It’s under a hundred bucks. Those old Devo records never sounded better than when you’re relaxing in the bath after a rotten day’s work.

Milty Zerostat: For Fanatics Only?

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milty-zerostatDoes anybody reading this blog actually OWN one of these? Behold the Milty Zerostat, advertised as a dust-remover for vinyl records. It shoots out a stream of ions when you pull the trigger–ions that are supposed to rid your LPs of nasty pops and clicks caused by dust (which is attracted by an electrostatic charge on your records).

The Zerostat, according to the marketing hype, removes the electrostatic charge that attracts the dust. Zap the album, clean it off, and play away! So sayeth the hype. Does this actually work? I’d love to get a first-person report. At a triple-digit price tag, this one looks like it’s a collector-only gadget, but I’d love to see it in action and hear the results.