When setting up any type of stage, you have to put forth some effort. Every performance on that stage will have specific needs. The lighting setup for a school play will be different from what may be required for a concert. This complicates things, but only half as much as the setup for a DJ. DJs often travel into areas that are not set up at all and be expected to be great while they are there. This makes setting up the ultimate synthesizer sound show very difficult for DJs.
DJ Requirements
A DJs job goes well beyond playing music. Anyone can play music. They must make sure that it can be heard in all areas of the venue, even if they are outside, and they must make sure that they have lights, a good power supply to power it all, and more. Lights and sound must work together to keep the crowd excited, as if they were at a live concert; by simply playing the tracks that they have available. In short, their job is to turn the music into something memorable.
The Ultimate Setup for Memory Making
No one hires a DJ just for the sake of hiring one. DJs are at an event because the people who hired them want the event to be memorable. They show up for weddings, business events, birthday parties, and all other large-scale parties. Their “stage” changes with every event. One night, they may be performing inside of a school gymnasium for a dance, and the next night may find them performing at an outdoor wedding reception. They have to be prepared for anything and all of it can be tricky to set up. Inside, lights, smoke makers, and the sound system are easier to setup since they are enclosed spaces. Outside, though, the DJ has a lot of other things to deal with in setting up, especially when it comes to the speakers, since there is no confined area for sounds to bounce off of. If there is a canopy, which most events will have if they are outdoors, the DJ may use outdoor ceiling speakers to ensure that the sound travels well enough to be clear in all areas.
Setting Up
Most DJs spend a lot of time visiting the venue that they will be performing at before the event takes place. They will spend time discovering musical tastes of the people who will attend the event, talking to event planners to find out time frames, and so much more. This ensures that on the big day, they have everything ready to go. Setting it all up can usually be done in a few hours. This includes putting the lights up, the speakers in place, and taking care of last minute sound checks before guests start to arrive. Taking everything down at the end of the evening is often a little faster because they do not have to worry about the sound checks and how well the lighting works, but it can still become an all-day event for the DJ, if they want to make sure that everyone talks about them when they leave.