CHAUVET Announces ‘Stay Connected’ Product Review Contest

HOLLYWOOD, FL – CHAUVET is launching a contest featuring reviews of its products by contestants via Internet social media sites.

Stay Connected contestants should post a video review of any CHAUVET product by video response on YouTube from June 1 to June 30, 2009 by going here:

Contestants will compete for prizes including the Vue 4.1 LED moonflower effect fixture for the top winner. Fifteen second place winners will receive an 18-inch by 36-inch personalized banner plus a Stay Connected t-shirt. Some 25 third place contestants will receive Stay Connected t-shirts.

Winners, who will be announced July 14, will be judged by CHAUVET staff using criteria such as originality and creativity, the product review itself and the videos with the most comments.

The VUE^TM series is a groundbreaking line of highly portable, DMX-controllable LED-fitted beam effects. The grand prize Vue^TM 4.1 is a 9-channel DMX 512 LED rotating moonflower effect that incorporates a controllable LED “S” shaped array, a compact and functional case design with adjustable bracket and a digital control display eliminating the need for dipswitches. The fixture’s suggested retail value is more than $300.

CHAUVET recently launched fan pages on Facebook and Twitter to broaden its marketing channels.

FREE Portable Laser System – Check Out How!

Laurel, MD – X-Laser USA announced today a new promotion that will again break new ground in the laser effects industry. Never before has a company combined the build quality and power levels at the X-Laser price point, and now X-Laser has taken it a step further by offering a FREE portable laser system to every customer making a qualifying laser purchase.

X-Laser USA today unveiled its’ newest product the MicroPYRO. Boasting a full 30mW of 532nm DPSS green laser power, this hand held star laser effect is no larger than a laser pointer. With the compact size, similar power rating to other much larger products on the market, and the convenience of battery operation, the X-Laser MicroPYRO will set a new standard for go-anywhere, anytime laser light show fun. Users can even animate the laser effect just as the full size X-Laser PYRO does by turning the top of the lens cap to rotate the prismatic gratings inside.

Best of all, to celebrate the MicroPYRO launch X-Laser USA is giving the first 80 units away for FREE to anyone who purchases a qualifying X-Laser system from any authorized dealer between May 25 and June 30, 2009.

“We love this new MicroPYRO,” said Dan Goldsmith, President of X-Laser USA. “We have been using them around the office and in our homes for weeks and even folks who are very knowledgeable about laser products have been surprised at the power we have been able to pack into this handheld system. As always, we encourage our users to have a blast with our products but not to shine the MicroPYRO or any laser system directly at others or into the sky.”

The MicroPYRO promotion will be available immediately and rebate forms can be obtained through any X-Laser dealer or from the X-Laser site at www.x-laser.com/freelaser.pdf.

For questions, please contact X-Laser USA at 866-702-7768 or by e-mail at sales@x-laser.com.

3 step plan to more leads & bookings in an uncertain economy…

The DJ Intelligence 3 step plan to more leads & bookings in an uncertain economy…

Economy got you down? Here is a proven 3 step plan you can follow to immediately increase your leads and bookings. The best part? You can implement all 3 steps today and all features are already included with your DJ Intelligence® account at no additional cost. Potentially double or triple your leads and bookings…starting today! Don’t use DJ Intelligence® yet? Bypass the $9.95 trial fee and set up with a no cost 2 month trial.

STEP 1:

Place your DJ Intelligence® Availability Checker in a visible location on your home page and ALL sub pages of your website. The Availability Checker should appear “above the fold,” meaning you can see it immediately when landing on your page without having to scroll down. The DJ Intelligence® Code Builder within your control panel provides “copy & paste” HTML code so you can place the date selector box, calendar box, or mini date selector right on your web pages quickly and easily. Remember, a visible location on every page!

Why does this work? Research has proven that most consumers will NOT click on an “email us” or “contact us” link due to privacy concerns. However, the Availability Checker serves as an effective “call to action” drawing in consumers in a non-obtrusive way. In fact, most consumers WILL check their availability, and if available, fill out the form to receive more information. More leads for you! A local company in Chicago reported jumping from 3-4 leads per day to over 12 leads per day, just by integrating this tool.

STEP 2:

Use the new patent-pending DJ Intelligence® Availability Checker Referral Network to link up with your colleagues. The Availability Checker Referral Network allows you to enter the DJ Intelligence® account names of your colleagues, those companies you work with and network with in your area. If you are not available for a specific date, the system will automatically check the availability of those companies within your Referral Network and present the prospective client with a list of available companies and links to their websites. Likewise, your colleagues can do the same for you. What if they don’t use DJ Intelligence® yet? Bypass the $9.95 trial fee and set them up with a no cost 2 month trial. They’ll be hooked and your calendar will quickly become booked!

Why does this work? When you are not available, the prospective client goes on to contact the next company on “their” list. So make “your” list, “their” list! Instead of letting the prospective client go on to call your biggest competitors, direct them to your friendliest colleagues. More often than not, consumers will follow your referrals and recommendations of other companies to contact. This can easily translate into hundreds of extra bookings kept within your closest network of friends & colleagues.

STEP 3:

Set up your DJ Intelligence® account to send you an instant text alert whenever someone checks your availability and fills out the form to receive more information. You can set this up on the Advanced Settings page of your control panel and it is compatible with all major cell phone carriers and wireless device providers. When a prospective client checks your availability and fills out your form, you will be notified immediately by text message on your cell phone or PDA. The text message will contain essential event information, including the client’s name, event date, event type, and call back number.

Why does this work? In this industry, many times the first company to talk to a prospective client is the one who gets the booking. Think about how many times you called back a prospective client only to find out they already booked with another service. So give yourself a head start! There is nothing more impressive than calling a prospective client literally seconds after they land on your website. Whether you are a full time company out at a meeting or on a job, or you are a part time company trying to run things from your “day job,” you are all but guaranteed to be the first company to speak with the client, vastly improving your chances of booking the event.

BONUS STEP:

We’ve included an optional bonus step for companies with a little money left in their marketing budget to invest. The above 3 steps are most effective when your website is generating traffic from brides and party planners. Even just small increases in traffic can multiply your success. What is the best way to increase QUALIFIED traffic to your website immediately? By investing in enhanced listings on leading wedding & party directories! Online directories are searched by thousands of brides and party planners every day looking for professional vendors to help make their event memorable. The cost is just a fraction of what you might spend on print advertising (i.e. yellow pages) and can outperform results. For most companies, just one additional booking pays for the entire year of advertising. Enhanced listings allow you to list under multiple cities, link to your website & email, and include a description of your services. But most importantly, enhanced listings appear at the top of the search results, above your competition… increasing your chances of being contacted.

Get listed today! DJ Intelligence® has formed exclusive partnerships with the leading online directories so you can integrate your Availability Checker directly into your enhanced listings. This means that in under a minute’s time, a bride or party planner can perform a search on Google, click through to a directory, find your listing, check your availability, and fill out your contact form… and you can be calling them from the text message you received on your cell phone or PDA! And if you’re not available, you can use your Referral Network to redirect the prospective client to your colleagues! Companies are reporting receiving as many as 4 times (4X) more leads from online directories when integrating their Availability Checker. Directories we are integrated with: http://Planning.ProDJ.com, http://www.DiscJockeys.com, http://www.MyPartyPlanner.com, http://www.MyWedding-Online.com, and http://www.PartyPlannerUSA.com.

The features in steps 1 through 3 are already included with your DJ Intelligence® account, so you have nothing to lose and everything to gain by putting them to the test! We are confident you will experience positive results almost immediately. Optionally implement the bonus step to book significantly more events through your website. Don’t use DJ Intelligence® yet? Bypass the $9.95 trial fee and set up with a no cost 2 month trial. If you have any questions or comments regarding DJ Intelligence®, please do not hesitate to contact us anytime, 24 hours a day: http://support.intelligenceinc.com

Wishing you a successful 2009 and beyond,

DJ Intelligence®
“Smarten Your Website”
http://www.djintelligence.com

US Karaoke Alliance Karaoke Charts – Top 300 Karaoke Artists of All Time

compiled by US Karaoke Alliance and Karaoke2Night Network

We took singer rotation histories from 1000 karaoke shows at over 30 bars and totaled up the results to come up with the top Karaoke Artists of all time. (according to our singers).  Please send us your karaoke rotation histories (digital history files showing singer names, songs and times sung for each song) if you would like your results included in the next tabulation.
**Scoring system gives more weight for the total different singers singing the song but also gives less credit for the total times sung.  This way 1 person can not sing the same song every night and get that song to the top of the chart.

This Artist table is a combination of scores
for all of the songs by that artist

Above is the top 75 Artists.
For a complete list of the top 300 artists sung at Karaoke shows see the
US Karaoke Alliance website:

US Karaoke Alliance Karaoke Charts – Top 500 Karaoke Songs of All Time

compiled by US Karaoke Alliance and Karaoke2Night Network

We took singer rotation histories from 1000 karaoke shows at over 30 bars from all of 2008 and 2009 and totaled up the results to come up with the top Karaoke Songs of all time. (according to our singers).  Please send us your karaoke rotation histories (digital history files showing singer names, songs and times sung for each song) if you would like your results included in the next tabulation.
**Scoring system gives more weight for the total different singers singing the song but also gives less credit for the total times sung.  This way 1 person can not sing the same song every night and get that song to the top of the chart.

Pos#	Artist	Title	Score
1	Duets-Crow, Sheryl & Kid Rock	Picture	220.2
2	Underwood, Carrie	Before He Cheats	187.5
3	Duets-Travolta, John & Olivia Newton-John	Summer Nights	172.2
4	Journey	Don’t Stop Believing	156.1
5	Myles, Alannah	Black Velvet	149.5
6	Brooks, Garth	Friends In Low Places	136.1
7	Sublime	Santeria	132.2
8	Diamond, Neil	Sweet Caroline	115.2
9	B-52’s	Love Shack	114.5
10	Joan Jett & The Blackhearts	I Love Rock and Roll	109.3
11	Morissette, Alanis	You Oughta Know	108.9
12	Bon Jovi	Wanted Dead Or Alive	107.7
13	Wilson, Gretchen	Redneck Woman	105.2
14	Sir Mix-A-Lot	Baby Got Back	104.9
15	Gaynor, Gloria	I Will Survive	101.3
16	Benatar, Pat	Hit Me With Your Best Shot	100.9
17	4 Non Blondes	What’s Up	98.7
18	Fugees & Lauryn Hill	Killing Me Softly (With His Song)	97.5
19	Radiohead	Creep	97.0
20	Stone Temple Pilots	Plush	90.5
21	Cash, Johnny	Folsom Prison Blues	89.9
22	Jewel	You Were Meant For Me	88.7
23	Tyler, Bonnie	Total Eclipse Of The Heart	87.4
24	Queen	Bohemian Rhapsody	86.7
25	Evanescence	Bring Me To Life	84.2
26	Brooks, Meredith	Bitch	80.7
27	Sinatra, Frank	New York, New York	80.6
28	Buffett, Jimmy	Margaritaville	78.8
29	Joplin, Janis	Me and Bobby McGee	77.5
30	Red Hot Chili Peppers	Under The Bridge	71.5
31	Raitt, Bonnie	Something To Talk About	71.0
32	Divinyls	I Touch Myself	69.0
33	Audioslave	Like A Stone	67.6
34	Apple, Fiona	Criminal	65.2
35	Cline, Patsy	Crazy	62.1
36	Weezer	Say It Ain’t So	62.0
37	Chapman, Tracy	Give Me One Reason	61.3
38	Salt N Pepa	Shoop	60.9
39	James, Etta	At Last	60.7
40	Eagles	Desperado	60.6
41	Pearl Jam	Black	60.1
42	Joel, Billy	Piano Man	59.5
43	Cranberries	Zombie	59.1
44	Darkness	I Believe In A Thing Called Love	59.0
45	Benatar, Pat	Heartbreaker	58.8
46	Cash, Johnny	Ring Of Fire	57.9
47	Tool	Aenima	57.7
48	3 Doors Down	Kryptonite	56.9
49	Eagles	Hotel California	56.3
50	Digital Underground	Humpty Dance	55.7
51	Lynyrd Skynyrd	Sweet Home Alabama	54.5
52	Twain, Shania	Any Man Of Mine	53.8
53	Dixie Chicks	Sin Wagon	53.6
54	Righteous Brothers	You’ve Lost That Loving Feeling	53.1
55	Black Eyed Peas	My Humps	52.4
56	Pink	Who Knew	51.8
57	Springfield, Dusty	Son Of A Preacher Man	51.8
58	Duets-Meatloaf	Paradise By The Dashboard Lights	51.1
59	Cheap Trick	I Want You To Want Me	51.0
60	Fleetwood Mac	Dreams	50.7
61	Green, Al	Let’s Stay Together	49.7
62	No Doubt	Just A Girl	49.2
63	Guns ‘N’ Roses	Sweet Child O’ Mine	48.4
64	Oasis	Wonderwall	48.2
65	Madonna	Like A Virgin	47.7
66	Sinatra, Nancy	These Boots Are Made For Walking	47.6
67	Temptations	My Girl	47.0
68	Armstrong, Louis	What A Wonderful World	46.9
69	Brooks & Dunn	Neon Moon	46.7
70	McBride, Martina	Broken Wing	46.6
71	Seger, Bob	Turn The Page	46.3
72	Dr. Dre & Snoop Doggy Dogg	Nuthing But A ‘G’ Thang	45.5
73	Steve Miller Band	Joker	44.9
74	Commodores	Easy	44.7
75	Madonna	Like A Prayer	44.6
76	Etheridge, Melissa	I’m The Only One	44.2
77	Lambert, Miranda	Kerosene	43.3
78	McCain, Edwin	I’ll Be	42.7
79	Lisa Loeb &  Nine Stories	Stay (I Missed You)	42.7
80	Lambert, Miranda	Gunpowder and Lead	42.4
81	Cline, Patsy	Walking After Midnight	42.2
82	Sublime	What I Got	42.2
83	Soggy Bottom Boys	I Am A Man Of Constant Sorrow	42.0
84	Idol, Billy	White Wedding	41.5
85	Morissette, Alanis	Ironic	41.3
86	Nickelback	Rockstar	41.2
87	Jones, Norah	Don’t Know Why	41.2
88	Bon Jovi	Bed Of Roses	40.9
89	Benatar, Pat	Love Is A Battlefield	40.8
90	Bon Jovi	Living On A Prayer	40.6
91	Brooks, Garth	Dance	40.5
92	Evanescence	Call Me When You’re Sober	40.4
93	Eminem	Superman	40.4
94	Duets-Nicks, Stevie & Don Henley	Leather And Lace	40.3
95	Vanilla Ice	Ice Ice Baby	40.2
96	Jewel	Foolish Games	40.2
97	Sinatra, Frank	My Way	39.4
98	Jewel	Who Will Save Your Soul	39.1
99	Evanescence	My Immortal	39.0
100	Petty, Tom & The Heartbreakers	Mary Jane’s Last Dance	38.8
101	Duets-Seether & Amy Lee	Broken	38.8

Top 101 songs are shown above – For complete listings of top 500 Karaoke songs go to the
US Karaoke Alliance Website

We hope you find this list interesting.. If you are a KJ and you have data that includes singer names, song titles and number of times sung please send it to us and we will include your shows in our next chart!

Take your DJ shows to a new level of sensory experience

April 2009 – Milwaukie, Oregon – Timbre Lighting Controls announces the immediate availability of the TLC-1600, a revolutionary light driver for professionals who want to take their audiences to a new level of sensory experience by giving audio a new voice.

Timbre (pronounced: tam-ber) is the distinctive property of a complex sound (a voice, noise, or music).

TLC adds a new paradigm of sensory experience to audio by uniting it with lighting and color. Sound has a new dimension … “The Color of Music^TM“.

“The dance floor is the breeding ground of special lighting effects,” says Ken Wells, co-founder of Timbre Lighting Controls. “The TLC light driver causes lights to dance to every subtle nuance of harmonic effects and then creates “Music for the Eye”^TM in real time!”

The unique patent pending circuitry in the TLC-1600 processes audio directly from your audio mixer. Plug your existing lights (halogen, incandescent, and/or LEDs) directly into the driver, set the calibration once at the beginning of the gig, and the TLC light drivers flawlessly take over all of the light synchronization – freeing you to focus on crowd interaction. For more sophisticated environments connect the TLC-1600 via DMX directly to your main lighting controller to add a new dimension to your stage.

“DJ’s know their job is to move the crowd through an evening of emotion. Your grandmother could only make her lights blink, flash, and glow. Now,” says Wells, “the lights, by design, reinforce and drive the emotions of the audience with real time vibrant synchronicity in both bold and subtle ways.”

“You may think this is just another ‘blinkety’ box, says Wells, “but after seeing it in real color on the company’s web site you will realize the impact on the crowd this could have at your next gig.”

“You do not merely want to be considered the best, you want to be the only one doing what you do.” – Jerry Garcia

Timbre Lighting Controls designs and manufactures a family of light drivers bringing The Color of Music to clubs, limousines/autos, architecture, landscaping, mall marketing, seasonal displays, and visual therapy.

The company was founded in 2001 and is based in Milwaukie, Oregon.

Are you addicted to more? How about Addition-by-Subtraction?

 

Denon DJ Offers Mp3 Disc Playback for DN-S1200

DENON DJ OFFERS MP3 DISC PLAYBACK FOR ITS DN-S1200 MEDIA PLAYER & CONTROLLER

– Firmware upgrade for Denon DJ’s latest DN-S1200 portable CD and MIDI DJ controller, enhances its features to include playback of MP3 on CD-ROM media –

– The upgrade, included on new models, is available to existing owners as a FREE download from www.denondj.com –

ITASCA, IL, May 12, 2009 — Denon DJ, a leading manufacturer of reliable, premium-grade DJ equipment, announces an upgrade for its DN-S1200 Media Player & Controller. The portable and powerful DN-S1200 already features playback of MP3 and WAV files from USB mass storage devices via its fast USB 2.0 ports. Denon DJ now boosts the functionality by implementing MP3 disc playback, via firmware, at no charge to its customer base. The Free-of-charge upgrade is downloadable from the website and enabled from the DN-S1200’s system upgrade capability via USB.

The DN-S1200 is the most feature-packed compact tabletop DJ controller on the market, advancing further Denon DJ’s reputation as the manufacturer of the most rock-solid reliable DJ controllers. The unit measures just 8.46″/215 mm (W) x 3.44″/87.4 mm (H) x 9.13″/232 mm (D) (without feet and Jog Disc).

The “killer app” features on the DN-S1200 are the multi-function touch sensitive Jog Disc, with its ultra-high resolution pulse and touch sensor mechanism and the unit’s Dual USB connectivity options – one for connecting portable music collections on hard drive, flash drive or iPod® (giving access to powerful on-board features like Instant Start, Seamless Looping, Scratching and File Searching) and one to control PC and Mac DJ software programs like NATIVE INSTRUMENTSTM Traktor®, Virtual DJ® and others. The DN-S1200 incorporates its own high-resolution (24-bit) USB audio interface, with a 2-channel stereo output pair – so there is no need for an external sound card. Fundamental features of SERATOTM Scratch Live® can also be controlled off of a USB flash drive or CD via timecode when used with Rane/Scratch Live hardware.

The 110 mm Jog Disc mechanism accurately reproduces the most rapid or the most subtle scratching movements made by the human hand, and can perform other vital functions such as pitch bending, scanning, file searching and Dry/Wet control for effects. Three platter effects include Brake (adjustable in real-time), Dump (reverse sound without losing true forward time, like a radio edit) and Reverse (plays music backwards and platter spins backwards too). The four superb built-in DSP effects include Flanger, Filter (High-Mid-Low), Echo and amazing Echo Loop, all with full parameter adjustment and a unique Dry/Wet mix control.

The illuminated slot-in, quick loading, fast reading CD drive offers a variety of audio compact disc support, including CD-R, CD-RW, CD-TEXT and now MP3 discs. Denon’s proprietary Next Track function enables search of tracks or files on either CD or connected USB media by eight different criteria (without interrupting play) and seamless crossfade on command. Crossfade time is user adjustable.

Two Hot Starts can be made on-the-fly and easily turned into Seamless Loops. The Hot Starts can also be used as Stutter points. The 4-way BPM counter provides Auto Beat Detection, Manual TAP and Manual BPM Input; it also reads MP3 / WAV BPM Metadata from USB devices (if available). The Memo function allows Cue point, BPM, Pitch Setting and Range, Pitch ON/OFF, Key ADJ ON / OFF and Seamless Loop A and B data to be stored directly to file for later recall. In addition, CD memo data can be exported to USB memory and shared with other DN-S1200 players.

For long mix transitions requiring high pitch resolution, the S1200 offers a 100-mm pitch slider with 0.02% for the 4% pitch range and 0.05% for the 10-16% pitch range. 24% / 50% / 100%
ranges are also available.

Another unique feature of the DN-S1200 is its informative and animated tube display. The display offers two lines of character information to quickly navigate through users’ CD TEXT tracks and USB files. A visual 32-position Marker Point indicator follows users’ hand movements at lighting speeds without drift. Other indicators include Looping, Hot Starts, BPM info, Elapsed / Remain Time, MP3 / WAV file types and other usable indicators.

The DN-S1200 will support Qwerty, Qwertz and Azerty USB keyboards (in nine different native languages) for simplified song search and assignable shortcut key functions, and two DN-S1200 players can be linked by a single RJ45 cross-cable (CAT5) for various shared operations such as Memo Cue Points from CDs, Relay Play and the use of a single keyboard.

The Denon DJ DN-S1200 is available now with an SRP of $599.99.

…ends 697 words

About D&M Professional
D&M Professional, through its Denon® Professional, Marantz® Professional and Denon DJ brands, manufactures and distributes a leading line of professional audio and video equipment for the broadcast, commercial, corporate, DJ, education, government, audio/visual, education, houses of worship, security and related industries.
Visit D&M Professional at www.d-mpro.com or Denon DJ at: www.denondj.com.

About D&M Holdings Inc.
D&M Holdings Inc. is a global operating company providing worldwide management and distribution platforms for premium consumer, automotive, commercial and professional audio and video businesses including Denon®, Marantz®, McIntosh® Laboratory, Boston Acoustics®, Snell Acoustics, Escient®, Calrec Audio, Denon DJ, Allen & Heath, D&M Professional and D&M Premium Sound Solutions. Our technologies improve the quality of any audio and visual experience. All product and brand names with a trademark symbol are trademarks or registered trademarks of D&M Holdings, Inc. or its subsidiaries. For more information visit www.dm-holdings.com.

Issue #121 – The Kids Are Alright! Tools for Youth Events

Issue #121 is about to leave the printer and mail out to all the subscribers!  And it’s online now in https://members.mobilebeat.com for paid subscribers along with the digital version of the MBTop 200 – Check it out online at https://members.mobilebeat.com

3 Keys to Successful Youth Events
Youth Music: a Positive Approach
How to Book More School Dances
Get Ready to Bubble!
Campardy Concept

Plus:
Rock Solid! MBLV.09 Show Recap
Time for Advanced Education
ProDJFile: Hannah Zaic
Pricing 101
Rock & Roll Redux, Part Deux
Ron Dante: Hitmaker Revealed

Reviews You Can Use:
Numark HDMix
Martin SCX800 Barrel Roller & Magnum 2500 Hz Hazer
Hercules DJ Control Steel
Send Out Cards
…and more!

Confessions of an Expo Junkie by Stu Chisholm

A multi-angle view of the Vegas event

You’re bleary-eyed from lack of sleep, your feet feel like you’ve been walking across broken glass, your arms and shoulders ache from carrying luggage, your buns have that numb feeling from too much time spent sitting in shuttles, trams and airline seats and your head swims with all of the raw data you’ve mined from seminars, books, demonstrations and good conversations with your DJ colleagues from around the country. You’re spent physically and the bank account is dry, yet you feel that the week ended all too soon and can’t wait until the next time. You hate to admit it, but the signs are obvious: you are a DJ expo junkie! I know. It happened to me.

At the Podium…

This year’s Mobile Beat DJ Show and Conference In Las Vegas was a stand-out; one for the history books. Despite the weak economy that even has Las Vegas casinos in a tizzy, a hoard of DJs from around the country descended on the Riviera Hotel & Casino to enjoy hot deals on gear, see the legends of entertainment at the parties, take in the sights and sounds of the Vegas strip, and above all, improve their businesses by attending the numerous seminars, workshops and demonstrations. While I don’t have any stats at my disposal, from a personal standpoint, the show was an unqualified success!

This year I was in the unique position of experiencing the show from both sides, not only as an attendee, but as a presenter. On the Monday before the official open of the show, early arrivals were treated to a few bonus seminars by Paul Kida, Shawn Kelly, David Beal, and Rob Peters & Mike Fernino. Oh, yeah, and this new guy… me, Stu Chisholm.

Although I’ve presented a few small seminars for DJ groups and other organizations in my local area, this was my first major talk at the industry’s biggest annual DJ gathering. I’d prepared my speech, titled “Supplement Your DJ Income…WITH DJ INCOME!” well in advance, just as seriously as I’d prep for any major gig. Based on my new book, The Complete Disc Jockey, which also debuted at the show, I wanted to show how it applies to the soft economy and how it might prevent working DJs from abandoning the industry in search of a livable income. I’d even created my first ever Power Point presentation! I think I had even more fun than those in attendance, and maybe even did a good job since nobody had to be shaken awake at the end. My only regret is that it went by so quickly! There was a lot of material I just didn’t have time for. Directly outside of the main seminar rooms was the Mobile Beat bookstore where my book, and roughly 16 other ProDJ publications were being offered. (If you didn’t make it to the show, they’re all available online at the Mobile Beat bookstore!)

…and In the Seats

When Tuesday rolled around, I was once again just another face in the crowd, taking in excellent seminars by Andy Ebon, Jim Cerone and Jorge Lopez, and attending the national ADJA meeting with host and President, Dr. Drax. As with all expos, I faced the difficult task of having to pick and choose between seminars, selecting topics that best suited my business needs, skipping less pertinent presentations. What impressed me the most as the show progressed was the stunning array of topics! While the focus was definitely on business, marketing and the economy, other topics ran the gamut from remixing and editing, wireless mics and controllers, a DMX workshop and electrical power management, to website design and optimization, games, and an interactive improv workshop to add a touch of comedy to a performance. All in all, one of the most power-packed groups of seminars I’ve seen. I only wish I could’ve seen them all!

On Wednesday, hundreds of DJs were lined up, chomping at the bit for the dealer’s rooms to be opened. Somehow I managed to be first in line as the rope was dropped and we poured in to grab up all of the tremendous freebies and great deals from everyone from American Audio to Yamaha. It was a bit like those crazy brides at those bridal shop sales! Some of the best prices I’ve ever seen anywhere were being offered up. I’m sure that many dealers were amused when I would answer their quote with, “Is that ALL?” I’m also sure I’m not the only one who spent too much.

Feast of Booths

Some of the highlights from my perspective were the amazing new lasers from BlissLights, who were offering compact, battery-powered versions of their “spray” lasers including a neat little hand-held version for just over $50. LED lights were the name of the game in the Chauvet, CheapDJLights and DJS rooms, where my friends grabbed-up a (hand) truck load of ‘em! Demonstrating a neat rope game for DJ Zone, Paige Vanderpool had visitors tied-up and getting up-close ‘n’ friendly! (You’re a patient guy, Sid!) There were plenty of “oohs” and “aahs” coming from the X-Laser booth, and DJ Sparky B was on hand offering up hourly specials at the ADJ/American Audio booth. If road cases were on your list, Odyssey and SKB were offering amazing show specials, and a newer company, Marathon Pro Audio, was showing off some interesting new case designs, too.

Promo Only, TM Studios and Top Hits U.S.A. were all handing out sample CD and video product and great incentives to sign up. Next, you could take those discs over to the Denon display where DJs crowded in to scratch, beatmix and otherwise play with their latest hardware. Not to be outdone, Pioneer was across the room demonstrating their new line of media controllers. In typical Pioneer style, these all boast an on-board array of special effects usually available only as add-on processors. They also had an excellent offering of video-capable products for the VJs in the house.

My friends and I also spent some time (and money) with DJ Skirts, Frankenstand (who was handing out the best Velcro ties I’ve ever seen!), Froggy’s Fog, GCI, Numark (great demos!), SixStarDJ.com, Skeffingtons (with amazing tux shirts!), Screen Works and Windy City Novelties (who made us blink, glow and flash). What truly impressed me the most was how all of these dealers were supporting the industry every bit as much as they expect DJs to support them! Low prices were beyond low, often going into the sub-basement, and freebies, give-aways and extras flowed freely. I, for one, appreciated them even more since the economy has been every bit as tough on the vendors WE rely on. Truly commendable!

On Party Patrol

At the end of each day, and not to be missed, were all of the special entertainment and parties that have become a signature of Mobile Beat shows. To get attendees introduced to Las Vegas-style entertainment, Monday night’s Welcome Party featured the Dueling Twins Piano Show. This ain’t for the Liberace and Jazz crowd. These women (extremely HOT twins, Kim and Tamara Pinegar) threw down thundering renditions of everything from “Johnny B. Goode” to “Baby Got Back.” (Yes, on pianos!) A gracious Dr. Drax invited my fellow Michigander, Lane O’Neill of Acclimated Sounds, and I to catch all of the action from the V.I.P. area and our ears are still ringing!

Tuesday night concluded with the ProDJ Showcase featuring three music legends: Ron Dante (former lead singer of “The Archies”), Otis Day & The Knights (of Animal House fame) and the original white boy rapper, Vanilla Ice. To mobile DJs who spin oldies, Ron Dante holds a special place in our hearts, as his song “Sugar Sugar” has remained a staple at almost every party. He also sang on the song, “Tracy” by the Cuff-Links, which I once used for a friend’s wedding reception. (You guessed it: Her name was Tracy.) Otis Day & The Knights gained national fame when they appeared in “Animal House” in 1978, and they’re still going strong! They pounded-out a high-energy set of oldies, funk and soul, all with a definite rock & roll edge that younger bands might envy. The evening was capped-off with Vanilla Ice who sounded as if almost no time has passed since his last hit way back in 1991.

The most anticipated party of the show each year is the American DJ Customer Appreciation Party, and this year did not disappoint! DJ Sparky B acted as host, not to mention spinning more tunes than even he had planned, while presiding over a guest line-up of DJs who took turns pumping up the crowd. Another frequent fixture at Mobile Beat events is DJ Toad, who also took a turn on the 1’s and 2’s.

The grand finale, as always, was the many thousands of dollars worth of prizes that were given away. First, the ADJA offered-up two brand new Denon HDC-2500 media players and other goodies worth well over $2,000. Then Ryan Burger and Mike Buonaccorso of ProDJ Publishing stepped onto the stage in the dealer’s hall and opened up the floodgates, handing over a huge array of prizes, including a complete sound and lighting package that not only had all the bells and whistles, but a pile of lights to boot. And no, I didn’t win…again!

Throughout the show is the ever-present allure of Las Vegas, and it is nearly impossible not to take in at least one show, take a few spins on a slot machine or play a few hands of cards. (I even heard tell of a poker tournament for DJs, although I seem to have missed it.) The buffets are still fairly cheap and plentiful and there is always something to do, any time of day or night. As I write this it’s been less than 24 hours since I arrived back at home, but I’m so inspired by MBLV.09 that I’m already making plans for 2010! I suggest that you do, too, and bring home what your business needs to stay healthy and grow. See you there!

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