A New Galaxy Is Now Within Easy Reach – Get Ready To Travel With The ADJ Micro Galaxian

The new ADJ Micro Galaxian lets you bring the transformative power of laser to your smallest gigs. Packed with many of the same features that have made our original Galaxian an out-of-this-world success, the newest member of the Galaxian family features over 200 red and green laser beams in an attractive compact case.

We’ve kept things nice and simple with the Micro Galaxian, skipping things like DMX control features to hold down costs and make the unit easier to use, but leaving in convenient features like our infrared remote control. In fact, the new 9-watt Micro Galaxian really embodies the term “user friendly.” Want to liven up a small party or gathering with a laser shower? Simple—just plug this product in and run its built-in lighting programs in Auto or Sound Active mode. The built-in modes can be changed quickly at the push of a button or by using the infrared control.

The lasers beams produced by this fan cooled effect are completely safe, complying with all FDA standards. Its green laser is 30mW (532 nm) and its red laser is 80mW (659 nm).

Weighing in at only 2 lbs (0.6 kg), and measuring 2”x4.75”x3.5” (50x120x90mm), the Micro Galaxian is ideal for mobile entertainers on the go. A standard dual hanging bracket also makes it easy to position the Micro Galaxian to shower a wall, ceiling or dance floor with colorful laser beams.

The Micro Galaxian will be available at your ADJ dealer in January. So start the New Year with a galactic extravaganza of light and take your show to brave new places with this surprisingly affordable light.

The Economics of Grinding

It’s not just a social issue, it’s an economic one.  In tough economic times schools, like everyone else, are hurting.  One of the best sources for revenue for the many clubs and organizations at schools is the school dance.  Charge $5.00 for tickets sell 300 of them= gross $1500, pay the DJ $500.00 and the club walks away with a grand.
It takes alot of car washes and a lot of volunteers and a lot of Saturdays at the gas station, to make $1000.

It makes alot of sense to find ways to figure out how to stage good clean dance events as opposed to cancelling them.

Here is the most recent example from a school in Ohio:

The “no grinding policy” went into effect only a couple weeks after the Homecoming dance, however it made a major impact on the amount of people who attended the Halloween dance, which was sponsored by Youth Philanthropy Fellowship (YPF). Morgan Maxwell, president of YPF hoped for a huge turnout at the dance because all of the proceeds benefit a seven year old who is suffering Leukemia, and whose family is struggling to pay the hospital bills.
“I feel like the student body is blowing the new policy out of proportion. It’s just one night to support a good cause so I don’t understand why people are choosing not to go,” Maxwell said.
Cahoon wanted at least 200 students to purchase tickets for the Halloween dance. However, about 142 tickets were sold, which is more than what was expected. As a member of YPF, Junior Emily White did attend the Halloween dance, along with many other YPF members.

-fromt he Bay Window, Bay High School

Responsible DJs can join the growing list nationwide on the School Dance Network.  Follow Ric’s  DJ musings blog at www.richansen.wordpress.com

Tom Talks Audio: Small Rack Essentials Can Make A Big Difference

You don’t have to spend a lot of money to make sure your rack is in top shape. Never one to allow a good opportunity go to waste, Tom Freret says that the holidays are an ideal time for mobile entertainers to drop a few well chosen hints to loved ones about affordable rack essential gifts that will make their performances and lives go better.

We’re all a little tired of getting ties, cologne and sweaters that we hardly ever wear, but why should we ask our loved ones to give us rack essentials?

“Asking for rack essentials is a win-win: you’re loved ones don’t have to spend a lot of money; rack essentials are generally under $100, but they’re getting you something that you can really use – and something that will make your life easier the whole year through.”

Why don’t mobile entertainers get these rack essentials themselves?

“They do, all the time, but like most things that fall under the “essentials” category, whether they’re DJ gear or some other type of product, these basic items are the kinds of things that people can easily overlook. Everyone gets excited about buying a hot new revolutionary product like the American Audio VMS4 Digital Work Station, but who’s going to feel that way about a gooseneck lamp? Yet if you have a lamp that doesn’t work during a gig, it’s a disaster! This is why it’s good to put essentials on your holiday gift list.”

You mentioned gooseneck lamps, we assume American Audio has those in its Santa Bag of Mobile Entertainer gifts?

“We sure do; the American Audio GNL-14 is a 14-inch flexible gooseneck light that makes it easier to perform in dimly lit areas. It fits the XDM-242 and 352, and the XDM Commander. It comes with one lamp and has a 12V DC BNC connection, and its price is only $21.95.”

The gooseneck lamp helps me perform in a dark area, but what about other rack essentials that make it easier for me to see performance variables like my decibel level?

“In those cases our dB-Display makes a great gift for $89.95. This is a great way to get a quick view of your decibel level from your amp rack. It has two display modes: dot and complete bar and input sensitivity adjustments for the left and right channels that allow it to match your systems exact needs.

“The display on this product goes from green through amber to red; so it creates a real light show in your amp rack. Plus it’s very compact: (1.75 inches long, by 19 inches wide by 1.74 inches high) so it fits nicely in amp racks. Since it weighs only 2.5 pounds, it’s easy to transport too.”

Of course, a lot of us think of racks as our power control center. What do you have in the way of power product essentials?

“I would urge DJs to check out our PC-100A Power Center. A must for every DJ, this is an 8-switch 19 inch 1 r.m. on/off A/C power center that makes your life easier by eliminating extension cords and messy wires. Its front panel has 8 lighted switches and a resettable circuit breaker. The back panel has eight 120V 3-prong plug sockets. It also comes with a 6 foot power cord.”

What size is it?

“It weighs 4 pounds and measures 19 inches by 2 inches and 5 inches. Its maximum load is 15 amps or 1800 watts—and its price is $35.95.”

What about power distribution?

“We have the PDP-850 – Power Distribution Panel, which sells for under $80 and features seven 3-prong power plugs along with pop-up lights, seven protected switched A/C grounded outlets. The dual LED pop-out lights have a dim control knob. Another cool feature is the 20A breaker protection and there’s a USB input on the front panel.

“If you are looking for a bigger power distribution panel you can try our PDP-950. It also has seven 3-prong power plugs and pop-up lights – and there’s a convenient line voltage meter.

“All of these essentials can make a big difference in the way you feel and perform on stage, and all are affordable gifts that any mobile entertainer would love to receive. So my advice is to suggest that your loved ones pass over the sweater shop at the mall and go on over to your local American Audio dealer to get a gift that you – and your audience will appreciate all year long.”

Ask Alfred – Remote Possibilities: Putting RC Effects To Work For You

Alfred Gonzales is usually hands-on in everything he does, but with lighting, Alfred believes that being remote has its advantages, especially when you use good wireless RC products. The American DJ National Sales Manager talked to us about the trend toward remote products.

It seems like there are a lot more remote control products available on the market today, is that true?

“I certainly think so. Just look at our UC3 control system, which controls over 50 different lighting products. That’s a lot of lights– so yes, I think the era of wireless control lighting in the mobile DJ market is definitely upon us.”

Why are we seeing more remote control products today?

“There are two ways to answer that question. The first is that the demand for remote control is way up, because DJs are accustomed to using it in their lives, and they appreciate its value. Having remote control at your fingertips gives you more flexibility and more options when you’re at a gig performing. The fact that you can run a different chase sequence or adjust a fogger remotely without stopping what you’re doing and going over to the actual unit, just makes your whole performance much more fluid and natural. Having the power to control things remotely makes it easier for you to concentrate on what you want to do (and what you do best), engage and entertain people rather than adjust knobs and buttons.”

What’s the second reason?

“The second reason is really threefold: there are more remote control products than ever, remote control products are more affordable than ever, and remote control products are easier to use than ever.”

With the UC3 capable of controlling over 50 different lights, it’s pretty obvious that there are more RC products than ever, but can you give us an example about these products being more affordable than ever?

“In keeping with our core mission as a company, American DJ has a lot of excellent remote control products that are very affordable. One that comes to mind immediately is the new American DJ Mega Bar 50 RGB RC, which is a remote control version of our popular Mega Bar. It’s a 22-inch (1/2-meter) RGB LED lighting bar designed for stage or wall washing – and since it’s RGB it produces very rich vivid colors. The infrared wireless remote feature gives you the control that would otherwise require a DMX controller or hand adjustments on the rear panel. You can use wireless remote to control features such as black out, built-in programs, flash, DMX addressing and RGB color change. There is no duty cycle on the Mega Bar 50RGB RC, plus users can “daisy-chain” the power from one unit to the next with the built-in IEC power Ins/Outs. You get all this for $149.99 MAP, which is very affordable.”

What about RC being easier to use- do you have any examples of that?

“There are many examples, one I just happened to come across earlier is our Fog Storm 700; you just plug in the receiver to gain instant wireless remote up to 150 feet away, and the remote control unit is about the size of a car alarm. You can’t get much simpler than that.

“Another example is our WiTech 8 Wireless controller. This is an 8-channel lighting controller with a handheld remote that allows you to control eight lighting fixtures wirelessly, just by touching a button. The WiTech 8 easily controls On/Off, All On, Stand By (Blackout), Function and Mode for each channel. Although it can turn both non-DMX and DMX fixtures On and Off. Everything about the WiTech 8 Wireless was designed for user convenience. Thanks to the inclusion of a hanging bracket, it can be mounted on truss, lighting stands, walls or ceilings. That frees up valuable space for all of the other items DJs and bands need – and it can control lights from the distance of a football field away! The WiTech 8 also interfaces with our UC3 Controller which was itself designed to be simple and user-friendly.”

Can you tell us more about the UC3?

“Sure –the UC3 Wireless makes it simple to control multiple ADJ fixtures that are UC3 compatible, yet still enjoy the easy-of-use the single channel UC3 controller offers. This wireless pack has 4 outputs with the capability to control 4 master fixtures and an infinite number of slave fixtures. It’s also very compact, and it can be mounted on truss, lighting stands, walls or ceilings – so as I said earlier it can control a wide range of fixtures, so there’s no excuse for any DJ not to be in total control!”

Pre-ordering beings November 23 for Mobile Beat’s new DVD series: DJ CRASH COURSE!

Mobile Beat has teamed with executive producer Josh Yawn to announce the launch of DJ Crash Course, an educational DVD series for mobile DJs. DJ Crash Course covers all facets of creating, maintaining and progressing a mobile DJ business.

In each DVD, viewers are invited into the learning environment known as “DJ Arena” for the ultimate in mobile DJ education. Content is broken down into sections and presented in an easy-to-learn fashion that even the most visual learners can absorb. Furthermore, DJ Crash Course is perfect for all skill levels and business types: beginners looking to start their DJ endeavor equipped with knowledge, experienced DJs looking to polish their trade, and multi-system business owners looking to train new DJs. The series is not only informational, but often motivational to further encourage the growth of the viewer’s efforts.

Throughout the DVDs, viewers are taught not only what to do, but also what not to do, thanks to the mindless examples of the quintessential bad DJ known only as “THAT GUY.”

Volume One: The Inside Spin consists of twelve major sections, covering all facets of creating, maintaining, and progressing a mobile DJ business: sound & lighting gear, pricing, music, types of events, reserving dates, marketing, how to entertain, & much, much more!

“Josh Yawn and I combined our knowledge of the industry and I’m very proud of the result,” says Mobile Beat’s Ryan Burger. “This is definitely the start of a super series of DVDs.”

DJ CRASH COURSE is a new way to learn and grow! We’ll see you in DJ Arena!

Visit www.djcrashcourse.com for more information and to pre-order your copy of DJ Crash Course!

Peas are “Hot” on School Dance Safe songs for 11/22/10

They are red hot. Oprah proclaimed them her all time favorite band on her November 19th Ultimate Favorite Things episode, they performed their new single “The Time” on the American Music awards on Sunday, and the word is they will headline the Superbowl half time show. Their “The End” (“Energy Never Dies”) album which sold 2.8 million copies and launched them into super stardom, featured hits that bridged the age gap and had Mom’s and Dad’s singing along. Their new single (From their upcoming album “The Beginning”) captures riffs from the 1987 movie hit “Dirty Dancing” (“I’ve had the time of my life”) and just released is already selling top ten on I-Tunes….and most radio stations are playing it across the country. Yes. I am talking about the amazing “Black Eyed Peas”.
In an era where super groups are hard to come by, it’s fun to watch such talent ascend. They debut on this weeks “School Dance Safe song list.” at #29.  More DJ insight, music musing and sharing of ideas on my blog.  Subscribe at www.richansen.wordpress.com.  See  you there.

LW	TW	Artist	Title	Featuring	Prime Cuts #	BPM	Notes
2	1	Nelly	Just a Dream		201032	90
6	2	Rihanna	Only Girl (In the world)		201037	126	EDIT
1	3	Katy Perry	Teenage Dream		201031	120
4	4	Enrique Iglesias	I Like It	Pitbull	201019	129
3	5	Bruno Mars	Just the way you are		201030	109
8	6	Will.I.am	Check it Out	Nicki Minaj	201037	130	edit
5	7	Kesha	Take It Off		201028	125
14	8	Pink	Raise Your Glass		201041	122	EDIT
12	9	Mike Posner	Please Don’t Go		201034	121
10	10	Usher	DJ Got Us Fallin In Love	Pitbull	201029	120	Edit
7	11	Justin Bieber	U Smile		201032	75
9	12	Jay Sean	2012 (It ain’t the end of the world”		201032	127
11	13	Ne-Yo	One in a Million		201035	100
13	14	B.O.B	MAGIC	Rivers Cuomo	201028	83
15	15	Eminem	Love The Way You Lie	Rihanna	201027	87	Edit
16	16	Taio Cruz	Dynamite		201020	120
18	17	Sean Kingston	Letting Go (Dutty Love)		201025	92
17	18	3OH!3	Double Vision- Dance Edit		201035	120
20	19	Pitbull	Hey Baby		201037	128
25	20	Bruno Mars	Grenade		201044	111
28	21	KE$HA	We R Who We R		201043	120	Edit
22	22	Akon	Angel		201039	126
26	23	Willow	Whip My Hair		201042	82
24	24	Nicki Minaj	Right Thru You		201040	81
19	25	Jason Derula	Ridin Solo		201019	90	Edit
27	26	David Guetta	Memories	F/Kid Cudi	201012	130	Edit
21	27	Travie McCoy	Need You		201037	74
30	28	Katy Perry	Firework		201041	124
New	29	Black Eyed Peas	The Time (Dirty Bit)		201045	128
New	30	Chris Brown	Deuces		201031	74	EDIT
		Recurrents- (Still popular)
23		Flo Rida	Club can’t Handle Me	D Guetta	201024	128
29		Taio Cruz	Dirty Pictures (Squeaky Clean)	Ke$ha	201038	120	EDIT
		New Boyz	Break My Bank	Iyaz	201028	91	Edit
		Katy Perry	California Gurls	Snoop Dog	201020	125
		B.O.B	Airplanes	Hayley Williams	201016	94	Edit
		Travie McCoy	Billionaire	Bruno Mars	201011	88
		Usher	OMG	Will I am	201012	130
		Mike Posner	Cooler Than Me		201014	130
		Lady Gaga	Alajandro		201012	99
		Tao Cruz	Break Your Heart		201004	122
		Black Eyed Peas	Rock That Body		201013	125
		Ready Set	Love Like Woe		201020	90
		3OH!3	My First Kiss	Ke$ha	201019	138
		Nicki Minaj	Your Love		201013	95
		David Guetta	Getting Over You	Fergie & LMFAO
		Cali Swag District	Teach Me How to Dougie
		Kesha	Your Love is My drug
		Jay Z	Young Forever
		Justin Bieber	Somebody to Love
		Jason Derula	In My Head
		Justin Bieber	Baby	Ludacris
		LaRoux	Bulletproof
		Lady Gaga	Bad Romance
		Timberland	If We ever Meet again	Katy Perry
		KE$ha	Tic Toc
		Timberland	Carry Out
		Christina Aguilera	Not Myself Tonight
		Black Eyed Peas	Imma Be
		B.O.B.	Nothing on you	Bruno Mars
		DO NOT PLAYLIST ADDS
		Jeremih	Down On Me	50 cent
		Wiz Khalifa	Black and Yellow
		Kanye West	Runaway
		New Boyz	Spot Right There
		Waka Flocka Flame	No Hands
		Kanye West	Monster	Jay Z -Rick Ross
		Eminem	No Love	Lil Wayne
		Trey Songz	Bottoms Up	Nicki Minaj
		Bumpy Ride	Mohombi
		F**K You	Cee Lo Green
		Right Above It	Lil Wayne	Drake
		Fancy	Drake
		Rick Ross	Blowin Money Fast
		Chris Brown	Deuces
		Drake	Fancy
		Richard Vission/Static Revenge	I Like That	Ludacris
		Far East Movement	Like a G6
		Glasses Malone	I Get Doe
		Soulja Boy	Pretty Boy Swag
		Kanye West	Power

DJ Intelligence expands unlimited 24×7 technical support

In the relentless pursuit to provide the very finest customer service in the industry, DJ Intelligence has again expanded its technical support staff to meet the needs of its growing subscriber base. Those who have done business with DJ Intelligence know that first class customer support is one of the hallmarks of the service. All support is handled online 24×7 by live representatives who provide prompt, detailed answers to virtually any type of question.

Roland VR-5 Announced – Cool Gear For VJs?

Tokyo, Japan – November 17th, 2010 – Today at the InterBee show, Roland Systems Group announced the Roland VR-5, a fully integrated audio mixer, video switcher with built-in recorder/player for live production and web streaming. This unique product combines the power of Roland’s audio and video technology into one unit.

Typical live events today, whether large or small, all require a wide variety of equipment in order to produce. There are audio inputs from mics, audio mixing, video sources to a video mixer, computer inputs, video playback, video monitors, capturing the event in some form, and also streaming it live online. The VR-5’s “all-in-one” solution greatly simplifies production, recording and streaming of these live events. The VR-5’s innovative design incorporates a video switcher, audio mixer, video playback, recorder, preview monitors and output for web streaming all in a single unit. As a USB Video/Audio class device, web streaming is effortless by simply connecting to a computer running a live streaming service such as USTREAM® and Stickam™, as well as any video call service such as Skype™ and iChat. The reduction in hardware equipment, setup time and connection complexity ensures a worry-free, easy to use solution for any event.

The VR-5 is ideal for schools, churches, council meetings, corporate events, sports, and live web broadcasting.

Highlighted features include:

5-Channel Video Switcher

2 Mono and 5 Stereo Mixable Audio Channels

Built-in scan converter for PC input

Built-in dual LCD monitors with touch control for easy video source selection

Three video layers which include 2 video sources plus DSK (downstream keyer)

MPEG-4 player/recorder

USB video/audio class device for web streaming

For complete product details and specifications: www.rolandsystemsgroup.com/vr5

Roland Systems Group U.S. (RSG) supplies the commercial and performance audio/video industries with application specific equipment from the professional audio and video product lines. These product lines address applications for houses of worship, studios, clubs/casinos, theaters/performing arts centers, production houses and rental and staging companies. Roland Systems Group U.S is headquartered in Bellingham, Washington. RSG is a member of the worldwide group of Roland companies.

For more information, visit www.rolandsystemsgroup.com or call 800.380.2580

Technics 1200s are Dead…..

Fans of vinyl were dealt another blow when consumer electronics company Panasonic announced earlier this month that it would be discontinuing the analog products within its Technics brand, most notably the legendary line of analog turntables.
On October 20, the company said that it was winding down production of the Technics SL-1200MK6 analog turntable, the SH-EX1200 analog audio mixer and the RP-DH1200 and RP-DJ1200 stereo headphones due to challenges in the marketplace.

“Panasonic decided to end production mainly due to a decline in demand for these analog products and also the growing difficulty of procuring key analog components necessary to sustain production,” the company said in statement issued to The Tokyo Reporter.

Last year, Japan’s last remaining vinyl pressing plant, owned by the production company Toyo Kasei, produced around 400,000 discs from its multifloor factory in Yokohama’s Tsurumi Ward, a far cry from the industry’s peak of 70 million four decades ago.

Panasonic said that sales of analog decks today represent roughly 5 percent of the figure from ten years ago. At present the company has no plans for putting analog turntables back on the market.

The SL-1200 series turntable, which enjoys a massive following in the DJ community, had been in continuous production since 1972. Since then 3.5 million units have been produced, making the brand’s purple and gray logo (“Technics” written twice) an icon in clubs.

The turntables are acclaimed for their quick start-up and reliability, achieved through its durable Direct Drive turning mechanism (via magnets, as opposed to being belt-driven) and its heavy 12.5-kilogram base (composed of what is known as the Technics Non Resonance Compound), which isolated the platter so as to reduce feedback and the chance that the cartridge would jump.

Japan’s DJ community was abuzz, notably on the social-networking site Twitter, following the announcement. Tatsuo Sunaga (dubbed “The Record Chief”) said in an email that the announcement was unfortunate.

“I’ve been using these products for around 20 years and rarely suffered a breakdown,” explained Sunaga, who is a club DJ, spinning jazz up and down Japan, and the author of “I’ll Take That Record!” — a chronicle of a three-year vinyl-buying spree. “This type of excellence is something not seen globally, and I think the fact that one doesn’t need to purchase subsequent models as being the reason for forcing the move.”

But even if turntable manufacturers targeting top DJs continue to shrink their output, Sunaga sees those who prefer analog today as being too obsessed with the format to allow it to become extinct. “I don’t think analog users will lose interest,” he said.

Regarding the Technics brand itself, nothing has been decided other than the discontinuation of the mentioned products, the statement said.

Fantasy Entertainment Launches “BlabaEVENT”

Fantasy Entertainment Launches “BlabaEVENT”

Technology for Event Rental Photo Booths

New Service Offering extend the Photo Booth Experience through

Video Messaging, Web-based Access, and Integrated Social Networking.

ORLANDO, FL – November 16, 2010 – Fantasy Entertainment (www.fantasyent.com) today announced the launch of “BlabaEVENT”, a software option for its growing line of event rental photo booths. This announcement takes place at the annual “International Association of Amusement Parks & Attractions” (IAAPA) Conference and Tradeshow in Orlando, FL, where Fantasy Entertainment is exhibiting in booths # 319 and 420.

“Since the launch of our BlabaBooth product at IAAPA in 2009, we’ve seen how customers of our coin-operated booths appreciate the many benefits they receive as we extend their photo booth experience to the web,” says Casey Cammann, Fantasy Entertainment’s Vice President of Business Development. “With the launch of BlabaEVENT, we’ve built upon this success by merging complimentary video and photo technologies into a turnkey rental service offering that adds significant value for our customers – as well as their clientele and guests.”

About the BlabaEVENT Experience

With each BlabaEVENT session, guests have the option to commemorate the occasion by recording a personal video message for the benefit of the guest of honor or hosts. Next, guests choose their desired photo effect and favorite graphics to enhance their printed photos. Captured video is played-back to entertain while photos are printing, and all video and photo content is saved for exporting. Each photo strip includes a unique code that provides the owner with direct access to their own content, as well as that generated by other event attendees. All content can be automatically uploaded in real-time via cellular air card (requires cellular plan, sold separately) or after the event through a direct Cat-5 network connection.

After every event, the experience is relived as content is viewed and shared via the web in secure, brandable albums that operators configure through an intuitive interface. If needed, photo content can be pre-screened and approved prior to publishing. Event attendees navigate to published albums via their code, or from a link on the operator’s website. Attendees can add their own text comments to albums, and seamless integration with the most popular social networking sites (such as Facebook, Twitter, etc.), and content sharing sites (YouTube, Flickr, etc.) and instant messaging (AIM, MSN, Yahoo, etc.) makes it easy to share memorable content with friends and family everywhere.

Benefits to the Operator

BlabaEVENT provides a comprehensive, integrated system that allows operators to offer a full-featured, premium service with unique, differentiating features. Much of album configuration can be automated so that operator involvement is minimal. In addition, operators benefit from increased website traffic as clients and guests access their content, and from additional exposure generated through the viral nature of the video and photo content.

Pricing & Availability

Pricing and availability details are available by contacting Fantasy Entertainment at (800) 933-2682, ext. 162 (US Toll Free), or +001 (603) 324-3240, ext. 162 (International), or via the web at http://www.fantasyent.com.

About Fantasy Entertainment

Fantasy Entertainment is a privately held company and North America’s largest owner/operator of electronic self-service photo imaging kiosks. Started in 1995, Fantasy Entertainment now operates nearly 2,700 photo kiosks within marquis destinations, major malls, zoos, museums, aquariums, casinos, and hundreds of other high traffic outlets and tourist locations. Fantasy Entertainment is also an international supplier to distributors and operators in over 30 countries. The company is headquartered in Salem, NH, USA.

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