Tom Talks Audio – Miami Nice

Tom Talks Audio

Miami Nice

Everyone has been talking about the VMS4 since its debut, so why have a road show?

“Because we love Miami – just kidding, we want to take the VMS4 out and expose it to as many people as possible, because we believe it’s a revolutionary product that is going to really make a difference in the professional lives of mobile entertainers. It’s certainly the most important product in our company’s history, and one of the most important in the recent history of our industry.”

What makes the VMS4 so special?

“The fact that it fuses MIDI software and analog audio control in one unit makes it a very versatile piece of gear that gives performers the best of both worlds. The signature “Velocity” touch sensitive jog wheels, full function mouse pad, and MIDI assignable touch strips create the right feel for performers, which is really a critical element of delivering a great show. Then there are the super quality channel and crossfaders – and all of the features that you’d expect to find in a top of the line professional mixer, like balanced XLR outputs, gain, treble, mid and bass for each Midilog channel. I could go on and on, but the main point is that the VMS4 really lets performers move seamlessly between the digital and analog world. Plus, the fact that it’s open source means that they can use whatever software they’re comfortable with.”

Well then tell us about the show Miami tour?

“We were at two great hosts, Space Music on Tuesday and Extreme Pro Sound on Wednesday. We timed the tour to coincide with the Ultra Music Festival in Miami. Every performer who sees the VMS4 in action is just blown away by its performance. So for me personally, it’s really very gratifying to be associated with such a winning product.”

You also had a great performer demo-ing the unit, can you tell us about him?

“Aside from being a great guy, DJ Etronik is an amazing performer. He’s a world-class competition winning master, and the first DJ to represent the United States in the DMC World Finals in all three categories. His remixing and beat juggling performances are nothing short of magnificent. All in all, between the VMS4 and DJ Etronik, the people who came out to see us in Miami enjoyed an entertaining and educational experience. Now we look forward to repeating this success in Germany at Pro Light + Sound.”

Beefier Beam, Slimmer Price New DJ Spot LED, Rewrites The Rules

Beefier Beam, Slimmer Price New DJ Spot LED, Rewrites The Rules

American DJ has unleashed one of its most powerful and exciting DJ/club LED effects to date. The new DJ Spot LED is a compact intelligent moving head, powered by a massive 25-watt Surface Mount Diode (SMD) LED source that blasts out gobos and colors around the room with such amazing ultra-brightness it has to be seen to be believed.

With its brawny 25 watts of LED muscle, the DJ Spot LED represents a new wave of higher-output fixtures that utilize the latest advances in LED technology. But its brighter, beefier light beam is only the beginning. This powerhouse moving head is loaded with professional features and eye-popping effects, including 7 colors + white and 11 gobos + spot on separate color and gobo wheels, providing an almost limitless range of visual possibilities. It’s got plenty of other electrifying effects too, such as a Gobo Scroll mode, Gobo Shake effect, variable speed Strobe effect, and 0-100% dimming.

Best news of all for small clubs and mobile entertainers: American DJ is offering this feature-packed, ultra-high-power 25-watt LED moving head at an affordable price that’s as much of a breakthrough as the unit’s technology. The DJ Spot LED’s street price comes in at under $500!

“American DJ is not only breaking technological barriers with our LED products, we’re smashing through price barriers too,” said Scott Davies, General Manager of the American DJ Group of Companies. “The DJ Spot LED is a prime example. Being able to offer a higher-output 25-watt LED moving head at a MAP price of $499.99 is truly a breakthrough. It’s part of American DJ’s commitment to making the newest cutting-edge lighting technologies accessible to our core group of club/DJ/mobile entertainer customers. Now even smaller lighting users can have the best and brightest in LED moving heads.”

Moving head fixtures that use an LED lamp source provide DJs and clubs with many advantages over those that have conventional lamps, noted Davies. One big advantage is a longer lamp life; the DJ Spot LED’s 25-watt LED is rated at 50,000 hours. LEDs also emit less heat than conventional lights, so they can run all night long without shutting down for duty cycles, plus they can be packed up right after the show – no cool-down period required. Additionally, LEDs offer big energy savings over conventional lamps. Despite its immense brightness, the DJ Spot LED draws only 50 watts of power.

Ideal for lighting users of all levels of experience, the DJ Spot LED can be operated in 3 different modes: DMX, Master-Slave and Sound Active. When in Sound Active Mode, it will move to exciting built-in programs as an easy-to-use, plug-n-play effect. Operators can adjust its responsiveness to the music via a Sound Sensitivity Knob. In DMX Mode, the DJ Spot LED operates on 8 channels. It features a 4-button LED Menu System on the rear panel, which makes it easy to navigate through DMX settings. The DJ Spot LED can also be operated wirelessly via American DJ’s UC3 Series remote controllers (sold separately).

Whatever operational mode is used, the DJ Spot LED will fill the dance floor or stage, floor-to-ceiling and wall-to-wall, with the most brilliant colors and images. Featuring a 17° beam angle, its moving yoke can pan a sweeping 540° and tilt 270° for maximum room coverage. High-quality stepper motors with micro stepping provide smooth, accurate movements.

The DJ Spot LED’s compact size makes it great for mobile applications where extreme brightness is desired. Easy to transport, the unit measures 15.5”L x 12”W x 15.75”H/ 390 x 300 x 400mm, and weighs 20 lbs./ 9 kg. With switchable multi-voltage operation (110V/60Hz or 230V/50Hz – IEC plug), it can go virtually anywhere.

The MAP or street price of the DJ Spot LED is a very affordable $499.99 (MSRP $699.95).

See the DJ Spot LED in action! Click on link below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2qiAagK19fs

For more information Contact American DJ:

U.S. Office – Tel: 800-322-6337/+1-323-582-2650 • Web: www.americandj.com • E-mail: info@americandj.com

No Shrinking Violet, Our VioMoon Is A Moonflower With An Attitude!

Moon Power

No Shrinking Violet, Our VioMoon Is A Moonflower With An Attitude!

With 10 watts of LED power shooting out red, green, blue and white beams so bright, they rival the Aurora Borealis in intensity, American DJs new VioMoon and its sister fixtures have been called “moonflowers on steroids.” That’s because these bold new DMX club effects — the VioSCAN LED and VioROLL LED are the other two – put on a performance-enhanced light show that fills a room or dance floor with a powerful output that goes far beyond the brightness associated with a typical moonflower.

The secret behind the Vio Series moonflowers’ strength and intensity is American DJ’s exclusive new Quad LED lamp technology. Each of the three fixtures is powered by a huge, high-output 10-watt homogenized LED source that’s comprised of 4 different color LEDs (red, green, blue and white) in one lamp. This big, brawny LED produces dozens of ultra-bright RGBW beams that weave and gyrate around the dance floor to exciting built-in programs, or in customized patterns that you can create using any standard DMX controller

All of the Vio Series fixtures share in common this revved-up moonflower performance. Where the three units differ is that the VioMOON LED is a classic moonflower effect, while the other two are scanners with X-Y movement — the VioSCAN LED featuring a flat scanning mirror, and the VioROLL LED utilizing a barrel mirror to produce tunnel-shaped beams.

“We designed the Vio Series for clubs, bands and mobile entertainers who want a higher output moonflower effect,” said Scott Davies, General Manager of the American DJ Group of Companies. “This increased output is the result of our new 10W Quad LED technology. The LED lamp is bigger and more powerful, plus it features our new 4-color homogenized design. With the Vio moonflowers, you get a lot of bang for the buck.”

For example, the VioMOON LED’s LUX at 3 meters is 317 for red, 1,016 for green, 30 for blue and 1,303 for white LEDs. The VioSCAN LED’s is 288 red, 713 green, 32 blue and 958 white. The VioROLL LED’s is 177 red, 493 green, 11 blue, and 620 white.

Not only are the Vio Series moonflowers ultra-bright, they’re also very low on maintenance. Their long-running LEDs are rated at 30,000 hours, so they rarely need replacing. The lamps generate very little heat, so the fixtures can stay on all night without shutting down for duty cycles, and they can be packed up right away after a gig.

The Vio moonflowers also offer a lot of premium features not typically found on units in their price range, such as: 1.8° stepper motors with microstepping for smooth, accurate movements; a 4-button menu display for easy navigation through DMX settings; and IEC AC In/Out on the rear to daisy chain power. Additionally, they include 0-100% Dimming, a Strobe Effect and a Manual Focus. All also offer the convenience of being able to be operated as remote units, since they are compatible with American DJs universal UC3 easy-to-use remote controllers (sold separately).

Other operating options for the Vio Series moonflowers include: DMX, Sound Active and Master/Slave. When in Sound Active Mode, the units will run to their own built-in programs for an easy plug-and-play light show. When four VioSCAN LED or VioROLL LED units are linked together Master/Slave, they feature a Pan/Tilt Inversion Mode – scanners 1 and 3 will sync opposite scanners 2 and 4, giving the look of a programmed light show.

The Vio Series moonflowers feature multi-voltage operation: AC100V-240V, 50/60Hz (IEC socket). They come with a hanging bracket that includes a safety hook for secure mounting. All units are compact and lightweight, making them great for mobile use.

The VioMOON LED measures 9”L x 9.5”W x 10”H/24 x 241 x 253mm, and weighs 7 lbs./ 3.1kg. The MSRP of the VioMOON LED is $279.95. See it in action!

The VioSCAN LED measures 16.5”L x 6.5”W x 6.75”H / 420 x 161 x 172mm, and weighs 10 lbs./ 4.2kg. The MSRP of the VioSCAN LED is $349.95.

See it in action!

The VioROLL LED measures 16.5”L x 6.5”W x 6.75”H / 420 x 161 x 172mm, and weighs 10 lbs./ 4.2kg. The MSRP of the VioROLL LED is $349.95. See it in action!

For more information Contact American DJ:

U.S. Office – Tel: 800-322-6337/+1-323-582-2650 • Web: www.americandj.com • E-mail: info@americandj.com

Are You Throwing Your Money Away on Advertising?

He Says…

I was talking to a DJ buddy of mine the other day and he was crying the blues about how he was getting “ripped off” by one of these big wedding websites he advertises on.  (I won’t mention names, but it starts with a K and ends with ot.)

I’ve spent all this money and got NOTHING in return.  The site doesn’t work,” he said.

Maybe you’ve said the same thing yourself.  Here’s the question I would ask you…

How do you know?

Would you say that Ebay “doesn’t work” just because you put something on Ebay and it doesn’t sell?  Maybe the people on Ebay aren’t looking for what you’re selling.  Or maybe you’re selling used tissues…something nobody would buy anywhere.

It’s important to know what’s not working before you ditch that advertising altogether.

Let’s look at it as a chain with many links connecting of the way from when a potential client first connects with you to when she books.  Typically, the chain goes like this:

Bride sees ad – Ad links to website – Bride sees website – Bride calls you – You meet her – She books

Back to this crappy site that doesn’t work.  Are you sure it doesn’t work?  What if there are thousands of brides looking for your service on this site, but they’re just not clicking your ad?

If you randomly throw up an ad that looks good enough or pick it because your DJs friends think it looks cool (the first sign that your ad is garbage) there’s a good chance it’s not going to work.  If you ad is not relevant and doesn’t call her to action, it will get passed over for the one that does.

Watch the video below to find the weak link in your sales chain.

The point here is that it isn’t always the advertising website that doesn’t work; sometimes it’s you.  There is a process here and you can’t just assume which part is broken.  It’s much easier to blame someone else than to take responsibility.

Maybe it’s time to man up; your ad sucks.

She says…

It could be true that those Big Advertising Websites don’t work anymore.

You’ve got to look at each link in Jeff’s “sales chain” to be sure.  A little research and digging into the facts will tell you the truth in no time.

Examine each link in your chain and ask these questions:

The Advertising Website

• Is my ideal client visiting this website?  How many of them are there? You’re not just looking for brides; you want brides searching for a DJ in your region.
• Is my ad even visible?  How many page views does it get? If she can’t see it, you don’t exist.

Your Ad

• Does your ad stand out from the competition or does it look just like everyone else’s?
• Have you tested your headline and image elsewhere to make sure it gets clicks?
• Is your ad totally benefit-driven, promising the answer your ideal client wants?

Your Website

• Does your website look trustworthy and professional?  Does it speak directly to what the potential client is looking for and grab their attention immediately?
• Do you have a clear “call to action” that compels that visitor to contact you?
• Are there multiple ways a visitor can contact you that are easy to find?  (Telephone, email, contact form, Skype, social media, etc.)

You’ll need some hard data to answer these questions.

1. Grill that advertising website. Ask them how many unique visitors they get per month.  Ask how many “impressions” (a fancy word for page views) each level of advertising gets.  Collect as many stats as you can, and if they can’t or won’t share them, that’s not a good sign.
2. Check your website analytics. What’s that?  You don’t have them?  Get free Google Analytics on your site ASAP.  This will tell you how many people visit your website by clicking on that ad, and you need this vital information to figure out if that advertisement is making you money.
3. Test and measure different ads against each other and optimize for the best results. Change one part of your ad at a time and then measure the difference in results. Make sure you’ve got your analytics set up first so that you can track those results.  Record them for two weeks to a month with your current ad. Then change just ONE element of your ad.  The headline is a great place to start.  Track your results and see if you get more visits from that website or less.

The question isn’t whether advertising on a given website works or not; the real question is why it’s not working for you.

Check your stats, examine each link in your sales chain, and figure out for yourself where the sales chain is broken.  Then fix it!

School “Safe Song” Top 30- And do not plays

Thanks to our many new “Responsible DJ” Members who have recently joined the School Dance Network.

Justin from Akron, OH
Rich Fernndez from Juneau, AK
Marc Garcia from Topeka KS
Dan Bicher from Saukville WI

LW	TW	Artist	Title	Featuring	Prime Cuts #	BPM	Notes
12	1	Lady Gaga	Born This Way		201102	120
4	2	Usher	More		201047	125
1	3	Enrique Iglesias	Tonght	Ludacris	201047	126	Edit Sh*t
2	4	Hold it against Me	Britney Spears		201103	134
3	5	Katy Perry	Firework		201041	124
16	6	Ke$ha	Blow		201102	120
5	7	Far East Movement	Rocketeer	Ryan Tedder	201047	96
7	8	Chris Brown	Yeah 3X		201044	129
6	9	Taio Cruise-Travie MacCoy	Higher		201102	128	Radio Edit
8	10	Bruno Mars	Grenade		201044	111
11	11	Chris Brown	Deuces		201031	74	EDIT
19	12	Keri Hilson	Pretty Girl Rock		201042	80
10	13	Rihanna	What’s My Name		201043	100	H.S Only
23	14	Black Eyed Peas	Just Can’t Get Enough		201106	94
13	15	Nelly	Gone	Kelly Rowland	201101	73
18	16	Edward Maya-Mia Martina	Stereo Love		201013	127
28	17	Katy Perry	ET			105
24	18	Jennifer Lopez	On the Floor	Pitbull	201104	130
25	19	Tinie Tempah	Written in the Stars	Eric Turner	201104	93
29	20	Nicki Minaj	Moment for Life	Drake	201050	98	edit	Drake is a thug and loves swearing
17	21	Nelly	Just a Dream		201032	90
14	22	Pink	Raise Your Glass		201041	122	EDIT
9	23	Flo Rida	Who Dat Girl		201046	125
30	24	Mike Posner	Bow Chicka Wow Wow		201107	74	edit sh*t
20	25	Enrique Iglesias	I Like It	Pitbull	201019	129
15	26	Rihanna	Only Girl (In the world)		201037	126	EDIT
26	27	Pitbull	Hey Baby		201037	128
New	28	Bruno Mars	Lazy Song		201108	87
New	29	Britney Spears	Til The World Ends		201111	133	Small edit
New	30	Lupe Fiasco	The Show Goes on		201045	72
		Recurrents- (Still popular)
21		Black Eyed Peas	The Time (Dirty Bit)		201045	128
22		Mann	Buzzin		201050	104	Edit
27		Will.I.am	Check it Out	Nicki Minaj	201037	130	edit
Off		Kesha	Take It Off		201028	125
Off		Katy Perry	Teenage Dream		201031	120
		KE$HA	We R Who We R		201043	120	Edit
		Mike Posner	Please Don’t Go		201034	121
		Usher	DJ Got Us Fallin In Love	Pitbull	201029	120	Edit
		Bruno Mars	Just the way you are		201030	109
		David Guetta	Memories	F/Kid Cudi	201012	130	Edit
		Ditty-Dirty Money	Coming Home		201047	84	Edit nigga&sh*t
		Nicki Minaj	Right Thru You		201040	81
		Jay Sean	2012 (It ain’t the end of the world”		201032	127
		Michael Jackson	Hold My Hand	Akon	201047	90
		Eminem	Love The Way You Lie	Rihanna	201027	87	Edit
		Taio Cruz	Dynamite		201020	120
		3OH!3	Double Vision- Dance Edit		201035	120
		Sean Kingston	Letting Go (Dutty Love)		201025	92
		Travie McCoy	Need You		201037	74
		Flo Rida	Club can’t Handle Me	D Guetta	201024	128
		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
		Jason Derula	In My Head
		Justin Bieber	Baby	Ludacris
		LaRoux	Bulletproof
		KE$ha	Tic Toc
		Black Eyed Peas	Imma Be
		B.O.B.	Nothing on you	Bruno Mars
		DO NOT PLAYLIST ADDS
		Chris Brown	Look at me Now
		Nicki Minaj	Did it on em		Nasty
		Big Sean	My Last	Chris Brown	Glorifies Alcohol
		Snoop Dog	Wet/Sweat
		Kanye West	H*A*M	Jay-Z
		Rihanna	S&M
		Pink	Fr**kin Perfect
		Twista	Make a Movie	Chris Brown
		Lil Wayne	6 foot 7 foot	Cory Gunz
		Problem	My Ex
		No Hands	Waka Flocka Flame	Rosco Dash
		Birdman	Fire Flame	Lil Wayne
		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

MOBILE BEAT, MARCH 2011 #134 – Now Available Online + Print Hits Mailboxes Soon

MOBILE BEAT – MARCH 2011 – #134

::  GET A GRIP ON YOUR TECHNOLOGY  ::

Inside this latest installment of THE GEAR BOOK: REMIXED you’ll find a lot of practical equipment-related how-to’s and reviews alongside our usual helpings of business and motivational content, as well as DJ and company profiles.

Mike Ficher reminds us that the HUMAN FACTOR will always be a part of the entertainment equation, no matter how technology changes. Helping you “get into gear”… Learn how to RIP YOUR CD LIBRARY EFFICIENTLY and painlessly, with Jim Weisz. Read the cautionary tale of a doctor-turned-patient, as Mike “Dr. Frankenstand” Ryan gets his CABLES CLEANED OUT AND RE-PLUGGED. (Wow, that sounds kinda painful.) Let Stu Chisholm be your guide to SPEAKER LOCATION for a variety of sound applications. Also, Ben Stowe provides a clear explanation of HOW DMX CAN HELP YOU light up your world a little better.

Mark Evans reviews FANTASY ENTERTAINMENT PHOTO BOOTHS, while Mobile Beat founder and former editor-in-chief Bob Lindquist puts some new YAMAHA DSR 115 SPEAKERS to the test.

And don’t miss resident gear guru Jake Feldman’s observations of the latest NAMM trade show. Under the heading of “people behind the gear,” MB Publisher Ryan Burger spoke with ALLAN REISS, CHAUVET’S DJ/CLUB DIVISION PRODUCT MANAGER about how he brings his DJ experience to work with him. Our ProDJFile this issue is on JAKE JACOBSEN OF AFFAIR 2 REMEMBER out of New Jersey, who talks about the importance of training for multi-ops, and of networking organizations (and trade shows like our own MBLV!) for the mobile DJ industry as a whole.

Getting down to business, literally, John Stiernberg continues developing his better management theme with a discussion of HOW TO DELEGATE; Rob Johnson shares a simple equation to help MULTIPLY YOUR PROFITS; Jeffrey Gitomer finds his own e-commerce to be dysfunctional and asks if yours might be too; Jay Levinson lists some ways you can say you care—to your clients; and DJ Coach Paul Kida tries to inspire us to BE INSPIRING to our own circles of influence.

Plus, don’t miss Jay Maxwell’s sweet account of MUSIC AND MEMORIES from a FATHER-DAUGHTER BANQUET. And last but not least, Stu Chisholm’s closing opinion piece should make every DJ who reads it think more seriously about how they communicate.

Flexible DMX – By Ben Stowe, CTS

MB 134 – MARCH 2011 – Lighting is experiencing one of the biggest surges among mobile DJs I’ve seen since the first Derby shipped. The surge is likely driven by the rising popularity of event lighting and new-found affordability of LED and intelligent fixtures. Most interesting to me is that the modern movement is fueled by a technology that is celebrating the 20^th anniversary of its mainstream acceptance. Hard to believe, but DMX was first introduced in 1986, and was widely adopted by 1991. Updates and modifications have been made to the standard, but it remains generally the same. It is the way mobile DJs use DMX, perhaps, that has changed the most in those 20 years.

DMX as a control protocol is simply that: an electronic means to control devices, primarily lighting. Because it is a universal protocol it is compatible with a substantial number of lighting and effect fixtures. This provides a great many options when addressing niche needs for specific effects. And while this begins to demonstrate the flexibility of DMX, it is by no means where the flexibility ends. DMX software has greatly enhanced the creative control show designers can have over their hardware. Tasks that were once time-consuming and arduous can now be reduced to a mouse click.

BY THE NUMBERS

From a technical standpoint, DMX is merely a stream of numbers packaged as a digital signal. A DMX signal consists of 512 channels (referred to as a “universe”), each of which has 256 possible values. A channel actuates a function on the fixture with which it is communicating. The function is as unique as the fixture. For example, a RGB LED par can may use five channels of control. The first channel might represent the intensity of the red diodes with the 256 values (0-255) translating to 0% to 100% intensity. The second and third channels might control the green and blue diodes respectively. The fourth channel might be a master dimming control, and the fifth could be an “effect” channel. For example, channel 5 might have an option for sound activation that overrides the first four channels. However, this barely scratches the surface of what DMX can control. Moving lights often have 16 channels or more, with channels controlling functions such as pan, tilt, shutter, prism, gobos, color, lamp, iris, focus, zoom, fixture reset and many more.

Along with flexibility, DMX also allows for greater precision in programming. Many moving lights actually use two channels for pan and two channels for tilt. These are often called “fine pan” and “fine tilt” or “16-bit” movements as opposed to the “8-bit” movements possible with a single channel. The reason is simply that a single channel offers only 256 values to control up to 540 degrees of movement. An increase in the DMX value of 1 would cause 2.1 degrees of movement, perhaps too course for applications with long projections or shows requiring precise movements. By adding a second channel for “fine” adjustments to the movements we achieve 65,536 steps of movement (less than 0.01 of 540), which can be VERY precise.

Other fixtures, such as fog machines, might have channels to adjust output, timer functions and other unique capabilities. In essence, the application of DMX is only limited by a manufacturer’s imagination and desire to add functionality to their fixtures. The DMX protocol is simply carrying a string of numbers without any regard to what is connected to the controller.

DMX SOFTWARE: THE KEY TO CONTROL

You can see how this becomes a dizzying amount of information to manage if we attempt to do it purely numerically. A DMX universe has 131,072 possible values at any given moment in time, and we may have multiple universes if we have a lot of fixtures. Running DMX simply by the numbers wouldn’t be any fun at all. Hardware controllers essentially operate this way, leaving the burden on the user to remember what each channel and value does. This is manageable as long as one is operating few fixtures with limited complexity desired in programming. I suppose it’s also fine if you are Rain Man or you have the patience of a saint. I am neither Rain Man, nor a saint. Being of average intellect and highly ADHD, I prefer a faster, easier way. DMX software does for us what software is supposed to do: automate and simplify complex tasks. Could you imagine running your computer with levers and numerical values? It used to be done that way. DOS was an incredible advancement in the ease of computer operation but was still burdensome. The GUI (graphical user interface) offered to us by modern operating systems has allowed the average user to become a power user and do more than computer pioneers ever dreamed possible. DMX software has done the same for the world of lighting.

Rather than remembering color mixing values for our fixtures, or channel and value numbers for gobos, we can simply choose colors by clicking on them, or gobos by clicking on a picture of the image we desire. Movements can now be commanded by mouse, or even recalled as presets. Today’s DMX software packages often include automation features that can make hundreds of channel and value changes behind the scenes with a few mouse clicks, while you, the operator, simply program to your heart’s content, blissfully unaware of all the “math” behind the comfortable interface you’re using.

As a nice bonus, most DMX software packages also offer a 3D visualizer to show us a pretty good representation of what our lights are doing without having to actually connect them. This allows for “offline” programming from the comfort of your desk or couch, while your lighting remains in storage. I do recommend, however, running through your show before the gig with the actual equipment to make fine tunings to movements, colors, strobe rates, etc., as these can vary slightly from the 3D.

With all this power at our fingertips the possibilities are only limited by our imaginations and budgets. The flexibility of DMX allows us to squeeze everything possible out of that budget by helping our fixtures reach their full potential. The same fixtures can be elegantly subtle or extremely exciting, not only from event to event, but also from moment to moment within an event. It inspires me every day when I receive photos and videos from my customers showing me what they have done with this newfound flexibility and power.

A world of possibility is waiting, so step into the light!

—–

Ben Stowe’s love of electronics developed while growing up in a TV repair shop. He helms NLFX Professional (www.nlfxpro.com), sharing his passion for technology through company-sponsored educational efforts designed to help end users get the most out of their equipment. He holds a Minnesota electrical license, an InfoComm CTS and numerous other certifications.

How to Delegate – By John Stiernberg

MB 134 – MARCH 2011 – Last time we talked about carving out time to do strategic planning. You may think, “I barely have time to get to the gig, let alone run my business.” Time is your most precious commodity. In business, time can often seem “priceless,” meaning that it is tough to put a value on it. The answer to many mobile entertainers’ time crunch problem is delegation. How do I decide what to delegate and what to do myself? How can I justify paying other people for stuff that I do routinely? Can I afford to hire help? This article addresses these issues and recommends three action tips for success.

DELEGATION DEFINED

The ability to delegate is a business skill and a critical success factor for any business that wants to grow. Many business owners and managers think the word delegation means “telling other people to do my work for me.” Wrong!

Delegation is an executive skill. It is the TRANSFER OF AUTHORITY to do something, not just bossing someone around. When you ask your accountant to prepare an income statement or tax return, you are transferring the authority to complete the paperwork, subject to your final approval. Of course you pay the accountant’s fee, and rely on his or her expertise in terms of accuracy, legality, timeliness, and cost effectiveness for you. In addition to finance, other delegation opportunities include:

• Sound, lights, and technical production (tech crew)
• Sales (agent)
• Marketing and promotion (publicist, webmaster, street team)
• Vehicle maintenance (service technician)
• Computer system upgrades and maintenance (computer tech, “Geek Squad”)
• Order lunch, pick up dry cleaning, moral support (personal assistant)

WHY DON’T YOU DELEGATE MORE?

Many mobile entertainers wait to delegate until they make too many mistakes and get burnt out on doing tasks that they don’t like. It’s easy to procrastinate or rationalize why not to delegate. Here are the top three myths or excuses:

Myth #1: I can’t afford to pay anyone other than myself. I’m still building the business. Maybe when we make more money I’ll be able to hire help.

Reality #1: This may be true for start-up one-person businesses, but only to a point. Your time as a mobile entertainer should be spent on booking, promoting, and performing, not on logistics, clerical work, and administrative tasks.

Myth #2: I’m the only one that can do the work. No one else shares my level of passion, ability, and commitment for my business.

Reality #2: Hmmm…Sorry to hear that you are the only one that believes in you and shares your vision. That’s a very limited view of your own potential. And I have yet to meet an entertainer of any kind that was equally good at performing, van repair, and balancing a checkbook (for example). There are always tasks that other people can do better than you can. And there are always people who are willing to work as team members to achieve a larger goal, like business success.

Myth #3: I need to keep my fingers on the pulse of my business. Doing everything myself keeps me in control.

Reality #3: There are ways to stay involved without having to do it all alone. Whether you are the sole proprietor who is a performer or a manager in a multi-rig firm, there is too much for one person to do in a growing business. The role of an owner/manager includes planning, organizing, motivating, and controlling (the Four Functions of Management). Management does not include doing other people’s jobs for them. As the business gets bigger and more complex, management itself becomes a full-time job.

HOW TO DECIDE WHAT TO DELEGATE

For any mobile entertainment business, there are some jobs that can’t be delegated, especially the critically important stuff like music programming and performing. Almost everything else can be delegated to your team. Here are three suggestions for deciding what to delegate.

• Action Tip 1. MAKE A LIST of all the tasks associated with running your business. These will end up fitting into categories such as 1) sales, 2) marketing, 3) finance, 4) operations, 5) technical services and production, and 6) performing.

• Action Tip 2. DECIDE WHICH CATEGORY IS THE BEST FIT with your personal expertise. Rule of thumb: The activities that you are the best at add to your energy, rather than deplete it. You can’t wait to get up in the morning to do them. These are the activities to hold onto. Delegate the rest.

• Action Tip 3: WRITE DOWN A DELEGATION PLAN. Make a list of the tasks that are the natural ones to delegate first. An Excel spreadsheet is a handy tool for such a list. Create columns for 1) What (each itemized task), 2) Who (candidates for doing the work), 3) How Much (estimated costs), 4) When (deadline to delegate), and Notes (any additional details that you want to capture for planning purposes).

HERE’S THE POINT…

Entrepreneurs—especially those in creative fields like mobile entertainment—need to finetune their delegation skills. It’s too easy to fall into the “do it all” trap, squandering your time and expertise.

Systematic implementation of the Action Tips is important: 1) list the tasks, 2) organize tasks by category and decide which ones to keep, and 3) draft a delegation plan with costs and time frames.

Next issue, we’ll talk in detail about this month’s Action Tip #2: deciding which roles and functions in your business are best for you and which ones to delegate or hire out. In the meantime, best wishes for success in mobile entertainment in 2011!

John Stiernberg is founder and principal consultant with the business development firm Stiernberg Consulting. John has over 25 years experience in the music and entertainment technology field, and currently works with audio manufacturers and others on strategic planning and market development. His book Succeeding In Music: Business Chops for Performers and Songwriters is published by Hal Leonard Books. Contact John via e-mail at john@stiernberg.com, or find him on LinkedIn, Plaxo, and Facebook. Follow him at http://twitter.com/JohnStiernberg.

The Father-Daughter Banquet – By Jay Maxwell

MB 134 – MARCH 2011 – The note read, “I love you Daddy and I always will be your little princess.” It was Valentine’s weekend and Rebecca, my fourteen-year-old daughter, and I were at the Father/Daughter banquet at our church. The ticket for the event had a photo of a barefoot girl standing on her tiptoes atop her father’s shoes. The photo, showing only their feet, had the caption, “come create a memory.” There was no doubt in my mind that many memories would be made tonight not only for my daughter and me, but also for all the fathers and daughters who were gathered in the social hall that evening. The room was decorated in only three colors–red, pink, and white–the colors of Valentine’s Day. The dress for the occasion was semi-formal with jacket preferred for the dads. All daughters from two-years-old to twelfth grade were invited. My daughter thought that most girls there would be preschoolers or elementary age. She was relieved when she saw many girls her age and older arriving to enjoy the banquet.

After getting their picture taken, fathers and daughters were given a sheet of paper, with one pink and one purple rectangular space, to write a note to each other with the crayons on the table. Rebecca wrote her note first, and as I read the precious phrase, “I always will be your little princess,” I could barely hold back my tears of joy as I thought back to the time in her life when her world revolved around princesses. Though she was now in her teen years, that note held her precious promise to me. I felt like a king.

Several weeks before the banquet, the committee that was in charge of this banquet asked me to DJ the event. Naturally I was delighted to volunteer my talent to this function, but at the same time wanted to spend the evening with Rebecca. The lady in charge assured me that this would be a simple event and said that my primary job was to provide background music during the arrival of guests and during dinner with a few special songs played after the special reading that the pastor would do later in the program. This seemed easy enough and a fair compromise with “working” the event and spending quality time with my daughter. Earlier in the week I set out to compile a list of songs that had a father-daughter message. Then I laid those tracks down in the order they were to be played during the event. Knowing that the entire evening would only last about two hours, it was easy to create a list of songs that were meaningful for the occasion.

SUITABLE SONGS

Many of the songs on the list were songs that had been requested at countless wedding for the bride to dance with her father. However, I left out some songs on the Bride-Father list because they were too specific in their reference to the wedding day itself. For example, “Butterfly Kisses,” by Bob Carlisle, has become a time-honored father-daughter dance for a wedding since it chronicles the bride’s days with her father. The pinnacle of the song is when the girl is about to “change her name today” as her daddy walks her down the aisle. It’s a great song, but not for this audience, for whom wedding day is many years down the road.

The songs that made the list are a mixture of Top 40, country, and Christian tunes. Topping the list is a heartfelt tune by one of the most well-known Christian artists around today, Steven Curtis Chapman’s “Cinderella.” Though similar in many ways to “Butterfly Kisses,” it focuses less on the wedding aspect and more on the imagery of dancing with a little princess. It was played during the dinner hour and was also one of the slow songs played for the short dance portion of the evening. “Daddy’s Little Girl” is over half a century old, but the lyrics are timeless no matter who sings it. Though Al Martino and the Mills Brothers both had big hits with the song, newer versions by Michael Buble or Michael Bolton make it sound less dated. The real treasure for me was discovering the song, “King of the World” by Point of Grace, which was truly perfect for the evening. The verses of this one look at the father-daughter relationship from what seams like a mother’s perspective, while the chorus is the little girl talking about her daddy. (More on this special song below.) Whether or not you are a fan of contemporary Christian music, you are probably familiar with this group, since they’ve been selling millions of albums for nearly twenty years. But perhaps, like me, you hadn’t heard about this song.

MAKING PRECIOUS MEMORIES

After the dinner, the pastor invited every girl to come down and sit while he read a story. It was amazing to see over a hundred girls sitting on the floor while he read from a “picture book” titled “Dance Me, Daddy” which was based on the chorus of “King of the World.” It was a short reading and I was prepared for what was planned next. As soon as he finished, he invited all the fathers to come forward and join their daughters to dance at least one dance for the evening. After pressing the play button to start the Point of Grace song, I then took my daughter by the hand to lead her to the dance floor. We listened and swayed to the lyrics that say if the girl is the princess, then daddy is the king of the world. Those moments on the dance floor with my daughter, as I listened to those words, will be treasured forever.

Glancing around, I noticed that not a single father was sitting down. Every dad there was dancing with his daughter. Some men were blessed to be dancing with more than one daughter, some were holding their daughter in their arms, while a few had their daughter standing on their shoes just like the picture on our ticket. As the song ended, I kissed my daughter on the forehead and told her what I tell her each night: “I love you.”

The whole point of the evening was to create memories, not to dance. However, the plan was to have two more dances after the Point of Grace song. The two choices were polar opposites of each other. “Cinderella” followed the special song and almost every father and daughter remained on the dance floor. I too took another spin on the social hall’s makeshift dance floor with Rebecca. Then we closed it out with a fun (perhaps cheesy) rendition of “The Hokey Pokey.” For nearly thirty years as a mobile DJ almost every event has been focused on keeping people energized, moving, and spinning the entire time. So it was a pleasant change of pace to simply create memories by playing the songs mentioned here during dinner, and a select few for a dance or two afterwards. My dream is that this event will not be the last time that my daughter asks me to “play something we can dance to, Daddy.”

Rank	Song Title	Artist
1	Cinderella	Steven Curtis Chapman
2	Daddy’s Little Girl	Michael Buble
3	King of the World	Point of Grace
4	My Little Girl	Tim McGraw
5	My Girl	Temptations
6	Father and Daughter	Paul Simon
7	Unforgettable	Nat King Cole & Natalie Cole
8	Somewhere in the World	Wayne Watson
9	My Wish	Rascal Flatts
10	Baby Girl	Will Hoge

For Jay’s complete 30-song list, check out Mobile Beat’s March 2011 issue.

——

Mobile Beat’s resident musicologist since 1992 (in every issue since #11), Jay Maxwell runs the multi-unit, multi-talent entertainment company, Jay Maxwell’s Music by Request, LLC, in Charleston, South Carolina. He is also a professor of Business at Charleston Southern University. His passion for detail and continuous research of clients’ requests can be found not only in this column, but also in his annually updated music guide, Play Something We Can Dance To.

Who can “out thug” who? (Schools Top 30 safe songs)

I gotta laugh, cause it seems like a game of who can “out-thug” who: 50Cent, Drake, Lil Wayne, or Kanye West. Who can “out-nasty” who, who can cross over the line and be the baddest guy in rap music. Do you think it would be possible for any of them to create a single song that did not have a a healthy dose of the “N” word, “F” bomb and sh*t.  Not likely to happen, because then the other musical thugs win!

Here’s this weeks Top 30 Safe Songs and the DO NOT PLAY list

LW	TW	Artist	Title	Featuring	Prime Cuts #	BPM	Notes
1	1	Enrique Iglesias	Tonght	Ludacris	201047	126	Edit Sh*t
3	2	Hold it against Me	Britney Spears		201103	134
2	3	Katy Perry	Firework		201041	124
9	4	Usher	More		201047	125
4	5	Far East Movement	Rocketeer	Ryan Tedder	201047	96
11	6	Taio Cruise-Travie MacCoy	Higher		201102	128	Radio Edit
5	7	Chris Brown	Yeah 3X		201044	129
6	8	Bruno Mars	Grenade		201044	111
13	9	Flo Rida	Who Dat Girl		201046	125
7	10	Rihanna	What’s My Name		201043	100	H.S Only
8	11	Chris Brown	Deuces		201031	74	EDIT
18	12	Lady Gaga	Born This Way		201102	120
17	13	Nelly	Gone	Kelly Rowland	201101	73
10	14	Pink	Raise Your Glass		201041	122	EDIT
12	15	Rihanna	Only Girl (In the world)		201037	126	EDIT
22	16	Ke$ha	Blow		201102	120
16	17	Nelly	Just a Dream		201032	90
20	18	Edward Maya-Mia Martina	Stereo Love		201013	127
23	19	Keri Hilson	Pretty Girl Rock		201042	80
15	20	Enrique Iglesias	I Like It	Pitbull	201019	129
14	21	Black Eyed Peas	The Time (Dirty Bit)		201045	128
19	22	Mann	Buzzin		201050	104	Edit
29	23	Black Eyed Peas	Just Can’t Get Enough		201106	94
28	24	Jennifer Lopez	On the Floor	Pitbull	201104	130
30	25	Tinie Tempah	Written in the Stars	Eric Turner	201104	93
21	26	Pitbull	Hey Baby		201037	128
24	27	Will.I.am	Check it Out	Nicki Minaj	201037	130	edit
New	28	Katy Perry	ET			105
New	29	Nicki Minaj	Moment for Life	Drake	201050	98	edit
New	30	Mike Posner	Bow Chicka Wow Wow		201107	74	edit sh*t
		Recurrents- (Still popular)
26	Off	Kesha	Take It Off		201028	125
27	Off	Katy Perry	Teenage Dream		201031	120
		KE$HA	We R Who We R		201043	120	Edit
		Mike Posner	Please Don’t Go		201034	121
		Usher	DJ Got Us Fallin In Love	Pitbull	201029	120	Edit
		Bruno Mars	Just the way you are		201030	109
		David Guetta	Memories	F/Kid Cudi	201012	130	Edit
		Ditty-Dirty Money	Coming Home		201047	84	Edit nigga&sh*t
		Nicki Minaj	Right Thru You		201040	81
		Jay Sean	2012 (It ain’t the end of the world”		201032	127
		Michael Jackson	Hold My Hand	Akon	201047	90
		Eminem	Love The Way You Lie	Rihanna	201027	87	Edit
		Taio Cruz	Dynamite		201020	120
		3OH!3	Double Vision- Dance Edit		201035	120
		Sean Kingston	Letting Go (Dutty Love)		201025	92
		Travie McCoy	Need You		201037	74
		Flo Rida	Club can’t Handle Me	D Guetta	201024	128
		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
		Jason Derula	In My Head
		Justin Bieber	Baby	Ludacris
		LaRoux	Bulletproof
		KE$ha	Tic Toc
		Black Eyed Peas	Imma Be
		B.O.B.	Nothing on you	Bruno Mars
		DO NOT PLAYLIST ADDS
		Snoop Dog	Wet/Sweat
		Kanye West	H*A*M	Jay-Z
		Rihanna	S&M
		Pink	Fr**kin Perfect
		Twista	Make a Movie	Chris Brown
		Lil Wayne	6 foot 7 foot	Cory Gunz
		Problem	My Ex
		No Hands	Waka Flocka Flame	Rosco Dash
		Birdman	Fire Flame	Lil Wayne
		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
		Drake	Fancy
		Richard Vission/Static Revenge	I Like That	Luciana
		Far East Movement	Like a G6
		Glasses Malone	I Get Doe
		Soulja Boy	Pretty Boy Swag
		Kanye West	Power

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