To Serve and Protect…Your Gear

Our gear is the tool that allows us to perform and do what we love, and most of us care for it accordingly. Still, we wonder why it needs to be replaced seemingly every couple of years, even though we think we are being extra careful and cautious. And it only takes once, however, for that mistake to happen-just one hurried load-out that means hundreds of dollars of repair expense.On the Case
The first step to properly protecting your investment, whether it’s a simple piece or the most important aspect of your rig, is to properly guard it from the rigors of the road. Protecting your gear from the road means storing and transporting it in some sort of case or bag. I guarantee you that no professional audio/video company will ever transport their hardware (other than speaker cabinets) without some sort of additional casing. It not only shields the gear from bumps, nicks, and in some cases drops.
There are many casing options available at reasonable prices. Amongst most mobile DJs, the traditional choice has been carpeted cases. Most find that they do less damage to seats in passenger vehicles and that they provide adequate protection. Carpeted cases are also often beneficial to those in colder climates, as the carpet on the exterior of the case can provide some insulation. Years of heavy use, however, will make most carpeted cases look shabby and worn. The carpet will then look like your old letterman jacket with a few years’ accumulation of fuzz.
More recently, the dip in price in flight-style cases (smooth sided, with heavy-duty panels) has made them more attractive financially as well as visibly. These cases have been the standard among touring production companies for decades. Everyone from TV to exhibition companies use this style of case, due their durability, their easy load-ability with forklifts, and also their ability to be tagged for easy identification. Flight cases-unlike carpeted cases-can be painted with stencils to ensure that contents are not lost and can be easily discernable from similar cases.
As I already hinted, one downside of flight-style cases is that they are typically a little more expensive than carpeted cases. Although flight cases will wear and become scuffed, they tend to do so at a less rapid pace then carpet cases deteriorate, meaning the added investment will equal more usable time.
Another style available for consideration is the molded case. These heavy-duty plastic cases tend to come in much smaller sizes than either carpeted of flight style, but the protection offered is still pretty good. Molded cases gained their popularity, ironically, in the airline industry, as they are lighter than flight-style cases, therefore allowing more cases to be loaded. A slight downside of molded cases is their inability to take as much pressure as either flight or carpeted cases. For normal DJ uses, though, they work great for consoles, mixers, and amplifiers.

Bad Weather Warning
An often overlooked factor in protection among mobile entertainers is the effect that weather has on gear. For anything that has any sort of microchip inside (controllers, computers, CD players, some mixers), extreme cold or heat is not advisable. Most other types of gear, including lighting, and PA equipment (amplifiers, speakers, mics, etc.) also have low tolerances to both hot and cold temperatures; not properly storing or transporting your gear in a climate-controlled environment can lead to early failure due to condensation or silicon-melting heat. Almost everywhere in the country has, at certain points in the year, extreme heat or cold that is responsible for gear failure, or at least temporary downtime.
It is advisable to keep your sensitive gear in a climate controlled location that does not reach less than freezing or over 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Also important are fans and cooling devices when performing outdoor events in extreme heat (not only for your equipment but also for your most important piece of gear: yourself).

Appearance Ticket
There is nothing worse than having an event at an upscale venue and showing up with shabby equipment. Even with careful care of your gear, wear will become evident after a few years. Options such as patching (for carpeted cabinets) or painting (for textured cabinets) may sustain your equipment for a little while longer. Painting is relatively easy and may be as simple as removing a grille and spraying or touching up scuffed corners. I would recommend covering every internal component, no matter if it is in the spraying area or not, with plastic or newspaper. Paint splatters can be not only annoying but damaging to gear functionality when in an undesired location.
When painting and patching aren’t enough, spray-on bed liner (the kind seen on vehicles) is a valid choice. Cases and speaker cabinets are perfect candidates for this procedure, as it adds about 1/4″ inch of textured protection to the outside of a surface. Besides providing a classy and sparkling finish to your gear, spray-on bed liner doesn’t wear and doesn’t affect sound quality when used on speakers. (See the Mobile Beat Gear Book, issue #111, December 2007, for an article detailing this process.)
And don’t forget the original purpose of spray-on bed liner. For those with trucks or vans, spray-on bed liner wards off dings and scrapes to your box and bed paint from metal corners and sharp edges. If you want any sort of resale value from your heavily used touring vehicle, spray-on bed liner is the way to go.

Something Smells Funny in Here
Years of abuse on the road not only leaves scuffs and scars on equipment, it also may leave an unpleasant odor. Entertainers who use the same rigs in bars that they use for weddings in non-smoking venues may not notice the odor of cigarettes due to familiarity, but non-smoking guests do. Some may even change their perception of your services if they have a close table or if they venture over to request and are offended by the aroma of your equipment (or you!).
One of the most important thins to remember, especially when masking cigarette smoke odor, is not overdoing the masking smell. Too much “pine-tree perfume” could make you and your area of the room smell like a streetwalker. A subtly smelling product not normally used in the entertainment market is Febreeze. It can be applied to almost anything, including cases, curtains, skirts, vehicles, and speaker cabinets. After rentals at frat houses, Febreeze is often the only thing that keeps me from throwing away perfectly good speakers that end up smelling like the inside of a keg.
Cabinets and cases covered in carpet can also develop lint and debris that can be hard to get off without damaging the carpet. For this, I recommend either a heavy duty lint roller or a vacuum cleaner with a hand brush attachment. Doing this every weekend, especially with rental and outdoor gear, greatly enhances the visual appearance of your gear to potential renters or audio-visual clients.

Concluding Arguments
Think about it: Your gear is the second biggest investment that you’ll make as an entertainer. Behind music, nothing is more expensive-and important-than quality equipment. Long-term reliability is something that ultimately cannot be bought, but can only be achieved through taking care of your investments.
Emotional attachment is also a big reason to take care of your equipment. I have pieces of gear that I absolutely love, like my computer rack, which I will do all that I can to make sure it is in top working order. I am sure I could get by without it, but after so many events it’s become like a good luck charm-so why mess with success?
Although some of these tips may seem a bit basic, they are cost and stress-saving and we all need a reminder now and then. Have you gotten a bit lax in your maintenance routine? Following these tips will definitely save you some headaches down the road. And even in the here-and-now, for a long string of back-to-back events you need to be at your best-and that includes your well-groomed equipment.
Jake Feldman is Mobile Beat’s Gearbook Coordinator and Equipment Manager for BC Productions in Des Moines, Iowa.

The DJ Industry’s Perfect Storm by Michael Edwards

Stormy weather…With the following report, I didn’t set out to write a foreboding “doom & gloom” downer predicting the end of the DJ world as we know it! Instead, I simply hope to increase awareness and start widespread discussion about the impact of the combined circumstances that are currently hitting the DJ industry hard and simultaneously, like so-called “the perfect storm.” These elements are the economy, iPod® technology and the Internet.The Economy: “Let’s just have a small party at home.”
In January 2008, NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams reported that “Economic recession may be upon us,” citing factors like rising unemployment, which had recently hit 5%; oil prices that topped $100 a barrel for the first time ever; a weak dollar worldwide; a “down” stock market; and an all-time high number of home mortgage foreclosures creating a ripple effect that saw home prices plunging throughout the real estate market. The overall result was an increasing economic caution across America. The year 2007 saw the loss of 49,000 construction jobs, 31,000 manufacturing jobs and 24,000 retail jobs, according to news report. Holiday hiring last December was termed “anemic.” The general public is not spending like they used to because they’re simply afraid!
To the DJ industry, this means two things: There will be fewer functions planned and less money being spent on those events that are held. If you’re a DJ in the running for any type of gig, anywhere, the competition will be much greater and the DJ price war far more aggressive than ever before. That’s only the first part of the perfect storm…

iPod Technology: “Everyone’s a DJ”
A lot has been written about the impact of the iPod and other MP3 players on the DJ industry. I was one of the majority of DJs who didn’t raise a hand when we were all asked “How many here are worried about being replaced by iPods at weddings” at a Mobile Beat DJ convention in Las Vegas. Very few were worried because we all understand the vital role a pro DJ actually plays in the success of a wedding reception, and that fact has not changed at all. What HAS changed over the last 3 years is the public’s perception of the importance of the DJ’s role.
The average person’s image of a DJ is now much lower thanks to continual damage done by countless amateur DJs now being used at so many functions. Our value to potential clients and the importance of our service, beyond just the music, is also being distorted by infuriating, ill-informed articles on major wedding websites and in magazine articles being written by truly clueless wedding “experts.” Some are actually now recommending iPods as a viable alternative to a DJ at a wedding!!
“What could be easier?” wrote Lori Leibovich, the editor of IndieBride.com, a Web site for brides. “You bring it, you program it, it sounds great. It doesn’t surprise me at all that more people are doing it.” In an internet article entitled “Would You Trust an iPod to DJ Your Wedding,” by Jacqui Cheng, summed up her article like this: “…it seems like the trend of young people (particularly young professionals and techies such as ourselves, who likely already have access to iPods and tons of digital music) using iPods and other self-operated technologies to provide music for the greatest day of your life will only continue to grow. I know that if I were to ever have a wedding, I would definitely opt the money-saving route and throw together my own playlist on an iPod (or better yet, on my laptop and more easily be able to entertain requests) without hesitation.”
Reader comments were posted on the subject and these two stuck out: “Our caterer told us that the iPod as replacement for a DJ is now super-common.” And, “Back in the day, portrait painters were an important field, with lots of work to be had. Now, we have cameras. Manufacturers of buggy whips used to be busy, with so many horses and buggies and all. Now, we have cars. See a pattern?”
Kathleen Murray, senior editor for online wedding publisher TheKnot.com from New York wrote: “Many of our brides and grooms are catching on to this trend. It also gives them the chance to put their own personal spin on it. They can have so much fun putting together the ultimate play list, getting suggestions from friends and family members.”
Do you advertise on TheKnot.com like I do? I wonder what national photographer associations would do if the very magazines they advertised in told brides to stick with disposable cameras to save a buck?
Yet still, the unassuming and innocent-looking iPod is just a small part of the “perfect storm”…

The Internet: “Why don’t you all just post your prices?”
What may be the final component to our “perfect storm” of converging factors for the climate change of the DJ industry is the way most clients now find us, contact us and book us: the Internet. Clients now have millions of DJs to choose from in long scrolling lists that make us all look pretty much the same. In the minds of many clients, a DJ is a DJ. And when incorrectly perceived and lumped together as being basically all the same “product” (just someone standing there pushing the play button on a laptop or iPod) then the cheapest price “must” be my best choice.
We must also “thank” the internet for the ease and availability of illegal music file sharing and downloading. I’ve spent well over $25,000 for my music collection since going full time in 1979. Where becoming a DJ once required a large initial expenditure, it’s now a career choice available “free” to anyone with a $300 iPod and a cheap pair of powered speakers, who’s willing to ignore copyright laws and download an entire collection.
Annoyed clients ask why we don’t have our prices posted on our website…so they can instantly rule out the “overpriced” DJs right away. The days of personal contact and developing a rapport with every potential client are dwindling. If you answer email pricing inquiries that haven’t left you a contact phone number, a location or any details by politely thanking them and suggesting that they call you to discuss their function and their entertainment needs in detail, you may have already learned: That’s not what they want to hear. They often don’t even reply to our response at all; they’ve glanced at our website, they don’t want to talk to us for fear of a “sales pitch,” and they don’t want to learn about our services since “all DJs are alike,”-they just want the price. Makes you wonder: Just what is the price…of progress?

Umbrella?
What can we do to navigate through the torrent of combined elements that make up this “perfect storm” battering the DJ world? Perhaps the economy will improve with a new administration in Washington next year. Maybe enough bad iPod weddings will open the public’s eyes to that ridiculous non-option (like the excellent example now offered on the ADJA website-Dr. Drax: Please send a copy to The Knot to help educate their “experts” before they dispense any more advice). Perhaps, after enough web-based mistaken, impersonal decisions on entertainment, the personal services that quality DJs try to offer clients will be valued once again and make a comeback. And by the way, maybe the soaring price of gasoline will force us to find new modes of transportation? Anyone need a buggy whip?

Michael Edwards is the owner of AllStar Entertainment, a licensed, bonded musical entertainment agency in Andover, MA. Full-time since 1979, Mike is one of 20 AllStar DJs at his agency. A member of the Mobile Beat Advisory Board and the American Disc Jockey Association, Michael’s company was recently voted “Best of Boston” wedding DJs in The Knot Magazine’s “Best of Weddings 2007.” Mike can be contacted at 978-470-4700, BostonsBestDJs@aol.com. Check out the agency at www.getadj.com

Gear Does Not Equal Game by Mike Ficher

Gear is exciting. Gear is sexy. Gear is cool. Gear is the hot sports car on the road of mobile entertainment. Always the buzz at tradeshows and on chat boards, gear, in the non-contextual words of Gordon Gecko of Wall Street fame, is good.
But, if a mobile entertainer relies solely on gear to impress clients, and thus to make a living, well, the stocks of his or her company will probably not be inclining “upward and to the right.” And, that would not make Gordon a happy investor.The Way You Do the Things You Do
Think about all the entertainment and presentations where gear is a minor or non-existent part of the equation:
Improv players perform and entertain with no props and the art appears quite popular, with almost every major city-and many smaller and mid-sized regions-boasting a professional troupe or two or three.
Mimes use space, movement and the viewer’s imagination to create worlds and convey emotions.
Stand-up comedians rely on their routines, their wit, their observations of current events and human nature and their awareness to entertain.
Dancers engage their practice, their passion and their artistic and athletic skill to entertain friends, audiences and, occasionally, to impress judges.
Public speakers may be armed with PowerPoint slides and laser pointers, but their success will ultimately be judged on their ability to verbally communicate the goals of the presentation.
So what do mobile entertainers really count on to succeed at an event?

Kaleidoscope Eyes
Think about how many times someone said to you after a gig, “That was the coolest sound system ever!” Maybe there were a few, and those were probably the same dudes in high school who leaned over the hood of the exposed engine and muttered, “That is the most rad chrome thing I’ve ever seen!”
Now, think about how many times someone said to you after a gig, “Wow, what a great time!” or “We danced all night” or “That was the best party ever!”
No comparison? Yeah, thought so.
This discussion is by no means intended to belittle the value of gear. Rather, the purpose is to frame a perspective about gear in relation to the goals of the event and an entertainer’s contribution to the success of the gig. Gear is a means to an end, not the end in itself. Gear is the “support staff,” under your direction, that facilitates the achievement of the goals of most events: a memorable, engaging, fulfilling time for all, which meets or exceeds the expectations of the event planner or audience.

Mr. Roboto?
Think about the iPod®. Certainly, it’s a revolutionary unit, one that has fundamentally changed the way consumers and even entertainers play audio, particularly music. Yet, the unit cannot function without a human inputting songs and programming some kind of play list. And, at a party, the mobile DJ makes those decisions.
As a pro DJ, you work hard to be prepared and to be aware of the situation-to be able to “read the crowd.” So, after you’ve successfully played the right song at the right time…do most guests care that it was played on an iPod, CD, MiniDisc, cassette, DAT or LP? No. They care (mostly subconsciously, while they dance the night away) that you hit the mark, and that the sound was clean, clear and at a suitable volume.

What You Need
What should entertainers expect from their equipment? First and foremost, gear should be reliable, attractive, durable and responsive. Do you need the latest and greatest? Not necessarily. The utmost consideration should be reliability measured with excellent quality. Does your system function with plug-and-play capability at each event to support optimal time from arrival and set-up to performance? Can you modify the sound, if necessary, to accommodate specific room acoustics? Will your system fit comfortably in any setting?
A significant number of entertainers in the industry continue to function just fine with CDs and MiniDiscs. Yes, benefits exist for MP3s and computer-based music libraries-efficiency, storage capacity, access-but through experience and organization, most CD-based entertainers can find songs nearly as fast as MP3-based entertainers employing a search function. And, truth be told, mobile audio equipment is still a tad more reliable than a laptop.
Your performance tools, while functional and efficient, should be attractive and pleasing to the audience. Gear should not detract from the presentation of an event. Nor should it be a time hog for an entertainer. Time, as Gordon would concede, is money.
The exposed crates of the days of primarily vinyl certainly did nothing to enhance the appearance of the entertainer. Technology now certainly allows an entertainer to present a more compact, attractive, photo-friendly presence.
Gear should be able to weather the constant challenge of transport. Housing equipment in protective containers will extend its life and support an attractive appearance. Yeah, you might invest a little more time at each event, but the mobile business does not treat kindly sensitive equipment that is unprotected.
Finally, gear should be responsive to the specific needs of the entertainer. If you teach dance, do you need to employ a remote to start selections from the floor? Can you quickly access drops and sound bytes to supplement raffles, giveaways, comic bits and more? Will your system support multiple microphone connections, for karaoke or sound reinforcement, for example? The list of possible applications goes on and on…Fill in your own blank.

It’s Up to You…
If all the areas mentioned here are functioning well, the stage is now set for your talent to shine through, and in turn for the event to be a true sensation.
So, yes, gear is critical, gear is eye candy, gear is sexy. But, gear is only as good as the entertainer pushing the buttons. And, in the long run, an entertainer will certainly be judged on the level of his or her performance and not necessarily on equipment quality. Just ask Gordon.
Mobile DJ, dance instructor, emcee, voice actor, writer, teacher, and improv comedian, Mike Ficher owns and operates Dance Express, based in Bend, Oregon. A three-time presenter and host at Mobile Beat conventions, Mike has been expanding the public’s definition of mobile entertainer since 1986.