Weddings If I Was A Wedding DJ
- Thread starter ahoustondj
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Couple things I will say in reply. Pulling in the speakers closer will make for an ugly congested look. First thing that catches your eye will be two black boxes in the middle, which would detract from the beauty of the trees.. Putting the speakers on the outside will break up that ugly outline. The placement of the Trees do not affect the sound. The speakers/sound take priority for the event. People come to have a good time and dance not sit and stare at a Christmas tree. All this can be conveyed without getting into a battle or confrontation.
Both!The Hyatt uses my Entartainment agency and The entertainment Agency recommends the Hyatt. The people at the Hyatt like my sound because they will tell me that most of the DJs who come there are messy and sound like crap. One Guy tried to use one speaker and it was very blaring.
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I just told you a few posts up that I did. Last year I pushed the trees farther out because I used lights there for the first time and I wanted the lights closer to the Dance Floor. See the pics here.
Right Side
Left Side 
That stage was 25' wide.
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That is ridiculous. Last I looked there was not a vote to see where things were going to be.
Some comments above in red. Moving a table closer to your booth and the speaker farther out to take the table's place equals the same footprint. People just get caught up in the empty space and feel the need to jam everything in there. Another thing is, the DJ Booth/Table does not have to be in the middle of the two speakers. It can be anywhere as long as you can see what is going on. That is why they make cables in different lengths.
"ahoustondj"s comments are in red. My original comments are in black.
Every setup is a compromise. While the "total floor area" may be the same...the "visual footprint" of the gear varies considerably from one setup to another.
The chair on the left side of the picture was touching the buffet tables that ran the length of that wall...to the cake table. For the photographs, it was preferable to keep the PA gear away from the cake table. The right hand wall curved into the kitchen hallway about 5ft past the end of the tables. The remaining walls were accounted for with the bar, doors for restrooms, and exterior doors.
By setting up in this corner as shown, I was able to minimize the interference with other vendors and take into account the desires of the clients by keeping the PA equipment out of the background of some photos.
It would not be my first choice of a setup or venue arrangement either. However, by understanding my gear in particular and sound in general, I was still able to produce lemon-aid.
The space behind the tables was not congested or difficult to work with in any way. Perhaps you meant something besides physical congestion.
The cross firing arrangement of the the tops minimizes comb filtering and crosstalk interference between the two cabinets. Whenever tops are placed closer than about 22ft (2 wavelengths at 100Hz), this arrangement is preferable to any other that I have tested. In a small space (needing two tops only), this is certainly a superior arrangement to speakers on either side of an 8ft table.
In terms of absolute space, I agree with you. In terms of "visual footprint" or "perceived space" I disagree. Tripod legs often encourage people to give them a "wide birth" in order to avoid the tripping hazard. This makes tripods effectively larger when placed where people will be walking than when placed behind some barrier.
Every setup is a compromise. While the "total floor area" may be the same...the "visual footprint" of the gear varies considerably from one setup to another.
The chair on the left side of the picture was touching the buffet tables that ran the length of that wall...to the cake table. For the photographs, it was preferable to keep the PA gear away from the cake table. The right hand wall curved into the kitchen hallway about 5ft past the end of the tables. The remaining walls were accounted for with the bar, doors for restrooms, and exterior doors.
By setting up in this corner as shown, I was able to minimize the interference with other vendors and take into account the desires of the clients by keeping the PA equipment out of the background of some photos.
It would not be my first choice of a setup or venue arrangement either. However, by understanding my gear in particular and sound in general, I was still able to produce lemon-aid.
The space behind the tables was not congested or difficult to work with in any way. Perhaps you meant something besides physical congestion.
The cross firing arrangement of the the tops minimizes comb filtering and crosstalk interference between the two cabinets. Whenever tops are placed closer than about 22ft (2 wavelengths at 100Hz), this arrangement is preferable to any other that I have tested. In a small space (needing two tops only), this is certainly a superior arrangement to speakers on either side of an 8ft table.
In terms of absolute space, I agree with you. In terms of "visual footprint" or "perceived space" I disagree. Tripod legs often encourage people to give them a "wide birth" in order to avoid the tripping hazard. This makes tripods effectively larger when placed where people will be walking than when placed behind some barrier.
Thanks for posting the pic. I would have dragged both trees nearer to the middle and put the Tripods/speakers on the outside and towards the wall instead of up front.. It would have lent itself to a cleaner look. Where the tripods are in your pics presents a tripping hazard. Sure it did not happen but just saying. This is another one of the reasons i use lighting stands for tripods so my speakers can be just about anywhere facing the dancefloor and won't bother anyone, They are usually 8-10 (From the bottom of the speaker) up in the air.
Maybe so Wes, maybe so. The trees at the Hyatt were much larger and it took me about 5 minutes to drag both of them over. Its all good!
I will give you a recent experience that happened NYE night. Click on each Photo for more detail and then click again twice for even more.
Here is what I encountered for NYE night. Per Site Visit, they wanted me to setup in this corner, to the right by the Christmas Tree.:
Here is a vantage point looking at that spot from across the room, do you see that half wall blocking the soundwaves from the bass? Do you see how far away from the Dance Floor it is?
I convinced them to move to the opposite side into the other area and remove a long Serving/Drinks table which was against the wall and to let me have that whole wall. They complied.
Now doesn't this makes more sense and looks better. When I got there, someone forgot to move the Serving/Drinks Table but with a subtle reminder it was promptly moved to another side wall.
My 4 Bar was on the right side against another wall. You san see the reflection of the lights on the dance floor.
Some Other Pics:
Easy Loading, Dock, Doors and then Room.
Bose Covers
Here is what I encountered for NYE night. Per Site Visit, they wanted me to setup in this corner, to the right by the Christmas Tree.:
Here is a vantage point looking at that spot from across the room, do you see that half wall blocking the soundwaves from the bass? Do you see how far away from the Dance Floor it is?
I convinced them to move to the opposite side into the other area and remove a long Serving/Drinks table which was against the wall and to let me have that whole wall. They complied.
Now doesn't this makes more sense and looks better. When I got there, someone forgot to move the Serving/Drinks Table but with a subtle reminder it was promptly moved to another side wall.
My 4 Bar was on the right side against another wall. You san see the reflection of the lights on the dance floor.
Some Other Pics:
Easy Loading, Dock, Doors and then Room.
Bose Covers
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Thank You. At last somebody gets it! Glad I am not the only one. A perfect setting for a Single Bose L1.
i wouldn't have taken the subs..as i find that the top themselves on that system are more than adequate for the size of premises..
as for lighting...two chauvet galaxians on the same stand as the speakers would have kept the total floor area tight..and flooded th epremeises more than enough for lighting and effect..
American DJ Galaxian Gem LED
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mjz8XAOjdNs
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i wouldn't have taken the subs..as i find that the top themselves on that system are more than adequate for the size of premises..
as for lighting...two chauvet galaxians on the same stand as the speakers would have kept the total floor area tight..and flooded the premises more than enough for lighting and effect..
American DJ Galaxian Gem LED
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mjz8XAOjdNs
as for lighting...two chauvet galaxians on the same stand as the speakers would have kept the total floor area tight..and flooded th epremeises more than enough for lighting and effect..
American DJ Galaxian Gem LED
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mjz8XAOjdNs
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i wouldn't have taken the subs..as i find that the top themselves on that system are more than adequate for the size of premises..
as for lighting...two chauvet galaxians on the same stand as the speakers would have kept the total floor area tight..and flooded the premises more than enough for lighting and effect..
American DJ Galaxian Gem LED
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mjz8XAOjdNs
In my case, I find the L1's to work for me. Especially the model 2's. The smaller footprint is a big difference over the model 1. Frankly, I probably would NOT go back to the model 1.
However, there is never going to be one answer that's correct. There are many ways to skin a cat. While I may find it to work perfectly for the weddings I do, someone else may have a way that works MUCH better for them, even in a small confined space.
But yes, It has been nice for the last several years to not worry about the space I get.
However, there is never going to be one answer that's correct. There are many ways to skin a cat. While I may find it to work perfectly for the weddings I do, someone else may have a way that works MUCH better for them, even in a small confined space.
But yes, It has been nice for the last several years to not worry about the space I get.
Everyone is entitled to their opinion and this is all from your point of view. The guests / client / venue may feel otherwise. It is also your opinion that speakers / sound take priority for the event (most DJ's / sound people do). The venue's / clients opinion may be that their placement of the trees take priority. It is also your opinion that people come to dance and not sit. Some people only come for the food / discussion.
Canute - I think we all agree that there are sometimes better ways to set up and hopefully most of us DO try to do that. However, there are times where you have to work with what you are given.
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Mike, by and large my clients don't care and they trust my judgement. I have come to the conclusion that most DJs do not ask for what they want out of fear of a repercussion. If one pleads their case in a sensible manner, common sense will prevail. Frankly speaking, I do not see the Venues doing to the bands what they do to DJs, That shows how much regard they have for DJs.
The point of this thread was to indicate how having different sizes of equipment could work for those who are regularly challenged by lack of setup space.
By the way in Post #19, based on the reflection from the mirror, I do see a way that one of the Tripods/Speaker could have been separated. That chair could have been moved and everything on the left of it could have been shifted over to occupy that space and therefore you will end up with space farther to your left.
Yeah there may be times you have to work with whats given but this is a regular occurrence among most DJs, they like to wear their Speakers like headphones.