Marque wedding - limited sound

[DJColsie]

Hi

Was booked for a marque wedding last night. The request advised that the venue had a sound limiter. Ok I thought.

Did a site visit with the client and it turns out the marque had its own sound system (4 Bose speakers and 2 w audio amps) which had to be used. This was monitored as part of their licensing agreement. Laptop mixer and lights only required. On visit tested system with my iPad and sounded reasonable sweet but a bit lite in the base.

All good I thought.

Turn up 90 mins before start time and speeches just ending, all seems good. Events manager greets me with a smile and asks if I would like a drink! On returning with drink she mumbles that they had had trouble with the mike during the speeches and it didn't seem very loud or clear.

Set up booth, lighting and washes. Connect mixer to sound system and find only one channel is working! Turns out that one amp had blown and the way it was wired one amp fed 2 speakers for one channel and the other amp fed two speakers for the second channel. Due to the licensing thing, all four speakers were focused towards the dance floor, one either side of booth and two suspended from truss over dance floor? So I had the speaker to my left and the far right working off the left channel only!

The cautious person in me had bought the HD12as as back up but despite my pleading that I would keep the volume down (they had mics in the trees outside), the manger said their license only applied with the house PA system.

Well got through with many requests from a mainly 20-30 audience to turn it up. Good night had by all and requests for cards at the end. But couldn't help thinking how much better it could have been.

Made me think. Are we just perfectionists and judge ourselves too harshly and have any of you had experiences were you have been forced to rely on other peoples inferior equipment when your reputation is at stake?

[Shaun]

have any of you had experiences were you have been forced to rely on other peoples inferior equipment when your reputation is at stake?

I have a clause in my T&C's stating that I can only provide my service using my own equipment. I also turn away bookings for venues with sound limiters installed.

As you've just experienced, there is no way to guage the reliability of third party equipment, and ultimately your performance on the evening could be diminished. The vast majority of the guests will have no idea that the sound limitations imposed by the venue have nothing to do with you. How many of those guests will be going home thinking the DJs sound system was awful?

As more and more venues install these kind of systems, and install sound limiters, the likelihood of me losing more and more work will become more of an issue. Such as life though. I've spent a lot of money getting my system setup up so it's perfect for the service I provide. I'd rather turn away work than have the performance affected by poor equipment and/or sound limitations beyond my control.

[Excalibur]

Colin, I don't think you could have doneanything differently, shame your ( and your guests ) night was so impaired thus. ( Just a thought. Did you tell the venue that you always work with "monitors"? Monitors which might just have been set a tad louder than the main PA ) I once got away with using my own kit in a venue because we couldn't connect my sockets to the in-house limited one. ( The in-house was a very powerful one, must have only been ticking over. I used to use it when we could give it full throttle, that sounded nice. )
A blown W Audio amp, eh? I hope you told them I've got one for sale on here.

Shaun, as always, I admire your stance, I applaud your principles. However, I ask myyself, do I value my reputation more than my bank balance? I'm a pragmatist, and I'll take any route to allow me to continue working. I moved from Hard Drive Controllers which I was pretty happy with to laptops, because I needed to be able to offer Karaoke, in order to fend off some local competition. The laptop route is far better for me, but I ( probably ) wouldn't have taken it otherwise.

As always, in such circumstances, I would ave taken every opportunity to point out that the venue kit was at fault, and I wasn't allowed to use my own.

I'd have probably pointed it out between every record. Contrast last night, when the band had a fabulous Logic Ethos system, and a huge backline, and I was running a very creditable second with four subs and the new tops at full whack. Quiet it wasn't.

[DJColsie]

I've worked with sound limiters before. I wouldn't refuse work for a limiter. Some of my best gigs have been in venues with limiters.

The main thing was that, in my professional opinion, the night was impaired when it needn't have been. The traffic light system for the limiter run from the mics in the trees was plainly visible and I could have stayed well with in that and put on a better show with clear quality sound.

Guess the issue of trying to get attractive and desirable wedding venues in convenient locations that guests don't have to drive to will ever be thus!

[Jim - Scotland's Party DJ]

I have a clause in my T&C's stating that I can only provide my service using my own equipment. I also turn away bookings for venues with sound limiters installed.

As you've just experienced, there is no way to guage the reliability of third party equipment, and ultimately your performance on the evening could be diminished. The vast majority of the guests will have no idea that the sound limitations imposed by the venue have nothing to do with you. How many of those guests will be going home thinking the DJs sound system was awful?

As more and more venues install these kind of systems, and install sound limiters, the likelihood of me losing more and more work will become more of an issue. Such as life though. I've spent a lot of money getting my system setup up so it's perfect for the service I provide. I'd rather turn away work than have the performance affected by poor equipment and/or sound limitations beyond my control.

Nothing a quick announcement explaining why the sound is rubbish wouldn't absolve you from?

We have professional reputations to maintain, if something outwith my control is making me look bad, you can bet people are going to know about it.

Did a birthday party for a pal a while ago in a place with a ridiculous sound limiter. People kept asking me to turn it up so I killed all of the music (it was so bad, making an announcement even with a quiet bed underneath was pushing it) and as I explained to people why the music was so low, the thing tripped and cut me off. Just me talking on the mic!!!

Once the catering staff had disappeared I was able to bypass the sockets linked to the limiter but if I hadn't been able to do that, the night would have been dreadful music wise and I see no reason why I should be the one carrying the can for that...

[Shaun]

Nothing a quick announcement explaining why the sound is rubbish wouldn't absolve you from?

In a perfect world, where everyone listens and absorbs the information said in announcements, then that might do the trick. However...

[Jim - Scotland's Party DJ]

In a perfect world, where everyone listens and absorbs the information said in announcements, then that might do the trick. However...

Touche sir. I suppose the one I mentioned, the announcement cutting out the system and then me being able to shout "If I go over a certain volume the power cuts" probably did the trick.

Of course you could always mingle with guests and covertly lay it out for them "can you hear OK? it's just I've got to use their system and it's not working properly"

[Excalibur]

Guess the issue of trying to get attractive and desirable wedding venues in convenient locations that guests don't have to drive to will ever be thus!

I think the issue is more of folk buying houses close to longstanding venues cheap, and then complaining cos the venue and resultant noise is there. Having your cake and eating it.

Nothing a quick announcement explaining why the sound is rubbish wouldn't absolve you from?

I notice you have used the singular. With me, it wouldn't be just one, oh no!!

In a perfect world, where everyone listens and absorbs the information said in announcements, then that might do the trick. However...

Again, when you stop the music totally about twenty times, I'd expect at least ten per cent to take note.

Of course you could always mingle with guests and covertly lay it out for them "can you hear OK? it's just I've got to use their system and it's not working properly"

And again Sir, my plan would be " Overtly". Anyway, you're a singer, couldn't you have just switched the disco off, grabbed the acoustic guitar, and given them the benefit of your talent?

[Shaun]

Again, when you stop the music totally about twenty times, I'd expect at least ten per cent to take note.

Any percentage that thinks the DJ is to blame is too much of a percentage. I'd much rather turn away jobs than be at the mercy of issues that will have a detrimental effect on the evening, and ultimately the service I'd provide. If I can't give 100% then I'd rather hold out for a booking where I can.

[Jim - Scotland's Party DJ]

Anyway, you're a singer, couldn't you have just switched the disco off, grabbed the acoustic guitar, and given them the benefit of your talent?

Talent?