Marque wedding - limited sound

[DJColsie]

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.

It was the other way round this time. Pub with very large garden in middle of established houseing estate gets greedy and tries to put in margue to boost business when established residents complain. Only licensed under the aforementioned restrictions and only in June, July and August.

[Excalibur]

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.

I admire you, I doff my cap to you, and acknowledge that my morals can be assuaged with money. It was ever thus.

Talent?

Oh come on! Benefit of the doubt.

It was the other way round this time. Pub with very large garden in middle of established houseing estate gets greedy and tries to put in margue to boost business when established residents complain. Only licensed under the aforementioned restrictions and only in June, July and August.

Oh thanks, rubbish my argument completely, why don't you?
I know whereof you speak. There's a village near me where the sleepy old local has become a trendy gastro pub. It's an award winner, with a burning desire to expand, and they too have a marquee in their field when they can. Sadly, all this incenses the locals, mainly due to the cavalier attitude of the pub managenent regarding regs and restrictions.

[Shakermaker Promotions]

I agree with Shaun on this. I too have turned down work at venues where sound limiters are installed. Sometimes it's a bit of a pain in the backside but I know the venues that have them installed in my area and I know the levels and I have had experiences with them, nothing too bad but enough to put me off.
One nice venue a few miles from me that I do a couple of times a year has an 11.30pm finish time and the sound is monitored by the owner or her staff via a handheld monitor. I went out and bought the same thing so I could monitor the sound myself.

The OP on this occasion must have struggled a bit and I can understand his frustration, especially in a marquee where generally you need a bit more oomph.

I'd like to ask a question too regarding sound limiters....
Are there different types of sound limiters? I'm not asking about models, let me explain.

I've done a number of events where sound limiters have been installed and it's usually the same deal in that you plug in to a dedicated socket and the sound is monitored via your system. It's a pain in the proverbial when you have to keep looking up to see if you're getting near the dreaded red light and especially when you think the volume isn't loud enough for the number of guests in attendance. What I am saying is on most occasions that sound limiter is monitoring what YOU are doing.

I've had one occasion a few years back where I was at a recently refurbished venue. I was told there was a sound limiter installed and so I visited the venue beforehand and met the caretaker. He told me the usual stuff about how he didn't have a key for it and that he wasn't allowed to tamper with it and how all DJ's MUST plug in to a dedicated socket.....all the stuff I already knew BUT it seemed to be set at a reasonable level and I thought I could work with it so I took the booking on. I actually had another 2 enquiries come in for bookings at the same place and seeing as I had visited it already, I took them on.

Now, my first visit didn't go to plan really. It was a Surprise 20th Wedding Anniversary party. I set up in the morning, sound checked knowing that I had an empty hall but had a little bit of leeway and thought everything would be ok. When it came to the evening and guests were arriving, I played background music at a low level but noticed that the lights on the sound limiter were already amber and I was concerned. I didn't say anything at the time.
Now, the idea was that as the party was a surprise, when the guests of honour walked through the door they would walk in to their favourite song and all the lights would come on and it would make an impact - or so we all thought.

As they walked through the door I turned on the lights and pressed play on the Denon. Everyone cheered and shouted "Surprise!" and then everything went off. We were in darkness for a couple of seconds (seemed like ages at the time). I realised then that the sound limiters were probably monitoring the overall sound in the venue and NOT just the sound coming from my system. I wasn't happy at all. I explained over the microphone what was happening and luckily people DID listen. I spoke to the couples daughter who had organised the surprise party and told her the score. She was fine with me but not happy with the venue and was on the phone to the caretaker.

Now, despite everything he had told me previously and everything that I knew already, he actually said to me "There's a socket at the front of the stage that isn't connected to the sound limiter. Try that" - I couldn't believe it, I wondered why he couldn't have told me that before. I remember saying over the microphone that if people gave me 5 minutes to sort it, we'd be able to carry on with no problems. I did this and it was fine for the rest of the evening even though I knew what we'd done was wrong. I kept thinking that I had another 2 bookings at the venue to get through too.

So, are there 2 different types of sound limiter then? One that monitors YOUR sound and the other that monitors OVERALL sound? I know I could have asked that easily at the beginning but wanted to give an example. I have been back to the venue once since those 3 bookings and I just plugged straight in to the socket that wasn't connected.

Also like Shaun, I always state that I will only use my own equipment.

[DJColsie]

I agree with Shaun on this. I too have turned down work at venues where sound limiters are installed. Sometimes it's a bit of a pain in the backside but I know the venues that have them installed in my area and I know the levels and I have had experiences with them, nothing too bad but enough to put me off.
One nice venue a few miles from me that I do a couple of times a year has an 11.30pm finish time and the sound is monitored by the owner or her staff via a handheld monitor. I went out and bought the same thing so I could monitor the sound myself.

The OP on this occasion must have struggled a bit and I can understand his frustration, especially in a marquee where generally you need a bit more oomph.

I'd like to ask a question too regarding sound limiters....
Are there different types of sound limiters? I'm not asking about models, let me explain.

I've done a number of events where sound limiters have been installed and it's usually the same deal in that you plug in to a dedicated socket and the sound is monitored via your system. It's a pain in the proverbial when you have to keep looking up to see if you're getting near the dreaded red light and especially when you think the volume isn't loud enough for the number of guests in attendance. What I am saying is on most occasions that sound limiter is monitoring what YOU are doing.

I've had one occasion a few years back where I was at a recently refurbished venue. I was told there was a sound limiter installed and so I visited the venue beforehand and met the caretaker. He told me the usual stuff about how he didn't have a key for it and that he wasn't allowed to tamper with it and how all DJ's MUST plug in to a dedicated socket.....all the stuff I already knew BUT it seemed to be set at a reasonable level and I thought I could work with it so I took the booking on. I actually had another 2 enquiries come in for bookings at the same place and seeing as I had visited it already, I took them on.

Now, my first visit didn't go to plan really. It was a Surprise 20th Wedding Anniversary party. I set up in the morning, sound checked knowing that I had an empty hall but had a little bit of leeway and thought everything would be ok. When it came to the evening and guests were arriving, I played background music at a low level but noticed that the lights on the sound limiter were already amber and I was concerned. I didn't say anything at the time.
Now, the idea was that as the party was a surprise, when the guests of honour walked through the door they would walk in to their favourite song and all the lights would come on and it would make an impact - or so we all thought.

As they walked through the door I turned on the lights and pressed play on the Denon. Everyone cheered and shouted "Surprise!" and then everything went off. We were in darkness for a couple of seconds (seemed like ages at the time). I realised then that the sound limiters were probably monitoring the overall sound in the venue and NOT just the sound coming from my system. I wasn't happy at all. I explained over the microphone what was happening and luckily people DID listen. I spoke to the couples daughter who had organised the surprise party and told her the score. She was fine with me but not happy with the venue and was on the phone to the caretaker.

Now, despite everything he had told me previously and everything that I knew already, he actually said to me "There's a socket at the front of the stage that isn't connected to the sound limiter. Try that" - I couldn't believe it, I wondered why he couldn't have told me that before. I remember saying over the microphone that if people gave me 5 minutes to sort it, we'd be able to carry on with no problems. I did this and it was fine for the rest of the evening even though I knew what we'd done was wrong. I kept thinking that I had another 2 bookings at the venue to get through too.

So, are there 2 different types of sound limiter then? One that monitors YOUR sound and the other that monitors OVERALL sound? I know I could have asked that easily at the beginning but wanted to give an example. I have been back to the venue once since those 3 bookings and I just plugged straight in to the socket that wasn't connected.

Also like Shaun, I always state that I will only use my own equipment.

All the ones that I have worked with are based on a microphone somewhere in the venue, so include noise from the audience too.

One venue cut all power for 3 seconds, not just the DJ sockets.

[Benny Smyth]

I give venues with limiters one chance. 99% of the time, part way through the gig they can see that I'm not a cowboy and can use my judgement so they turn them off but if they don't like to play along, I turn down work for those venues.

I actually have a 'banned' list of venues for a variety of reasons.

[Excalibur]

Gary, if Katman, or Davesounds come along, they'll give you chapter and verse. There are many types of limiter, some brilliant, some a nightmare. The best ones don't cut the power, they lower your sound, cos you plug your speakers into it.