If you had £12k for new gear what would you buy?

[leelive]

Just cashed in an old endowment policy.

Considering using it for a completely new DJ rig so looking for some advice.

My main set-up is currently:
Mixing Desk - 1 x Allen & Heath ZED-12FX
Speakers - 2 x QSC K12s (2Kw total for around 150 guests) with 2 x QSC KSubs (4Kw total for around 300 guests)
Sound Optimiser - 1 x DBX DriveRack PX
Lights - 8 x KAM LED 800s MKII Light Strips (4 for upto 150guests), 2 x American DJ Revo III Moonflower Effects, 4 x American DJ X-Scan LED Scanner Plus, 1 x American DJ Hypnotic RGB Multi Coloured DMX Web Laser and 1 x QTX 4ft UV Blacklight.
Digital Multiplex Lighting Controller - Stairville DMX-Master I

What is currently considered the best speakers, mixing desk (with vocal effects) and lights etc.... ?

Suggestions welcome.

Many thanks.

[Excalibur]

Wouldn't touch the PA, might easily go for a controller and laptop for playout. You could use the A & H in conjunction with that, I know folk who do.

I'd go for some 50w LED effects, couple moonflowers, couple of scanners and/or barrels.

That should leave me about eight grand for a newer van. :D

[ppentertainments]

I'd rather invest in something that would give me a good return for my money.

[Benny Smyth]

Truss plinths. Four of them in two different sizes with uplighters. Then four decent moving head lights to go on top. Really easy to set up and looks great. Altogether, plinths will cost you £2,000 at an absolute max (with uplighters). Moving heads...well, that entirely depends on what you want out of them. If you're interested, I can tell you about the moving heads I have used in my lifetime, but it will be very biased. Simple RGB batons for lighting up the walls in the technical area is a nice effect too.

Sound wise, I'm a whore for RCF but from what I understand, your sound system is more than fine. :)

[Solitaire Events Ltd]

If you already have a decent enough rig, then why bother spending loads more money?

Think about it Lee....is it really an investment or is it just a case of buying some new 'toys'?

Are you really going to make more money back by spending out on new kit?

If I had a spare 12K, I'd be going somewhere exotic on holiday or be putting it into something that will get you a serious ROI.

[DJ Jules]

Having just had a similar dilemma due to the tax man, I ended up going for:

Subscriptions to a bunch of websites and publications to get me more business (this has given me the biggest payback so far)
Briefing evening with Mr Pengelly - which completely changed the way I think about selling my services (second biggest payback)
Professional Videographer to accompany me to a couple of events and build a 5min and 3min promo (third biggest payback as this sells me much better)
DSLR Camera (Canon EOS 100D) and Canon Speedlite flash (fourth biggest payback as the images on my gallery have improved no end)
Pioneer DDJ SX controller
New Laptop (because the old one couldn't keep up with the MIDI output from the Pioneer controller!)
Wireless DMX throughout
Ultimate Support gas lift speaker stands x2 (and bag)
Second hand Deckstand Booth
Plinths (though not truss - and still waiting on these to arrive)
Second hand 35w LED moving heads x2 and s/h Swan flight cases x2
Second hand 40w LED moving washes x2
LED Battons x2
Art DTI Ground loop isolator

Note that while a few of the items on the above list beyond the first four have made a few punters go wow (and a few DJ's I've bumped into quite jealous :D) I'd struggle to quantify how much business I've won, or how much more I've been able to charge on top of my usual fees because I've invested in them. In fact, having re-evaluated what I'm worth and my pricing, I've been taking less kit to gigs than I would have previously. Ironically, this outcome fits exactly with the advice I was given when I posted a similar question to you back in Feb.

Having said all that though, the plinths haven't arrived yet so I don't have any photos with the full rig and I haven't been able to use that final look as a selling point to anyone to date.

Hope this helps.


If I had a spare 12K, I'd be going somewhere exotic on holiday or be putting it into something that will get you a serious ROI.

Dance floor hire? ;)

Julian

[Excalibur]

I cannot take issue with a word Darren wrote above, the lad's bang on in every respect.




Dance floor hire? ;)

Julian

A possibility, in fact a strong one. Think not so much about the disco, but what you can upsell with the disco.

[funkymook]

I'd change nothing - but I'd drastically increase my fee and use part of the £12k as a buffer in case that didn't work (you'd know one way or the other after 2-3 months so it's not risking a lot of capital).

New gear would just be new toys, nice of course, but not essential.

A dancefloor/photobooth etc would mean a lot of outlay and more work alongside what you do currently, you'd need someone to help you, which would decrease the profit. Unless you knock the DJ'ing on the head and start up a new business, which would probably take all your £12k plus more.

[leelive]

Thank you.

There are some really good suggestions supplied here.

Never thought of Wireless DMX. Thank you DJ Jules. It ought to speed up my set-up time. I will look at the other items you mention too.

Lee

[leelive]

Decided to buy a new toy

I now offer a recording of First Dances in 4K Ultra HD (QFHD) for FREE

Here are some examples: https://vimeo.com/channels/firstdances

All the best

[DeckstarDeluxe]

Really?? Why???

[Imagine]

Afraid I have to agree with Julian.

Marketing is going to get you the biggest payback, especially if you can get to the stage where you're commanding decent rates.

Yes...I know the lights and pretty bits look good.....but do the customers actually book us for that? (Let's face it...how many of them actually know what our kit looks like before we turn up? From my perspective, it's the quality of the sound system which is the most important (and yes....I'm another RCF junkie :) )

I've just seriously reduced the amount of lights etc. that I take out on the road (by nearly half) - I'm getting more compliments with the small scale setup than I ever got with the huge amount I used to set up.

My biggest payback to date is the various subscriptions to sites and referral agencies that are actually providing me with the work

[ppentertainments]

Really?? Why???

That was my thought too.

Not being cheeky Lee, but I would invest some money in yourself if it is burning a hole in your pocket - especially to learn how to announce a first dance.

[DJ Jules]

Decided to buy a new toy

What did you buy?


I now offer a recording of First Dances in 4K Ultra HD (QFHD) for FREE

I'm interested in this - have you sold any gigs using this feature?

Julian

[leelive]

I like my toy and so do the couple from Saturday's wedding at Norton House. They really wanted a videographer and just couldn't afford one... and are delighted with seeing this video of their First Dance in 4K.

It is a Sony FDR-AX100E

As this is really new I have yet to sell any gigs from it...

But, I think it will pay for itself. Besides I like the idea of giving the customer something extra. It makes good customer service sense.

Also, this all helps with advertising.

For the last year I had been recording videos with on a bridge-camera but the sound wasn't too good. So a few months ago I bought a £900 handycam (Sony HDR-PJ780VE). It is perfect and I still use it for the most of the videos taken at Wedding receptions. Videos here (https://vimeo.com/leelive/channels)

All these videos are being shared and played by potential customers. I have uploaded nearly 300 videos to vimeo and each one has had an average of 50 plays. A couple of them went "viral" in the local sense of the word and have had over 1,000 plays each.

The 4K videos are getting more plays in one week than most of the HD videos are doing in one month... and as more people get a 4K resolution screen then this number will increase. I haven't got the TV yet... arriving in August... but I have the 4K laptop (http://www.johnlewis.com/toshiba-satellite-p50t-b-10k-laptop-intel-core-i7-8gb-ram-1tb-blu-ray-15-6-4k-ultra-hd-touch-screen-silver/p1331190) and the videos look fantastic.

If you are thinking of getting an AX100 then you will need a SDXC memory card (it is not compatible with SDHC)

ps. It may have partly paid for itself. Had a call yesterday from BlinkBox.... they want to use this video (https://vimeo.com/channels/leelivehomevideos/95980438) of my kids playing in their sandpit in a TV advert for a year! It seems they'll add some animation work to it. They are offering around £1000. I will know before the end of the month if they are going to run with it.

[DJ Jules]

I like my toy and so do the couple from Saturday's wedding at Norton House. They really wanted a videographer and just couldn't afford one... and are delighted with seeing this video of their First Dance in 4K.

Metaphorically, you've now become the band that can put on an iPod between sets (catering for weddings where the couple can't afford a photographer and a videographer and devaluing the service offered by professional videographers).


It is a Sony FDR-AX100E

Nice :D From a purely technological point of view you're taking a big expensive risk by being an early adopter of the 4K format, given that it doesn't really have widespread mainstream support (ok, you can buy 4K TV's from most mainstream outlets and in the Laptop and High end tablet world there are quite a few options, but Cable and Satellite services are only just catching up to 1080p). I still remember a mate of mine who spent his student loan on videodisc, only for it to be rendered obsolete by DVD's within a year :D


As this is really new I have yet to sell any gigs from it...

That's going to be the real test of value. Having said that if you're using it to capture family photos and the like as well then it probably has "value" outside of your business anyway.


All these videos are being shared and played by potential customers. I have uploaded nearly 300 videos to vimeo and each one has had an average of 50 plays. A couple of them went "viral" in the local sense of the word and have had over 1,000 plays each.

Very interesting - how many customers have stated that they found you because "my friend sent me a link to her wedding video"?


The 4K videos are getting more plays in one week than most of the HD videos are doing in one month... and as more people get a 4K resolution screen then this number will increase.

I'd be tempted to say that the opposite will happen... At the moment 4K videos have novelty value, if the format becomes mainstream I'd expect your viewing numbers to drop to the same as standard 1080p videos.

Julian

[Benny Smyth]

But, I think it will pay for itself. Besides I like the idea of giving the customer something extra. It makes good customer service sense.

How does a service that you're offering for free pay for itself?

I'm all for giving that little bit extra to keep the punters happy and wanting to come back for more, but you're not offering a little extra; you're offering an entirely new service and, in my humble opinion, you should charge for it. Be it a lot or a little, charge something. Why give yourself more work to do of an evening with no extra reward?

[Solitaire Events Ltd]

How does a service that you're offering for free pay for itself?



Very good question...

[DazzyD]

Erm, Lee. If your couple couldn't afford a videographer for their big day, how can they afford the £3,000 to £4,000 price tag for a decent 4K TV? Yes you can get them for under £1,000 now but the cheaper sets are not receiving very favourable reviews. I was looking at a £7,499 Sony model thinking who the hell would pay that for a TV that there's nowhere near enough content being produced to take advantage of it's capabilities and therefore make it a worthwhile purchase? Like has already been said, 4K hasn't really taken off yet. And there are several reasons for this.

[ukpartydj]

4K hasn't really taken off yet.

I think if you actually want a 4k screen in today's market you're just off your trolley personally - cinema projectors run at 2k for gods sake! 4k cinema projectors only really came about 2 years ago and I don't think every cinema up and down the country went out and upgraded!!

Of course a camera makes more sense because it'll be an much improved picture once scaled down.

[Andy P]

I'd start with 2 sets of FBT Verus Speakers and a good spec imac. Then probs a good stand like the Prolyte (http://www.soundlightuk.com/shop/products/Prolyte-Liteconsole-XPRS-Folding-Deck-Stand-%252d-In-Stock-%26-On-Display%21.html)