Speeding up setup

[rth_discos]

I'm trying to get my set up time down. At the moment, I need a full hour to setup - and need that hour. I would much rather get this down to about 30 minutes. So that's a lot to get down!

10 minutes to unload / 20 minutes to set up.

I've pre-wired my overhead bar, and my rack is all wired so I just plug in laptop and run the cable to the speakers.

But apart from that, what else can I do?

The Equinox booth seems to take quite a while, especially including adding on the starlit cloth and white scrim over this.

I'm not worried about the time taken to tidy - I'm happy to do that later, just want to get to a point where if I need to set up and get everything going quickly that I can.

And I assume a quick set up = a quick strike down.

Benny mentioned a 23 minute take down and load out in another thread - that I would love! How is it done?!! I'm currently at 45 minutes.

What were the things you did that made the biggest difference?

[Imagine]

I leave the starcloth on both of my Equinox booths.
Some people have the fear that it'll stretch the cables/crush LEDS etc, but I've never had a problem. I do loosen the velcro straps before I fold it up, and make sure nothing's being stretched in the process. Saves a good 10 mins of setup time.

Likewise pre-wiring the overhead (I even leave things like par cans on there - it's only things like movers and the Jaguar which are put on in situ and that's a 5 minute job with QR clamps.

Total setup time for my full wedding rig, bear in mind I'm using truss podiums and the like as well....around 40 mins
Total setup time for my teenage rig which is mainly tbars and gigbars - around 20 mins
The best one? My 80's rig (roll it in, turn it on) - around 15 mins :)

[ckpr2]

I was really lucky on the first disco as there could be up to 4 DJ's.
This meant lift in and out was much easier.
In those days we carried thousands of vinyl singles so it could be heavy work.
It also meant working upstairs was much easier. We could carry the decks between two of us.

Another benefit of multiple DJ's was taking turns instead of doing it all night on your lonesome.
Then if one of us pulled the others would pack up and wait in the van for him to return.

[rth_discos]

Likewise pre-wiring the overhead (I even leave things like par cans on there - it's only things like movers and the Jaguar which are put on in situ and that's a 5 minute job with QR clamps.

Do you leave the bar complete as one piece, or do you split it down in to the two parts each time?

[surround sounds]

25 mins set up and 15 mins down

1 v2 multi colour booth
1 lap top
1 iPad
1 pioneer xdj r1
2 bose l1 model 2 and 2 b2 subs
1 powerbar
2 Uplighters

[Imagine]

Do you leave the bar complete as one piece, or do you split it down in to the two parts each time?

Two parts (it's 2" too long for the van in one bit).
I've cleverly wired it so that the XLR and IEC cables have plugs at the split so it's just a case of uncoupling them, then splitting the bar in two.

[Benny Smyth]

A roadie.

Could do lots of little things but it's just a case of identifying what you could do with your kit. I honestly spend some gigs thinking "If I did that..."

'cos that's how exciting my life is.

[Jim - Scotland's Party DJ]

To be honest that doesn't sound like it should take an hour if you've got plenty of it pre wired.

Look for small incremental gains instead of one big fix.

I've chopped 5 minutes of my set up by getting a new mixer case and having my mics. dmx and controller all prewired and a lot more organised than the previous case they were in with a tangle of cables.

I assume the booth is a bit different but when I had the equinox screen I cable tied 2 sections together so you only had to join them in the middle. Kept the lycra on too and the thing was set up in 10-15 seconds.

Have a specific way and order of doing everything.

On Saturday I had to send someone to organise power for the marquee. As a result I set up differently than usual (same amount of gear) and not only did it take longer, there were technical niggles I had to suss out.

Pre wire as much as you can.

It doesn't sound like you've got too much gear but think about how you can streamline -

[yourdj]

Pre wire everything, the less you have to plug in the quicker it will take.

Wireless DMX, power for all the bits etc.

Make kit lighter or buy new lighter kit.

make as possible to use the kit you bring in as a booth or something functional (such as a table for drinks etc).

De clutter and see what you actually need and don't need.

Try and get trips in and out of the venue down to 2 trips (perhaps 3).
I found that putting everything on my flight case I could do it in 1 before the screen and no steps.

I find the equinox screen and using my flight case as a stand/lighting carrier (all pre wires and ready to mount) has been good. I used to get it down to 15 mins, but have since added other bits, but at a push I could do the full set up (including 10 up lighters) in 15-18 mins. I tested it the other day when the venue manager scoffed "You will never be set up before we turn the room round" I had 15 mins to spare too. :)

17402

17403

[ukpartydj]

I'm shocked how quickly you guys can setup it takes me 30 mins for kids parties and getting on for an hour/ just over if all dmx which is 3/4 times for my normal setup which consists of :

2x RCF310a
1x RCF705as
1x prewired lighting stand
2x moving heads on table
4x up lights
2x laptops
Mixer and mic

Takes me another 30 mins adjusting the lightshow designs to each venue but that's not essential

[DJ Jules]

For up market functions in small or medium venues I run as standard:

2 x RCF422a
2 x Ultimate Support Tripods for speakers with scrims and uplights
2 x Acme Cougars
2 x ADJ Jellydomes
1 x Stairville LED bar modified with wireless receiver
1 x Ultimax Winch stand, prewired for the fixtures with scrim and uplighter
1 x Equinox screen (modified to include a shelf for kit
1 x Laptop
1 x Numark Mixtrack Pro
1 x Wireless DMX sender
2 x AKG wireless mic's

I can usually get that in and up and running within 25mins if the car is close to the site. Where there's a bit of a walk, 35mins. I'm usually out in 20mins flat. For larger venues I double up the Winch stand and lighting fixtures and switch the Equinox thing for a full DSB pro. Set up time + 10mins roughly.

Julian