Bye bye DJ booth?

[Nakatomi]

For a long time I'd contemplated ditching my DJ booth in favour of a console type affair now beloved of American wedding DJs like Nick Spinelli & Jason Jani.

So on New Year's Day I popped to B&Q and bought myself a sheet of 9mm plywood & had it ripped to various sizes.

Some time later....

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There are loads of pros for it but the biggest is just how different it looks - not to mention clean & modern.

Cons - well there's lots of those too. The console itself is pretty heavy, but still only a couple of kg heavier than a Swan flightcase with laptop shelf loaded with the MC7000 etc. It definitely might not be very good at repelling boarders. And yes, drink spillage risk is an ever present demon but then it is with ANY DJ equipment isn't it?

I had it out for the first time last night & despite having only temporary transport storage (custom bags are on order) I absolutely LOVE how much it's improved visibility & accessibility. It's drawn a lot of positive comments from venue staff. The photographer last night said it's very nice but it's not a DJ booth is it? I said that's absolutely the point. It isn't a DJ booth - although I've got plans to make a few variations of a folding 'booth-type' affairs to rest the console in.

I'm still considering this an experiment for now - it remains to be seen how it'll cope with a very rowdy crowd.

So how's it made? All 9mm plywood glued & screwed (then filled) together, primed and either painted or covered with DC-Fix sticky back plastic (yes really). MC7000, podium LED strip & radio mic receiver are all powered from embedded power packs (no mains strip inside). Laptop charger & USB hub connections are led to the outside of the console. The laptop stand was originally black & the 35mm aluminium pole slots neatly into a 35mm tophat secured inside the console.

And yes it all comes apart for transport. In an ideal world I'd have access to a huge van or trailer with ramp that I can just wheel everything in & out of (and venues would never have any steps or tricky doors), but we don't live in an ideal world.

How does it go together? Simply slot parts on top of each other & secure a couple of butterfly latches (4 in total). I opted for these in favour of bolts & what have you because bolts or handwheel nuts etc can all too easily be dropped & misplaced. Butterfly latches are probably the most expensive aspect of the hardware I used. Total cost? Well under £250 (call it under £400 including sturdy padded bags), but absolute hours & hours (and hours) of filling, sanding, sanding & sanding.https://www.forum.mobilediscodirectory.co.uk/images/misc/paperclip.png Attached Imageshttps://www.forum.mobilediscodirectory.co.uk/attachment.php?attachmentid=18969&stc=1&d=1645964426

[DJ Jules]

Whenever I see something like this, my first question is always 'how heavy is the base?' :D

Very slick though :)

Julian

[Nakatomi]

Whenever I see something like this, my first question is always 'how heavy is the base?' :D

Very slick though :)

Julian

When you're working with RCFs alongside you it's always very heavy :lol:


Ohhhh the BASE...

Not very heavy actually but it doesn't really have to be because of the centre of gravity n stuff. Or something. I've still got the option to add another layer onto the base to give it more surface area.

[Excalibur]

How long before some jealous Old Git says " all you need to do now, is get a stick rig PA, and gravity base stands, and it will be great"? :whistle: :D

The visual aspect of the booth is simply stunning, but here's a serious question/suggestion. What about say a keyboard stand for the console to rest on, and something like those folding screens to put round it as a first line of defence for the livelier crowds?

The older I get, the more paranoid I get about folk walking into/damaging kit. In the good old days with Class D cabs, and a James H booth, it wasn't a problem! ;):)

[Nakatomi]

How long before some jealous Old Git says " all you need to do now, is get a stick rig PA, and gravity base stands, and it will be great"? :whistle: :D

The visual aspect of the booth is simply stunning, but here's a serious question/suggestion. What about say a keyboard stand for the console to rest on, and something like those folding screens to put round it as a first line of defence for the livelier crowds?

The older I get, the more paranoid I get about folk walking into/damaging kit. In the good old days with Class D cabs, and a James H booth, it wasn't a problem! ;):)

My ancient folding screen is still with me & a plan is afoot to set some opal plastic into it..

As for stick PA, I'm thinking sod that & go 10" tops on gravity poles with a bin behind me ;)

[Nakatomi]

Btw I already use gravity stands Peter. Love them to bits but my back isn't a fan of adding a further 30kg to my trolley every gig :lol:

[Excalibur]

My ancient folding screen is still with me & a plan is afoot to set some opal plastic into it..
You have options there.



As for stick PA, I'm thinking sod that & go 10" tops on gravity poles with a bin behind me ;)
Another option. It's surprising how much 10" tops can do, and when you add a sub/subs.................


Btw I already use gravity stands Peter. Love them to bits but my back isn't a fan of adding a further 30kg to my trolley every gig :lol:

Andy Neen uses the smaller circular ones, not sure if they're lighter than my whopping square ones. :confused: Yet again an argument for stick rigs, I reckon, the only weight is the sub/subs. :)

Nice work already Sir, I'm sure you'll soon get the finishing touches done. :thumbs_up:

[Nakatomi]

You have options there.


Another option. It's surprising how much 10" tops can do, and when you add a sub/subs.................



Andy Neen uses the smaller circular ones, not sure if they're lighter than my whopping square ones. :confused: Yet again an argument for stick rigs, I reckon, the only weight is the sub/subs. :)

Nice work already Sir, I'm sure you'll soon get the finishing touches done. :thumbs_up:

I'd be tempted to go with a white ev evolve 50 system but the sheer cost is a sticking point. 3 grand would buy quite a lot of conventional PA

[Excalibur]

I'd be tempted to go with a white ev evolve 50 system but the sheer cost is a sticking point. 3 grand would buy quite a lot of conventional PA

But £1500 would buy White Maui 11s. Nearly.

[Imagine]

I'd be tempted to go with a white ev evolve 50 system but the sheer cost is a sticking point. 3 grand would buy quite a lot of conventional PA

Sorry, late to the party.

Justin - I saw your post on FB the other day. For me it's like rustic booths....marmite (sorry!). I'm older than you (but nowhere NEAR as old as Peter) and can see it getting knocked over, drinks spilled on it, pint glasses and wine glasses rested on it, the mic easily snatched... Don't get me wrong....I love the look because it's different and "open", but at the same time it sends shudders down my elderly and sensible spine.

EXCELLENT craftsmanship by the way!

As for the PA.....I'm biased here having owned a pair of EV Evolve 50s for the past two years. They're now my absolute weapon of choice unless I'm in a marquee and even then it's a toss up these days between my Yammy system and those. They go just about everywhere with me and to date, I've NEVER managed to red-line them. Yes, they're a lot of money but my Gawd...you wouldn't be disappointed with them!

[Excalibur]

Sorry, late to the party.

Justin - I saw your post on FB the other day. For me it's like rustic booths....marmite (sorry!). I'm older than you (but nowhere NEAR as old as Peter) and can see it getting knocked over, drinks spilled on it, pint glasses and wine glasses rested on it, the mic easily snatched... Don't get me wrong....I love the look because it's different and "open", but at the same time it sends shudders down my elderly and sensible spine.

EXCELLENT craftsmanship by the way!
As much as it pains me to agree with my middle aged Fenland friend, he's right. It's still visually stunning though, I'd expect brides to be beating a path to your door. It just needs a new PA, and light stands. :D





As for the PA.....I'm biased here having owned a pair of EV Evolve 50s for the past two years. They're now my absolute weapon of choice unless I'm in a marquee and even then it's a toss up these days between my Yammy system and those. They go just about everywhere with me and to date, I've NEVER managed to red-line them. Yes, they're a lot of money but my Gawd...you wouldn't be disappointed with them!
I've got to run my Polar 10s against John's EV, and soon. Having heard both rigs separately in the same showroom, I'd have to say that the Polars just blew me away. The EVs were " nice", nothing more. There are some well respected folk who have wildly differing views. Sound is personal.

All I will say is that if ultimate portability is your objective, it's EV. I prefer the mixer/sound controls on the Polar, but the EV can be controlled from your phone if you wish, and I think Wayne manages to also connect it to his ear trumpet or something similar. :daft:

One extra mixer channel on the Polars, I prefer the bass response, and if ultimate thuddage is your aim, go for the ( somewhat elusive) Polar 12s.

Justin, I'm soooo impressed with what you've done, I just think you have to see it through to the logical conclusion. Well done.

[Marc J]

If drunk punters see a flat surface for a drink, they'll use it. The 3 side surfaces should be sloping away from the mixer (not much.... 10%?) and Teflon coated... drinks problem sorted :)

[DeckstarDeluxe]

I've seen these on facebook groups for awhile.

It's not for me. I'd have it at a home studio for sure but on the open road I'd be far too aware of drinks being put on that flat surface and that. Plus setups change, sometimes you have an ipad or tablet for external software for example.

Still it's always good to see a different setup rather than what 99% of us use.

[Nakatomi]

I don't know if it's something to do with the price of drinks at places I work or my aftershave, but I've rarely had issues with anyone jostling my gear or trying to put a glass down on it. I can count on one hand the parties that have had anyone knock or lean against my booth & those were all dealt with smoothly without incident. Infact I can't remember many times when I've had to persuade anyone that hovering their drink near my kit is a bad idea.

Uninvited boarders on the other hand - there've been a few of those, mostly when I've been absent from my post for person reasons. I think I'll cope with this console as well.

All the cons people are citing here are still risks with conventional setups . If things kick off badly enough that you worry about your gear, they're already too far gone.

I'll likely be keeping my truss booth in the van for contingency anyway & just plonking the console onto the shelf. The win here is how integrated everything is - no more setting up separate radio mic & dmx adapter - it's all in the console now.

As for times I'd need to use other kit - that's the thing. I don't offer anything but evening only functions & certainly don't intend to at any point so a laptop & controller will do me just fine. I can't see myself ever moving to standalone playout either for what it's worth.

I stand by my assertion that this is something of an experiment - the only gig it's seen so far is a quite sedate older wedding & all indications up to now point to how much easier it's made talking to requesters. Its next outing will be a landmark birthday in the fair town of Richmond.

[Nakatomi]

So...

A good few gigs down the line, including a proper rowdy handful and... I still love it. I'm not a fan of the weight of the carry bag for the console itself if I'm upstairs - but then I'm not a fan of carrying any kind of weight upstairs.

Customers, when they express an opinion about it, LOVE it.

I'm still looking at PA options - 10" tops in white at prices I like seem to be rarer than reliable starcloths

[Excalibur]

So...

A good few gigs down the line, including a proper rowdy handful and... I still love it. I'm not a fan of the weight of the carry bag for the console itself if I'm upstairs - but then I'm not a fan of carrying any kind of weight upstairs.
Glad to hear you're happy. Re upstairs, I'm actively refusing many upstairs gigs. Yes folks, you heard me say I'm refusing gigs! :eek:



Customers, when they express an opinion about it, LOVE it.
Not surprised. It's stunning, just needs a few " freedom sticks, cough cough " ( in joke there. I've had a sneak preview ) and a stick rig. :D



I'm still looking at PA options - 10" tops in white at prices I like seem to be rarer than reliable starcloths
Now once upon a time, I purchased a rig for a colleague's residency. 12" subs, 10" tops, . It worked admirably, but comprised a lot of bags, poles and cables. The decision was taken to downsize, and Polar 12s were ordered, but were unavailable. So far, the Polar 10s are offering performance to easily match the 12/10 rig.

A colleague has just got the Polar 12s, and loves them to bits. I relieved him of his old rig, originally owned by the power crazed Mr Neen. Having brought it home yesterday, I can already see why he loves the Polars!!! What have I got? Wait and see. :confused:

[Imagine]

Do you know what? Despite my initial hesitancy of going the "console" route, I'm starting to think I may be going that way after all.

Regular readers will know my Prime 4 sits in a flight case along with mic racks and everything else needed to run the show, and weighs in at around half a metric tonne. BUT, just one 13a plug and 2XLRS and the show's up and running. It sits on a keyboard Z-frame type of thing which I've been using for several weeks now and is more solid than ANY booth I've ever used. There is no way in the world it's going to get knocked over! (famous last words)

The only downside is that I still use booths (albeit without shelves) as facades to hide everything. I'm now at the point of considering making something to "box" the gubbins in without being behind a booth (think MDF cut to the correct size and profile to fit around the flightcase on top of the stand...maybe even with a panel in it with my name or something). I'm thinking several styles too including white and rustic.

Why the change of heart?

Last night's wedding saw me VERY exposed to punters. Although the front of the gear was under the tent ceiling, yours truly was outside in the open. Guests were happily coming behind me to request stuff and saw me working. Several of them commented (as I waved them to wait a couple of seconds) that they didn't realise how many knobs and sliders were involved in making the transition from one track to the next (I was in proper club mixing mode last night and it felt gooooood!)

I can't help but wonder that if more clients saw what went on behind the facade on the night, they might appreciate the amount of work that goes on behind the scenes. A bit like those restaurants you go to where the kitchen's sort of on display and you can see your steak being grilled to perfection.

A feel a visit to Homebase coming on very soon....

[Excalibur]

Last Several of them commented (as I waved them to wait a couple of seconds) that they didn't realise how many knobs and sliders were involved in making the transition from one track to the next.

I used to have a similar problem Wayne, but this (https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/225095580364?chn=ps&norover=1&mkevt=1&mkrid=710-134428-41853-0&mkcid=2&itemid=225095580364&targetid=1405537545018&device=c&mktype=pla&googleloc=1006743&poi=&campaignid=17218284410&mkgroupid=142217514411&rlsatarget=aud-1165553645205:pla-1405537545018&abcId=9300867&merchantid=6995734&gclid=Cj0KCQjwr4eYBhDrARIsANPywCiYNmcsObyXS2K2LAW5 lRmd-yQeS0U4B6370eFVGURyKQlaeK03F2EaAn3xEALw_wcB) solved my problems at a stroke.

[Nakatomi]

See? The hovering drinks issue has always been a thing even with booth barricades & it's quite easily managed if you're paying attention.

My console has been knocked a few times. Before I added big rubber feet to the base it'd end up turned at funny angles. Now? It wobbles a bit but really is in no danger of being knocked over.

It isn't just a console placed on top of the podium y'know! The bottom of the console box has a recess which the podium slots into, then a couple of butterfly latches secure it in place. The same is true of the base. No fiddly bolts etc. I had my thinking head on when I built this thing.

[Excalibur]

It isn't just a console placed on top of the podium y'know! The bottom of the console box has a recess which the podium slots into, then a couple of butterfly latches secure it in place. The same is true of the base. No fiddly bolts etc. I had my thinking head on when I built this thing.

But you didn't include 12mm Thunderbolts* though. :Naughty: Essential in my view. ;):)


* One of the greatest day job inventions. (https://www.toolstation.com/lightning-masonry-bolt/p19054?store=CQ&utm_source=googleshopping&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=googleshoppingfeed&mkwid=_dc&pcrid=&pkw=&pmt=&gclid=Cj0KCQjwr4eYBhDrARIsANPywCie8ISbJVyzvNx7KuMG eXUNrWhea1IP78I5dvSwuy6i6Pl7W50zaeIaAh4dEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds) They have other names too.

[DeckstarDeluxe]

I used to have a similar problem Wayne, but this (https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/225095580364?chn=ps&norover=1&mkevt=1&mkrid=710-134428-41853-0&mkcid=2&itemid=225095580364&targetid=1405537545018&device=c&mktype=pla&googleloc=1006743&poi=&campaignid=17218284410&mkgroupid=142217514411&rlsatarget=aud-1165553645205:pla-1405537545018&abcId=9300867&merchantid=6995734&gclid=Cj0KCQjwr4eYBhDrARIsANPywCiYNmcsObyXS2K2LAW5 lRmd-yQeS0U4B6370eFVGURyKQlaeK03F2EaAn3xEALw_wcB) solved my problems at a stroke.

Automix :D

[Excalibur]

Automix :D

:Laugh:


Nice one Neil, but I'm not sure if Wayne's machine has Automix. :confused:

[Nakatomi]

Not usually one to dig up long dead threads I thought I'd jump back on this one to say how things have been in the last 18 months since I stopped using a DJ booth. There was one gig I where I cheated & went back to my old truss booth - an 18th in a marquee with a very wobbly floor.

"your gear will get ruined by spilled drinks" they said. The truth is, a gentle hand is sometimes needed to guide a hovering glass away but so far (TOUCH WOOD) not a drop has been spilled on my precious controller or laptop. It's also true that even with a traditional booth you sometimes need to steer drinks away from your valuable playout etc.

"it'll get knocked over!" they said. I'll be honest there've been a handful of near misses when a crowd got over excited, but the music kept going, the laptop stayed firmly on its shelf & after a brief heart attack the DJ recovered too. Infact the last time I had a near miss it was a blimmin tog not looking where he was walking when he was side stalking a couple's first dance - now THAT would've been a fun one to explain! By 'near' miss I mean somebody knocked the console, not that it was in much danger of toppling over.

"it won't look as good in a few gig's time" they said. Well, thanks to me taking care of the console in its own padded bag (made for a Behringer X32 mixing console) and a foamboard slip cover for the podium it still looks almost as good as the day I finished it.

A lot of people have commented how good it looks & a few even remarked they were glad that it's not "one of those awful steel things with those horrible twinkling lights on it". Yep apparently some people absolutely hate starcloths. Who knew? Well - I know I do :lol:

I've also noticed people taking time out & watching me actually DJing. I'm not one of those dramatic 'performing' DJs who flick the mixer & their hand retreats like they'd been scalded but it's nice people acknowledge that I'm actually doing stuff over here.

Things about it I'm not a huge fan of: The sheer weight of the console in its bag. It's still a bit lighter than my old truss booth with embedded opal perspex though! Then there's the laptop shelf - I won't say it was £50 and 2 cans of white paint down the drain but I'm looking for a better way to mount my laptop that doesn't involve handwheel bolts or screws.

It's probably saved me loads of time & effort setting up my playout - now I just have to plug a powercon into the console, run XLRs to my speakers & give my laptop power & plug in one USB cable. If my latest laptop had USB-C charging that'd be one cable less but I didn't have the budget for one that new.

Another thing I got to thinking about a few gigs ago. I literally can't remember the last time I had to contend with an idiot with a cob on at a gig. Coincidence? Did removing the barricade defuse angry punters that much??

In all - it's probably the most satisfying change I made to my setup in 8 years. Next up - getting rid of my awful mover flightcases (or just get rid of the movers altogether!)...

[Excalibur]

Glad to hear you're happy with it Justin.
Re laptop fixing, have you considered velcro? There's some fairly industrial stuff on the market which holds some of my kit in place.

[Nakatomi]

Glad to hear you're happy with it Justin.
Re laptop fixing, have you considered velcro? There's some fairly industrial stuff on the market which holds some of my kit in place.

Oh I've got loads of that industrial velcro. The dmx adapter, radio mic receiver & laptop psu are held inside the console with it.

The laptop doesn't slide on the shelf - I've strategically placed 'funky foam' on it. My beef with the shelf is its sheer weight & it can be a bit of a pig to slide onto its mount pole.