Blown amp at start of disco!!!!

[mutley]

Hi all

yes i know some of you carry spare amp & mixers, but there are some who do not!
What if it was something as important as a wedding & after taken bout an 1hr to set up, you go to switch the amp on, &.....................there nothing!!

1)-what are you prepared to do, say to the customer- have you said to the customer ? Or if you do not carry a spare (amp & mixer), you could say that your spare you normally bring has been rented out for the night, something which i sometimes do......

2)-do you cover your back by mentioning an act like this in your 'terms & conditions' or have some kind of disclamier in place for this?

3) is there a hard n fast rule that dj's must carry spare equipment as such?

[dj-jaym]

I cant beleive you need to ask this, How would you feel on your wedding day etc if the disco didnt work, I think a spare amp is a very very essential part and a few bulbs , and maybe a lead to run your playout direct into your amp / actives if your mixer dies

[Excalibur]

I cant beleive you need to ask this, How would you feel on your wedding day etc if the disco didnt work, I think a spare amp is a very very essential part and a few bulbs , and maybe a lead to run your playout direct into your amp / actives if your mixer dies

Agreed totally. If you are running separate sub and top amps, you can at least feed full range to the tops, and run at reduced output.

[rob1963]

Totally agreed here too.

I use 3 CD players - so if 1 goes I still have 2, and I always carry a spare amp.

I don't own a spare lighting controller, but have extra kettle leads, so if the controller packs up I can plug most lights directly into the mains.

The only thing I don't carry spares of are speakers. The worst that can happen is that a cone pops (this has only happened to me once in 24 years), and even if this DOES happen, you can still get away with it.

I also carry spare bulbs for all my lights & some fuses as well.

Therefore, I think I'm pretty well covered..but without going over the top.

[Shaun]

I agree with all the above comments, back-up equipment is absolutely essential.

[DJWayne]

have to agree backup kit is essntial , have never had an amp blow on me at the start of the night but have had one die 1 second after i said goodnight and finished how about that for timing :D

[rob1963]

never had an amp blow on me at the start of the night but have had one die 1 second after i said goodnight and finished

Now that's what you call lucky!

[spin mobile disco]

I lost my main amp at the start of a gig about 2 months ago, just switched to backup amp and had a quick look at main amp. Turns out a quickblow fuse had blown due to a bad mains socket. So switched sockets plugged main amp back in to power my subs leaving the spare to power tops. Worked fine.
i always carry spare fuses for everything as well as spare equipment.
Simple fact is pro's take backup because we expect the worst so we are as ready as we can be to face it shopuld it happen.

[Larry B Entertainment]

The Numark cd mixers are really handy as a backup as you have 2 backup units in one bit of kit and quite cheap these days.

[Candybeatdiscos]

OK....i have to admit that i don't really have any spares at the moment, i do have a spare amp and mixer however as i have been getting a bit busier i have had to use them and hire in spare speakers & lights, if anything major happens however my old boss is usually about 10-15 mins away from me and he alwasy carries spare stock in his van - so would help me out - (He already agreed to this) but yes i know where you are all coming from and i will be buying a spare amp & Mixer within the next two weeks (i have just bought a spare external hard drive and also a new laptop hard drive to fix my spare laptop.

[Corabar Steve]

I was doing a set up last year, when both my main & spare amp went belly up.

Luckily it was an early set up & I had time to go home & get 2 more.

The next day I bought my Yamahas

[Solitaire Events Ltd]

That's why you should always carry a spare spare spare....:thumbsup:

[Corabar Steve]

You sold me one of them :sj:

[Solitaire Events Ltd]

You sold me one of them :sj:

For a collegue, yes.

And a very good deal you got too. A Matrix UKP1300 wasn't it?

[Corabar Steve]

Yep, that & a UKP 1100 went simultaneously!

[Twinspin]

Never had any equipment breakdowns during a gig. I have had a problem with cables though. Where ive had to run out and buy some new cables.

Ive had intermittent faults with gear before though in the past. (cables)

[mutley]

yes i too have luckily just had cable problems

BUT we havent had anyone reply yet whose gear went down & want embarressing story did you tell the customer? come on there must be *TEXT TALK REMOVED* out there.....................................?

Again my bottom line being 'do djs HAVE to carry back up gear or can you right this off in a disclamer/ terms & conditions, & offer a full refund on the night of course......?

*TEXT TALK REMOVED*

[Danno13]

Again my bottom line being 'do djs HAVE to carry back up gear or can you right this off in a disclamer/ terms & conditions, & offer a full refund on the night of course......?

Even with a full refund your reputation will still take a bashing.. and you can't put a price on that! Not worth risking for the sake of spending £200 or so on a cheap amp, like a berry ep2500.

[PropellerHeadCase]

Yep, for the price of a gig, maybe two, you can get an amp that will at least allow you to limp through the gig. Honestly, depending on the client of course, if an amp goes down and everyone knows it, and you get back up and running quick-smart that'll do more for your reputation than a full dancefloor all night.

[colint]

I aways have a spare amp in my rack (plus I can use my foldback amp) and carry a spare mixer only a doggy old rane with no knobs but still works!

about 20 years ago I had the mixer go west at about 10 to 12 at a students new years eve party and got by by pluging the amp into the head phone socket sounded "orrid" but got away with it and learnt a lesson too!

it staggers me too the amount of Dj's that dont carry a basic tool kit!
I know at least 3, and guess who get's the phone call when it all goes pear shaped?

[Corabar Steve]

come on there must be some1 out there.....................................?There's loads of 1s out there, there might even be someone out there


thnxI take it you didn't read the forum rules?
23. All communication should be in the English language and text language should not be used.

[Tony Scott]

Essential to have back-up amp & mixer. I run tri/quad-amp so always have options but I also have back-up for this.

My back-up, back-up cost about £110, Not fantastic but reliable and would get me out of a hole.

Use it for my monitor system sometimes, no issues with it at all.

http://www.bluearan.co.uk/menu/index.php?id=BEHXX502&product=Behringer_XENYX_502_Mixing_Desk&browsemode=manufacturer

and

http://www.ukdj.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=19289