I need a place to practice DJ'ing......
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  1. #1
    Tech Mentor ESSBEEDEE's Avatar
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    Default I need a place to practice DJ'ing......

    Hi guys.

    Ok I finally have all the bits of gear I will need to DJ out with.

    I have not played any proper gigs yet, so the most important thing to me right now is practicing in a club environment.

    So I wondered if anyone knows of any clubs or places in London or Essex I could practice in during the daytimes, or evenings when its not open?

    Or even somewhere with a big speaker system?

    Let me know.

    ESSBEEDEE
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    Where I work - www.juno.co.uk - "Worlds biggest online Dance music store. DJ Mag award for Best Record Store 3 years running."

  2. #2
    RGAS Guru Xonetacular's Avatar
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    Do you really expect some club where you don't know anyone to just let you in, set up, and blast their expensive power sucking sound system'?
    Last edited by Xonetacular; 10-05-2011 at 08:49 AM.

  3. #3
    Tech Mentor Audeo's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Xonetacular View Post
    Do you really expect some club where you don't know anyone to just let you in, set up, and blast their expensive power sucking sound system'?
    I get away with that all the time. Mostly because they let me. But why turn on the whole PA when you could also just turn on the monitor? That isn't really that power sucky sucky.
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  4. #4
    Tech Mentor brosephh's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Xonetacular View Post
    Do you really expect some club where you don't know anyone to just let you in, set up, and blast their expensive power sucking sound system'?
    Yep, actually during the day some clubs will be kind enough to let you practice!

  5. #5
    Tech Guru Flash101uk's Avatar
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    You cant go in with that attitude man.

    Look at it from the other persons perspective. Some kid rolls into your club and asks if he can rock your 5-10k sound system for shits and giggles. You dont have any experience whatsoever on a large soundsystem, you havent done any gigs, period.

    So you dont know how to handle that kind of gear. If you blew it up, the manager would be up shit creak.

    You gotta give first in order to get in this game my friend. You need to go out and make friends in the local club scene that have ties to the pubs/clubs/bars/dj's and you need to get involved. You need to firstly prove your worth as an asset, hand out flyers, help setup, whatever you can to help these people. Only then can you start asking to work their rig, under supervision.

    Is it the case that you need somewhere to play, i.e. you can't practice in your bedroom. Or just that you want to use some impressive gear?
    Ecler NUO 3.0, 2 1210mk2, midi fighter, Kontrol X1, Akai LPD8, Reloop RHP10's, TSP, Audio 8

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  6. #6
    RGAS Guru Xonetacular's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Audeo View Post
    I get away with that all the time. Mostly because they let me. But why turn on the whole PA when you could also just turn on the monitor? That isn't really that power sucky sucky.
    I guess it depends where you are and I'm sure you know the people, he doesn't have any connections or experience...

    And if he just wants to mix in monitors he could get the same experience at home with a small PA or even a decent monitor setup with a sub.
    Last edited by Xonetacular; 10-05-2011 at 09:01 AM.

  7. #7
    Tech Mentor ESSBEEDEE's Avatar
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    Thanks for the feedback so far guys.

    @Flash101uk .... I want to practice on a real system, rather than on small speakers or monitors.
    http://www.essbeedee.com

    Where I work - www.juno.co.uk - "Worlds biggest online Dance music store. DJ Mag award for Best Record Store 3 years running."

  8. #8
    Tech Mentor SherpaPsy's Avatar
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    I got to play out on a very expensive PA once...the fellow who ran the place only told me not to turn anything up on the main mixer. Given how overpowered the setup was, no way did I use even 1/4 of the possible output...this was not even during the day or afternoon, but early in the week in the evening.

    Might have even turned into a real gig if the pool playing country music loving regulars did not kick up such a stink about my psybient to psytrance sets. The even yelled at the chilled vocal trance I played! :eek:

    Now, I was not some kid off the street, I knew the guys who did the sound during gig nights, and was a regular for years before I even asked if I could give it a try.
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  9. #9
    Tech Guru Flash101uk's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by ESSBEEDEE View Post
    I want to practice on a real system, rather than on small speakers or monitors.
    As good as you may think a massive system is, its a pain in the arse. The delay from what youre mixing in your headphones to what comes out of the speakers is enough to balls every mix up you do. So you fall back on your headphones. You just have to turn them up to drown out the music coming from the speakers.

    Its a good way to get hearing damage, thats about it. lol.

    It is good to be aware of the pitfalls of a large system though, and the only way you can truly grasp it is to practice on one.

    By all means try the club thing, I hope you get lucky. All I know is that if I were a club owner, I'd say no. Just in case.

    You may have more luck at a bar somewhere or a community center.
    Ecler NUO 3.0, 2 1210mk2, midi fighter, Kontrol X1, Akai LPD8, Reloop RHP10's, TSP, Audio 8

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  10. #10
    Tech Guru Sherlock Ohms's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Flash101uk View Post
    As good as you may think a massive system is, its a pain in the arse. The delay from what youre mixing in your headphones to what comes out of the speakers is enough to balls every mix up you do. So you fall back on your headphones. You just have to turn them up to drown out the music coming from the speakers.
    This

    [QUOTE=Flash101uk;359010]
    It is good to be aware of the pitfalls of a large system though, and the only way you can truly grasp it is to practice on one.
    [QUOTE]

    aaaaaaand this.

    Had a gig a while back where I was trying to fight a poorly set up big system. Ended up with earlugs in, mixing in loud headphones to try and drown out the speaker delay ... was tough.
    Traktor Scratch Pro 2/Serato SL1/Ecler NUO 3.0/VCI 100 SE/2 x Technics 1210 Mk2/Sennheiser HD25 II/Novation Dicers

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