Playing a club for the first time
Hey guys, I will play my first club gig soon.
At home I’m a scratch pro user with cdj850k.
If I go to the club (it’s a professional club, no hobby thing), do I have to bring my traktor multi cores ?
Or is my laptop plus interface (A8) and the timecodes fine?
Since I’ve never done it before, I just wanted to know what’s the standard.
Thanks a lot for ur experienced replies!
Cheeers
Do you not like using the CDjs on their own?
You still need to bring whatever cables you would use. I would bring my own multi-cores if I use timecode.
You should check with the club and make sure that they’re alright with you unplugging their gear first. All you should need to bring are a few RCA cables to go from the A8 into the club’s mixer and just run the RCAs they have normally going into the mixer into your soundcard. If you want to go through the hassle of unplugging and rewiring more stuff, bring the multicores.
Here’s the thing, if you take your stuff you better make sure there is enough space in that booth, I cannot tell you how many times I’ve DJ’ed up to 6 hours in a booth the size of a porta-potty. If they have CDJs(which they should) then I would recommend just using that without a laptop; a good DJ can mix songs, it takes a great DJ to conform to what ever equipment is in front of them in order for them to mix. I’ve seen DJ’s, who use laptops, where the laptop crashes on them during their sets and it literally KILLS the whole vibe of the night; laptops are not safe!
Here a tip. Bring everything you can that you think you need plus extra. Seriously. Think of the event that you maybe screwed without something and bring a back up. For instance: You want to play with traktor, but they have cdj 850s. Bring two thumb drives with music just incase you can’t hook things up correctly. Always bring extras.
And check that the thumb drives are compatible with the CDJ!
make a checklist
Make a checklist of everything you need for every possible scenario. Make a box which contains every possible audio adapter. Try to get in touch with the audio/light technician of the venue, send him a mail with stuff you use and or might need. All of this is supposed to relief stress on the moment you don’t need it. Rock!!!
Prepare!
Definitely try to speak to the soundguy first:
If you are comfortable using whatever set up they have then use that and keep things as simple as possible in terms of gear and mixing.
Bring as much music as you can so that you can cover different vibes - ie beginning of night is gonna be way different music to middle or end.
Enjoy! 
Like everyone else has suggested, bring everything you would need minus mixer and cdjs…throw in a few spare USB cables, RCA cables, audio CDs and a USB stick, both with enough music to cover your entire set
Good luck man, have a great one
A good idea is to make you friend with the sound guy, when you arrived at the bar, if there is no sound guy, find a barman or a waitress.
You need someone inside the place to be your EARS and your eyes. The sound could be verry thriky sometimes, deppending on a lot of factor. So you don’t want to put the charlie’s to lound and the bass to. You cetainly don’t want to blow a speaker… Smell very bad a grill crossover and you would end up paying them! Rather than receiving a nice check.
Pay them one drink, have a small chat. Remember they can be your best friend.They are the one that will give feedback to the booking.
No place for ego.
A good Dj is all about feedback from the place and the people . The vibe!
Enjoy yourself and félicitation has we say in french.
JP.