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Tópico: How many speakers to get for starting out? - Page: 1

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I'm going to start getting into DJ'in but what speakers, and how many should I use?

Personally, I've been thinking that X4 12's or 15's would be fairly decent. And then later progress on to buying X2 Bass Cabs etc.

Thanks.
 
Mensajes Sun 09 Oct 11 @ 9:31 am
It's not always about the size or number but the quality and clarity. Most guys get by with 2 main tops and maybe but not always a sub or 2. It will really depend on the size and type of events you are contracted to do but 2 high quality speakers will almost always be better than 4 mediocre speakers. A pair of 15" tops is the workhorse setup for many DJs but you will often get better sonic representation from a pair of 10" or 12" mains with a 15" or 18" sub.

What is your budget?
What is your background and prior experience?
How much room do you have for transport?


There are a ton of threads that compare the most popular brands of speakers, unfortunately the search function of the forums isn't the best :(

Try to look up a few comparison threads then come back and ask any detailed questions I am sure you will get constructive answers.

Some of the most popular brands discussed are JBL, QSC, ElectroVoice, Harbinger, Mackie, Peavey.......

Any professional speaker will play music loud with the right amplification but loud and good are two different things :)
 

Thank you for your support my friend.

Well I've decided I'm going to start DJ'in, just so I can say I tried, to do something what I wanted to do when I was a child; but I've always done mixing at home in my spare time. I'm planning on mobile DJ'in for all occasions. And I agree, myself I would choose balanced SQ & SPL over quantity any time. I really don't have the money to start right now but I'm looking to spend very minimum as possible as I am just trying to start out (but not getting anywhere) But I'd say:

- Between £500-1000
- No previous public experience
- No current transport but my relation is thinking of helping me with is Vectra car, and I hope to purchase my own Astra van in the future. Lmfao

Yeah I also agree over the brands you have pronounced. JBL and Peavey are definitely in my good books from what I've seen other people use in the past.
 
I'd suggest a pair of Warrior (W Audio) PSR15A powered 15" speakers would suit you at this stage.

They'd go in a car, would be loud enough for the average event, are not expensive, and the bass would be reasonable without a sub.

Buy a pair of speaker tripod stands too, so you can get them up nice and high.

None of that dodgy 'speakers on the floor' business!
 

Okay I'll take a look at them.

What consequences do you suffer from having speakers placed on the floor by the way? Is it lacking of treble? and unsettled vibration?

Thank you.
 
ALWAYS use speaker stands! Especially with just 2 speakers, you need to get the speakers so that they're at head height (just above is better) so that the sound goes past people's heads to the back of the room, not just in to their knees and absorbed by their clothes.

mackie srm400 s are pretty popular with mobile djs if you want a starting point.

http://www.thomann.de/gb/mackie_srm_450_v2_black_bundle.htm?sid=59ed4832a3a1743ea6c4b880857efec9 here's a bundle with some stands from a company I use. They're based in Germany, but they post to England for free and I've used them several times and had good service with them.
 
The SRM 450's always seem to come up at this price point - very popular - easy to handle, enough power for reasonable sized crowd, decent sound quality for the price. See a lot of them out on the town.

Yamaha MSR 400 are worth a listen too. but most important take time to find speakers locally and go listen to them in person.
 

Okay, so speaker stands are a must. So what would you say? Two speakers on stands and two floor speakers to place at the back corners of rooms?

Sounds like the Mackie SRM400's are regularly praised. By the way, are speaker and lighting stands kinda, universal standard?
 
Forget about using four speakers!

Once you get to a good standard of kit, two is more than enough.

Once you have your own transport, that's big enough to carry more kit, then you can add bass bins (subs) for more welly.

That's the most you'll ever need, unless you plan to play to thousands in a huge stadium or something!

Back corners? That's the reason behind putting your speakers high up on stands - the sound will travel over peoples heads into the back corners. If the speakers are too low, the sound gets absorbed by all the bodies.

Try it yourself. Play some music on a speaker, then get someone to come and stand in front of it. Hear the difference?
 

Okay 'groovindj' I'll take your word for it, I just didn't understand straight away about the numbers, after all you lot are the experts. =)
 
I have always done small events so I started out with 2 Yamaha BR 12's & I put them on stands....I just recently bought a sub & that was only because it was so good of a deal I couldn't pass it up....So you will be good starting out with just 2 speakers & a pair of stands...
 

Okay 'rd423' thanks.

Thank you to everybody who has been chatting to me on here. You've all be very helpful. All the details you lot have provided me, have fed more knowledge about what I need, and a better understanding of why.

Thanks once again. =D
 
For starting out, I would buy 2 of these. 2 Powered 15 inch speakers is good enough for 80 thru 100 people. You can always buy any subwoofer later if you want to do bigger events http://www.planetdj.com/i--TS115A Theses are a better buy then the Mackie thumps & The behringers. when it comes to size, I always preffer a 15 inch because you get more lower end and its alittle louder. 12 inches sound good but you will always want more bass.
 


The OP is in the UK - any idea if that brand is available over there?
Would the cost of shipping those to the UK be more worthwhile than going with the SRM450's or MSR 400 which are available locally?

What about RCF ART 315 A MK II --the RCF brand seems to be readily available in the UK and gets decent reviews.
 
Another point that nobody has mentioned - and perhaps there is not an active 2nd market in the UK - But over here there is a very active used gear market. Often there are many experienced DJs looking to upgrade their gear and sell off decent kit at a much reduced price. Find a brand or model that you like then check the local used market for the same item and you might find a deal.
 
RCF is Italian. It should be alot cheaper over there.
 
Are Wharfedale any good? Not sure about the after market. Plus I think it'll be easier to order online. =)
 
Wharfedale are fine.
Been around a very very long time.
 
When it comes to the Mackie SRM450's, Either get the V1 series (you'll have to find a good used set as this model is discontinued), or look for the V2's with the dark grey cabinet. The V2 with the dark blue cabinet was manufactured with cheaper quality drivers imported from China. The V1's and V2's with dark grey cabinets have USA made drivers that are of a much higher build quality.

I had a set of the V1's and I took VERY good care of them. I used them 3-4 times a week for a good 7 years, and they sounded just as good on the day I sold them as the day I first turned them on. When it comes to powered cabinets, you have to be VERY careful not to overdrive them. Most have only a passive heatsink. Push them too hard and they can't get rid of the heat that builds up and they WILL go thermal and shut down to protect the components.

When you get started, I would invest in 2 mains and stands, then either rent or borrow an active sub from someone.

I was gonna post this in your other thread, but I'll just stick it in here:

Go to Amazon.com and look for "Small Business For Dummies" and "DJ'ing For Dummies"

The "For Dummies" series of books are awesome. I have used several of their books for everything from web design to dog training. They are written in terms that ANYONE can understand. They also make a great tool to refer back to down the road just to keep things fresh in your mind.

And speaking of fresh, check out www.chuckfresh.com. I have bought his books too and they are a great reference for being a DJ.
 
 
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