Disc Jockey News

I have spoken with many DJ's who all say this years Holiday season is very slow compared to past seasons.

It is being reported that this years holiday season for DJ's is slower then past seasons which were bad years to begin with.

Living in Minnesota, our DJ season typically slows down November first to about May first. The weather here can be so unpredictable that Bridal Couples don't want to risk having their wedding day ruined by FEET of snow.

To make up for this, DJ's focus on corporate functions to fill those empty weekends.
I have noticed since 911 that the corporate world has also slowed down with having holiday parties.

The first couple December’s directly following the horrible 911 attacks, corporate events came to a screeching halt. Those that did have parties before 911 were giving away huge gifts like big screen TVs, DVD & Video recorders, Microwaves, but those same companies were giving away pencil & pen sets, mugs with the company logo on it or nothing at all in the following holidays after 911.

Then last year there was the whole "Politically Correct" controversy going on. Corporaterations were afraid to offend someone by calling it a "Christmas or Holiday" party so they discontinued holding the event.

I think that the corporations money men figured out that they can save a boat load of money by not having the events and no one really missed them.

Normally corporate events get booked long before the beginning of November, this year it seems to be a last minute thing. Today I booked a corporate event with only 11 days to prepare.

So how is your Holiday Season wrapping up?

Jeff Richards: Party Time Productions

http://www.PartyTimeProductions.biz

Posted by Jeff Richards at 06:18 PM | Permalink

Unpredictability is what gives Widespread Panic such a loyal and rabid following among fans, who never know what to expect at this Southern jam band’s prodigious live performances.

Guessing what direction any given show will take is part of the excitement for “Spreadheads” – or, as lead vocalist/guitarist John Bell puts it, “Surprises are something a lot of people dig...we’re trying not to be predictable.”

So when drawing up plans for Panic’s 28-date U.S. tour this fall, Lighting Designer Candace Brightman wanted the visual show to be as free-wheeling and spontaneous as one of the group’s marathon jams. To accomplish this goal, the much-celebrated Brightman, who served as LD for Grateful Dead for 20 years, worked with Andrew Gumper of AG Light & Sound (www.aglightandsound.com ), which assisted in the programming and visual design of the show.

The duo chose a gear package built around 8 Power Spot 575IEs and 32 Power Wash 575Es moving heads from Elation Professional. Three truss arches were constructed over the stage, with the 8 Power Spots being positioned on the center arch. The Power Washes were placed 8 each on four separate strips of trussing encircling the stage, two extending diagonally at the front, and two running along the sides of the stage perpendicular to the arches.

“Candace was looking for something different,” said James Watral of AG Light & Sound. “The Power Spots produce an amazingly varied palette of colors and array of effects over center stage. They can create virtually any visual look you want.” Among the Power Spot 575IE’s abundant effects: a full-functioning Iris, 11 colors plus white and UV, 16 replaceable gobos on two wheels with gobo overlaying, a built-in 4.9mW red laser, and a 3-facet rotating prism. The Spots’ versatility fits in with Candace’s creative vision of “having a mish-mash of everything coming together in unison,” said Watral.

The Power Wash 575E wash effects are used to splash color around the stage and out into the audience. They feature CMY color mixing, which produces smooth gradual color transitions in an infinite spectrum.

In addition to their versatile range of options, both of the 575-watt fixtures were also chosen because of the “brightness versus cost” factor, according to Watral. “They’re brighter than 300s, but very reasonably priced for their high output.”

Upon seeing the Power Spot 575IEs in action at the tour’s first stop at Radio City Music Hall in New York, Brightman said she found their brightness “amazing.” She also was impressed by the Power Wash 575E’s 8°-22° zoom.

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Another benefit of the Power Spot 575IEs and Power Wash 575Es is that they come in a compact case the size of a 250-watt fixture. Their innovative small case design, along with their lightweight electronic ballasts, make them ideal for touring, said Watral.

“The Power Spots and Washes are definitely good to work with,” commented Watral. “From a service standpoint, they stand up really well on tour.”

For more information, contact Elation Professional toll-free at 866-245-6726. Fax: 323-582-3108. Address: 4295 Charter St., Los Angeles, CA 90058. Web: www.elationlighting.com Email: info@elationlighting.com

Posted by John Young at 09:43 AM | Permalink

A new year is quickly racing towards us, are you ready?

2007 is just over a month away, have you begun to look to the future and how to make or continue your DJ Service sucess?

Statistics show that the number of weddings per capita is diminishing and is at the all time low for the last 100 years.

Statistics also show the number of Disc Jockeys is increasing in substantial numbers due to the ease of collecting a music library at little to NO cost to the DJ wanna-be's.

The markets are being flooded with less then adequate DJ equipment that can be bought at your "warehouse" and "discount" stores.

The extremely low costs for equipment along with the ability to illegally collect a library of music along with the lack of schooling, training or certification has allowed almost anyone with the desire to make a few bucks, to become a Disc Jockey. A.K.A. "Bottom Feeder"

In my next article, "Starting From Scratch” I will cover a few things that you can do to help insure your future "Success for 2007.

For now, we must all work together to educate the general public about the difference between a quality or “Professional” Disc Jockey and those who are considered “Bottom Feeders”

If we can educate those who are looking for a DJ service of the importance of a quality entertainer, then that is the first step in allowing us to be paid for the Value and Worth of our service and also in the long run maybe make some of those “Bottom Feeders” to either get better or completely drop away.

Jeff Richards: Party Time Productions

http://www.PartyTimeProductions.biz

Posted by Jeff Richards at 01:25 PM | Permalink

With Universal Binary Support; Over 100 Improvements And Features

Fidelity Media has announced a major new software release, MegaSeg 4.0, available for immediate download at www.megaseg.com. MegaSeg, the premiere Pro DJ and radio automation software for the Mac, is now a Universal Binary running natively on both Intel and PowerPC-based Macs, and includes over 100 additional improvements and new features.

Along with Universal Binary support, OS X Tiger users of MegaSeg 4.0 will appreciate tight iTunes and Spotlight search technology integration, allowing for faster playlist access and iTunes importing. For multi-system installations, syncing library data across local networks is now possible via the new Bonjour (ZeroConf) networking support.

The overall interface is a major advance for the MegaSeg 4.0 release, both in terms of customization options and overall system responsiveness. Users may deselect unnecessary interface features to customize and simplify their experience for greater ease of use. Among other features are a robust set of color coding options, and new library display options, including hierarchical folder tree navigation.

The professional VJ will find much to love in MegaSeg 4.0. This upgrade includes a much-requested Ambient Video Playlist feature for continuous video output. This new video playlist will automatically display videos, Flash animations, or still images when audio only tracks play in the main playlist.

Radio stations and mobile DJs alike will appreciate software-based mic playthrough support to and from any connected audio device, such as built-in or third-party microphones. MegaSeg 4.0 also features enhanced track looping and pitch-lock features, improvements to Nicecast and SHOUTcast server communication, full MIDI controller support, and a host of other improvements.

Price and Availability

MegaSeg 4.0 is now available through Fidelity Media at www.megaseg.com for a suggested retail price of $249 (US). A promotional discount price of $199 is available through January 1st 2007. Owners of older versions can upgrade for $59 (US) through January 1st, and $79 (US) thereafter. Those who purchased MegaSeg on or after July 1st 2006 will receive the upgrade free, and be notified automatically via email. MegaSeg supports all Apple Mac G3, G4, G5, and Intel systems running Mac OS X 10.2 or higher, with a 600 MHz or faster processor, and a minimum of 512 MB of RAM.

About MegaSeg

MegaSeg is a self-contained DJ mixing and radio automation system which benefits from the ease, mobility, and reliability of Mac computers. MegaSeg enables DJs and radio stations to put their massive music libraries on their Mac and seamlessly segue or beat mix between songs or music videos, trigger sound effects via hot keys, use color coded requests lists, cue tracks on a second output, create dynamic scheduled playlists, and program playlist events. Mobile DJs can use MegaSeg to easily add systems to their growing business, and is a professional solution for anyone who needs more mixing control than Apple's iTunes or iPods offer. MegaSeg is fully integrated with the iTunes library and playlists, and compatible with songs bought from the iTunes Music Store.

About the Company

Fidelity Media Inc. was founded in 1998 with the vision of simplifying music library management and mixing for mobile DJs, radio stations, and other music related industries. The company's flagship product, MegaSeg, has been the premiere DJ music mixing application on the Macintosh since 1999.

For more information:

Jason Cox
One Henson Place, Suite A, Champaign, Illinois 61820
(877) 634-2734
sales@megaseg.com
www.megaseg.com

MegaSeg - Pro Mac DJ Music and Radio Automation Software

Posted by John Young at 06:54 AM | Permalink

Could it be that the Election has already had an effect on the future of our business?

In a normal day I will receive one to three viable, qualified e-mail requests or phone calls who are NOT price shoppers but actual possible clients seeking more information about my service.

For the last few weeks the phone calls and e-mails have slowed down a bit or were just "price shoppers" but by late afternoon to late into the evening on election night, my phone was ringing off the hook and the e-mails were pouring in.

Could this be a sign that with the turn over in the political world that it has eased the fears of Bridal Couples and has opened their wallets to spend more on their entertainment?

I remember back when Clinton and the Democrats were in charge how my business just grew and grew and I was always busy.

Statistics show the slow down in the number of weddings taking place across the nation, this year being the lowest in the last 100 years.

After 911 things really cooled down, weddings were cancelled and business hit an all time low.

Hopefully this is an early sign that the general public will relax, fall in love and then get married.

Jeff Richards: Party Time Productions

http://www.PartyTimeProductions.biz

Posted by Jeff Richards at 11:44 AM | Permalink

The LED Shadow is an exclusive DMX blacklight combining high portability with the low power consumption and longevity of LEDs.

It is fitted with 192 ultra violet LEDs averaging 100,000 hours of operation. The diodes are enclosed in a sleek, 2.5-inch thin plastic and aluminum panel. Total weight is less than 5 lbs (2.22 kgs).

Three channels of DMX control dimming and strobing capabilities as well as the activation of pre-set programs. All functions can also be triggered in stand-alone mode via dipswitches.

LED Shadow incorporates two sturdy brackets (for clamp and wall mount) and one extra power output to daisy chain units. For a more complete mobile show, this distinctive blacklight can also be linked to the newly released LED Techno Strobe featuring all white strobing LEDs and the LED Techno Strobe RGB with full color mixing. All three fixtures are capable of performing chasing patterns.

www.chauvetlighting.com

Posted by John Young at 08:18 PM | Permalink

If you get seven years’ bad luck for breaking a mirror, imagine what you’d get for smashing a mirror ball.

Arriba Cases has come to the rescue of superstitious DJs everywhere by introducing two new bags that protect mirror balls from damage during transit, the AC-70 and AC-71 Mirror Ball Protectors.

Part of Arriba’s revolutionary line of soft, padded lighting cases, the AC-70 and AC-71 are designed to securely hold an 8” and a 12” mirror ball respectively. Lightweight yet rugged, they can accommodate mirror balls from any major manufacturer,

Of course, you don’t have to be superstitious to worry about breaking a mirror ball – no one wants the inconvenience of showing up at a gig with damaged equipment, or the expense of buying a replacement. Made of the same durable synthetic material as Arriba’s other lighting cases, the AC-70 and AC-71 will protect and help extend the lifespan of delicate mirror balls, one of the most popular and enduring special effects in any light show.

Ideal for DJs, musicians and mobile entertainers, the AC-70 and AC-71 Mirror Ball Protectors are lightweight and easy to carry, with an extra wide mouth for easy access. A drawstring toggle closure tightens right around the top of the mirror ball to enclose it completely and prevent scratching, chipping or dulling of the delicate mirror tiles.

Like all of the products in Arriba’s soft case line, the AC-70 and AC-71 mirror ball bags are also very budget-friendly. They offer working performers a more affordable alternative to the hard case products on the market.

“When mobile entertainers on a budget invest in an expensive piece of gear, they want it to last a long time,” said Brian Dowdle, marketing manager for Arriba Cases. “For a relatively small outlay, our Mirror Ball Protectors not only lessen the chance of breakage, but also help keep the mirrors clean and scratch-free. What’s more, our soft cases are easier to carry and much less expensive than traditional hard cases,” he added.

As the first manufacturer to offer a full line of soft cases for mobile lighting products, Arriba offers bags for a wide range of fixtures and accessories. Additionally, the company recently introduced its first audio case and plans to expand further into this area.

The AC-70 Mirror Ball Protector fits an 8” diameter mirror ball and has a suggested retail price of $12.95, while the AC-71, accommodating mirror balls up to 12”, retails at $14.95. Arriba cases are designed to fit products from all major lighting manufacturers.

For more information, visit www.arribacase.com. Contact Arriba Cases at 626-217-6710, fax: 888-244-0938 or by email at info@arribacase.com

Posted by John Young at 02:44 PM | Permalink

I recently saw what I would have to describe as the greatest advertising campaign ever!

After leaving the Northern Disc Jockey conference last week, I was driving home when I passed a huge billboard that was placed just off the property of the casino the event was at.

It had only three large printed words to catch your attention and those three words said it all....

"Change Your Luck"

Then in smaller printing was the name of another casino and the city it was located in, and that was all.

I was asking myself why another casino would advertise itself only a few yards from the competitions front door.

I passed that sign three times and not being a gambler, it wasn't until the third time that it hit me.

The majority of guests at that casino are there for one reason....to gamble! The majority of guests at that casino go home leaving their hard earned money in a slot machine or black jack table.

I spent three days at that casino and never dropped a dime there except for the cost of food, so it never dawned on me that the billboard was speaking to those who lost money to try to change their luck by going to the competition advertised on the billboard.

STROKE OF GENIUS!

If it was up to me, I would place that billboard at every entrance/exit around every casino I could.

Could you imagine if DJ's advertised like this? You would look in the yellow pages, bridal magazines or see billboards outside another DJ's office that just said "I Don't Suck” with a phone number of the competitions DJ.

Jeff Richards: Party Time Productions

http://www.PartyTimeProductions.biz

Posted by Jeff Richards at 12:09 PM | Permalink