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Hey Brian, I've dealt with this volume issue so many times that now I make sure I get a floor plan before the events and if I think it will be a problem I bring more speakers to give better coverage at a mid level volume. Sometimes it only takes one more speaker to solve this issue. It does shock me how many times the oldest people at the events sit right beside the main speakers and then complain about volume!
Yyuuuppp your super right again bro. U knew how to have to room perfect and once again the client wants it “their way” (aka the wrong way)
I need some help making a music list for my reception.. what kind of music should I start off with after the bridal party has their entrance?
agreed, some things I do to help, option 1. if possible buy longer speaker cables so speakers can be moved to optimum place for dinner then moved back to dance floor for later maybe dismount them and lay them on the floor like monitors. option 2. turn speakers around so they reflect off the back or sideways wall behind and not straight at the guests for dinner if there is an echo due to size of room move balance away from shortest side. for band music reduce the bass level, if this is known before hand manipulate your tracks in audacity or other tool to either reduce tempo, so you have a slower version which I think is better or get instrumental version, or reduce levels where the volume goes high. as you said its only background music.
completely agree with what you are saying. I used to run into this problem all the time. my solution is to have an extra background system with extra speakers hidden around the room. I understand this is extra work and not for everyone. but works for me
Thanks. Appreciate the advice.
jazz and smooth R&B are always winners. hell, at a younger party (20's to 30's) where nearly all customers were black I even played some Notorious B.I.G. at a low volume it makes for good background music. know your customers, know your music
BLAME THE WEDDING PLANNER
I've been in that situation so many times I learned to bring extra speakers or tap into the venues sealing speakers like at most Hotels.
Cheers,
Guy
Ive been Djing for weddings for about 10 years now, Im from Guatemala City, I Dj about 45 weddings per year, and for the first 7 years I've always played the music you say on your video, but since about 2-3 years I've been playing Comercial Vocal Deep House, it is a Genre that is not EDM but neither Slow songs where the people will fall asleep during dinner, They keep getting the flow of the party 117-120 bmp, everything comercial deep house remixes and let me tell you, the reaction has been AWESOME, it hasn't been one single wedding where at least 10-15 people come up to me and say "Dude, this is so cool, this is what makes the difference between the normal traditional wedding and this wedding. Congrats" try something different and people will notice you for that.
Cheers
I agree with you brothah! Same situation I was in but, After a talk with the Groom he Understood and the bride as well. Know this folks, Do Not sit Older Gen next to Dj Booth. It gets real loud and can get irritating to some specially the older fellas.
Oh, Absolutely. Cocktail hour and dinner music are hugely important to ANY formal function. There are many different type of music within any specific genre. You have to search for, and find, enough of the softer selections to play during dinner. I have tons of preselected playlists, broken down by genre, which I offer as suggestions during our consultation, and even let them listen to samples if they'd like.
Big Band, for instance, also includes many of the "Singers and Standards" for which there are hundreds of soft and mellow selections to choose from. There are so many different versions of the same song out there. You just have to spend some time and do some research into ALL types of music. That's what sets a professional Wedding DJ apart from a Club DJ or a kid with a crate full of CDs.
I also try to talk to them about the room and table layout. You have to remember that most couples have never planned anything like this before and are relying on the experience and insight of the people they hire to help them. Some banquet halls are always gonna be a pain because of how they are laid out or how they want to do things. What works great for banquet halls and servers doesn't always work great for DJs.
But, often times, you don't have much input and have to just suffer through and do the best you can. There's not much you can do if the bar is at the complete opposite end of the room or, God Forbid, in a different room all together (yes, I've even seen it across the hall), and everyone is over there hanging out and drinking all night. The placement of the dance floor and tables is also something you don't usually have much control over. I've actually played in places that have a fixed dance floor in the very center of the room and want you to set up back against the wall with table BETWEEN you and the dance floor. YIKES! What a nightmare. That's when you had better have your speakers up high on the stands.
But, if you are familiar with your local venues, which you should be, and you discuss some of these things with the couple, it can really help avoid some of the problems that arise from them, especially if the couple DOES have some input as to how the room is arranged. And it also helps them understand better and takes some of the pressure off of you if something doesn't quite go as they had hoped at the actual wedding.
As always, It's about using tact and letting them know that you're on their team and working hard to make it all come off without a hitch.
Bring an extra powered speaker and put it next to B&G…Crank IT!!!
this is so true. I have not done a wedding in years, but it was always the case in the UK that you would be at a venue and placed at the opposite end to the head table. Now the old folks would always sit as close to you as possible whilst the younger folks would be farther away. So you would have this constant battle going on. With the younger ones asking you to turn up the volume and the old folks telling you to turn it down. Tricky situation. Cannot please everyone only speak to the client about it.
I know what you mean. I've done a few events where the people have asked me to turn the volume down when they're sitting right in front of the speakers. My first reaction (in my mind was move to another spot).But I politely said no problem. Then some people in the back said they couldn't hear the music. I guess you can't please everybody.
Great video!! 🙂
I bet you've already thought of this – using wireless bluetooth speakers on the bridal table for the wedding party. I like the JBL Charge speakers for this but I haven't found a Bluetooth transmitter to run out of my mixer. Always great tips – thanks
Sorry for the multiple posts. Please read in reverse order (bottom up). Thanks
I always attempt to light up the couple with lights angled away from the guests and towards the DJ booth if possible. I think scaffolding over the DJ is a fad which encourages pointing lights in the guests eyes, who only want to sit and watch rather than partake in dancing.
Although off topic, I find most DJs not only have sound coming from one direction (the DJ area) but also do the same with lighting, which I do not agree with either. There's nothing more annoying to the guests than to have lights in their eyes while looking at the dark side of the happy couple during their first dance (cont)
I agree with the comment about distributing additional speakers around the room while keeping the volumne down although I've never had luck with combining wired and wireless speakers due to the latency with the later.
Know exactly what you mean. A lot of the older big band stuff is overly dynamic, and the sudden peaks scare the mess out of the folks nearest to the speakers.
The better way to address the "old folks" is to use the "SEASONED Folks"
Also I make sure at the client's meetings we address the seating arrangement's, to accommodate the "Seasoned Folks" and also those carrying a child (It seems that the subs really give to much of a workout the unborn"
Big band ballads
It's the age old dilemma, what to do when the clients wishes defy logic and reason
Hey Brian I see your point however some people just aren't going to get it or they just want things done their way in a situation like that not much you can do about it. I just have one question for you was this just a wedding dinner or was there a dance afterwards? Reason I ask is because there should be no tables near the DJ booth normally that's space is usually reserved for dancing. Great video I hope it is helpful to other DJs by the way I said one question I guess it was two lol.
Good vid. Makes total sense. Time for a rethink on my background music,
Nice words of wisdom, as you normally do have. Also, how tired were you?
We do the same thing. It help a lot with the people right in front of the speakers.
Problem is that the effort to get one and learn how to use it properly would only pay of when playing very dynamic tunes very often. But compressing a dynamic range of 18 dB or more with a normal compressor/limiter would heavily influence the sound on the loud parts, if you want it to react quick to sudden changes in volume (guess why there are mastering engineers and radio stations pay s***loads of money for automatic processing gear). Maybe your guests wouldn't notice, but I wouldn't to it…
Seniors in the USA, Pensioners in the UK. Old wraps it up 😛
Brian Never call them old people.. their are Seniors 🙂 At least don't do it in public LoL
right 🙂
or u can put ur speakers on each corner far from the tables
Or a limiter (which is basically a compressor).