This page is for sound people and promoters out there who setup large scale sound systems for raves, clubs & concerts. Over the past 3 years that I've been a DJ I have collected tons of info. and I just wanted to put some stuff up here to help educate people how to better setup the system to accommodate and enhance the performance of all the DJs and live acts at their event. I'm not trying to tell you how to setup your event, I'm only suggesting a few things to make it a little more DJ / performer friendly.

Most sound crews use really cheap DJ mixers, and this is a BIG no no. The mixer is probably THE most important unit a DJ needs to perform well. Please try and use a Rane MP-24, Rane MP-22x, or Vestax PMC-50A. The reason for this is because these models have far superior electronics than most mixers. I am referring to the quality of the headphone controls, the faders, pots, EQ etc... Also, these mixers have a panning cue feature that allows DJs to adjust the relative volume blend of the house and cue signals which helps in beat matching. Another feature of these mixers is the onboard booth monitor volume control. This allows the DJ to adjust the volume of the monitor he/she is using to a comfortable level. Make sure you hook up the monitor amp to this volume knob! There are some Numarks and MTXs out there that are fairly decent but they don't come close to the Ranes or high end Vestax mixers. I would really like to see the Rane MP-22x become the standard mixer for rave sound crews. For $599 this unit has all the features I listed above, is very durable, well made and has a field replaceable crossfader.

Please make sure your turntables are in good condition and use ORTOFON phono needles. The Ortofons simply track the best and don't pop out of the groove when the DJ back cues. Also, try and set up a Denon 2000f CD player or Pioneer CDJ 500 CD player with the system. Many DJs use CDs and this trend is increasing as time continues. Make sure the coffin is at mid-chest height. Make sure the coffin is placed on a very sturdy heavy table, not a rickety X stand. Make sure there is a light there so the DJ can see what he/she is doing. We can't mix very well in pitch black darkness. Also, make sure the coffin's table is planted securly on the ground and not on a hollow stage or hanging from chains in the ceiling. It is important that the coffin be very secure, free from vibration and away from the main crowd so nobody accidently bumps into it and causes the needles to jump. Make sure the coffin isn't placed on a bouncy floor because when many people get together and start dancing, the floor will shake and cause the needles to skip. Try and dampen the coffin by placing thick foam padding underneath it to take out the bass vibrations.

Please try and get TWO clear, powerful monitors and have them raised at ear level, do not simply lay them on the ground because it is very difficult to hear anything from them when they are like that. It is important that the monitors be in good condition. Also, do not place them near the turntables / DJ coffin as this causes all kinds of vibration and feedback problems. Nice JBL monitors mounted on those Ultimate Support tripods are the best and make sure the monitors volume level is plugged DIRECTLY into the booth/zone volume knob on the DJ mixer. This is a key thing to help a DJ mix well.

Please try and setup the system so that the coffin is far away from the bass bins and speaker arrays. Make sure the main speaker stacks are pointed AWAY from the coffin location as the volume levels in clubs can get very loud, it makes it difficult to hear what your mixing. Try and isolate the DJ coffin a little so people can't hang over the DJ and distract him/her. Good mixing takes great concentration and people who are fucked up and hanging over the DJ just detract from the DJs overall performance. I know a lot of promoters think it's cool to have the DJ coffin right out in the front where everybody can see and hang over the DJ but be reasonable and place the coffin back just a bit.

This is also a very important part of the club and DJs performance. Using cheap, homemade or no name cabinets that you bought at the swap meet won't do. Please avoid brands like Pevey, Gem Sound, Gemani, MTX, American DJ or speakers you made in your garage using drivers from Radio Shack. The best brands for pro sound are EAW and JBL. These cabinets produce a clean, undistorted signal and make the night much more enjoyable for everyone. Please learn how to properly crossover and tune your system using EQ's, compressors, limiters, gates, BBEs etc... I can't tell you how many times I've walked over the amp rack where all the signal processors are only to see many of the sliders on the EQ set at maximum gain, this is plain wrong. Make sure the sound guy knows what he/she is doing or get someone else who does. It is well worth a few extra bucks to pay for a sound crew that knows what they are doing.

Most professional sound people use good amps, the best brands are Crest, Crown and QSC. The problem here is how people tune the system with the main house control on the mixer. A lot of sound crews tape down the sliders on the DJ mixers because they say the DJ is going to clip the system but it doesn't have to be this way. Please set the channel sliders at about 8, tune the system there and use a compressor limiter. The reason there are sliders on the mixer is to adjust for the volume differences in records and you can't do this when the sliders are pushed all the way up and taped there. Just tell the DJ to watch the volt meters and not to exceed a certain dB level, that's what it's there for. Use of a compressor limiter is also highly advisable to protect against system and driver overload. Also, large power amps draw a tremendous amount of current from the wall (power source) in the building. Make sure you use a Fire Dept. approved distribution box which is hooked directly into the main fuse box of the building and rated at usually 300 amps for each 120 volt outlet it has. This is basically enough power to run a large system on. Don't be using extention cords and run them long distances or all over the room. The Ohms (resistance) increases dramatically, especially in power cords when you run them long distances, the amps need all the power they can get. Better to locate the amps right near the power source and run the speaker cables the long distance. You can run a heavy duty speaker cable 100' feet with very little signal loss. Use of Neutrix connectors is also highly reccommended over quarter inch plugs.

Please make sure you have all the proper sound, venue, security, insurance, dance and fire permits from the city and post them in plain view of everyone. Nobody wins when a club gets broken up because all the proper permits weren't secured and this ruins the night for everyone. Don't give the cops an easy reason to shut you down. It is very simple to just tape the permits to an outside window or have them in plain view at the entry way.

It's nice to have some cool club lights / lasers, some intelligent lighting and a good fog machine at your event. Good lighting sweeping through smoke clouds creates a super psychedelic effect and when coupled with good music, good vibe and good DJ mixing, your club will almost be guaranteed to go off. Decorations are always nice too, and be sure there are bathrooms for everyone & trash cans around. Make sure the exits are well marked and lit up if possible as this increases the capacity of the room and when the Fire Marshall shows up and sees the exits are lit up and easy to get too, he probably won't shut you down for being over capacity. Try to send some security guards around the outside perimeter of the venue to make sure nobody is tagging the building. Many events & locations are shut down because of tagging! Make sure to clean up the location after you have left, then next time you want to use that location, the owner will know you respect his property and let you use it again.

• Rane MP-24 & MP-22 DJ mixers.
• Vestax PMC-50A DJ mixer.
• Denon 2000f Mk-II dual CD player.
• Pioneer CDJ-500 single CD player.
• Denon 770R Dual tape deck.
• Techniques SL1200 MkII turntables.
• Ortofon Nightclub DJ phono needles.
• Crest V(s), CA & Pro Series amplifiers.
• Crown Macrotech series amplifiers.
• QSC MX and EX series amplifiers.
• Ashley XR2001 & XR1001 crossovers.
• Ashley GQX-3102 & GQX-1502 equalizers.
• Rane ME-15 and ME-30 equalizers.
• EAW (Eastern Acoustic Works) LA Series speakers.
• JBL SR Pro Series speakers.
• "High End" Intellabeam & Cyberlight luminaires.
• Monster Cable 100 or higher series patch cords.
• Anville/Jan-Al flight certified equipment cases.

• Try to use a Rane MP-24, MP-22 or Vestax PMC-50A mixer.
• Make sure main PA cabinets are pointed AWAY from DJ mixing area.
• Plug Booth Monitors into Booth/Zone volume control on mixer.
• Make sure Booth Monitors are clean sounding and powerful.
• Don't place Booth Monitors too close to coffin.
• Elevate and secure the coffin at mid-chest height.
• Make sure coffin is properly dampend with foam padding.
• Use Ortofon DJ (or Nighclub) phono needles on turntables.
• Make sure phono needles are in good condition and track well.
• Make sure turntables have slip mats and are in good condition.