possibilities for mitigating against a DJ and DJ music

[Robin D]

I too hate noise limiters but I have worked venues where it was a condition of the licence that one was installed and used whenever amplified music took place. The client/DJ has no legal comeback as it is usually a condition of the contract that the sound system must run through the limiter. I just don't go back.

Worse than this, its sometime a condition of planning consent. We nearly had to install a limiter/cut off device in our new village hall. Fortunately, I was able to persuade the planning officer that

a) I knew a little about the subject,

b) We had spent significant funds on ensuring any sound stayed within the hall and had the acoustic advisor's professional report in the planning application pack,

and

c) I live in the nearest house so if anyone was going to suffer it was Billy Muggins here!

 

It is still a condition of our events licence that the noise should not 'be intrusive and destroy peace and quiet for the community' and we have significant constraints on operating times and music generally. i.e. If the management committee allows DJ Dave to push it too far and the council get complaints, they can withdraw the licence without further notice!

 

So don't be too quick to blame the venue for the proliferation of these devices ..... much more likely to be the local authority IMHO.

 

Edit - Typo

[S&L]

Thanks to everyone for the replies. I deliberately wanted toavoid DJ bashing and concentrate on a technical solution, so I skipped over afew of the non technical details. In reply to those:

 

Talk to the DJ, ask him to turn it down – on the night themain DJ was contracted to provide the event, booked the bands and my client(the PA company). The main DJ was pretty helpful and informed. He sent me asignal that was not eq’ed at his end and that was stable in gain level. We hadtalked and there wasn’t an issue. Then he left at 10.30pm for another gig,introducing his deputy DJ for the rest of the night. Shortly thereafter theplace became a zoo. The DJ was still playing infill music between bands andthat time and all was well but it wasn’t possible to leave the desk unattended insafety, fight through the crowd to his point and impossible to have adiscussion when I got there – see below.

 

The DJ was booked for his style and his loud(ness) – see abovefor contract arrangement – myself and the PA company asked for a briefing andchannel list but the event was uniquely disorganised in this respect. The roomprovider (a regional football club) is trying something new, using someone theyhave used before for events and still finding their way regarding organisation(or so it appeared). The DJ style or volume requirement was never mentioned. Thejob was quoted (by the PA company) for 4 bands, 2 acoustic acts, an MC and a DJproviding interlude music. What we got on the day was 2 bands, one acoustic actand 2 DJ’s playing long sets.

 

Sort a monitoring system for the DJ – when we turned up toload in we discussed positions with the main DJ. I picked out a slot to oneside of the PA which would allow him/them to hear the PA while missing thebrunt of the power and providing some form of protection. The DJ just turned upwith a double CD mixing box. Against my concerns he decided to set up shopdirectly infront of the left PA stack – 3ft in front in fact. Since he was ineffect the organiser, I warned him of the dangers and that the safety of hisears was at his own risk. Having set up shop there, there was precious littlechance of communication as the night progressed but I cannot imagine a moreeyeball rattling experience.

 

 

 

I really want to try and concentrate on a tech solution,here at least. To which end:

 

1. My primary problem is that I have no experienceof how to set a noise limiter to work and how that effects the waveform goingto the speakers. Is this an issue? Is there a piece of kit that does the jobfor a lot less money than the Dawmer mentioned? It strikes me that I can blow atweeter 20 times or more before I reach the cost of the limiter and It’sunlikely to be used much if I do buy one. I should mention that I have limitersengaged on the amps 9i provided those) and their protection is not an issue forme.

 

2. Is it possible to achieve the same thing with avirtual insert fx on the x32? I’m currently running v2.02 which has abewildering array of compressors and such, including what is referred to as aprecision limiter. For those that haven’t seen one, there is a picture anddescription of the effect here. http://www.x32user.net/Wiki/index.php?title=FX_Descriptions.

 

Now believe me, after the event, I nowintend to test that limiter and play with the settings until I can be confidentin its use but any comments on the appropriateness and a place to start withsettings (or an alternative x32 fx to use) would be most welcome.

 

3. Carrying a couple of xlr db pads now seems likea sensible thing to do when dealing with DJ’s – is there any downside to thissuggestion?

 

4. Thanks Simon Lewis for the appraisal of the ohmkit that’s useful – a meater top end at least may be used next time. It soundedlovely with test music in the room before the bands and DJ plugged in. Doesanyone know where I can get a price online for the formfocus tweeters? Eventhough I am not liable for replacement on this occasion it would be useful toprice them up for future issues with that rig (I did like the rig and amtempted to hire it for other non DJ events myself.)

 

 

[Doug Siddons]

Just use the limiters on your X32 As I understand your post the DJ was routed through your desk

[david.elsbury]

+1 to limiting on your desk. Its digital for goodness sake! :)

 

as an aside I have a chuckle every time I read the topic title. Mitigating against djs? Dont think it's possible. .. just have the conversation; if they don't or won't listen, limit the snot out of it...

 

Also there seems to be a problem with your post- spaces disappear between words?

 

Regards xlr pads... any downsides? Yes, you either leave them in the whole night and ruin good gain structure from the dj that knows his stuff. .. or stop the sound because you must unplug and re plug because you're now unhappy with input levels. Much better to just limit imo

[pjb304]

If you have a spare couple of channels on the desk could you Y split each output from the DJ. Then feed one pair into the desk via the pad, and the other pair straight into the desk. That way when you have a DJ with a good gain structure you don't have to use the pads, but they are there if you need them.

[Robin Pratt]

Limiting is only a partial solution, most decent DJs will behave if reminded often enough that turning it up more will only make it sound like #### but if you do end up with a DJ of the truly ignorant kind then whatever you do (s)he'll continue to push the DJ mixer harder and harder and at some point will push it into clipping. Then you have a distorted sound with loads of nasty harmonics on it arriving at your input and there's not much you can do to fix that. The harmonics introduced by the clipping of the signal will give your tweeters a fairly hard time even at lowish levels so if you do end up with one of those DJs who just doesn't get it then the baseball bat /lump hammer may be you only option. Another popular option is to give the DJ a painfully loud monitor speaker really close so they have a false impression of how loud things actually are out front.

[Jivemaster]

If you ever resort to a limiter then pull the top end right down at the graphic, The vicious cycle of signal up then more limiting is part of the cause of added distortion meaning huge amounts of added treble and over driven tweeters which take it for so long then expire.