|
|
|
|
@ -0,0 +1,163 @@
|
|
|
|
|
Title: Dirtbags DJ Setup
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
I DJ sound for [Dirtbags Capture The Flag](http://dirtbags.net/ctf/),
|
|
|
|
|
Roller Derby bouts for the [Los Alamos Derby
|
|
|
|
|
Dames](http://www.laderbydames.com/), and occasional parties. All of
|
|
|
|
|
these have pretty similar requirements: music from a PC, maybe some DJ
|
|
|
|
|
mixing, and at least one microphone for announcing. Derby is slightly
|
|
|
|
|
different because spaces can be larger and the announcer will want a
|
|
|
|
|
wireless mic.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
My Recommendation
|
|
|
|
|
-----------------
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
This would cost about $650 in October 2011.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
If I had it to do all over, and was unable to find a deeply-discounted
|
|
|
|
|
package deal again, here's what I'd buy:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
* 2× Harbinger APS15 -- 15" powered speakers
|
|
|
|
|
* 2× speaker stands
|
|
|
|
|
* 1× Alesis MultiMix 4 USB -- USB + 4-channel audio mixer
|
|
|
|
|
* 1× Nady DKW-DUO -- wireless cardioid microphone pair
|
|
|
|
|
* Cables:
|
|
|
|
|
* 2× 30' ¼ balanced -- mixer to speakers
|
|
|
|
|
* 1× 6' ¼" unbalanced -- mic base to mixer
|
|
|
|
|
* 1× 3' ⅛" stereo to ¼" unbalanced -- laptop/MP3 player to mixer
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
This will give you a nice clean USB audio out from your laptop, with two mic inputs and
|
|
|
|
|
a spare (analog) stereo in for an MP3 player like an iPod or Android
|
|
|
|
|
device: you wouldn't even need anyone to stand by the rig if you're
|
|
|
|
|
okay with a straight up playlist. This mixer will also allow you to do some
|
|
|
|
|
basic digital recording, if you want (I do). It's rumored to have
|
|
|
|
|
noise problems with the headphone out: my guess is ground loop
|
|
|
|
|
problems in some people's setups. Use a laptop with a two-pronged AC
|
|
|
|
|
adapter and you should be fine. In any case, if you use Mixxx, you're
|
|
|
|
|
not going to want to use the mixer's headphone out anyway.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
You don't get any digital effects in the mixer with this setup. I'm not
|
|
|
|
|
convinced you really need them.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
If you want do to some live DJ control, you can use the laptop's
|
|
|
|
|
built-in headphone jack and a USB mouse for about $40 (I think the
|
|
|
|
|
Sennheiser HD202 headphones are an excellent value). You could add
|
|
|
|
|
something like a Hercules DJ Control MP3 e2 if you'd rather have
|
|
|
|
|
hardware than a mouse. The Hercules RMX looks nice, with more buttons,
|
|
|
|
|
a metal body, and a mic in, but at about $250 I can't recommend it
|
|
|
|
|
over $160 for both the MP3 e2 *and* the more-versatile 4-channel USB
|
|
|
|
|
mixer.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
What I actually have
|
|
|
|
|
--------------------
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
This cost about $600 in July 2011.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
When I bought my setup, Musician's Friend had a package deal of
|
|
|
|
|
speakers, stands, mics, mixer, and cables, at $40 less than the two
|
|
|
|
|
speakers alone. So I bought it.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
* 2× Harbinger APS15 -- 15" powered speakers
|
|
|
|
|
* 2× Speaker Stands
|
|
|
|
|
* 1× Soundcraft Notepad 124FX -- 12-channel mixer with effects
|
|
|
|
|
* 2× Audio-Technica M4000S -- Wired cardiod microphone
|
|
|
|
|
* 1× Nady DKW-DUO -- Wireless cardiod microphone pair
|
|
|
|
|
* 1× SYBA SD-CM-UAUD -- El Cheapo USB Audio adapter
|
|
|
|
|
* 1× Sennheiser HD202 -- headphones
|
|
|
|
|
* Cables etc.:
|
|
|
|
|
* 2× 30' XLR -- mics to mixer
|
|
|
|
|
* 1× 3' ¼" unbalanced -- wireless mic base to mixer
|
|
|
|
|
* 2× 6' ⅛" stereo to unbalanced ¼" -- laptop/MP3 player to mixer
|
|
|
|
|
* 2× 30' ¼" balanced -- mixer to speakers
|
|
|
|
|
* 1× Laptop backpack from college
|
|
|
|
|
* 1× Roll of gaffer tape
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
APS15 Review
|
|
|
|
|
------------
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The reviews I read on the APS15 speakers were mixed, with half saying
|
|
|
|
|
"they're just fine" and the other half complaining about hum, uneven
|
|
|
|
|
frequency response, etc. I'm in the "just fine" camp, and will go on
|
|
|
|
|
the record stating that for a beginning club DJ, which is what I do
|
|
|
|
|
with Derby and CTF, the TH-15A is not twice as good as the APS15.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The speakers do hum, but it doesn't get louder as I increase volume,
|
|
|
|
|
and I can't hear it once I start playing music. They're a little
|
|
|
|
|
muddy, and the EQ doesn't do much. They don't stack, even though they
|
|
|
|
|
look like they were designed to. Carrying them is difficult, with
|
|
|
|
|
only one handle on the side.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
On the plus side, each speaker has two ¼" inputs (probably
|
|
|
|
|
unbalanced), three XLR inputs, stereo RCA inputs (presumably to hook
|
|
|
|
|
up an MP3 or CD player directly), and a moderately effective 5-channel
|
|
|
|
|
graphic equalizer. This versatility makes it easy to use these
|
|
|
|
|
speakers without a mixer: something, it turns out, I want to do from
|
|
|
|
|
time to time for practices, parades, etc.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
These speakers can't be beat for the DJ on a budget.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Soundcraft Notepad 124FX Review
|
|
|
|
|
-------------------------------
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
I'm very happy with this mixer.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
This 12-channel (4 mono, 4 stereo) Mixer is nice and compact, smaller
|
|
|
|
|
than the 8-channel Mackie ProFX8 I use at work. It does *not* have
|
|
|
|
|
USB audio, but it's very quiet and I can't see this making any
|
|
|
|
|
difference for CTFs, clubs, or Derby's big echo-y gymnasiums. It has
|
|
|
|
|
more effects than the Mackie: I plan to use number 31 (delay) for the
|
|
|
|
|
announcer's mic.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
I've used this mixer to bring in two DJs, two mics, my 2-channel
|
|
|
|
|
wireless mic system, and an MP3 player, and I still had ports left to
|
|
|
|
|
bring in another mic/guitar and another MP3 player *and* a recording
|
|
|
|
|
device, as well as an unused recording output and monitor outs.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Behringer is now making a "Xenyx 1202" which appears to be the exact
|
|
|
|
|
same mixer as the Notepad series in every way but color. I had read
|
|
|
|
|
that Behringer's business model is based on copying the successful
|
|
|
|
|
designs of other manufacturers, and this appears to be the case.
|
|
|
|
|
Having never used a Behringer mixer and having owned many "clone PCs"
|
|
|
|
|
in the 1980s and 1990s, I don't feel qualified to comment on the Xenyx
|
|
|
|
|
series.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Other equipment
|
|
|
|
|
---------------
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
For $60 more I bought a Nady 2-channel wireless mic system. Then, $14
|
|
|
|
|
for four 9v low self-discharge NiMH batteries for them. They work just
|
|
|
|
|
fine, but the plastic body will probably crack if anybody drops one.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
I'm driving the entire thing with [Mixxx](http://www.mixxx.com/) through
|
|
|
|
|
a $10 USB Audio device, with a ⅛-inch stereo to two ¼-inch unbalanced
|
|
|
|
|
cable. This is definitely the most sneer-inducing piece of the entire
|
|
|
|
|
setup, but after working with analog audio equipment in the 90s I feel
|
|
|
|
|
confident that this device is generating much less noise than the mics.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Aside from the speakers, all this gear fits into a medium-sized book
|
|
|
|
|
backpack.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Software
|
|
|
|
|
--------
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
I run Arch Linux on a Samsung NC10, my only computer. My DJ software
|
|
|
|
|
is Mixxx. My system is very stripped down: aside from xdm (asleep),
|
|
|
|
|
X, dwm, mixxx, udev, runit, a couple of gettys, and
|
|
|
|
|
[xss](http://woozle.org/~neale/src/xss.html), (which sleeps until X
|
|
|
|
|
tells it to engage), nothing is going on. I do not run any of the
|
|
|
|
|
things that come with a stock Ubuntu or Gnome2 setup, such as gvfsd,
|
|
|
|
|
cups, dbus, or pulseaudio.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
I'm able to run Mixxx with a netbook (1024×600) theme and scrolling
|
|
|
|
|
waveform display. Audio is smooth. I suspect, but don't care enough
|
|
|
|
|
to verify, that a netbook with a full Gnome2 setup would struggle to
|
|
|
|
|
keep up. In particular, I would look first at gvfsd and pulseaudio as
|
|
|
|
|
a source of latency. Even though pulseaudio is a tremendous
|
|
|
|
|
improvement over esd, it's still an additional layer between mixxx and
|
|
|
|
|
the sound driver; and I have seen gvfs lose its mind and busy loop,
|
|
|
|
|
chewing 100% CPU, many times.
|
