105 lines
4.0 KiB
Markdown
105 lines
4.0 KiB
Markdown
title: Running Audio/Visual for a Roller Derby Bout
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If you are a small team getting ready to bout, you are probably
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worried about the audio and video requirements.
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[LADD](http://losalamosderbydames.com/) worried about this too.
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Here's what we currently use:
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Audio: $310 new, under $200 used, $60 budget
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============================================
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There are good reasons to hire a DJ: it's one less thing to worry
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about, and you don't need to drop a lot of money on a sound system.
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But after a few bouts you might realize you can save money by doing it
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yourself.
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* One speaker: Harbinger APS-15 ($250 new)
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* Two wireless mics: Nady DKW Duo ($60 new)
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The important thing about sound at a bout is the announcer, *not* the
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music. I think a small team would do just fine with a single powered
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speaker, two wireless mics, and somebody's MP3 playlist. The
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Harbinger APS-15 provides a built-in amp *and* mixer, so you really
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only need these two items.
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If you're really on a budget, forget about music and just buy a mic
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system to plug into somebody's home stereo. The Nady has an
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unbalanced ¼" output; Radio Shack will have a plug to convert this to
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the stereo RCA adapter on a home tuner. Just be careful moving that
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stuff around: home equipment isn't made to take the kind of abuse
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it's going to get on the road.
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You do not really need to hire a DJ if you can provide a powered speaker
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and mics. I have been to a number of bouts, each time with a keen ear
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on the music. I've talked to as many DJs as I could, and with the
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notable exception of the 2011 Nationals in Denver, they have all told
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me their job was to set up equipment and play a mix CD provided by the
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team, or a playlist on some team member's MP3 player. They've all been
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sort of bored.
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If you do want to go for a full mobile DJ setup, though, I have a
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[separate DJ article](dj.html) you might enjoy. Total cost is
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$650 for that.
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Video: $350 new, under $300 used
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================================
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Your scoreboard should show period time *and* jam time. Because most
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hockey/basketball/etc. scoreboards only have one timer, most teams use
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a projector and computer. The Los Alamos Derby Dames has a
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[free roller derby scoreboard](http://woozle.org/scoreboard/) you may
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use, and there are a few other free options available.
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When shopping for a projector, it's easy to get overwhelmed by the
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options. Look for **high lumens** and **low resolution**.
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Lumens
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------
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Lumens are the units that measure how *bright* a projector is. Unless
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you are playing in a dark room, you will need at least 2500 lumens.
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You *need to* test some projectors in your venue before committing to a
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purchase. The deciding factor here is "ambient light": how much light
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is already in the area for your projector to compete with. This is really
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the only way to know for sure what your needs are.
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The Derby Dames bought a 2800-lumen projector, after trying a few out
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in our outdoor (shady) venue. 4000 lumens or more would have been
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better, but those cost over $600.
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Resolution/Pixels
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-----------------
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The resolution is how many dots there are on a screen, like megapixels in
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a digital camera. The more dots, the crisper the image.
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Your scoreboard is displaying gigantic numbers to people maybe 100 feet
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away. You don't have to care about resolution.
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The Derby Dames bought an 800x600 projector, which is more than enough for
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a scoreboard, and can even do 720p (for DVDs).
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Projection Screen
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-----------------
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A good projection screen can really help make your scoreboard more visible.
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They are also terribly expensive for the size you will need at a bout.
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Find some way to hang a queen-size white bed sheet vertically and call
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it good enough. If you have any team members or fans who like nailing boards
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together, you can whip up a decent structure out of scrap lumber. Remember,
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it doesn't need to look pretty: you're going to cover it up with a sheet.
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Summary
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=======
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You can run all of this for about $650 new, maybe under $400 if you
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shop around for used equipment.
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Ask me questions! I like to help!
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