The PA mixer is really no different to a DJ mixer in what it does (mix sound sources). The “enhanced” DJ set-up Enhanced DJ set-up. Indeed, if you decide on active speakers (speakers with the amplifiers already built in) it can get even down to DJ controller and speakers! However the blocks are still there, it is just the routing with cables from the amplifier to your speakers has already been done for you by the manufacturer in the one cabinet. Also you can substitute “DJ controller” for “DJ mixer”, “DJ audio interface” etc – basically, it’s the master output from your DJ system.)
(Note that in all these block diagrams, the sound travels from source to output. But before we look more closely at each component of a PA system, let’s think first what we actually need from a PA system, as the needs of most DJs are different from a band or vocal presenter, and these needs will determine how our DJ PA is put together. Usually a PA system consists of three parts: A sound source (for DJs this is your sound card or controller “line” output), an amplification system, and a speaker system. We will cover the differences as we work through the guide. Hence a PA system has some qualities that are different from common hi-fi-type equipment.
PA means “public address” and basically a PA is a system that is meant to provide a public (audience) with a constant quality of sound for a long period of time. What’s more, if you familiarise yourself with these basics, you can more easy decide what is real innovation and what might in your case turn out to be only “for show”… What is a PA? Why is it different from hi-fi system? While we can’t cover all of this in a basic guide, the basics do apply in my experience. Possibly we’ll cover these in a later guide or course.įinally, I also get a lot of questions regarding “new stuff” like PA mixers that you can configure with iPads, active speakers that look like trumpets and so on. The basics still apply, but you have to consider more things. Big clubs present a very different environment to “simple venues”. (And if you do not know what a line array is, do not worry about it.) Also I am not touching big club gear in this guide.
So I will not touch line array systems, for instance, as that is a whole different world and frankly if you’re DJing on that scale there will be audio engineers about to help anyway. This guide discusses low to mid-range PA systems, because these are the types of system that reader of this website are going to want to buy and are most likely to find themselves using. This is a big subject, so let’s narrow down what we’re going to look at.
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So having made that clear let’s go! What this series does and doesn’t cover Looking for the low-down on this type of PA ( a ‘line array’ system)? Sorry, we’re not going there… So experts might think differently about some of the minutae of what’s here, and who knows, on some points they might be right – but on the other hand I can’t remember a time that things haven’t work out well for me with PA systems, and I get a lot of compliments for my great sound. While I have not studied theoretical physics to prove what I believe, I have seen and heard enough to be pretty sure these guidelines are right. Just a word: What I’m offering here are views based on my own experience over that time. Which is why we decided it’s high time to start unravelling some of the mysteries of PA systems from the point of view of DJs.
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In that time I have used lots of different PA systems, in places from small wedding venues right up to festivals with tens of thousands of people.įurthermore, in my role as moderator of the Digital DJ Tips forum, I know full well how many DJs know very little about this important subject, judging by the number of questions asked about PAs. I’ve helped lots of DJs like you, as well as many live acts, with getting the best from PA systems, and I’ve been doing it for a long time – even longer than the 15 years I’ve been DJing. Stuck understanding PA systems? Need to rent or buy one for your shows? Scared about plugging into or playing on a PA? Want to know why you need one at all, when you could take your home stereo speakers to the party and use those instead? If so, trust me – you’re not alone. Here the speakers are pictured with a small PA mixer. The Mackie Thump is a popular PA for DJs, with the speakers containing the amplifiers meaning there’s no need to carry separate amps.