Know
Your Room
by DJ
Rob Wegner
February
2001
Have
you ever listened to a song in your car and said to yourself,
"this song will pack my dance floor?" Then you
play that song and it seems to clear your dance floor. There's
a reason for this.
If
you've read the About
Nightclubs
section, you know how I emphasize knowing the regulars. In addition,
if you've read the Formatting section,
you know how I emphasize pacing and/or building the night slowly
to a gradual peak. Well, a third issue, that I haven't discussed,
is knowing your room.
Since
every nightclub (and rave/mobile party) has different dance floors,
equipment, acoustics, lighting, etc., you may discover that what
works in one room, may not work in another room. It may have
nothing to do with the regulars. The song that you thought would
work in your car sounds different when played in a large room.
This is important because an entire set can be ruined if one
song sends them walking.
Some
dance floors are so big that a DJ could have hundreds of people
dancing and still appear to be doing a poor job. Some dance floors
are so small that having one couple dance makes the DJ appear
great. It's perception.
Now
let's add another variable: the number of people in the room.
In the early evening, if the perimeter of the club is packed,
and nobody is dancing (and the dance floor is small), how does
that make the DJ look? What if everyone is dancing and no one
is in the perimeter? Most people would say that the DJ that has
them dancing is doing a great job. However, I said "early"
evening, when people should be drinking and spending money (there's
plenty of time for them to dance off the liquor later in the
night). It's perception.
Now
let's add another variable: the sound equipment. As many of you
know, not all songs are recorded at the same level(s). Some songs
are designed for cars; some songs are designed for radio play;
and some for nightclub play (i.e., 12" mixes). Lower bit-rate
MP3's may sound great on your computer, but play the same tracks
in a nightclub and even an untrained ear can detect the difference
in fidelity (i.e., Lower bit-rate MP3's don't sound that great
on expensive systems). The way the song sounds in the club, on
that particular system, can make or break a dance floor. The
bass you heard in your car seemed to disappear when you played
that same song in a club. It's perception.
Now
let's add another variable: acoustics. I'm amazed at how many
DJ's disregard the issue of acoustics. If house music started
in warehouses, it may because the acoustics of those large rooms
complimented the music. Carpet absorbs sound. People also absorb
sound. This is why the system must be played louder when the
club gets busier. Club owners that put limiters on their equipment
(often during the day - when the room's empty - because the sound
engineer may not work at night) don't understand this. Sound
bounces off the walls, and in some cases, the waves bounce into
each other creating dead spots. Finally, there's the "resident
advantage." Resident DJ's are usually accustomed to a room's
acoustics. They should be able to turn the monitor off and mix.
A non-resident may turn the monitor off and mix to an echo. It's
perception.
As
you can see, resident DJ's should know a lot. They should know
when the crowd shows up; they should know what a good dance floor
looks like; they should know how loud to play it (and when);
they should know which songs work best on the club's system;
and they should be familiar with the room's acoustics. They should
know their room.
.
Quarterly Tip
