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Know Your Room
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
"green" people. 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 "green" people. 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). 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., 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
doesn't 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.
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