Ok, you have the gear, lights, sounds and speakers - but not confident to patter?

Well, when you listen to the voice overs on TV like Blind Date or the Lottery, the speech is precise and clear, delivered with a theatrical style.

Then, there is a difference in the style of delivery from say, a Radio2 DJ, to a Kiss100 DJ or pirate radio show.

However which way you want to express, deliver or chat on the mic - take notes from the veterans and media pro's, and develop a blend of style unique to yourself!!!

The only thing i could add to that Dan is 'dont try to copy anybody' your voice will sound unnatural. Ok so people may say oh you sound like............... well thats fine but don't try even harder BE YOURSELF.

A good voice will always find plenty of work!

True, true....

You see, I wanna sound like Dale Winton!

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well thats fine but don't try even harder BE YOURSELF

Damn Good Advice!, If you can't convince yourself that your natural voice is right for the Job, then how do you expect to convince your audience that your FALSE "D.J" voice is real???.

It's always strange to hear yourself over the P.A, but I can assure you that you sound exactly the same speaking to somebody in person, as you do over the Mic. It's really easy to be self critical the first time you use the mic, but don't try and sound like Steve Wright!, you really don't need to and will only end up sounding false like the man at the fair!.......Weeeellllllllllllllll - Dooooo Youuuuuuu Wannnnnnnaaaaaaa Goooooo Fasssssssttttterrrrrrrrrr!, Whooooo Yeah!.

Yep true again. What I was trying to put across (maybe I didn't earlier) was not to copy or imitate, but to learn timing, delivery and clarity.

Who can forget club DJ's all trying to sound like a chirpy Caroline DJ....or like Peter Powell......or like Pete Tong..!?!

Individuality yes, yes. But I still think you can learn (not copy) from others.

To quote again - be - your - self.

Mic work is one of those dying arts for some "club" DJ's. I sure that some just think that the "M I C R O P H O N E" is just "that thing that keeps the dust off that XLR Connector..."

But of course ESSENTIAL to mobiles...

As well as the great advice already given above (pop pickers) I'd add:

*) Record some of your gigs - listen to yourself...are you saying "urm..err" alot? or maybe every sentance ends with "You know" or "Init?" (Inside M25 dialect)

*) DONT add extra bass to the mic channel - you DONT sound extra manly - (not even you male DJ's...) you just sound muffled.

*) If you're finding that waggling (clean version of the word I was gonna use) the music channel faders up and down (up & down) inbetween your words is tying up your hands too much...consider that some mixers have some really good automatic mic-overide features that do all that work for you...dipping the music by a certain amount while you're talking, and returning the music carefully back to normal levels when you stop. The Citronic 10:4 mixers offer variable depth (of dip) and variable mic sensing for this feature...

*) Be extra, extra, extra careful when announcing that the next record is of the "FUNK" genre....

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DONT add extra bass to the mic channel - you DONT sound extra manly

Damn, I suppose that i'll just have to wait for my voice to break then

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Record some of your gigs - listen to yourself...are you saying "urm..err" alot? or maybe every sentance ends with "You know" or "Init?" (Inside M25 dialect)

Yes, and don't forget to try and break up your introductions etc, try a bit of lighthearted banter at the beginning of the night and avoid over use of "That Was", "This is" routine.

Nobody likes an ego driven D.J who likes the Sound of his / her own voice yakking 2 mins into each track. Practice the broadcasting art of being able to talk over the intro and right up to the lyrics. This means that you stop talking at the point in which the first lyrics on the track start.

Another great tool, (but not if you're still being "traditional" and only using vinyl), is to set up a seamless loop near the beginning of the track to talk over...just hit "Exit" when you're about to finish talking... breakthru!

Upto the mid 70's it was "thats poptabulous mate, not arf"
Then we went throu the "mid atlantic" style
Now you have to sound (if you speak at all) like you have been dragged up and spent a "holiday" at HM pleasure. Init, no wot I meen.

Oh Mikeee
Thats what my Mum said when she first heard me,
She said I taught you how to talk proper & you sound as common as muck!
She even threaten Elocution lessons,
But that was about 10 years ago,

& yeah me learnt 2 chat propre now, nah what i mean luv?



(10 years later, have now developed gift of the gab)

I had electrocution lessons as well

Guys,

We find that people dont actually like jocks who talk too much, the music is the main reason for being there......people often ask us when they call if we talk alot, and people have also said thanks at the ned of the night for not giving loads of cheesy comment.....

You need to do the main stuff yes, like announcements ref buffet, congrats , ahppy bday etc and last orders!

If you are at a pub do, and can throw in a couple of the landlords special offers too, thats good for a free drink or 2....

But keep the chat down to a minimum, I have been really fed up with DJs who think you want to hear crap patter....think of the radio stations these days, they seem to have forgotten that its the music you tune in for not a load of silly chatter from four people who you cant see laughiung and giggling about something that is clearly a visual joke!

Hmm, the amount of D.J "Chat" is a very fine balance, and it has to be said that you can't please all of the people all of the time no matter how hard you try. It's like the average Wedding, sure you play all Era's of music to suit the varied age range, but you can't bet your brand new amp, that the Youngsters will be hassling you for chart stuff, when you are playing 60's, and when you are playing some chart stuff, then Gran & Grandad will want a Quickstep!

It's a fact of this industry!, just like you can guarantee that everybody will be congregating around the nearest exit when you are about to pack away!.

You will have occasions where the Guests will think that you have talked too much, and others who think that you didn't talk enough - how do you find a happy medium?.

There are far too many D.J's who think that doing a disco is just music and flashing lights - if the guests wanted that, then they may as well hire the gear from me for £60 and throw on their "Now" Cd Collection. If a D.J is little more than a Jukebox, then the host/ess is going to feel cheated. Purely Mixing D.J's belong in the Club and not on the Mobile Circuit.

On a personal opinion, I find that more chat, and even a bit of friendly Banter go down better, before the Buffet - when people are still arriving and aren't going to dance in any case! - the same also applies for around 20 mins after the buffet break.

Once I have a full dancefloor (or as full as I beleive that its gonna get!) then I limit the "Chat" to around 1 link every 3 tracks - unless something funny happens on the Dancefloor, or I'm about to change the music era that I'm playing. I also remind the Audience that we play requests every 30 minutes or so.

Again, like most D.J's, I tend to play each function by Ear but this format generally works for me.

LOLOL Whats wrong with Init Init LMAO!!!!

Just cause us southerners or even us from berkshire say it doesnt mean its bad init LOL

Just a habit u get into

But on a serious note its difficult to get into the habbit of speaking properly if your not use to it, and trying not to say umm err etc is even harder at first!!

Cheers

Rick

I believe a DJ must have the ability to speak in the queens english, clear concise, just like the "talk over" guys, whether you do it between every song or every tenth song, not arf, alright. As you know from else where, i had the pleasure (not often) of watching Spin work, and he had a nice pleasant clear "laid back" voice, I would even say "sexy", and thats what makes the difference when you are trying to get people on the dance floor.

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i had the pleasure (not often) of watching Spin work, and he had a nice pleasant clear "laid back" voice

Well Thats the SpinDoctor for you - A Calming bedside manner

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I would even say "sexy",

Oh dear!, he didn't look over the decks at you with those "Come to bed" Eyes did he!!??

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I believe a DJ must have the ability to speak in the queens english

One distinct advantage of being from the South. The Further north that you go, you'll find the rough 'n' ready type accents (a' la Coronation Street, Duck!) . I must admit, having spoken to mikeee on the phone, he does sound well spoken, and not the gruff Pipe Smoking voice I was expecting

Of course we have to make way for the new era of the younger generation of D.J's who will all be D.J'ing by text!!! - "Will u b on l8er cos mum sez I gotta go 2 da shops"

I did say he sounded sexy, I didn't say he looked sexy - LOL

I don't smoke a pipe, but I do get through nearly 40 ciggies, I know give, and I will one day, cough cough

I was born in Birkenhead so have a wirral/scouse accent, I dont feel that I need to try to be someone im not by pretending to be posh, if I turned up at some of my gigs speaking like ive got a silver spoon in my mouth i'd probably get chased out the venue !.

My personal opinion is that most of the people in the area you cover probably speak the same dialect as you so if you stick to how you speak already they should understand you and your localism's, on occasions I do get carried away and have to force my self to talk a bit slower on the mic but thats something ive learned to do from experience.

Although I did once do a guest spot for first leisure in one of their establishments in Wolverhampton now that was entertaining !.

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I was born in Birkenhead so have a wirral/scouse accent

Alright, Alright, Our Kid!, Calm Down, Calm Down!!!

Not that we stereotype people on here at all!

i personally would like to see and hear a dj work a crowd.

i was in the local walkabout bar for about 3 hours with some work friends (it was cheap drinks night) and the dj's choice of music was spot on, however the only thing he said was " bogof on reefs for the next 15 minutes". the place had no atmosphere. A dj is an entertainer so entertain.

and finally about accents, its not just accents its attitudes as well. for example up here in the north people talk to each other on the bus however, after living for 3 years in London if you talk to someone on the tube your an axe murder......

Loads and loads of good sentiments here. Ok big secret coming up specially for Mikeee concerning the Mic work......

I'm a Brummy born and bred!!!!! (Bet you never guessed though) !!!!

The only problem i have these days is if I go 'home' to see the rellys........ for the next four days my work is a nightmare cos nobody understans us our kid!!

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its not just accents its attitudes as well. for example up here in the north people talk to each other on the bus however, after living for 3 years in London if you talk to someone on the tube your an axe murder......

I must admit, that as somebody who deals with the public from all over the Country on a daily basis, I must admit that this sentiment is true!. I do find that the folks from the North, are friendlier and more likely to give you the time of day, than those from the South....Sorry but it is true!.

Don't get me wrong, of course there are some very friendly people in the South, and equally some unpleasant people in the North, but on the whole, from area to area, you can't beat the Manchester, Lancashire, Yorkshire folks as the most friendliest, with the Scots following a very close second.

LOL you only put that in cos ninelives would be on your case re the unrepresented minorities!

Sorry when I said queenies englais, I didn't mean lose your local accent or dialect, it's more a case of being understood by people regardless of were in the world they come from.
A good example is a lot of companies now have there call centers in India, the accent is not a problem, it's more the fact they ramble ten to the dozen at a speed that beat the world land speed record, they don't think that others may not total understand them.

And todays words are - Diction and Pronouncation.

Dic who and what? U saying dat we can't tork proper or summat?

anyway no matter how you speak, as a dj please spend a little time to set your levels so the customer can understand you.

how many time have you heard somebody on a mic that sounds like a bass bin feeding back on itself.

All good points so far - I actually find it entertaining though when you can't understand the DJ!!!!
If you manage to attend someone elses gig and can't hear what is said - you can play a guessing game - and substitute your own definition!!!!

IT'S REALLY FUNNY !!!

Hooo yes! I remember seeing (and almost hearing) DJ's where the mics just been plugged in and switched on, off, on off, during the night, with no consideration of level (over music) or EQ.

I use autoducking (read that last word very carefully ) on the mixer, which detects when Im speaking and dips the music by X% while I speak. It's a great tool, especially when I'm out in the audience with the SM58 radio mic (EG: Walking smartly to the light switches at the far end of the hall, whilst annoucing that there'll be 20 minutes of background music commencing shortly to accompany the buffet...(lights on)).

If the audience cant hear what you're saying clearly, you're taking something away from their entertainment (of the music), rather than adding to it.

I also have a corded SM58, which I use either as a spare...(when I forget to pack spare 9V batteries...), or when one of the organisers is using the radio mic. The beauty of have two identical mic heads/elements is that the 3 band EQ on the mixer can stay the same between the two mics. (with just a little variation from venue to venue)

When I used to use the DJM600, which has a fairly poorly featured mic channel, I used a seperate compressor/limiter with SIDEBAND feature, to give me a very professional/controllable auto mic ducking feature over the music...nice to know you can add such a useful feature (externally) to any mixer/system, for about £80.

Must admit that is one of my reasons for thinking of changing from the BST mixer which has no less than 5 mike channels but NO autofade!!! to a Citronic 10:4 Fortunately I have a very well trained Roadie !