Hi,

here are a few pics of my rig:

Piccy 1

Piccy 2

Piccy 3

Piccy 4

What do ya think?

Daniel

I like the static lights in the last picture

Although I wouldn't use the Commando 2 controller for two Chameleon 4's, I use 6 to 8 all in master/slave mode, and I have the Commando 2 too

I'm not sure how old you are Daniel but I think you are still at school? If so, I think you are a shining example of a future professional DJ. The very fact you come on this forum, ask questions and then use the advice is evidence enough but your set-up, for your age, looks tremendous.

You put an awful lot of so called dj's to shame.

Very well done. You should be incredibly proud and chuffed with yourself.

Hi,

Wow! Thanks for the great comment BigBen. Its great when i hear advice like that and really does make me feel like what I do is worth while.

My idea is to make my setup as neat and tidy as possible. I Think I have achieved this and I have a few little things planned to make it even more neat.

I now have a case logic cd wallet instead of a tesco crate. I also plan to get a 2ft table stand to put my kit on instead of relying on dodgy venue tables. I will also be swapping the G clamps soon because I find it hard to put the T bar up on my own with all the lights on it.

thanks

Daniel

P.S. yeh im 15 years old and I bet you know the venue I was in if you are based in Stoke/ Cheshire area.

Nice one

Just wanted to second everything BigBen just said!

Luverly jumbly Finn!
Now wouldnt it be nice if all the old dj's put up pictures of there rigs when they were 15!
I wonder if the camera had been invented then? Mikeee will know

Thanks Paula,

lol it would be really fun to have a topic on the retra 80s rigs full of lightboxes, fal light columns, helecopters, harvesters and evn a telephone headphone.

lol

Daniel

Hows the case logic? lol.

Anyway Dan, I'm in roughly the same boat as you. You have got a nice rig there. There are a few things that you could think about to make your rig look even more pro. Strap the cables on the bar down- maybe rewire them ( I had my stanley knife, cable strippers out last night wiring up iec leads) and put those speakers on straight and finally how about getting a case for the amp and commando. You can pick cheap carpeted racks on ebay for 20 quid.

the cables are cable tied inside a plastic tube all the way down the stand of the lighting bar.

Daniel

ye that looks neat but at the top on the T.

Good stuff, and well done for putting the pics up. You seem to have the important stuff covered (all the messy cables etc ).

Looks like you've got things just about sussed. Top marks.



Vinnie

Thanks Vinnie

Daniel

lol thanks chris,

yeh it would be great if we could have a oldies rigs thread. go on chris show us that 1988 rig pic.

Daniel

I'll go and look for mine

This should be an intresting one, i will go and ask my uncle if he has and pictures of his old set up,

Setup looks great! Especially now your using black cables instead of white ones like I do . And Im guilty of Black Taping cables down on my stands.

A few weeks ago a comment was made that more disco set ups would benefit from £40 being spent on them than £400.

I would say that your rig appears to be just that.

If I was really, really trying hard to find any area's for improvement on your rig, it would definately be under the heading of "On stage presentation" rather than "functional excellence". You've already got a very effective show.

You've already taken the first step in hiding cables etc by using the cloth over your table to cover a multitude of ugly wiring etc.

Other members have already mentioned using velcro strips to tidy up cables further - eg: the overhead ones etc. If possible, give the speaker cables some stress-relief using velcro at intervals down the tripods length. At the moment it looks as though the cables just come straight down from the speaker sockets, giving the speaker socket (and the cable plug) the weight of the speaker lead hanging on them.

Now it may be the angle of the speakers, but they appear to be a bit skew-wiff on their stands. If so, if could be that their top-hats are too large for the diameter of the stand/tripod poles. If this is the case, then consider adding a layer or two of tape to the top of the poles. This will make them a little thicker and thus aid the speaker in sitting securely and upright on the tripod.

With regards to table layout (and I appeciate that the table looks as if its just what was around on the night, I'd definately suggest dropping the blue controller down onto the tabletop rather than balancing it on top of the systems case. One slightly sozzled Sharon and the controller heads towards a full width of mixer controls, probably shearing off the odd CD-deck jog-wheel on the way down. Also, and probably more important - I'm assuming that you took the photo with the camera at head height - if so, look how much audience the controller will block out for you (when they're there and dancin'. And if you cant see them....they cant see you...

If you were looking for some constructive critisism on what to buy next, then I would be hard pushed to find anything actually "wrong". If, however, you were wondering on area's of improvement, then I'd say that you need to think about what the audience see's when they look AT your show. At the moment its "presence" is quite low-key - but at least its not "industrial". Some shows can look like a hard hat zone.

Consider making fuller use of the UV tube at the front - super cheap option (real Blue Peter stuff this)...get a couple of UV Security marker pens and draw about 100 "stars" (about shirtbutton sized) onto that cloth you use. Instant UV starcloth !!! for £4

Slightly more upmarket would be to add some UV reactive lettering to the front of the cloth (with or without UV stars - from above suggestion) - your name in lights for about £1 per letter.

Hello,

Gary - ATM the speaker cables are wound around the speaker stand. Then gaffered down to the floor. I use wilkinsons garden ties for all my cables and for the lighting stand I use some cable tidy tubing from Ikea which goes from the top of the bar and is tied to the stand and then gaffered to the floor and under the table.


The speakers- I had my stands on the lowest setting because I was on stage. I therefor had a problem of having the tightening handle close ot the speaker which caused it to put the speaker up on one side. At the gig the week after I addressed the situation by putting the stands at a different angle so it caused the speaker to be pushed up at the front on each cab and therefore isnt noticable. I think I will put a couple of gaffer tape layers on it tho. Nice idea.

Yup the table was there on the night. I plan to use a 2ft mini stand soon. Have my flightcase and controller ontop and my amp on the bottom. My cds will go into a fibre case on a large black music stand.
The controller is atuually attache d to the flightcase. I made a system where you can screw/ bolt it to the flightcase with sunken in nuts. Look on the piccys and you may be able to see 2 small black things attached to the bottom 2 fixing holes of the commando controller.

It doesnt block my view or the audiences view at all.

I may take your idea up on the UV thingys but will wait till after christmas when I have finished my upgrades.

Hey you called my rig low key. Thats what I was aiming for. I want to have a good rig that has ample power then bieng used hopwever for the 1st part of a gig I dont want to look like a huge lump of black metal blinding guests. I want to feel like a professional, clean and tidy looking rig.

Brian - Nope the contrller is fixed o the flightcase just above the controller. I like what I have alread. I have afew upgrades planned to make it even more tidy though and also thinking of adding another pair of chameleon 4's to replace the 2 small mini moons which dont do a lot. The thing under my cd player is my Numark ws-32 radio mic reciever.

Thanks for the comments gaz, its really appriciated and anymore would be realy useful.

Daniel

CHRIS I HAVE PUT ALL MY POSTS INTO 1 BIG POST!

looks good mate

Dan have you consider re-wiring the leads for the chameleons? It would mean you wouldn't have to wrap the wire around the bar

I dont andrew, it goes along the back permanantly vable tied, that was probably the mini moon cables.

Daniel

I have found a picture of my rig from 1982/4 and will post it as soon as I work out how to do it.

The BOY will be home soon, he will know how its done. I am too old!

lol kingy. since im such a nice person, I'll tell you how to do it ok

1. register here and sign up for an account. its free.
2. then once your sorted, upload the pic onto their server, then you should see the pic in a box sorta thing with adresses below it. click the image so it enlarges it.
3. right click the image, go down to properties, copy the 'address/url' (www... etc)
4 on here, in the post reply menu, go up the top and you'll see the buttons, click http button then paste the URL in the box which appears then give a name for it then when you submit it, it should come up like daniels post

if you get stuck, then ask ur boy or PM me

You have your set up identical to mine, although i'm using 3 lights instead of 4.

cool, post the piccys up.

Daniel

What I do like especially about the lighting shown in the pictures is that in venues where the lighting tripod can be set up a few feet away from the back wall, is that you could spin the two smaller (outer) lights around to face the back wall and add a focal point that way. (as long as theres enough slack on their power leads).

Vinyl letters/lettering is available from most printing shops from (just) under £1 a letter for 8 or 9inch high letters, in a wide variety of fonts (not just: UK NUMBER PLATE font ). Various colours available including gold and silver...(Cue: Soft "Wooooo" from audience) - but best go for white, or Day-glo if none of the colours state "UV reactive".

Try this link for an on-line quote.

Take a look at their TYPEFACES/FONTS section, type in the disco name, choose the colour and letter height and click on calculate cost... doddle. (remember to select the "MIRROR CUT" option if your sticking the letters onto the reverse side of a piece of perspex or glass)

hi gary, could you put a pic up soon so i can see what all that letter stuff looks like?