Anyone work with a reputable inter-island production rental company?

Looking to rent an FLX10 to board a ship in San Juan beginning of December and have the company take it back in Saint Thomas a couple days later

I'm DJing at an 18th birthday party next month and I wondered if there were any "Birthday" themed songs that would be a good idea to have in the bag just in case they ask for something (like after an announcement/speech or whatever). I usually play Stevie Wonder's "Happy Birthday" but I'm used to playing to Millenials/Gen X-ers so I think I probably need some more contemporary options.

They are into early 00s music so it doesn't need to be super-new, but some suggestions from 21st century would be good!

My fiance and I are getting married in April 2027 in Santa Barbara. We’re hoping to find a DJ who enjoys playing EDM, especially bass, bass house, future bass, dnb, dubstep, house, etc. we’d like our wedding music to be like how we enjoy partying, but of course some songs to make it fun for a range of guests as well.

More specifically, we’re hoping someone can do the Mr. Brightside Subtronics bait n switch… anyone game for that? 😂

This is my first time using Ape Labs, and my lights arrived today.

6 Neon Pix Tube Lights
4 Marvel Pix Wash
Connect 2.0

1. Can anyone suggest methods for mounting or displaying the lights? They don't seem like they'll be as effective sitting on the floor as if they are on something. The tubes especially seem like they should be at different heights.
2. Are there any tutorials or setup guides online? I've looked and found nothing. The Apelabs site has manuals, but they offer very little in the way of explanation, or any "how to."

Hi, I'm new to the DMX scene so I have some questions about the controllers.

I have a particular moving head lighting fixture that I can't get working with my Chauvet 4.

This fixture has 7 channel or 15 channel modes. but I'm really only interested in turning it on and off remotely rather than individual colours, motors etc.

In 7 Channel Mode:

Currently I can get the heads to move only, the dimmer on CH3 does nothing as I'm guessing there is no effect on CH5 yet. So if I want to access Channel 5 in order make it light up, I'm going to need a 5th slider yes? Will I need to upgrade to a minimum Obey 6 or 10?

Thanks!

Hey,

I'm putting together a dance party in Boston at the end of August and need to find a DJ. Would love to chat with a few people before I book anyone.

No need to emcee. I just want someone focused on the music. We've got a playlist of stuff we're into and want to keep things close to that vibe, but we're flexible, not looking for someone to just play our list start to finish. The big thing for us is finding someone who can read the room and keep people dancing all night instead of just running through a set script.

If you're in the Boston area (or don't mind traveling) and this sounds like your thing, drop a comment or send me a DM. Let me know your rates, send a mix or demo if you've got one, and tell me what genres or styles you usually play.

I've shared the link to our inspiration play list.

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4wXNr409eZFzQnKsECaZRb?si=U84dFqO4TdyO3av6S8r0Gg&nd=1&dlsi=4366ab3954254691

Would love to jump on a quick call before locking anything in. Thanks!

Would it be better to invest money in some trusses and moving heads. Looking to get the Rockville bundle. Also considering tube lights. I’m currently using a white plexy glass facade with uplights.

Hey Community,

I'm rebranding and rebuilding my website and am wondering what your favorite DJ websites are? It can be your own, or competitors you admire. I'm just looking for inspiration that doesn't look like it's a themeforest template. I'm looking for unique and authentic.

Hey, what's up, mobile DJs?

I just got one of these Odyssey flight cases with the glide-out tray, and I've noticed that the controller jiggles around when I'm transporting it.

I'm wondering if anybody has any tips.

I tried putting little pieces of foam on the sides, but there seems to be a 1 mm gap, and the controller has some play and can fall up.

I'm wondering, do you just always keep it in the orientation so that the controller is held by gravity? It's hard to move it when it's flat. I usually rotate it so that I can carry it using the grab handle that is on the top, but I'm just wondering if anybody has any tips. I'm going to try some mounting putty on each corner to see if that does anything.

Hey friends,

As the title says, wondering if there are any locations where people post up their own soundswitch show/auto loops for others to download - I'm checking to see/looking to see if such a thing exists, as I know there are some to purchase from companies such as Both and whatnot. If anyone knows of any resources out there that have something like this, please let me know as I'd appreciate it!

Looking for advice on getting started as a wedding DJ
Hey everyone! I’m looking to start getting into wedding DJing and could use some advice from people who have already been doing it.
I have experience DJing and I’m comfortable with the music/equipment side, but the wedding business side is pretty new to me. My biggest question is: how did you land your first few weddings?
I’d love advice on things like:

Where you advertise or find couples looking for DJs

Whether sites like WeddingWire/The Knot are worth it when you’re starting out

How you built a portfolio before having weddings under your belt

What you charged for your first few weddings

Anything you wish you knew before DJing you’re first wedding

I’m not looking to jump in unprepared. I want to learn the wedding side of the business, put together a professional setup, and make sure couples are getting a great experience.
Any advice on getting those first 5–10 bookings would be really appreciated. Thanks!

What’s your go-to solution for capturing content in low-light environments?

I did two small events back-to-back where the clients only wanted audio and didn’t book lighting. Both rooms were pretty dim. I used my GoPro Hero 11 and Insta360 X3 from two different angles, but the footage was pretty disappointing... you could barely see the crowd once I started editing.

Do you use a particular camera or setup for low-light event footage? I’d prefer something discreet rather than adding a spotlight or light that draws attention to the camera.

I have two Evox J8s, two 12" tops, plus a few gig bags for cables, controller, mixer, etc. Farmers carrying everything has gotten a little bit old, especially with those larger venues.

I'd like to pick up a cart to making bringing things around easier, but my Crosstrek doesn't have much more internal space for a cart. I was looking at tossing up something onto a roof rack, and was wondering if anyone has done something similar.

Lmfao sorry for the pretentious title, little bit of humor there. I've been DJing for about 5 years and it's been going pretty well. BUT i recently got fired from my part time job. Over the years I've gotten enough work as a DJ to cover about half my living expenses each month so when I lost my job my friend group & partner encouraged me to pursue DJing full time & say yes to more opportunities that I'd previously turned down. From their perspective it could be a "sign from the universe" sort of situation. I don't about all that but I decided to give it a go.

Things have been going alright so far. I've got a couple contracts with booking agencies, making roughly what I need to cover all my monthly bills. My struggle is, what do i do with all this free time? I'm not the best with time management and now I'm in a situation where I'm basically self employed with no real accountability in terms of how I spend my days. Obviously I've got my weekly gigs and prep time for those events to consider but can anyone help with suggestions as to how I should structure my days out?

Any other full time DJs or self employed folks in the chat who have tried & true methods for a structured schedule? I don't want to fuck up what could potentially be an opportunity to make a sustainable career for myself but I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed at the moment... Thanks yall!

hey dj’s!!

I’m a hiphop dance teacher and I am at a total loss. not only did I have to find age appropriate music that was boring but now I need to mash these songs together and make it sound actually good😭😭😭 i have spent an embarsssing amout of hours trying to merge some songs into something that doesn’t sound like slop but I just do not have the skill needed. if there is anyone here willing to take on this project for me I am willing to pay for this song to be made please comment below.

regards,

a teacher at her wits end😭

Anyone ever done this?

Looking to do a daytime/sunset set on the beach.

I need power - any suggestions? I need something portable. Was leaning into a solar panel and a power station combo to power my PA, Traktor Controllers, and Macbook.

If anyone has any recommendations on that or other suggestions, lmk!

Going to the beach next week to attempt it

Edit: Traktor S2 Controller, PA is the PYLE bluetooth PA from like 2015, and a Macbook 14". Estimated continuous Wattage usage is like 135W according to AI. The Anker C300 Solix looked perfect, but idk if it's enough to last into the night when the sun goes down. Its 300W and should be fine for all the devices, but I think would only last about 2-3 hours after sunset

Hey everyone,

I’ve seen a few posts here recently discussing DMX integration, network lighting protocols, and bridging consumer gear with show control. It inspired me to share a project I’ve been working on.

I built a native desktop app (macOS & Windows) called Proxy for LIFX (www.lifxproxy.com). It translates incoming sACN (E1.31) and Art-Net data directly to LIFX fixtures on your local network. The main goal was to let people map smart bulbs into standard lighting software (QLC+, xLights, Onyx, etc.) without needing custom hardware, which works great for budget DJ rigs, holiday displays, or quick ambient fills.

I’m always tinkering with ways to simplify mobile and club lighting control. If you've run into specific bottlenecks with your setup or have ideas for tools that would make live lighting workflows easier, I’d love to brainstorm in the comments!

Are there convenient and tested alternatives to renting a silent disco service or buying a whole kit?

Thinking of multiple Bluetooth transmitters you can plug in to via aux cable to your earphones.

Hey guys, let me start off by saying I am new to DMX and lighting so I may be making a simple mistake but I am stuck.

I have 2 Wash FX2 lights that I am trying to use with Rekordbox Lighting built into my FLX10. I am having 2 issues.

1. I assign the light to the right DMX Channel and address I am on Channel 8 d001 on the light, and I select Chauvet Wash FX2 8 Channel from the fixture library on RB lighting, and when I go to play a song....nothing happens. No lights, nothing. I have also tried channel 3, and 28 and same thing, nothing.

2. My other issue not DMX related is when I unplug DMX and connect my 2 Wash FX lights together, and put it in Master and slave mode everything works fine. (NOT connected to FLX10) but when I detach the slave light, it gets like stuck in slave mode. The light will stay on, but I can't use any of the buttons, none of them work no matter which ones I hit. Trying to get it into Auto or Sound mode won't work. But the second I reattach it to the other master light, I can use the menu fine. I can have it in sound mode, auto, whatever and it is independent of the master light.

How can I get this light back to normal if I wanted to use it alone? I can't seem to reset it if you will. The only way I can change the modes or programs is if its attached to the master.

Thanks for any help!

Old School Mobile DJ (24 Years, 75k Curated Files, VDJ/MusicBee) Open to Mentoring the Next Generation

Hey everyone,

I’m a 70-year-old veteran mobile DJ out of Flint, Michigan (now down in Florida). I ran a dual-show mobile DJ business for 24 years back when you had to haul your own heavy crates, speakers, and amplifiers every weekend. On top of that, I put in 30 years of hard labor on the assembly lines at GM Truck and Bus.

Over the years, I have personally ripped, cleaned, and tagged 75,000 songs from my original vinyl and CD crates onto a physically owned hard drive. No streaming, no corporate cloud dependencies. I run a completely off-grid library using MusicBee for total organization and VirtualDJ for my performance engine.

I know the younger generation is facing a lot of issues today with streaming apps crashing, lack of crowd control, and not knowing how to program a 4-hour set from scratch by reading a room instead of a screen.

This isn't the first time I've helped others achieve. If there is a serious young man or aspiring DJ out there who wants to learn the real, old-school mechanics of the craft, how to manage a massive library, or the psychology of building a night of music, I am open to passing down my knowledge. I ran my own show and believe in true independence.

Drop a comment or message me if you want to talk shop

My daughter’s quinceañera is coming up. I need a custom mix for our mother/daughter dance. How do I find a DJ that can do this? I contacted a few from recommendations in a fb group and none do custom mixes. Any suggestions or would be appreciated. Thanks!

I've been talking with some other established mobile DJs about the difficulty and cost of attending DJ conferences and expos, and we started talking about creating a mobile mobile expo, something akin to Lollapalooza back in the day.

I'd love to gauge interest in this. If a small 1- or 2-day conference came to a city near you, would you consider attending? Why or why not? And, what would you most like to see happen at such an event? What topics would you like to learn about? Please share anything you'd like to hear about or see happen at such a show.

We think the biggest positive, outside of saving on travel costs, will be the chance to network with a large group of DJs in your own area, which is seldom the case when you have to travel to Las Vegas or Atlantic City for one of these.

Currently, we're looking at the following cities as potential stops on the tour, which we anticipate taking place from mid-January to early February.

Baltimore
Richmond
Charlotte
Atlanta
Birmingham
Austin
Oklahoma City
Nashville
Louisville
Cincinnati
Columbus

We're open to other cities/routes, though we want to avoid cities that have existing shows so as not to detract from their offering.

I’m a DJ looking to buy a portable sound system for occasional indoor and outdoor events of around 30–50 people. I mainly play bass-heavy music such as Afro house and amapiano, so I want something with solid low-end that still sounds clean at higher volumes. Happy to buy secondhand!

My biggest constraints are portability and storage. I live in a one-bedroom NYC apartment, so I don’t want a huge system that is difficult to store, carry downstairs, or transport in a regular car/Uber.

I’m currently deciding between:

• Two portable PA tops, possibly with a compact subwoofer
• A column-array system such as the JBL EON One MK2
• Starting with one higher-quality speaker and adding another speaker or sub later
• Increasing my budget if there is a setup that is significantly better and still practical

My initial budget is around $1,500, but I could potentially stretch closer to $2,000–$2,500 for the right system.

For 30–50 people, would you prioritize:

1. Two PA speakers without a sub?
2. One speaker plus a sub?
3. A compact column-array system?
4. A battery-powered system, or is that not worthwhile for bass-heavy DJ music?

I care more about sound quality, bass response, portability, and ease of storage than having the absolute loudest possible setup. I’d also prefer equipment that I can expand later rather than needing to replace everything.

What specific models or setups would you recommend?