If you are a beginner DJ just getting started you may not be familiar with EQ, or the terms Treble, Mid, Bass and Gain. In this short video for beginner DJs, I hope to provide you with easy examples, and a basic understanding of how to adjust your EQ. (Luckily the FUGE already has an AMAZING Sound System. The rooms in this video are used just for the example of different types of rooms you may encounter as a DJ)
On a side note, I am learning a basic understanding about videography!!!! Like most things in life, things don’t always turn out as planned! The extra audio Rachael and I took didn’t turn out. Then, during editing I got the error “.50” meaning a corrupted file was not allowing me to upload the video to my computer. This forced me to delete the video section explaining Mid and Bass. However, I noted the bullet points below. I still think there’s enough content in this one to walk away with something. I’ll try to make a better one for you in weeks to come! Always Troubleshooting!
Basic Concepts and/or examples:
Treble: High frequency such as cymbals or soprano
Mid: Mid Frequency such as Tom drums, Alto Tenor, Voice
Bass: Low Frequency, Bass Drum, Bass Voice (low/deep)
Gain: Increase power of signal from your amplifier (This seems as if you are increasing the volume however you are actually increasing the power to that channel)
Why do you need to adjust your EQ? When a song is produced in a recording studio it is recorded perfectly. What happens to us as DJs (especially if you are a mobile DJ traveling to many different venues) we encounter many different spaces where we are hired to play music. The way the song sounds in one type of room may sound completely different in another.
When you adjust your EQ you are balancing out any sound distortions. In this video, I show you two completely different rooms. One room is huge with concrete floors, high ceilings and steel beams in side. Some people refer to this as a “Hard” room. In these types of rooms the sound bounces off of these hard surfaces. A “Soft” room would soak up the sound because you may find “cushy” things inside it like a carpet, furniture and curtains. People are even considered to make a room “soft” because they absorb the sound as well. This is why you find yourself turning up the volume as more people enter the room.
What’s the Walk-a-Way?
1. Your first priority when arriving to a job should be to perform a sound check. Then continue to perform sound checks throughout the night.
2. Trust yourself. If something doesn’t sound right to you then most likely it doesn’t sound right to anyone else. Try different things out. Sometimes even switching from mono to stereo can make a difference (I have a video on that too. Check it out!)
3. Fake it until you make it! No one starts out as an expert. It takes time and experience. (As I am slowly learning with videography!!) Don’t worry if you don’t know how to adjust it right away. The truth is, only the very experienced sound guys are going to hear the imperfections. If it sounds ok to you, it probably sounds ok to everyone else. Just start practicing adjusting your EQ, and listen to how things sound.
I hope this at least gives you a basic understanding on how to adjust your EQ. I’m trying my best to post a new video every Tuesday with helpful information. Let’s all keep doing what we love! Playing Music! Please let me know if there are any topics you’d like me to cover. Thanks guys! DeeJay Shelly
Thank you to the FUGE!!! and the LAB at the Fuge for allowing us to film this video. It really is the MOST UNIQUE VENUE in the UNIVERSE! We host many events there and we LOVE IT. As a matter of fact if you mention DeeJay Shelly sent you, you’ll receive out of this world pricing!
THANK YOU TO RACHAEL CONLAN for being on camera! And helping me finish this today!
You can purchase, “You Can’t Hurry Love” here:
http://www.amazon.com/You-Cant-Hurry-Love/dp/B001RHPJJW