r/mobileDJ

Serato DJ here doing mainly wedding gigs. Just curious if y'all take a backup laptop for the inevitable dickhead spilling a drink in your system. Do you carry a backup and what do you use to sync them?

I have been told by some that I could roll with just the speakers alone, but so many have said I need to get a sub or subs. I originally was looking at the QSC KS112, getting two to rock one per speaker But lately the Electro-Voice ELX-200 18SP has caught my eye because of cost/weight and I could probably just roll with one of those. Thought? Thanks everyone! I'm also open to suggestions

It seems excessive for me but also don’t know how common this is.

OK so I've been quietly stalking this sub for combo recs for like 4 months and finally pulled the trigger. Posting back because everyone here helped me dial it in.

Constraint set:

• Total under $1500
• Must fit in a 2019 CR-V trunk + back seat folded down
• 1 person load-in (I'm 5'7", I have to be able to lift everything)
• Real wash + real beam, not just a GigBar

What I ended up with:

• 4x compact 9R beam movers, ~12 lb each, $$320 each ≈ $$1,280 → wait, too much
• Cut to 3x movers + 2x small wash heads with zoom, $$200 each → $$1,140 + $$400 = $$1,540 → still over
• Final: 2x 9R compacts + 2x small wash heads + 1x small fog machine I already owned → $1,040

Pack-out reality: 2 beams in one tote, 2 wash in second tote, fog + cables in milk crate. Stacked: tote → tote → crate, all behind the back seat. Subwoofer + speakers in folded-trunk area. One person, 4 trips from car to load-in.

Wash heads do ceremony + dinner light, beams come out for reception. Fog kicks in when beams kick in. Honestly looks 3x more expensive than it cost, my last bride literally asked if I "rented from a real lighting company."

Anyone running similar. What wash heads are you happy with at $$200ish? Mine are fine but the dim curve at low end is okay-not-great and I'm wondering if there's a $$250 option that would have been worth the upgrade.

So I've been running 4x LB150s as my main movers since last August. 18 weddings + a couple corporate gigs later, here's what I wish I knew on day 1.

Good stuff first. Zero failures. One had a sticky pan once after a humid outdoor reception in Charleston, fixed itself after 20 min in the AC. That's it.

Things I'd do differently:

- Stop running them in auto mode. Built-in shows are fine for warm-up but during dinner the strobe-y bits make the room feel like a club at 6pm. Plug into DMX, build 3 chases (warm wash / dance / first dance dim), call it done.

- Get the safety cables on day 1 not day 17. I had one slip a clamp at a venue with a low truss and now I don't go anywhere without 'em.

- Fans are louder than I expected. Not a problem in a 200-person ballroom but during the ceremony in a small wine cellar I had to repoint two units away from the aisle. Real take: don't put movers within ~6ft of any officiant mic.

- About 10 lbs each = my back is grateful. Two per case, all 4 fit in the CR-V with totems still going in.

Anyone else running these long-term? Curious if the pan motor noise gets worse past year 1, mine still feel quiet but I want to know what to listen for.

Hey everyone, looking for some help on starting my mobile DJ business. I used to throw parties and do gigs with my band but we don’t play that much anymore, so now i have all of this equipment sitting around. Here is my current setup:

2 Alto TS415 2500 Watt 15in Speaker
2 Alto TS18S 18in Powered Subwoofer
Numark Party Mix Controller
Mac Laptop
Party Lights

This idea started when family asked if I could DJ for their party. I dont have experience mixing or actually DJing, but i know music. What i did was get Tidal, and use VDJ to mix songs, and that’s it. No crazy transitions, just good music. Every party i’ve done so far, people loved it and i give credit to the sound system because it bangs. Anyway, I want to see if i can take this a step further and start getting paid. I want to see if anyone has a similar experience and what my next steps would be to start booking gigs and treat this like an actual business. I work as a firefighter so it would be nice to get extra income. Looking for any recommendations! Thank you.

Best speakers without breaking the bank. LD Maui 28 G3 or Evox J8?

I'm getting into the wedding DJ business and I need to get my speakers for my set up. I don't anticipate doing crowds bigger than about 150 at decent, midsize venues (think community clubs, halls) What I care most about is ease of transport, can still make the dance floor feel it but all without breaking the bank upfront. I drive a Honda civic so need to fit it all in there for now. I know I could always upgrade later on once I've gotten a few gigs under me. My plan is to buy two column speakers and work with that for a bit. I understand two tops and seperate subs will be more powerful, but just interested in the columns for now. I have been extremely interested in the Maui 28 G3's and the Evox J8's. Need opinions on both? Are they built to last? Can I push them hard enough without terrible distortion in these settings I described? I appreciate it!

What’s up, everyone!

I’m considering moving from a packed Toyota Sienna to a Zevo 600 or 400 for my Wedding DJ biz. Am I crazy or is this the ultimate branding play?

I’m a professional musician and wedding DJ/MC based in Northern California. For years, I’ve been cramming a full reception rig, ceremony sound, lighting, and my cello into a 2015 Toyota Sienna AWD. It’s at 176k miles, leaking oil, and I’m definitely pushing the 1,200lb payload limit every weekend.
I’m looking at picking up a Zevo 600 to replace it, and I’d love some feedback from owners on the "work-life" reality of these vans—specifically for the Bay Area market in California.

The Strategy:
• The "Sustainable DJ" Brand: I want to do a full vinyl wrap on the Zevo. In the SF/Oakland market, showing up as a zero-emission entertainer feels like a massive selling point for eco-conscious couples.
• The Space: Going from ~150 cu. ft. in the Sienna to 600+ cu. ft. in the Zevo means I can finally stop playing "Gear Tetris" and move everything into road cases with a ramp.
• The Math: I travel +/~ 300 miles for most gigs. At $0.05/mile (home charging) vs $0.25/mile (gas), are the savings real? Is this estimate accurate? I realize charging at fast chargers would be more and comparable to gas prices.
The Reality Checks I need from you all:

1. Garage Clearance is the big one. Most SF garages are 7'0" (84"). The Zevo 600 is 9'2" (110"). For those who use this for work in dense cities: Do you find loading docks and surface lots are enough, or do you regret losing the ability to park in hotel garages for security?
2. Range in the real world. My round trips can hit 200-400 miles. With a full load of heavy speakers and subwoofers, are you seeing a significant range drop? Also going from the foothills of the sierras to the Bay Area and back again there’s a lot of downhill and uphill on the way back. Will I regret getting an electric van because I’ll be stuck charging for an hour just to get home after a 12 hour day at a wedding?
3. Speed Limiter. I’ve heard rumors these are capped at 65mph. If I'm hauling gear from Nevada City down to San Jose, is that 65mph cap a dealbreaker for long highway stretches?
4. The "Orphan" Concern. With rumors about GM’s production shifts for BrightDrop, are you worried about parts availability or long-term service support?
5. Could I build out a bed and kitchen and sleep in the van with my gear and not have to pay for hotels?

Is this the ultimate "rolling billboard and habitation on the road for a gigging musician/DJ” for a niche biz, or should I stick to a low-roof ICE van that actually fits in a garage and can refuel in five minutes at a gas station?

Would love to hear all your thoughts!
-Joey

Hi,

I recently bought some second hand Chauvet moving head lights. I used them for a couple of days just to test them, then I noticed they got pretty hot and turned off automatically. They now don't seem to turn on at all, despite lights showing on the circuit boards.

After close inspection, it looks like the fans at the base of the moving head were either not working at all or working very slowly. Do you think this may have fried the board and therefore the entire light fixture and has anyone else come across issues like overheating with moving heads?

I didn’t listen when they said buy nice or buy twice. I bought the Alto TS18S for my wedding/event rig. Nothing special, I’m running with two Mackie Thump 215’s. Was hoping to upgrade those soon, but the Alto blew after about 18 months.

I felt like it did a pretty good job for what I’ve used it for. Just ordered the RCF SUB 708. Anyone here use it? What are your thoughts? Will I feel an upgrade?

My thought process is that I’ll use this one until I can upgrade my tops. Then eventually add another 18.

Hey all,

I’m curious what people’s experiences are with digital mixers for mobile DJ work (weddings, etc.).

Right now I’m using a simple analog mixer (Soundcraft Notepad 12FX) along with some outboard gear for feedback control (DBX AFS224 + graphic EQ as backup). I like how reliable it is, but it’s a bit bulky, and I do run into some minor limitations here and there (like needing to use channels without full EQ or gain control).

I know in the live sound world, digital mixers are pretty popular because of how powerful they are in terms of EQ, routing, processing, etc. For mobile rigs, I’ve seen a lot of mentions of the Behringer XR series, Soundcraft Ui series, and Allen & Heath CQ line (and probably others I’m missing).

That said, I'm definitely concerned about reliability. My current setup feels pretty rock solid whereas digital mixers seem like they have more potential failure points - software freezing, tablet/control issues, etc. I’ve read a few horror stories about mixers locking up mid-event, which is obviously a problem in a wedding setting. (Issues related to wi-fi control also seem common, though that's not really a problem for me since I would probably use ethernet most of the time.)

Any experience you have about digital vs. analog mixers as a mobile DJ would be much appreciated - how reliable you've found them to be, any issues you've run into, how you've handled feedback prevention, have the benefits outweighed the risks for you? etc.

Thanks in advance!

[P.S. Just in case I need to clarify, I'm referring to the mixing console I'd use to route my DJ audio, mics, backup audio player etc. to my speakers, not the actual DJ mixer/controller]

I’ve been running 2 k10.2s with a qsc 181 & a custom ev15 with a replaced horn.

My k10 died on me last night & I feel like it’s time to upgrade. I’m doing 30 weddings this year & still booking, trying to keep upping my game & I’m scared of a speaker dying during a wedding.

I’m torn between the qsc KC12 3-way speaker system and the evox12. Preferably I’d just get the rcf J11s but they’re back ordered & I have weddings the next 5 out of 6 weekends in a row.

Is a 3-way system significantly better? I have an opportunity to buy a used, year old evox12 system , 2 speakers for $3k, or I could get a new kc12 system with a warranty for approx $3500 plus taxes.

Will I regret going with the kc12? I saw reviews saying it’s clearer but has less bass/low end.

Should I just grind it out the next 6 weeks with a borrowed k10 and hope nothing happens and wait for the j11s? My buddy & I bought these k10s together, used a few years ago, so I’m worried since one died the others aren’t far behind. One of his also died last week.

I’m torn on what I should do, I’d love to hear some of y’all’s thoughts, thanks!

Hello, I used to produce music and DJ a long time ago but haven't kept up on all the technology and everything. I just know that when I had equipment I used it in a warehouse and the lights were synced to the music from audio cable plugins. I just want to produce and practice in a bedroom studio now, so was wondering if anyone knows of any light package or all in one unit that's good for a small space that will actually play in sync to the music? I keep seeing lights on eBay that say sound activated, but that sounds like the light just starts when it hears sound or is that different from syncing to the music?

Alright bros honest opinions about this , what do you think about this ? For weddings and corporate gigs…

2 EV -ZLX 15’s G-2s

2 RCF 705 MK3 15 Subs

Yamaha MG 10 Mixer

Sony UWP wireless mic system

Sure mics (pair)

2 Home Depot power bricks

Berhinger Ceremony speaker

4 LED Lights

8 Rockville IR4 Uplights

Floor mat

Dj Facade

Wires/cables

? Sounds good ? I have transportation so there’s that…