Atlantic City, NJ
Question: What has 10,000 hands and legs and is always on the
guest list? Answer: The frenzied throng of International DJ Expo
attendees who will rush the doors of the Atlantic City Convention
Center starting August 27.
Thats right.
We will not be stopped. We cant even be contained. Thats
because the 2001 International DJ Expo, sponsored by DJ Times
magazine and its publisher, Testa Communications, will hold court
from Aug. 27-30 with the most comprehensive array of seminars,
workshops and parties, alongside an exhibit hall unequaled anywhere
on the planet (read: 200 booths) and, possibly, the observable universe.
When it comes to
seminars, the DJ Expo has always provided top-notch fare from
seasoned DJ pros. This year will be no different. For example,
Elegancia Entertainments Jose Gonzalez and DJ Connections
Paul Beardmore this year will present After the Booking,
which will deal with the minutia of deposits, contracts, trafficking
and other service issues that occur after the closing of a sale.
It will, among other things, talk about how to deal with
clients who cancel, or want to switch a date, says Beardmore.
A lot of DJs dont know what to do with the deposit in
cases like these.
Calling on
the Telephone will playback recorded outgoing messages and
greetings from mobile DJ companies, exposing some as woefully lacking
in professionalism, while others will be celebrated for their more
noble path.
And of course,
there will be seminars that explore ways mobiles can market toward
schools, weddings, bar mitzvahs and corporate accounts. Multi-system
owners can learn proven training techniques. Club DJs will discover
how they can procure gigs, join a record pool and use MP3 technology.
And burgeoning remixers can hear first-hand the experiences of those
who have been in the trenches.
And, of course,
there will be an exhibit hall stuffed with wares from manufacturers.
Bronx, New York-based Gem Sound is planning to debut its new MP3
mixer, the MP3Xpro. We took a basic four or six channel mixer
with bass, treble, mid-range and gain and took all the phono and line
inputs out, explains Gem Sounds Barry Seiden. What
we put in instead was an MP3 player and recorder that you can use in
a number of different ways. The first thing you can do is download
directly into the mixer off your computer and take your mixer with
you and download it into your mixer that way. It also has an MP3 card
slot, so you can record directly on to the MP3 card slot and change
them out. One advantage is that I can just go into the MP3s and
download what I need, or something thats missing, or a track I
need but havent gotten the chance to purchase it I can go
online and get these MP3s online and put them on the cards and use
them that way. The other thing that I can do is do my own mixes and
remixes in my computer and put it on the MP3 card and bring it with
me. I can also bring my own samples and loops and backbeats and stuff
so now I have all these other tools that I can bring with me and plug
right into the mixer.
Gem Sound also
plans to show some of its new headphones, microphones and powered
versions of its TR12 and TR15 12-inch and 15-inch speakers. The
company also hints at a surprise debut, though all its willing
to say is that the mystery product is in the digital domain.
Hollywood,
Fla.-based Stanton Magnetics will be showing its new high-torque
turntable, the STR8-100. Its the first time that Stanton
has made a high-torque professional turntable to go head to head
against the Technics 1200. This is the first one made for
professionals, says Stantons Henri Cohen. We added
a number of features that the Technics doesnt have, like
digital output right in the back of the piece so it can go straight
in to a computer for some looping. You can also go straight into a
CD-R and transfer vinyl straight to CD-R with the digital output.
Theres also a phono/line output so you can go line out directly
into the board. Weve added key correction, so you can change
the speed of the turntable without changing the key. Pitch control is
still there, but you can use it with or without the key control.
Without, its the same as a regular turntable. We have a line
input on the front of the turntable so if you go into a club and a DJ
comes in with a DAT player or MiniDisc or CD player they can hook it
straight into the turntable and use the turntable input as the input
into the mixer. A lot of the time, mixers in clubs dont have
any more inputs available, so were just giving them some extra
input for the system. Its called an MP3 line in.
Along with the
turntable, Stanton plans to show its three new 19-inch rackmount
mixers, the RM50, the RM80 and the RM100, aimed at mobile and club
DJs. The company has also upgraded its Groovemaster 2RM. The new
version, called the Groovemaster 2RM MP4, packs two Groovemasters and
two extra styli in a flight case.
A new single rack
DJ mixer will be on hand from Mukilteo, Wash.-based Rane Corporation.
Its lightweight and basic but it allows the DJ to
conserve rack space and its easy on the back, says Jack
Ewer, vice president of marketing. We see this fitting into not
only the mobile DJ scene, but itll be great as a backup for
club systems if they want a great quality mixer without the expense.
Thats doing real well with the presales and well have one
that people can test out at the show.
Joining the mixer
will be the debut of six new signal processing products and a
compressor. Theres two crossovers the SAC (Stereo-Active
Crossover) 22 and 23, there are two equalizers the SE 2 (stereo
equalizer) 30S and 30L, says Ewer. The new compressor,
called the EC22, is designedin the simplest termsto help
preserve the drivers and speakers for the DJ. Itll have
adjustments, like attack and release control. Its a foolproof
compressor made for those who havent tried one before, so it
wont scare off anyone who hasnt used one before.
Thisll have a few more features than the MC23 Mojo compressor
but the price will be in the same neighborhood. Topping off
Ranes list of products at the show will be a new HC4 headphone
console for recording.
Speaking of
headphones, Shure is keeping its plans for show products under wraps.
We havent firmed up our product selection yet, says
Shures Gregg Riggs. But we will be showing wired and
wireless microphones and phonograph cartridges and personal, in-ear
monitor systems.
Elkhart, In.-based
Crown will be bringing along two new amp series that it launched at
Summer NAMM. The first series is called the SLX Series and the
other is called the Powertech 1 Series, says Bob Lichty, MI
market manager for Crown. Theyre rounding out our
selections for DJs. The XLS is a reliable amplifier with built-in
features thats coming in at a reasonable price point especially
for mobile DJs. Its a smaller amp; it takes up 2U of space. As
always, well show our CE amplifiers and our ubiquitous CM311
headset microphones. Well have all that fun stuff there.
Something for
everyone is Northridge, Calif.-based JBLs motto this year at
the Expo. The speaker company is planning to bring products for the
beginner mobile DJ to the advanced club owner and everyone in
between. Were bringing three major lines to the
show, says Phil Manor, JBLs product manager. The
first is our MPro line. At Atlantic City, all nine models will be
available, so well show all of them. There are two separate
series within the MPro, the Series 200, which has four models and the
Series 400, which has five models. Theyre all basic
configurations. In the 200 line, theres a 12-inch two-way, a
15-inch two-way, a dual 15-inch two-way and a dual 15-inch band-pass
sub. The 400 Series has five models, a 12-inch two-way, a 15-inch
two-way, a powered 18-inch subwoofer and a passive version of that
subwoofer and a 10-inch two-way. The second line well be
showing is the EON Generation 2 and there are three models in the EON
Generation 2 plus two systems. These are all designed for mobile DJs.
This year will
mark the first year that JBL will bring its Custom Shop products to
the Expo. The custom shop products well be showing are
part of a line called the Dance Series, says Manor.
Theres a Dance 2, 3, 4, and 5. Well be
concentrating on the Dance 5. These will be emphatic displays, set up
to show the club owner that we can configure systems for any club and
any configuration that they need, we can make boxes to do it.
Its very high-end stuff.
Long Beach,
Calif.-based Pioneer New Media Technologies is planning to focus on
its new CDJ 1000 CD mixer. Well be showing it at other
shows but were planning for a big splash to be made at the Expo
with the party with Promo-Only, says Pioneers Brian
Buonassissi of the pro-audio marketing department. I think
everyone will be blown away with the CDJ1000. Were working on
doing something with DJ Craze and QBert and Roonie G. Nothings
been confirmed, but were working on it. Itll be fun.
Of course,
theres the parties, a highlight of every DJ Expo. This year
will see the return of the DJ Times DJ of the Year competition.
Produced by New Jersey-based Elite Entertainments Mike Walter,
the event, scheduled for Wednesday, August 29, will present five
awards: best new game; best new dance; best choreographed routine; DJ
of the year; and DJ of the year (runner up). It will be an
uptempo, organized event that will flow, says Walter.
Also, on Monday
night, Club Deja Vu will host Big 80s Night, with Penelope
Tuesdae behind the decks.
Schedule of
Seminars and Workshops
Monday, August
27, 2001
ROOM 304:
10:00-11:00 - Mobile Networking Forum
ROOM 304:
11:00-12:30 - Motivational Techniques
ROOM 304: 12:30-
2:00 - Telephone Sales
ROOM 301: 1:30
-3:00 - Shopping for DJ Equipment
ROOM 301: 3:00 -
4:30 - Club DJ Confab: Promotion & Getting Booked
ROOM 322: Promo
Only presents DVD Seminar: How to Incorporate DVD into your Mobile System
ROOM 301:
4:30-6:00 - Web Design
ROOM 304 -
3:30-5:00: Frank Garcia's Myths & Methods of Beatmixing
ROOM 304 -
5:00-6:30: CD Scratching: The Next Frontier
Tuesday, August
28, 2001
ROOM 304:
10:00-11:30: Dr. Tony Garrow: Who's Got Your Back?
ROOM 301: 1:00 -
2:30: MP3 Spinning for Mobile & Club DJs
ROOM 304: 2:00 -
3:30: Legal Eagles
ROOM 301: 2:30 -
4:00: Club Systems: Audio & Lighting for Nightclubs
ROOM 322:
1:00-2:00: Makesparties.com presents Makesparties.com's "Earn
$... FREE Internet Party Store"
ROOM 322:
3:00-5:00: American DJ presents The CD DJ Workshop, Introducing The
Incredible Avery After Burner!"
ROOM 304:
3:30-5:00: Corporate Marketing
Wednesday,
August 29,2001
ROOM 304:
10:00-11:30: Contract Minutiae
ROOM 301:
12:00-1:30 Record Pools
ROOM 304:
1:00-2:30: Reinventing the Wedding Wheel
ROOM 304:
2:30-4:30 Mitzvah Mania
ROOM 322:
1:00-2:00: DJ Power presents DJ Power's Audio, Video, & Karaoke
Mixing Workshop
ROOM 322:
3:00-5:00: Pioneer presents Pioneer's CDJ-1000 Workshop
ROOM 301:
3:00-4:30: Remix & Production Seminar
ROOM 301:
4:30-6:00: Remixers/Producers:
Thursday,
August 30, 2001
ROOM 304: 12:00
- 1:30: DJ Ethics
Room 322: TBA :
2 hour workshop: Crest Audio presents The Crest Sound Reinforcement Workshop.
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