Premier Disco for Professional Entertainment Solutions
Professional mobile disco services
More great feedback.
This time from Jane from Canada who brought together a group of people from all over the world for a conference and fun in Glasgow on 30th November 2022. Lots of conferencing, visiting some of the wonderful places in Scotland, and the finale, a karaoke fun night.
Thinking about booking Premier Disco for your wedding? see our wedding packages.
Thinking about booking Premier Disco for your wedding? see our wedding packages.
A sound limiter is a device that monitors sound pressure levels and displays them typically on a traffic light display. Usually, there is a microphone mounted a short distance from the performance area picking up the audio. To avoid too many technical explanations, this audio is processed by some technical wizardry to provide a visual display.
Once the audio reaches a preset level, the limiter will do one of two things. The first option is the display will be used to visually alert the performer that the audio is too loud. The second option is to cut the mains power to any sockets used by the performer. There is usually a delay before the power is cut to allow the performer to adjust the audio to below the maximum setting.
Although there is less risk to sound and lighting equipment than there was in the early 2000s, there is still a very real risk of fatal failure of equipment. It is certainly within the best interests of the performer to stay below the maximum level set.
Most venues have been established for many years or even decades. However, the rising demand for housing has resulted in new housing being built, in some cases, within touching distance of some venues. This has brought many complaints from nearby residents.
There are some pretty strict regulations regarding noise levels. These can be measured in various ways including apps on mobile devices. Official recording devices are calibrated to give accurate readings. These readings are then used to determine whether the sound levels are too high or within the set limits.
Not too long ago, a sound complaint would be dealt with an official taking a reading who would then either advise the performer to reduce their levels or to inform the complainant that the levels are fine and no action will be taken.
In recent years, due to lack of resources, laziness or the PC Brigade, any sound issues are dealt with more severely. Even in a situation where the levels are within the regulations, performers are told to turn it down often spoiling the atmosphere of a party.
A number of complaints later and the local council will issue an order to the venue to make absolutely certain there are no more complaints at the risk of losing their entertainment license. I have personally seen this happen to two different venues over the years.
We, at Premier Disco, have to comply with regulations and still have a great atmosphere for our clients’ event. We also like to have a good working relationship with every venue we are contracted to even if it is for a one-off event.
To ensure there are no sound issues we arrive early to test the levels and set all equipment so that it is unlikely we will hit the set limit. Speaker placement is crucial to make sure the sound is not going directly towards a microphone used by a limiter. By using limiters and sound processors, we are able to maximise the audio at a level just below it would trigger a sound limiter. Depending on the size of the venue we can also place smaller speakers in quieter areas to make sure everybody can hear what is going on.
This actually improves sound quality and keeps it at a comfortable level. Ideally, we need to operate at around 97dB at smaller venues and higher at larger venues. I have experienced sound limiters set as low as 87dB. This may not sound like a lot but a 3dB drop halves the technical sound level. It doesn’t sound like half but there is a definite noticeable difference. 6dB drops and more, well, we can manage!
When you are booking a venue for your event, ask them if a sound limiter is installed and at what level it is set. Then make sure your entertainers all know what to expect so they can best prepare.
If you are planning on using a marquee but don’t want to work within the limitations set by a sound limiter, ask your venue they may have rooms inside where you can move your party.
Worried about sound limiters at your venue? view our wedding services.
Back in the day, a DJ needed a good strong back. Not just for equipment but to lift and shift their music collection. The modern-day DJ can now carry a massive music collection on a small hard drive. This is the era of DJ technology making the life of a DJ easier, but it also brings the wannabe DJ out of the bedroom and into the wedding market. Welcome to the £100 DJ.
DJ software search engines mean a tune can be sourced and played within seconds. Unfortunately, this results in a hoard of people thinking they can DJ at a wedding. All they need is a laptop and suitable software and a music collection then they assume that they are ready to play to an audience.
Just at the time when people expect to have an experienced and knowledgeable DJ who knows exactly what to do, and when to do it, the market is bursting with newbies lacking the skills to do the job. We all need to start somewhere but these DJ’s are not suited to such an important event as a wedding.
Hire an experienced Wedding DJ
Because they know that most people are looking to save money they are willing to play for as cheaply as possible. Worse still, they shop around to see what other DJ’s are charging, then they undercut their fees. Nothing wrong with a bit of competition but you have a situation where newbies are charging just below the rates of fully experienced DJ’s. This is not good. You will have heard the saying, ‘You get what you pay for’, this simply does not apply.
A typical budget DJ will illegally download their music, often poor quality from Youtube, circumventing the rights of the musicians and cheating them out of their deserved income. Some will stream the music from legal or illegal online sources until the internet in the venue fails or gets slow.
Cheap DJ’s will use budget equipment where the audio sounds cheap and nasty. Even if it doesn’t, it will most certainly give you a sore head. Cheap speakers perform loudly in certain frequency ranges and do not provide a balanced or pleasant listening experience. Their playout systems will typically be low cost and low quality or they haven’t made the time or financial investment in an attempt to provide a decent sound.
Dotty lights? Dots darting all over the room are produced again by cheap lighting produced to a price. Quality and good visual impact are seriously lacking with these.
Worse still, a cheap DJ will have no insurance or safety test certificates putting your event and possibly your safety at risk. They will not provide you with a contract or have any backup system regarding equipment or personnel.
Their communications skills are likely to be lacking, some are even scared to use a microphone and will simply blurt out general announcements.
A wedding can cost anything from say £5000 to £50,000. Of course, the ceremony is the most important part of the day for the bride, groom and family members but don’t fall short at your reception. Your wedding reception will be attended by all the important people in your lives, so make sure you make the correct decision.
Make sure you hire a DJ with principles, one who invests time and money into a great service. One who can use a microphone to enhance your event and who takes pride in appearance, performance, safety and making sure you get what you expect.
For an investment of about 2.5% of your wedding budget, you can get great disco entertainment. Most importantly, you can get a DJ who is professional and will do anything to make sure your event is remembered for the right reasons.
For a cost equivalent of 1% to 4%, depending on your total budget, you CAN make yourselves and your guests proud.
See what Premier Disco offers for your wedding day. find out what a professional wedding DJ actually includes.