DJ Services

Q. What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?

A. Don't hire some has-been with a 70's mustache and a pile of obsolete equipment. There are a lot of so-called "DJs" out there who bring sub-standard hardware, don't even mix songs together and are just generally poor performers. And don't spend a ridiculous amount of money. Generally speaking, DJs who charge less than $300 aren't any good, and ones that charge more than $1000 (unless there is some special gear or high-level talent involved) are overpriced.

Q. If you were a customer, what do you wish you knew about your trade? Any inside secrets to share?

A. DJing is actually a lot of work, at least if it's done properly. There's a lot of knowledge and experience that goes in to choosing the right gear, knowing how to hook it all up and position it properly. Some people think it's easy, but it takes a lot of time to learn how to do right. And when it comes to beatmatching, transitioning songs well and learning how to flow a night together... that takes talent, too.

Q. What questions should a consumer ask to hire the right service professional?

A. There's one question that should be asked right away: can that provider beatmatch? It's a fundamental skill any good DJ must have. Having it doesn't mean the DJ is great, but not having it would be a serious weakness. Also, ask about equipment. Do they have good speakers? How many lights do they have? What kind of lights? Are they bringing their own booth? And, last but not least, what genres of music do they specialize in.

Q. What important information should buyers have thought through before seeking you out?

A. Where and when. A DJ's schedule is usually planned out a minimum of a month in advance. So the DJ cannot write you into the schedule unless you have a firm date/time selected. Having a venue selected isn't always required, but it should definitely be thought out. Some DJs have a limited travel range and it's important for everyone to know if the deal is workable. And lastly, know the genres or types of music you're looking into. Some DJs do pretty much anything, others have a more narrow range, like hip-hop or 80s. Generally, DJs with specific genres are really good with that type of music.

Q. What questions do customers most commonly ask you? What's your answer?

A. How professional our your DJs is a typical question. I suppose we look pretty crazy on our website, mixing at all sorts of events, and people want to be sure we can don a suit & tie or a tux and be professional too. Of course, we can definitely do that!

Q. Tell us about a recent job you did that you are particularly proud of.

A. We went out to Orlando to do stage lighting and sound for the May-Hem convention. May-Hem is an event centering around the appreciate of good horror films, so we had lots of people dancing and having a great time while dressed as zombies, vampires, werewolves and more. And this was in the middle of May, so it was kind of like Halloween got moved forward a few months. The DJ Bay provided lights, speakers and trussing for the event, so the live bands had something to work with on stage. We all had a great time and it was definitely among the more unusual events we've ever worked on!

Q. Do you do any sort of continuing education to stay up on the latest developments in your field?

A. Absolutely. Every one of our DJs is constantly tinkering his sound and learning new techniques. We also research new technologies in lighting and sound systems, so we can provide top-notch gear and setups. Lastly, we are closely involved in the DJ community. In February, 2011, we all DJed for the DJTechTools parties in Tampa and Miami, and this involved some of the actual manufacturers of DJ equipment. It was great being able to spin and learn about new equipment at the same time!

Q. What are the latest developments in your field? Are there any exciting things coming in the next few years or decade that will change your line of business?

A. The old system of two turntables, headphones, a microphone and a mixer is going the way of the dinosaur. At first it seems like some sort of blasphemy to suggest that, but it's true. The digital world has opened up a much broader environment for us DJs. Computers, advanced mixers/controllers and digital editing/processing has tempted DJs with the ability to do things they could never do before on vinyl. In the next few years, more and more DJs will be moving to MIDI controllers and laptops, and beyond that, who knows? Perhaps DJs of the future will look like something out of the movie Minority Report.

Q. If you have a complicated pricing system for your service, please give all the details here.

A. DJ pricing is a bit complicated at first. This is mainly because a DJ must go to the time and expense of buying expensive gear, hauling the gear to your event's location and spending quite a bit of time and effort putting it all together (and breaking it down later). On the other hand people generally want to hire DJs by the hour. The DJ Bay has a compromise between those two goals. We price by the hour, but we do have a 3-hour minimum to ensure that it's worth the effort of hauling 250 lbs of gear! And our hourly pricing generally goes down with longer events.