How to Set Up a DJ

Find a good place to put your DJ where they will be out of the way enough but close to the action.

Are you planning an event that requires a DJ? Having a live DJ can make your event much more exciting than merely having recorded playlists on an iPod or CD. Must DJs will be able to do their own set-up. However should you need to set the DJ up yourself, you will find that it is a relatively easy process that anyone can do using the DJ's own equipment along with some power strips and electrical tape.

Things You'll Need

• Amplifier
• Extension cords
• Electrical tape
• RCA cables
• Table
• Speakers
• Speaker cables
• Mixer
• Turntables or CD players
• Power strip
• Microphone (if needed)

Instructions

1. Find a good place for your DJ where they will have a good commanding view of the event while being out of the way enough of the proceedings. Ideally somewhere there are electrical outlets. Set up the DJ's table and lay out the mixer and turntables and/or CD decks on top of it. Put the amplifier underneath the table.

2. Plug your power strip into the wall and connect your mixer, amplifier, turntables, CD decks and anything else that requires power into it. If there is no outlet near where you are putting the DJ station, use an extension cord.

3. Place your speakers, ideally in opposite corners of the same side of the room. Connect the speaker cables to the speakers and run the cable back to the amplifier. Connect the cables to the amplifier. Use your electrical tape to tape down the speaker cables neatly and preferably along the wall or someplace where they are unlikely to cause someone to trip.

4. Plug your turntables or CD decks into your mixer. Use the RCA cables attached to your musical decks and plug them into the corresponding inputs on the mixer, the red cable into the red input, the white or yellow cable into the white input. If there is a ground wire attach it to the corresponding channel on your mixer. Use an RCA cable to attach your mixer to the amplifier.

5. If you will be needing a microphone for an event such as a wedding then plug the microphone into the mic channel on the mixer. Make sure the fader for that channel is down all the way until it is time for someone to talk.

Tips & Warnings

• Set everything up early enough for your DJ to run a soundcheck prior to the start of the event. That way if you need to move the speakers to get better sound or do any other troubleshooting you will have time.

• Make sure your groundwires are connected if you are using turntables. Not grounding your turntables can make the music sound crackly and unclear.