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So when it comes to lighting Lasers can really give your light show that “WOW Factor” But there are some safety aspects that should be considered when using lasers i.e; What is the best practice for mounting lasers? What is that key for on the back of some lasers? What are the legal regulations? In the UK the Health & Safety Executive provide the following guideline and advice The radiation safety of lasers used for display purposes – HSG95 Mobile DJs should pay attention to Page 10 clause 33 which states; “Supervised installations should be designed so that hazardous emissions are not accessible at any point less than 3 m above and 2.5 m laterally from any location at which a member of the audience or public may gain access during a display (see Figures 4 and 5). For unsupervised installations, it is good practice to increase the vertical separation distance to 6 m.” In the USA refer to the Code of Federal Regulations – 1040.10 and 1040.11 In this episode of The Online DJ Podcast, our guest is Dan Goldsmith President of X-Laser Who today will be talking to us all about Laser Safety Find out more about X-Laser at http://x-laser.us/  Dan’s Favourite Song (Opens In iTunes): Walk The Moon – Shut Up and Dance Dan Goldsmith is the President of X-Laser, one of the leading manufacturers of high-powered entertainment lasers in the world. In addition to providing effect design and laser safety officer expertise to large touring and production clients, Dan chairs the Regulatory Committee for the International Laser Display Association which serves to interface between worldwide regulatory agencies and members of the industry. Dan also sits on the Board of Directors of the International Laser Display Association and lectures extensively on entertainment laser technology, safety, and compliance. The post The Online DJ Podcast – Laser Safety appeared first on Online DJ.

Karaoke can be a bit of a marmite thing for both guests and DJs, some love it while others hate it But is it still striving as an industry? How can you get started with karaoke if you want to offer it? Do you need to be a good singer to offer karaoke? In this episode of The Online DJ Podcast, our guest is Collin Simmons from Sunfly Karaoke one of the leading brands in the karaoke industry, Who today will be talking to us all about this marmite type topic. Find out more about Sunfly Karaoke at https://www.sunflykaraoke.com/ Sunfly is the premier Karaoke label in the UK and Europe; they have been established since 1991. They have a back catalogue in excess of 16,000 Karaoke songs in any genre for any occasion. All Their songs are ‘in the style of’ and recorded in the same key and tempo as the original artist by a dedicated team of professional musicians and producers to produce the highest quality material with backing vocals when present on the original Their website is the ultimate source for all your karaoke needs, offering a huge selection of karaoke tracks to either download, stream on demand or sent direct to your door on your own personalised karaoke disc. You can also purchase their physical disc ranges (both CDG and DVD) along with our hardware products and a range of microphones. The post The Online DJ Podcast – Discussing Karaoke With Sunfly appeared first on Online DJ.

DMX can be one of those things that at first baffles you, but if you can get your head round a few simple concepts it can add a whole new dimension to your light shows. So our questions today explore the area that is DMX; What actually is DMX? What is the concept behind dip switches? Is there really a difference between microphone a DMX cable? In this episode of The Online DJ Podcast, our guest is Ben Stowe from NFLX Professional, Who today will be talking to us all about DMX in particularly how we as DJs can better understand it. Find out more about Ben at http://benstowe.com Ben Stowe serves the AV industry as the President of NLFX Professional, an industry leading supplier of sound, lighting and video systems, a role he has maintained since founding the company in 1993. Ben’s AV installs have been featured in almost every major industry trade magazine. He has assisted lighting manufacturers with product R&D, as well as contributing to the DJ industry through presentations at trade shows and articles for magazines in the U.S. and Europe. Ben holds an electrical license as well as other certifications and accreditations, including the most widely recognized one in the AV industry, the InfoComm CTS. The post The Online DJ Podcast – Ben Stowe On DMX appeared first on Online DJ.

I know personally I have been DJing at a party when I get approached by my client who asks “Can you turn your lights off as one of my guests has epilepsy?” to which I of course agree to do. But I have never really understood the subject that well. What lights can actually affect epileptic people? How can DJs help tailor events to make them more suitable for epileptic people? What can we do to help if someone has a seizure at an event? In this episode of The Online DJ Podcast, our guest is Chantal Spittles from Epilepsy Action, Who today will be talking to us all about epilepsy in particularly how we as DJs can build an awareness around it. Find out more about Epilepsy Action at https://www.epilepsy.org.uk/ or call their helpline (charges may apply) Call 0808 800 5050 (international +44 113 210 8800) Epilepsy Action’s Favourite Song (Opens In iTunes): Purple Rain – Prince Chantal Spittles is the Senior PR Officer for Epilepsy Action. Epilepsy Action is the UK’s leading epilepsy organisation and exists to improve the lives of everyone affected by the condition. As a member-led association, they are led by and represent people with epilepsy, their friends, families and healthcare professionals. The post The Online DJ Podcast – Understanding Epilepsy appeared first on Online DJ.

So over recent years DJing with video or VJing has been increasingly popular and is growing in many corners of the DJ industry. One of more popular names in VJing are “The Video Geeks” who have toured the UK and have worked along side some big names like Florence & The Machine and Tinie Tempah, so who better to ask VJ related questions to such as; What is the best way to build a live video set? Where is the best place to get videos from? How to you inject personality into your VJ sets? In this episode of The Online DJ Podcast, our guest is Kel Sweeney from The Video Geeks, who today will be giving an insight into their background and how they construct and perform their iconic video mashups. Find out more about The Video Geeks at http://www.video-geeks.com/ The Video Geeks have been bringing their unique style of Audio/Visual DJ madness to nightclubs, student venues, corporate events and festivals across the country for the past 5 years. Masters at creating compelling, artistic and even hilarious custom made videos for their uplifting, exciting & energetic shows, The Video Geeks seamlessly mix the biggest floor fillers with clips from TV, Movies and YouTube. The post The Online DJ Podcast – Chatting With The Video Geeks appeared first on Online DJ.

So when we do a DJ event most of us have backup equipment incase a piece of equipment stops working or becomes damaged but one thing we can’t do that with is our hearing, once it’s damaged there is very little we can do and as DJs that is a scary concept. So, how can we find out if our hearing is damaged? What can we do to help protect our hearing whilst DJing? What is tinnitus? In this episode of The Online DJ Podcast, our guest is Audiologist Gemma Twitchen from Action on Hearing Loss, Who today will be discussing hearing loss and how it can be prevented, diagnosed and much more. Find out more about Action on Hearing Loss at https://www.actiononhearingloss.org.uk or call their helpline (charges may apply) 0808 808 0123 Check out their online hearing test HERE If you are in the market for some earplugs we here at Online DJ we recommend Thunderplugs as they filter the music well but still allow you to hear the music, wear headphones and have conversations. Action on Hearing Loss’s Favourite Song (Opens In iTunes): Timeless – Goldie Gemma Twitchen is a Senior Audiologist for Action on Hearing Loss. Action on Hearing Loss is the largest UK charity helping people confronting deafness, tinnitus and hearing loss to live the life they choose. Action on Hearing Loss enables them to take control of their lives and remove the barriers in their way, giving people support and care, developing technology and treatments, and campaigning for equality. The post The Online DJ Podcast – Action On Hearing Loss appeared first on Online DJ.

So if you’ve been to the BPM Show in the UK in the past 5 or so years you have more than likely seen Chris Biller AKA Sparky B, hyping the crowd and getting their hands in the air. So who better to answer questions such as; How can swag help an motivate a crowd and how should we use it?. Is swag appropriate at all events or should some events be toned down? Is Sparky B always so damn crazy? In this episode of The Online DJ Podcast, our guest is Chris Biller, the self proclaimed wackiest white boy on the planet AKA Sparky B. Who today will be giving an insight into how he motivates the crowd as uses tools like swag to do it. Find out more about Sparky B at www.sparkyb.com Sparky’s Favourite Song’s (Opens In iTunes): Shake Me – Cinderella & Beautiful in My Eyes – Joshua Kadison “Oh and Of Course” I’m The Man – Sparky B Sparky B, commonly referred to as “the wackiest white boy on the planet” has been in the game for over 20 years! He has come a long way from the days of his homemade DJ console. He is now the man and the force behind one of the “largest mobile DJ shows in America.” Sparky B performs nationwide at hundreds of events every year and has performed with well over one hundred national acts. Funky, crazy, wacky, silly, outrageous and out of control; Sparky B has been compared to Carrot Top, Dane Cook, and The Beastie Boys, all wrapped up into one. At 6’6” (without heels…) and 230 pounds, this tall crazy white boy has taken the phrase “stage show” to a whole new level. Being rated as one of the most outrageous DJ shows in the United States, Sparky B is constantly inventing new ways to hype up a crowd. The post The Online DJ Podcast – Crowd Motivation With Sparky B appeared first on Online DJ.

Education is an important thing. But when it comes to learning about Music Production, Music Business or DJing there can be limited information on educational pathways. Being that our host Dan is a former Point Blank DipHE Alumni today he will be discussing what his former music school has to offer such as; What educational levels you can study with Point Blank. How the DJ courses work. Where you can study the courses and much more. In this episode of The Online DJ Podcast, our guest is Gordon Sweeney from Point Blank Music School where we will be looking at what educational options Point Blank has to offer it’s students. Find out more about Point Blank Music School at www.pointblanklondon.com/ Gordon’s Favourite Song (Opens In iTunes): Take It Pesonal – Toasty Gordon Sweeney is the Head of Education at Point Blank, a music school based in London, LA and Online offering degree courses in Music Production, Sound Engineering and Radio Broadcasting. He also works under the alias Threnody, with releases on Ninja Tune, Slime Recordings, UK Trends amongst others. He hosts a weekly radio show on Sub FM every Thursday at 10pm UK time playing underground bass music. The post The Online DJ Podcast – Point Blank Music School appeared first on Online DJ.

Using the microphone is one of those things that some DJs hate doing, that might be because they don’t like the sound of their own voice or simply don’t know what to say. How can DJs improve their microphone skills? Where should we be positioning the microphone when we use it? How should we identify particular guests such as the bride as groom when using the microphone? In this episode of The Online DJ Podcast, our guest is Derek Pengelly an advocate, mentor & trainer and experienced mobile DJs who giving us advice on how we can best use the dreaded microphone and improve our microphone skills. Find out more about Derek Pengelly at https://weddingmarketingfordjs.wordpress.com Derek’s Favourite Song (Opens In iTunes): Question (Full Version) – The Moody Blues Derek Pengelly is a full time mobile DJ and master of ceremonies holding over 30 years worth of industry wide experience. He is now known in the industry as a wedding specialist with a reputation for commanding often up to 4 times the average DJ fee. Derek is now a professional speaker, hosting a series of workshops and seminars set around helping DJs improve their wedding marketing skills. The post The Online DJ Podcast – Using The Microphone With Derek Pengelly appeared first on Online DJ.

It is often highly argued whether Portable Appliance Testing is actually needed in the industry, as the Health & Safety Executive just state that you should be able to demonstrate that equipment is well maintained so; Is not having Portable Appliance Testing breaking the law? What does a Portable Appliance Test involve? What documentation can we look at for further information on Portable Appliance Testing? In this episode of The Online DJ Podcast, our guest is Bob Grainger a fully qualified City & Guild PAT Tester who will be answering these common questions about Portable Appliance Testing. Referenced Acts: The Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER) Find out more about Bob Grainger at www.thepattester.com Bob’s Favourite Song (Open’s In iTunes): Who Knows Where the Time Goes? – Fairport Convention Bob Grainger fully qualified in PAT Testing (City and Guilds 2377-200: Inspection and Testing of Electrical Equipment and 2377-100: Management of Electrical Equipment Maintenance) he has carried out hundreds of PAT Testing jobs, and has tested tens of thousands of items. The post The Online DJ Podcast – Portable Appliance Testing appeared first on Online DJ.