3:22
Talking over the music on a microphone
On YouTube this video is called Using the mic lesson 3, Dj talk over,speaking over music
What this lesson teaches
Three minutes, one habit, and he demonstrates both the right way and the common wrong way.
The wrong way
Music at full volume, microphone up, DJ shouting over the top.
What the room gets is a voice fighting a record and losing. What the DJ gets is a raised voice, a rushed delivery and no idea whether anybody understood a word.
The right way
Bring the music down, then talk.
And he lists what that one move buys you, which is more than it sounds:
You can be heard. The announcement actually reaches people, which is the entire purpose of making it.
You stop shouting. No competition, so no need for volume.
You relax. His word is psychological, and it is the real point - not shouting makes you slower, clearer and calmer, and you sound like someone talking to the room rather than someone struggling.
Two levels to choose from
He demonstrates both and leaves the choice to you.
Half volume - the record still audible underneath. Keeps the energy up, keeps the night moving, and works for a short announcement.
Fully down - no music at all. Maximum clarity, and the right choice for anything that matters: the first dance, the buffet, the taxi that is outside.
And the thing not to do
He parodies it, accurately: a dedication to the auntie and the uncle and the nephew and the niece, the cat has had kittens and the dog is dead.
Two faults in it. It is long, and it is about nobody in the room.
His instruction: say things clearly, do not waffle, keep it smooth. Say the thing, and get back to the music.
Why this is in the gear stage
Because it is a technique about a piece of equipment, and because the mistake it corrects is almost universal.
The microphone is the one part of the rig where a DJ's own judgement is audible to everybody, and the difference between sounding professional and sounding like a nuisance is entirely in the volume of the record behind you.
Contents of the video
0:00 I explained sort of basically how
Alright folks, this is the third lesson in using a microphone. First one I explained sort of basically how to set the microphone up. The other one was using a microphone talk over in between two tunes. This one now I'm going to show you the optimum best way of actually using it in a gig. Now as you can see at the moment the volume is all the way up and I'm talking on the microphone. The microphone is an audible level. It's not loud, it's not quiet, it just sounds adequate to This is the right way of doing it. Volume down and now I'm talking, you can hear me. Also, while the volume's down, I'm not shouting, I'm not trying to go over the music. So already, I'm psychologically just more relaxed, taking my time and talking to you. Right, now there are two ways of doing it. One is half volume, the other one is all the way down, full volume all the way down. Here we go, half volume first. Good evening ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to Dodgy Discos. We're going to be entertaining you all the way through until 3 o'clock in the morning, playing some funky disco tunes, okay? Keep it locked.
2:09 Yeah, okay, fair enough
So there you go, there's a tiny bit of music in the background but I was still using the microphone. Now this is full off. A bit of a difference. The choice is yours really. Ladies and gentlemen, this is Dodgy Discos and we're going to be playing some tunes till three in the morning. Classic sounds from hip-hop, soul, R&B, reggae, ragga and techno. The choice is yours. Come and see me if you have a request. Jot it down on a piece of paper and I'll play it if I've got it. Alright, that's all I can say. So there you go, right, volume down, I'm talking, I'm more relaxed, the punters can hear what you're saying which is so important. I've been to so many gigs, I've listened to the DJ on the microphone and he's gone like this, hold up, this is just ridiculous, don't do this.
I would like to see you, and I'd like to give a dedication to my auntie and uncle and my nephew and my niece, and my cat's just had kittens and the dog's dead. Yeah, okay, fair enough. So I hope you get the idea. A quick lesson, okay? Bring the volume down and talk. Say things clearly. You don't have to waffle, like I did just then. Keep it nice and smooth. Bit of a rap. Going back in time, when the beat began, it started with a drum, a hand and a man. He hit the drum with a steady beat, giving his tribe and the ladies some people by the heat. Practice and enjoy. Thank you for watching.
This transcript was produced automatically from the audio of the video and may contain mistakes.
