Is there a right and wrong order to turning on your DJ gear?
You might be thinking, surely not. Well, in fact, there is!
While getting the order wrong at home might seemingly not make a difference. Doing the same thing at a club or large event and you might end up looking like an amateur! Or worse, you blow a fuse or a speaker and risk damaging your reputation in the industry. At the very least, you’re likely to hear “pops” and “bangs” through the speakers.
So, what’s the right way to go about it? In this article we’ll go through step by step the order you should be turning on your gear. Then, you’ll never have to worry about doing it wrong again!
How should you turn your DJ gear ON?
- First of all, you’re going to start by turning on anything that plugs INTO your mixer or DJ Controller first. So that means microphones, CDJ’s or similar DJ Players, Turntables, and other gear.
- Next, turn on your mixer or DJ Controller. You’ll want to also make sure your master volume is turned right down to begin with.
- Finally, now is when you should turn on your PA system or speakers. As we mentioned, you should ensure your volume levels are turned down. Then, adjust your levels once everything is connected and powered up.
This way, you’re avoiding the potential of accidentally blasting an audio source through your speaker system. This is what will cause those unwanted noises and potentially blow your speakers!
How should you turn your DJ gear OFF?
The right way to turn your DJ gear off is as you’d expect; essentially just the reverse of how you turned everything on like so.
- First, turn the volume down, then turn off your PA and/or speakers. This way you’re cleanly removing all amplification from your system.
- Now, turn off your DJ Controller or PA Mixer.
- Finally, turn off and unplug your input sources. Doing this last ensures the least potential for damaging any of your hardware. It might be unlikely, but it’s better to be safe than sorry!
That’s It!
There you have it. It’s not a complicated process and it doesn’t take all that much thought to make sure you’re doing things the right way. It’s something every DJ has undoubtedly done wrong at one point or another. But think about it the next few times you’re setting up and it won’t be long until it’s second nature!
