This is just a little curiosity...
Why mainstages usually have 2 consoles? I mean, look at this pictures below, you will see 2 djm pioneer. I often see this type of equipment on festivals but I've never come up about why they put 2 consoles on the stage.

You know why?

 

Backup solution.

 

In case of a blackout?
Or if a cdj turns off?

 

..if someone spills a drink or accidentally pukes on the equipment.
Some organisers also have a DJ Backup solution (in case of DJ Blackouts)

 

Because it sounds twice as good. Tests have been done with three decks but it sounded too good.

 

who says they are "technically" using them?

 

Well... In the case of "those" festivals, are more just to show, as in the picture, you can clearly see that's a premade set playing...

 

Some rock bands / artist's are well known for their impressive "Marshall Walls". It's a thing on it's own.




99% of the time most of them aren't even plugged in or the cabs are just empty shells. They're props.



I don't really know the DJ scene but I would assume it's the same thing, more gear makes you look cooler.

Also, if you are a professional, you have backup gear (and if you're really professional you have backup gear for your backup gear). When you're entertaining thousands of paying customers, there's no excuses. Something breaks? Tough shit, the show must go on or you stop being a professional very soon. So, that's the other option why he may have visible redundant gear.

 

All false. I play fests all the time. The second setup is for the for the next DJ. So once one performer finishes the next one can start without a changeover. Some fests have a rolling system so they get someone's tech rider setup and slide it into place and the other one slides off.

 

Maybe the most reasonable answer...I think so or perhaps they use it as backup console in case of something will goes wrong with the main but I don't believe it at all

 

1. backup
2. so the upcoming dj can setup without music interruptions,although they usually pause for a couple minutes to play the intro track announcing the upcoming dj (the sound/graphics people mostly play the intro track with synced visuals).

 

In case the venue is used for band performances you have the FOH Mixer (Front Of House, mix for the audience) and a monitor mixer, providing helpful mixes individually for the band members.
.... /EDIT/....
Oh, sorry, console to me means something completely different, i answered a question you didn't ask

 

Sometimes it is as simple as the Engineers working together to do both the main mix and the stage monitor mix, It depends on the team and how they work together or do not. A tight team will be able to instantly jump from one duty to another which can be really beneficial.
I'm not sure what the purpose is having a large format console when it is a DJ stage/tent at a venue or festival, It is just a waste of lots of space along with unused inputs and outputs.
One of my favourite pic's or one of many is Abbath's backline from rear or side stage, It is literally two walls of those Marshall 1960B and 1960A 4x12" cabinets which are less than a foot deep, No loudspeakers, Just off to the side rear of that huge fake wall is a 50 watt ENGL powerball or Fireball head with a 2x12" close mic'd along with a Radial JDX reactive load box which spits out a very real sounding SM57 close up on a 4x12" cab grille capturing the sound of a Vintage 30 Celestion.
Kerry King and Jeff Hanneman (RIP) who is now replaced with the awesome Gary Hunt use a similar thing/setup but they actually do both use Marshall's behind their fake wall of cabs (King uses an oringal 6100 JCM 800 head and a version of his signature Marshall that is based on his personal favourite JCM800 nicknamed 'The Beast' It has KT88's in the poweramp section for even more loud than a quartet of EL34s or a quartet of 6L6s can deliver plus it has a couple of switable options which add a 'Beast' mode to the amp, It's a combination of a preset EQ curve with gain and level boost, They each feed a pair of regular/standard 1960B and a 1960A, Gary Holt uses a pair of JCM2000 DSL heads which again feed a 1960A and 1960B, He does also use ex-VHT and for a good while now using his surname after selling the VHT name to a brand which can produce mass factory runs of cheap/low priced gear. I'm speaking about Greg Freyette of course whom is the man behind Freyette Amplification, Monsterous amounts of gain and top-notch build quality are available from the Pitbull Ultra Lead and the SigX, the Deliverance is a simpler affair but great sounding all-valve amp for all styles of rock, He offers a more boutique style model which isn't my cup of tea at all, Still the quality is first rate. Also Freyette offers very useful pieces for players looking for versatility along with players like myself who keep the studio in mind as much as the "I want" factor when full of GAS, The Valveulator GP/DI, Power Station all-valve poweramp and the Power Load which is a quality loadbox and with mic'd cab emulation options, People in the US that are keen gear heads will definately of heard his name and likely mic'd at least one of his designs up and tracked it and/or done the same but for a live FOH mix instead of tracking).

It is odd to see such a waste of what, Around 18 channels if each side is added together?
Some places though to be fair are very good at maintaining a well looked after and working setup which one of these producer/DJ types can simply go in and hook themselves upto, Whereas other venues can be the polar opposite, The gear they invested in is in abysmal conditions and keeping it clean and functional is bloody child's play simple!
So the chance of a good number of channels not functioning is more than possible.

Whenever i am working live sound from FOH to teching for friend's, I have like most a rucksack loaded with essentials to make certain I can do what I need to do and stay out of the way to the best of my ability, It's a rather large backpack and it weighs a ton fully loaded, However the number of times things which I have taken with and have averted a nightmare scenario makes it well worthwhile! Some players are great to tech for and a total nerd out discussion of setups, why they like/love the gear they use along with sharing ideas, solutions we've come across to the best manner to order certain pedals...etc., It's always a good night when it is a band or three with guitarists and bass players like that. Whilst others can play just enough to scrape by, Gear wise they haven't got a clue what the hell they are doing, When they will try to explain what their main sound is like, It can similar to translating those Church goer's who start "speaking in tongues" and rolling around on the floor, Changing a set of strings is genuinely about their limit when it comes to the technical side of keeping their gear setup in good order, Some are cool and want to learn whearas you come across some that are just not reachable, They will either by chance notice a pattern of what works and what doesn't and stick within such a small area or they'll get given the boot, Musician's that rest on their laurels and stop wanting to grow/learn are wastes of space. The worst are the vocalist's whom decide that they should play on a few tracks, They are usually the most painful arseholes to deal with.

Eh life hey and the illusion of a literall wall of sound being created by a fine amplifier and plenty of cabinet with which to mic up but it does not "look right", So they go to the trouble of Spinal Tap levels of fail, I bloody love metal as most people around here already know, It is seriously entertaining.

All the best to all as always, I believe that the picture I have mentioned should be uploaded/attached when I post this comment, You'll see Norwegian's "true sons of darkness", "blizzard beasts" looking silly, Oh and the last Immortal album before this tour and another hiatus, I hope you've all seen Abbath's "crab" impresentation, I'll just find the video it is in as in case you haven't, You might need a good laugh, Yeah here it is

to be fair, It's probably a wee bit chilly up on some snow capped mountain in Norway, Walking like a crab might be a heat conserving stratergy or some other form of genius, I know I was almost crying laughing back when it first came out. Don't get me wrong I love Immortal but some metal lifer's take it way too seriously, Having a laugh is healthy ;=[

Dean :D

Edit: HOLT, Not Hunt, Stupid spelling thing correcting things that already we're! Gary Holt is the man I am talking about, Thrash royality and a total monster when it comes to writting great riffs and not at all shabby tearing up a fretboard with the shred, Holt is a beast of a player

 

Last edited: Oct 19, 2017

@Death Thash Doom sorry for not seeing it but I'm confused:
How does this

relate to this:

 

I simply got the wrong end of the stick in regards to OPs question, I thought that it was about live sound in venues where bands play frequently, Not clubs which I have very little experience with or even going to since I'm firstly just a humble massive fan of metal music and most of it's bastard offspring/sub-genres, Secondly I'm a guitar player, Thirdly I got into audio engineering due to the need to record demos in order to get live gigs back before the internet was really used at all in the way it is these days, That initial DIY need led a passion/love/obsession to improve/expand/better my knowledge working with sound across the board and in turn I've done live sound work and also done some tech work for bands touring who where friends or became a friend due to crossing paths in dingy, quiet frankly awful live sound places over the years.
So that is my world apart from having to be only very much a part timer due to being a full time single father of two who do not see their Mother, I have family who help me so much but obviously I can not just up and off for any period of time with such larger responsibilities that come before and way above my own life. The area of club music/dance is as said pretty much alien to me, It is something I could do with becoming a lot more familiar.

So TLDR version - Crossed wires fraifikmushi, It was not intentional, That isn't my style.

All the best your way and my apologies also and as always the very same to all, Cheers

Dean

 

Hey,
thanks for clearing this up. Obviously, you put much time and effort in your first post (also second) and knowing about your personal situation that's only more remarkable. I really didn't want to nag, sometimes I only have a hard time getting over myself
So all the best to you, cheers

 

I think the question should have been, where is the guys instruments?

 

@curtified is correct. It is most common in DJ fests for the gear to be up on stage, sound tested and ready to play for the next DJ in line. This helps organizers to keep a tight time schedule so every participating performer gets on stage with minimum delays.

 

Definitely, I see this is the answer to my question. Thanks for all the people who replied.
So cool to think about clubs that take 2 consoles at the same time, crazy but funny!

 

@Highdom Just because you mentioned clubs, most big club venues that respect themselves (whatever this may mean) usually include a second mixer which is a proper live console not a DJ mixer. The Dj mixer (or mixers) goes to the main console. This helps clubs to host live acts which include hybrid performances (dj+instruments) or even full bands sometimes. In a setup like this it is very easy to stick another Dj mixer there. Not all clubs follow this though, it needs physical space, extra care and costs more. But it has additional perks heheh.
Cheers mate