What are DJs doing wrong

[Bailango]

That can be a problem. If he's a great DJ, no problem, but otherwise, not a great idea. Sometimes it's simply a question of money.

I really don’t know what the issue is. The place is well located to attract a lot more people. Which can only mean more revenues. It also regularly hosts live music. That means more cost. My personal reason for not going is poor quality of the followers. What I am told is that the rest of community doesn’t like his choice of music as DJs. Apparently his music doesn’t change and is predictable. I don’t know about that. Yes he has a reputation on being money minded. The size of milonga can easily double or triple if it becomes a popular venue. There is another instructor who has worse reputation of being too money-minded. What I have observed is their decisions undercut their goal of maximizing the money they make

 

[Bailango]

Hmm. We don't have that many DJs here. Well, we might but they don't DJ at the popular milongas or on a regular basis. I think all of our local DJs dance.

It is other way round here. Social dancers try being DJs.

When I said two or three don’t dance, I didn’t mean they can’t dance. I implied they do not go out social dancing otherwise. We have a lot of tango musicians. Some dancers are very good musicians too. Once we had an ensemble of 10-12 member orchestra made entirely of regular social dancers. It was very good.

Excluding those who are dancers first, only about 10% to 15% of musicians first can dance tango or are regular dancers.

 

[Bailango]

I have been using ordinary plugs bought at a pharmacy but they are not good enough anymore.

I need to buy some of better quality and I wonder if some of you could give me advice about
- what aspects to think of
- what labels could be available in Nordics,

It depends on how much you want to spend. There are a couple of musicians ear plugs made in Germany and Netherlands that retail for 20 to 50 euros. They are good from dancing perspective having used similar. They all tend to be small and barely visible. Depending on your ear the comfort will vary among different makes.

Or you can spend 150 to 200 euros getting a custom fitted ones for your ears. You may get a choice of filters and sound profile they will reduce. The filters you select also dictate the final price. It requires taking mold of your ears and then waiting for a few weeks to get the plugs back. They are very comfortable and near invisible. They will stay in you ear and won’t fall off. If you misplace or loose them it is very expensive to replace.

At the highest end from few hundred dollars to thousand, are tiny hearing aid. I happenstance to run into one of the company that makes extremely tiny ones that are not visible. I asked if their hearing aids can be used for reducing music loudness in a club and enhance hearing clarity of human speech in noisy environment. They showed me two products that could fit that purpose for someone who doesn’t suffer hearing loss.

 

[ArbeeNYC]

It is other way round here. Social dancers try being DJs.

Oh. interesting. I think most of our local DJs started as dancers first, then decided to DJ--some with more success than others. I can't think of any that don't dance at all. Some may not dance much but I am not aware of any that don't dance at all. A few are also instructors, who then sort of slid into DJ'ing.

 

[pianistamediano]

What I have observed is their decisions undercut their goal of maximizing the money they make

Might I suggest a potential correlation between egotism and a profit-oriented mindset?

 

[Bailango]

Might I suggest a potential correlation between egotism and a profit-oriented mindset?

There definitely is one. Not potential. I see it often play out in different spheres.

 

[TTanguero]

It is other way round here. Social dancers try being DJs.

There's one milonga I attend where I think any of the dancers who want to DJ for an evening can do so – with the mixed results you might imagine! The dance and floorcraft standards are high, so it keeps me coming back, but there are some evenings when it can be rather frustrating.

I think there's a split between those who aren't trying to prove anything, and just play music people love, and those who want us to admire the hidden 'gems' they have discovered. My view is that, of the large trove of 'hidden' music, the majority of it is best left that way!

 

[itwillhappen]

What many DJs and organizers do wrong is to pay too little attention to the equipment and lighting of the DJ workplace.



Here nobody came to me and complained because on a traditional milonga a full 12 (twelve) tandas from the 50's or later would be inappropriate (Cuarteto SolTango, Orquesta Romantica Milonguera, Alex Krebs, Héctor Varela, Juan D'Arienzo, Armando Pontier, Sexteto Milonguero, Osvaldo Pugliese, Sexteto Cristal, Domingo Federico, Florindo Sassone, Francisco Canaro).
On the contrary ... there was a lot of of praise for the great tandas and sound and so on.

 

[LadyLeader]

I use these myself: Alpine MusicSafe Pro High Fidelity Music Earplugs for Concert & Noise Reduction.

This product seems to come with 3 options - 16, 19 or 22dB. Which one are you using at a milonga?

 

[pianistamediano]

This product seems to come with 3 options - 16, 19 or 22dB. Which one are you using at a milonga?

I usually use 16dB because it does cut the excessive noise down to a bearable level, and the sound isn't that high at milongas, but of course I use higher if I'm seated near the speakers (not voluntarily!) or I need more reduction.

 

[Miradamiranda]

This product seems to come with 3 options - 16, 19 or 22dB. Which one are you using at a milonga?

Mine are the 15db version. It’s plenty enough sound reduction, even for orchestra musicians who might be sitting right in front of the trombones.

 

[Rabbit]

Here nobody came to me and complained because on a traditional milonga a full 12 (twelve) tandas from the 50's or later would be inappropriate (Cuarteto SolTango, Orquesta Romantica Milonguera, Alex Krebs, Héctor Varela, Juan D'Arienzo, Armando Pontier, Sexteto Milonguero, Osvaldo Pugliese, Sexteto Cristal, Domingo Federico, Florindo Sassone, Francisco Canaro).
On the contrary ... there was a lot of of praise for the great tandas and sound and so on.

You know, I'll take any of those over Tanturi at the moment as I am tired of the same tandas all the time and don't actually want to dance to them anymore.

 

[pianistamediano]

You know, I'll take any of those over Tanturi at the moment as I am tired of the same tandas all the time and don't actually want to dance to them anymore.

I'll slip in a Sassone tanda next time round! I was intending to play Romantica Milonguera, but since they already used it in the class...

Besides, Sexteto Cristal and '50s D'Arienzo are overplayed here.

 

[Rabbit]

Besides, Sexteto Cristal..

I was the first one to play their music around here before it got more popular. Their versions of VIento Norte and Condena are good enough that I don't get tired of them

 

[ArbeeNYC]

(Cuarteto SolTango, Orquesta Romantica Milonguera, Alex Krebs, Héctor Varela, Juan D'Arienzo, Armando Pontier, Sexteto Milonguero, Osvaldo Pugliese, Sexteto Cristal, Domingo Federico, Florindo Sassone, Francisco Canaro).

Hmm. That's a weird mix. Lots to love, lots not to like. Federico has some nice music but not much that is good for dancing. Pontier? Alex Krebs? ?