As a DJ, your equipment is one of your most priced possessions. Not only was it a substantial financial investment, but is also your bread and butter. Furthermore, gigs are one of the most potential places where your equipment can get damaged, and since this is where you will regularly use your equipment, you will need to protect it.
Your equipment is sensitive, and protecting it prevents damage and ensures that it lasts longer. We here on Channel DJ care about you and will give you tips and tricks to take care of your DJ gear.
Invest in a Quality Case
Getting a case will help in protecting your equipment from a fall and other damaging elements of weather such as rain, heat, and humidity. Your DJ controller is quite sensitive. You can either choose a hard case or a soft case for your controller.
A hard case is the best option for those who travel a lot for gigs. Most hard cases have foam that holds the controller in place and prevents damaging impact. Some can also be used as a stand.
A soft case, on the other hand, is much lighter than a hard case and offers some protection as it also has padding. However, the protection they offer is less than what you would find with a hard case. You can even find soft cases that can work as a backpack and have enough room to carry your laptop, cables, and headphones. This makes travel much easier.
Use Plastic Protective Covers
Plastic protective covers are a great way of protecting your equipment from spillage and dust. Both can cause substantial damage to your equipment. Dust can easily enter places in your equipment that are hard to clean, resulting in slow damage.
Plastic covers also work well if your gig is outside and the weather is unpredictable, or there will potentially be drunk people with drinks around your gear.
Clean Your Equipment Regularly
After a gig, all you want to do is rest, and cleaning your gear is the least of your concerns. However, cleaning your gear after each set, even if it is not immediately, is hygienic and goes a long way in protecting your equipment from long-term damage.
Use a microfiber cloth to wipe down your equipment, especially the screens. Do not use anything that can scratch your controller. Do not use water or soap to clean. You can use a soft cotton cloth to wipe any moisture on your gear. If there is too much dust, you can use a compressed air duster to remove it.
Backup Your Data
Backup your data using a hard disk drive, USB drive, or onto the cloud. For double the security, you can back up your data on a hard drive and the cloud. Look for a hard drive with at least 1TB of storage and a cloud option that can sync with any operating system.
Keep Your Equipment Away From Drinks
We all know that liquids can damage your equipment. Putting your drinks near your equipment can easily cause an accident when a drink is knocked over.
To keep your drinks far away from your equipment, elevate your gear. You can find an affordable stand that can double up as a case. You can also use a thick foam rubber that you can use to slightly elevate your controller. If you are having our gig at a club, you can confirm with the club if they already have an elevated setup.
Work With a Checklist
Different gigs may require you to carry different equipment, and a checklist will help guarantee you do not leave anything behind. A checklist will also ensure that you always know where your equipment is at all times.
A simple checklist should have:
- Your controller
- Headphones and headphone jack adapter
- Necessary cables
- An external hard drive
- Laptop or music source
- Duct tape
Organize Your Setup
Having an organized setup looks professional and helps you find what you are looking for faster. One way to keep an organized setup is to ensure that no loose cables are hanging around. Someone can easily tag on a loose cable and cause your equipment to fall and crash. This is especially important when you’re using complex equipment like DJ lighting systems, as tangled wires or poorly arranged setups can not only create a mess but also interfere with the lighting and sound performance, affecting the overall quality of your show.
The best way to avoid this is to secure the cables with duct tape. Another way is to use long cables that do not require people to jump over or go under.
Consider Insuring Your Equipment
If something happens to your gear, your client will probably not cover the damages, and replacing our equipment can be a real headache. This is where insurance comes in. You can get insurance that covers damage, theft, and loss.
Most insurance companies do not cover this, and chances are you will need to get a special cover for your equipment. Analyze your options before buying an insurance policy and understand what the insurance covers.
Lock up Your Equipment
Keeping your equipment safe goes without saying. Find out beforehand if there is a secure place where you can lock up your equipment. This will protect your equipment and any music you have.
Moreover, if your equipment is stolen and you choose to get insurance for your equipment, your insurance company will check to see if your equipment was locked away when it was stolen. Therefore, keep everything safe to increase the chances of being covered.
