The Lowdown
Streets ahead of any other DJ stand I know of, due to being smart, configurable, easy to set up and break down, and small when stashed. Expensive though, especially if you factor in the optional (and recommended) UDG wheeled bag.
First Impressions / Setting up
Everyone who has ever brought their gear to a house party knows that if you’ve not made proper arrangements, your set-up might end up sitting on a dining table. kitchen work surface or worse (ironing board, anyone?). Likewise all mobile DJs and indeed any of us who have had to play at venues without a proper booth. You end up looking unprofessional, not to mention all too often suffering lower pack pain (why are makeshift solutions almost always way too low?). So barring home-made solutions, your only real alternative is to buy a DJ stand. And while 90% of them are similar and to be honest, either drab or impractical, today’s review is of a stand I got a full demo of at Musikmesse 2014, from Prolyte called the LiteConsole – and it’s the bomb!
In Use
To start with, the guys at Prolyte swear they can set one up in under three minutes. One bag holds the frame and the other the boards and plates. There is a kickboard at the bottom to prevent all those drunk customers from roughing up your front panel. The top front panel can be laser cut with your logo (or anything, really). Put an LED backlight behind it and it looks awesome. Your logo can be added to the side panels as well. On the front panel you can put whatever you like too; for instance, hang a short-throw beamer on a G-clamp at the back and project moving images on it. Or, take out the panel and hang in a 50” screen (ok, now you don’t want to lug that around, but it would fit there if you wanted it to).
There is an immense amount of desk space to work with. For instance, the stand can take a DJM-900 in there with two CDJ2000s easily, or your DDJ-SZ or NS7. The higher board comfortably holds your laptop, papers, pens, light controller, headset, whatever. All of it is at an optimal working height, and everything stays within your stand. So no iPads, laptops or anything else sticking out into the crowd. It is, at least, as sturdy as it looks. And it looks even better in real life than it does in the pictures.
Conclusion
Imagine setting one of these up at a mobile gig, or even at a small venue with a shabby booth. If you are a serious mobile DJ this will, beyond a shadow of a doubt, propel you into the upper 1%. The first impression you give to your customers and their guests will be one of total professionality. Everybody will be snapping pictures of you behind the booth (which has your DJ name and phone number prominently displayed of course!). All those pictures will end up being shared on Facebook, Twitter and so on.
We spend thousands on a good PA and nobody goes “ohhh” and “ahhh” over those. Your €1000 controller set-up might get interested and approving looks from one or two, sure, as may the €300 cans you so nonchalantly dangle around your neck. But let’s be honest, will any of it have even half the impact on your presentation and image as a console like this?
Granted, it’s a very serious investment. They run between €1,000 and €1,200 retail.. Me? I am still making up my mind if I want aluminium (less maintenance and less vulnerable) or that powder-coated finish in black (which would be my preference over the white). Because that I want one is no question any more…
