Recent technological advances have made a huge impact on sound and lighting equipment used by professional disc jockeys across the globe.  While quality continues to increase, prices are coming down allowing more aspiring talent to enter the market.  For those just getting started or those looking to upgrade their current equipment, it may be helpful to look at what’s trending in the industry now.

Audio Equipment – The biggest trend with sound is getting the highest quality from the smallest, most portable units.  As most mobile DJs can attest, space is a precious commodity at the majority of their events.  Without the luxury of a whole lot of room for a large setup, amps and speakers that are more compact and easy to assemble, prop up on stands or fit into smaller racks are in highest demand.  Thankfully, this trend does not mean DJs have to sacrifice on the quality and sharpness of sound as these days even mid-level audio equipment is designed to provide crisp and powerful sound comparable to that of much pricier high-end units.

Currently, JBL is one of the trendiest brands in speakers while American DJ and Rane produce some of the highest quality and most used mixers.

Lighting – Great lighting that brings a discothèque feel to the dance floor is always on trend, but now it’s more affordable than ever for disc jockeys to provide it.  Most commonly known as cosmo balls or roto-balls, spherical rotating gadgets with red, yellow and blue lights that spin and dance across a dance floor, creating a full rainbow of colors, are finding their way onto more dance floors.  What’s so great about these lights is that not only are they affordable, they’re light weight, easy to set up and highly portable.  Plus, they eliminate the need for a bulky mirror ball.

Slightly more difficult to install, but just as trendy are lighting units that are hung from the ceiling of an event space and use roughly 20 small bulbs to produce beams of colored lights that crisscross in, out and all over the dance floor.  Like roto-balls, these units are more affordable than ever and equally as light and portable making them ideal for a wide range of events.

Currently, one of the trendiest and best performing brands in DJ lighting equipment is American DJ.

While purchasing DJ equipment is mostly a matter of taste and will vary widely from one DJ to the next, the popularity of some brands like Numark, Odyssey and all the other brands mentioned above will continue to remain strong.  No matter how fast technology advances, it’s always wise to pay attention to current trends in order to be ready for the best of what’s next.