For the past while, my dorm has been accumulating a wealth of DJ equipment, much to the likely chagrin of everyone living within a 5 mile radius of me. I am a generally mind-mannered young man, enjoying to listen to badass classic rock and roll, the blues, light indie music, and some alternative & punk rock.
When I discovered scratching and a mixer appeared on my desk (all of my textbooks have somehow disappeared...), genres once foreign to me or scorned by me began to travel my airwaves, like electroclash, house, and hip hop. I began to dream that I would throw a party where the music was danceable yet enjoyable to someone with my tastes, like clubs I'd been to, but not like clubs I'd been to in the around here (some disappointing experiences meant I haven't gone to all that many, and the Boston clubs I have explored suck).
Suddenly, as if in response to my fantasy, I received a facebook invitation from my Residence Hall Association asking for a DJ for their yearly Halloween dance. Realizing my fantasy as such, I decided I'd be the prankster and shoot back an utterly ridiculous e-mail, as follows:
...to which I received an acceptance from the girl who sent the message out, saying: "You sound very professional, and we're very glad that you could do this for us! Thanks!" I can't really understand where RA-types are coming from anymore, but I don't think they know just what they're in for...
So I began practicing and accumulating more music. Because this is a Halloween dance, and I have no idea just what kind of people are coming (besides the people I've invited), I've added songs like "Thriller" to the mix. In this vein, I also added Styx's "Dr. Roboto," but at the end, when the main character of the song reveals his true identity, I want to mute this out and bellow through the mic, "...I'm GRISMATH! I'm GRISMATH!" No doubt followed by the slurred cheers of drunken college girls. That, or confused looks and a pause.
Anyway, back in my loft, I tried to get my mic to work. This mic has been my trusty companion for many years. I recorded all the LoG voices I did on it. I used it for the JKHub talk show. I've skyped on it on many an occasion, but not lately. The other day, when I plugged in my microphone, I didn't hear anything. Today, I was setting up my mixer and I heard a low static.
Turning up the volume all the way, it seemed like I was hearing some sort of radio channel come in. That, or my mixer was advertising an allergy medicine to me. I looked at all my wires, but nothing was connected to the radio, and my mixer was only accepting input from the mixer. Confused, I double checked everything and turned things on and off. At last, I declared myself completely stumped and unplugged the mic.
The noise stopped. I plugged the mic back in. "... for only 9.99 a month, you too can have a ..." I checked the inputs for the voiceover channel. Everything matched up. The radio channel was coming in very faintly, though, and as much as I turned the mic on and off and blew into the receiver, I heard no input from myself. Standing up and talking the mic with me, I suddenly heard a staticy rendition of The Rolling Stones' "You Can't Always Get What You Want." What?! This was too bizarre.
I only got the song when I bent the microphone wire at a certain angle, so I wrapped one end around a toilet paper roll that happens to be sitting on my desk and draped the mic over my shoulder. I sat and listened to the song in complete wonder. When I picked the mic up, I heard a scuffling sound. It accepted input! But it also accepted radio stations.
Now I vaguely know *why* this works. I remember reading on my old CD player walkman that the radio feature actually used the cord for the headphones as the radio antenna, and that in cases where the walkman was getting bad reception, the guide suggested that the user stratch the antenna out to optimize its ability to pick up frequencies. I just want to know how to make it *not* work. And I don't want to spend the bucks to get a new mic if I have one that even barely works.
Luckily, I'll be DJing in a basement.
When I discovered scratching and a mixer appeared on my desk (all of my textbooks have somehow disappeared...), genres once foreign to me or scorned by me began to travel my airwaves, like electroclash, house, and hip hop. I began to dream that I would throw a party where the music was danceable yet enjoyable to someone with my tastes, like clubs I'd been to, but not like clubs I'd been to in the around here (some disappointing experiences meant I haven't gone to all that many, and the Boston clubs I have explored suck).
Suddenly, as if in response to my fantasy, I received a facebook invitation from my Residence Hall Association asking for a DJ for their yearly Halloween dance. Realizing my fantasy as such, I decided I'd be the prankster and shoot back an utterly ridiculous e-mail, as follows:
Quote:
yo yo yo MC Grismath in the hizzouse!!
Basement parties happen to be my specialty. With two TIGHT turntables, speakers, a mixer and receiver, 6,666 tracks, plenty of vinyl, and a badassitude at my disposal, I'm well equipped to make this Halloween one that won't be easy to forget - nevermind how many trick or treat goodies partiers quaff. I dunno how many other would be-DJs are competing for this spot, but you can be sure I'll emerge as the number 1 mixologist/grindologist/partiologist if you have a "DJ-off." I'm sick of going to dances where everybody's all "oh... the party was OK, but the music suuuucked." That never happens at my parties.
to the Halloween hostess with the mostest,
- DJ Gris
Basement parties happen to be my specialty. With two TIGHT turntables, speakers, a mixer and receiver, 6,666 tracks, plenty of vinyl, and a badassitude at my disposal, I'm well equipped to make this Halloween one that won't be easy to forget - nevermind how many trick or treat goodies partiers quaff. I dunno how many other would be-DJs are competing for this spot, but you can be sure I'll emerge as the number 1 mixologist/grindologist/partiologist if you have a "DJ-off." I'm sick of going to dances where everybody's all "oh... the party was OK, but the music suuuucked." That never happens at my parties.
to the Halloween hostess with the mostest,
- DJ Gris
...to which I received an acceptance from the girl who sent the message out, saying: "You sound very professional, and we're very glad that you could do this for us! Thanks!" I can't really understand where RA-types are coming from anymore, but I don't think they know just what they're in for...
So I began practicing and accumulating more music. Because this is a Halloween dance, and I have no idea just what kind of people are coming (besides the people I've invited), I've added songs like "Thriller" to the mix. In this vein, I also added Styx's "Dr. Roboto," but at the end, when the main character of the song reveals his true identity, I want to mute this out and bellow through the mic, "...I'm GRISMATH! I'm GRISMATH!" No doubt followed by the slurred cheers of drunken college girls. That, or confused looks and a pause.
Anyway, back in my loft, I tried to get my mic to work. This mic has been my trusty companion for many years. I recorded all the LoG voices I did on it. I used it for the JKHub talk show. I've skyped on it on many an occasion, but not lately. The other day, when I plugged in my microphone, I didn't hear anything. Today, I was setting up my mixer and I heard a low static.
Turning up the volume all the way, it seemed like I was hearing some sort of radio channel come in. That, or my mixer was advertising an allergy medicine to me. I looked at all my wires, but nothing was connected to the radio, and my mixer was only accepting input from the mixer. Confused, I double checked everything and turned things on and off. At last, I declared myself completely stumped and unplugged the mic.
The noise stopped. I plugged the mic back in. "... for only 9.99 a month, you too can have a ..." I checked the inputs for the voiceover channel. Everything matched up. The radio channel was coming in very faintly, though, and as much as I turned the mic on and off and blew into the receiver, I heard no input from myself. Standing up and talking the mic with me, I suddenly heard a staticy rendition of The Rolling Stones' "You Can't Always Get What You Want." What?! This was too bizarre.
I only got the song when I bent the microphone wire at a certain angle, so I wrapped one end around a toilet paper roll that happens to be sitting on my desk and draped the mic over my shoulder. I sat and listened to the song in complete wonder. When I picked the mic up, I heard a scuffling sound. It accepted input! But it also accepted radio stations.
Now I vaguely know *why* this works. I remember reading on my old CD player walkman that the radio feature actually used the cord for the headphones as the radio antenna, and that in cases where the walkman was getting bad reception, the guide suggested that the user stratch the antenna out to optimize its ability to pick up frequencies. I just want to know how to make it *not* work. And I don't want to spend the bucks to get a new mic if I have one that even barely works.
Luckily, I'll be DJing in a basement.
