But first a few "long term" updates, since this thread hasn't actually been updated since Linuxslate.com moved to new hosting, and new Forum Software.
First, the Poor Man's Go DJ still basically looks the same as in this previous photo:
Yes, these days, It does look a little worse for wear than it did when that picture was taken. In addition to being carried around for many dozens of shows, I opened the chassis and re-enforced it a bit. I added some Lexan "Rails" to the bottom plate so that it would not flex inward when grabbed from the top (grabbed one handed front-to-rear). The flexing was causing some cracking between the sides and top panel. Also, gluing Lexan requires special adhesives, and particularly gluing the nylon standoffs to the corners was proving difficult. I ended up trying several adhesives, but in the end, what worked best was actually spin welding the Lexan panels together.
So I'll share my super-secret spin welding method: I purchased some long plastic stock from SkyCraft in Orlando. It is grey plastic rod with a diameter of a little under 1/8". It is also important that the hardness of the plastic is similar, but slightly softer than the plastic being joined. I cut the plastic rod into small lengths (about 6 inches), and I insert them into an appropriately sized chuck, and then into my Dremel Tool. Since too long a length will cause the rod to "whip" and break (which could be dangerous -- don't try this without proper protective equipment), the length of rod must be kept fairly short, but of course too short a length will mean having to change the rod more frequently. With a little experimentation, an optimum starting length can be determined. Set the Dremel tool to a speed just above minimum, and press the spinning tip into the Lexan joint. -- It is a near instant bond, and once you get the depth of melting correct (just like "real" welding), it's stronger than glue.
Of course this doesn't do the "Painted from the inside" effect any good, and that's why the Poor Man's Go DJ doesn't look so great anymore. "A little rough around the edges" is more than just an expression in this case.
There is also a second minor change from what is seen in the photo -- I purchased 2 super small 64GB USB drives to replace the red 16G ones as shown. Each drive is barely larger than the metal part of the USB connector. This is a big update in terms of cosmetics, access to the controls, and obviously storage. (UPDATE - Admin: The Smaller USB Drives can be seen in the picture in Post #67 of this thread.)
So now for the main reason for this post...
I have to admit that previous to Saturday (Yesterday at time of posting), I had not used the Poor Man's Go DJ for an event in several months. Instead, I was using the Gemini SDJ-4000 Detailed Here. Despite the myriad (Yay -- I finally got to use that word!) of complaints about the Gemini SDJ-4000, it does have several advantages:
-- It looks cool, and has lots of blinking LEDs. As famously pointed out in Monty Pythons "Meaning of Life", impressing the clients with noises and lights is one of the most important things.
-- I don't have to set up both a Mixer and Player. I never implemented mic inputs on the Poor Man's Go DJ, and thus I always need a mixer. While the mic inputs are very basic on the Gemini SDJ-4000, they are present, and adequate for most of the events I do.
-- Again, while it's pretty accurately described as "pathetic", the Gemini SDJ-4000 does have a search function. This is useful for when I can't find a song, or I get a request, and try to find it quickly.
So what's that got to do with the PM Go DJ?
I was hired for an important event on Saturday. This was a full-paying event, and not "charity work". It was pretty important to me that I didn't let them down.
Well, I set up for Saturdays event, did my sound checks and started playing some light instrumental music before the event officially started. Suddenly the Gemini SDJ-4000 crashed, and ended up in a boot loop (constantly restarting). I pulled the USB drive out of the Gemini SDJ-4000, and it successfully started up. I put the drive back in, ejected it properly, and reinserted it. It played several tracks with no problem, but then when cue'ing up a track to be ready for after opening announcements, it rebooted again. At this point, I was out of both time and options. I pulled the USB drive out of the SDJ-4000, grabbed a stereo RCA cable, and connected the Poor Man's Go DJ to input 3 of the SDJ-4000.
This is how I ran the rest of the day. My Poor Man's Go DJ played all the songs, and the SDJ-4000 just worked as a very basic mic mixer. 2 people, who both stated that they owned high-end audio equipment, complemented me on the sound quality. I got numerous compliments from the event organizers, and from attendees. I got full payment plus a bonus.
My Poor Man's Go DJ "saved my proverbial Bacon".