"please familarize yourself with the mixer" Those who have bravely ventured forth to play records (or CDs or DATs or MP3s or whatever) to the public also recognize checking the equipment with the previous user rather than winging it as a sign of professionalism.
I can't tell you how many times over the weekend I saw various big-name DJs explaining to each other the basic working of a particular mixer. In 1992, there were three or four basic mixer types (and only a handful of viable manufacturers). Now there are dozens of basic layouts and hundreds of variations. Sometimes even the basics -- where the cue volume is and how to set levels -- aren't all that easy to spot, especially in a dark room (or DEMF tent as the case may be). I also know that equipment suppliers have to juggle things to make it all work out -- nobody stocks only a single model (you'd have to throw out all your inventory and start over every year or two anyway, as the older ones are discontinued), and the explosion in mixer types and the excessive number of bells and whistles (literally, in many cases) compared to even a few years ago is pretty astonishing to see. Criticize the track selection and mixing all you want, but give the DJ some slack for the conditions that almost always apply anywhere you don't own the sound system yourself. fh
