Old-School Mobile DJ, Looking to Update His Equipment

DJing has come a long way from the years of carrying Tec12s, crates of vinyl, cassette tape decks, and number 2 pencils in the hopes of queuing up that right spot. The art of DJing has gone from hauling binders of CDs to now just a laptop and a controller; but DJs must ask themselves, "How many speakers do I bring? How big is the room? Do I gas up the cargo van or pull the trailer so I can bring four subs and eight tops and multiple amp racks for power? Is that enough sound to make a lasting impression?” Of course, as the equipment list grows, so does your load-in and load-out time. 

Well, today’s mobile DJ has to consider not only what song to play next but also that time really is money.

Recently, I found myself taking stock: I have stepped out of the days of crates and cases of music, and now I am done lugging around huge dual fifteen-inch tops and eighteen-inch subs. It is time for an upgrade, but there is so much to consider: what system could provide me with enough sound to cover a 20 by 40-foot room with 100 guests/patrons? What system has enough power but a sufficiently small footprint that I could just put this stuff in my sedan and leave more room on the dance floor? And finally, what speaker will not wear me out lifting and moving it around?

The Electro-Voice Evolve50 Makes the Cut

After some extensive research, it was time to pull the trigger. I found myself asking: what can the EV Evolve 50 do for me?

I cover a wide range of events, from private parties to weddings to bars/clubs with a capacity of 150 people. I wanted something that could appeal to the eye yet produces enough sound to cover a room.

The EV Evolve50 has surprised me. The system has a sleek look that won’t dominate sight lines, which will keep the wedding designers happy. Meanwhile, the size of the system is easy on my back, and the sound contains rich highs and mids and a surprising amount of well-behaved bass.

A Transcendent Out-of-the-Box Experience

After discovering the Evolve50, I was excited. (A new toy! I thought.) I rushed home to get each component of the system unboxed.

I must say, I know I had a smile on my face, like a little kid opening birthday presents.

The packaging was great. The subs and tops come one to a box, and to my surprise, the tops and pole came in a nice carrying case. I would recommend picking up protective covers for the bottoms/subs since covers will protect the back panel and keep the unit from getting scratched in transport.

Excited, I had to test the system out at home. Knowing this unit had Bluetooth and the EV QuickSmart Mobile app, I could not wait. Using the little display on the unit was extremely easy: the one master volume button made for an easy-to-navigate feature. A minute in, I got the hang of using it. Full disclosure: in a matter of fifteen minutes, I had full-quality sound in my home, and I started dancing.

The Gig Test

Here is how the Evolve50 scored on my five main criteria:

1. Compactness. My goal: leave the truck and trailer at home. I opted to pick up two units, finding out that I could daisy-chain them together to cover a bigger room. So, was the unit compact? Yes! I was able to fit both systems in the back seat of my smaller SUV.

2. Weight. My goal: not to break my back or tear a muscle while lifting and moving the units in and out of a vehicle or the venue. The weight was great, nothing super-heavy. The subs are about 40 pounds. This lightweight took a significant amount of time off my load-in. After loading in and winding around chairs and tables (you know how that goes), I was up and running in under 20 minutes.

3. Sound Quality. My goal: to get a rich quality sound that would fill a room without hearing the phrase: “Can you turn it up?” Success–in an open-bar atmosphere, with 85+ patrons, I had dancers on the floor, and the head-bobbers in their chairs were able to hold a conversation without yelling to the person next to them.

4. Affordability. My goal: not to break the bank. With all the options out there today, this one came in at a reasonable price tag, one that kept me happy and the significant other okay with me spending the money. 

5. Ease. Load-out was so easy, I was at home and in bed in record time after a show!

 

I give the Electro-Voice (EV) Evolve 50 four out of five stars. Why only four, you may ask? I am a realist; this is my current opinion, and I am basing this on one show and messing around at home. Let me get a couple more shows with this system under my belt, and I will have additional thoughts.

 

To be continued… In the meantime, play that next song as loud as you want, sing it like no one is listening, and continue to jam out!

Ruben Mendez - Starin Customer Experience Associate