Live music and DJ nights: what your bar's AV needs

Live nights bring people in, but they ask more of your AV than background music does. Some acts bring everything; many expect the venue to provide the basics. Getting a few things right makes your bar easy to book and safer for your equipment.

Decide what you will provide

Write a short "venue spec" you can send to acts. It should list what you have and what they need to bring. Typical house equipment for a small venue includes:

• A small mixing desk with enough inputs for a solo act or small band.
• Main speakers suitable for live sound (not just the background music speakers).
• At least one or two monitor speakers so performers can hear themselves.
• Two or three vocal microphones, stands and cables.
• Dedicated power outlets near the performance area.

Give acts one clean connection point

A stage box or wall plate near the performance area, wired back to the mixer, saves cables running across the floor and makes setting up faster. Ask your technician to label every connection.

Protect your house system

Background music speakers are not built for loud live sound. Connecting a band's mixer straight into them can damage them. Ask your technician to set up a proper input with a limiter, so live sound can use the house system safely, or to install separate live speakers.

DJs

Most DJs bring their own controller and need a stereo input to the system and a booth monitor. Agree the connection type in advance, and provide a table at a comfortable height near power.

Volume and neighbours

Live music is louder and has more bass than background music, and bass travels through walls. Check your licence conditions and local noise rules, and consider a limiter that caps the overall level. It protects both your neighbours and your hearing.

For microphones specifically, see our guide to microphones for quiz nights and events.