It is a lot easier to provide music for a party nowadays than it used to be. This article is about providing background music at a level where people can still easily talk to each other. If the aim is to provide the music for a disco or rave outdoors then much higher volume levels are needed, and this usually involves a specialised PA and speakers that can handle high sound levels.
A mid-level hi-fi system with amplifier and speaker power handling of 50-100 Watts is adequate to provide background music, however, it will in no way provide enough volume to get people dancing. For that an increase of about 10 times is needed - the vagaries of human hearing are such that even with such an increase in power the sound will only be a little bit over twice as loud.
Use an iPod For The DJ
The audio source used to be a real pain, with CDs lasting about 80 minutes maximum, but nowadays an iPod or similar digital music player can be loaded with a whole evening of entertainment. Set to random play it can keep the music mix from becoming stale, or a playlist can be authored to sequence the tracks.
There are many ways to play an iPod through a hi-fi system, but the cheapest method, an adapter cable from the iPod to the amplifier aux input is fine for this sort of use. Of course, if the hi-fi is wired to a home music server that can take the place of the iPod. Some of these such as the Logitech Squeezebox can be controlled via WiFi.
Work With the Outdoor Acoustics
Indoor sound systems benefit from the contained environment, with walls and ceiling reflecting back some of the sound to the listeners. None of this is present outdoors, so sound spreads in all directions. The end result is that a system that is quite loud indoors will be a lot quieter outdoors. If there is a building or a wall then setting the speakers with their back to the wall will give a bit more volume, with the wall acting as a reflecting surface.
People also absorb sound, so getting the speakers up high will help things, if it can be done safely without a risk of the speakers crashing down on someone.
Watch for Safety Hazards - Electrical and Trip Hazards
Water and electrical power are a bad mix, so if at all possible keep the amplifier inside the building and run long speaker cables out. These cables can be mains twin flex, 10A is best but 6A is quite serviceable for short runs.
The cables are a trip hazard, and particularly where the speakers are mounted high it is worth making sure that potentially inebriated party-goers don't come unstuck.
If for some reason mains has to be run out to an outdoor location then it is is best to have a residual current device/circuit breaker (RCD/RCCD) fitted at the house end to protect against electrical hazards.
It is worth having a couple of plastic tarps to hand just in case a downpour threatens to get the speakers wet.
Background Music Enhances a Summer Party of Barbecue
Using a domestic hi-fi works well for a summer garden party or barbecue provided it is for background music and the party is a manageable size of up to about 20 people. It adds ambience at a low cost, and an iPod is a great way to provide a varied playlist.
Richard Mudhar - Originally from London, now enjoying a less hectic pace of life in Suffolk, Richard Mudhar is a keen wildlife sound recordist and ...
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