Frequently Asked Questions…

Candid answers to all of your burning questions about Thirtyfour Audio:

Who are you?

Allow me to peel back the curtain a little bit here. Thirtyfour Audio is a guy named Blaine who lives in Tinley Park, Illinois. He’s going to start talking in the first person now.

Where did the 34 come from?

Long story. I was in a band back in the day, and we all decided to have nicknames. I was Blaine-o-34-Hopper. It was random and meant nothing. Through the years, the name has evolved into just thirtyfour, which is what I named the company.

Why is thirtyfour audio not capitalized?

Aesthetic purposes, mostly. Legally, the company is Thirtyfour Audio, but I’ve always preferred the look of all lowercase.

How long have you been doing this?

While Thirtyfour Audio is a relatively new company, I have been in the sound industry professionally for about 10 years. I’ve got a lot of experience as a sound engineer, working extensively with some of the more recognizable names in the Chicago area. I’ve done sound for bands in some of the dingiest, weirdest clubs in Chicago, as well as some of the nicest theaters and festival stages the area has to offer.

What about weddings?

I’ve done a few hundred of those too. The difference is that most of my wedding experience also included wrangling a live band among all the chaos of a wedding. Not to toot my own horn, but I’ve gotten pretty good at it. I’ve learned that proper planning is key to having a smooth night, which is why I created my own planning aids. Use them, even if you’re not booking me. It’ll make our lives easier.

Why do you keep saying “We” on your website?

That’s kind of a joke. It’s just me here. I like saying we because I feel like 25 different people. I’m the planner, the DJ, the sound guy, the web developer, the accountant, the stagehand, and the whatever else needs to happen.

How do you decide what to charge?

My rates are dictated by the amount of work required to fulfill your needs at a high level of professionalism. But you should know that my rates are pretty low. I don’t have a ton of overhead here, considering it’s just me doing everything.

Why are weddings more expensive than regular DJ services?

There is exponentially more planning involved in a wedding. You’re not just paying for me to show up and play some music. You’re paying for hours of meticulous planning, as well as years of experience to ensure that one of the best days of your life goes off without a hitch. That was probably a poor choice of words.

What’s the craziest thing you’ve seen at a wedding?

This is a PG rated FAQ. No.

Do you do special requests for weddings?

Of course! No 2 weddings are the same. Why would the receptions be the same? I’m very flexible with this kind of thing. Whatever you want to happen, I’ll figure out a way to make it work.

Unless you are talking about requesting songs. That’s the bride and groom’s call. If they say no, then no.

Why are some of your rates not listed?

Weddings and DJ events are all different. I don’t want to charge the same for a 20 person party in your backyard as I would for a 500 person wedding reception on a yacht. Different events require different planning, equipment, and effort.

How are you able to be so inexpensive?

I don’t know that I’m THAT inexpensive, but, if I can peel back the business curtain a little here, I have much, MUCH less overhead than most comparable companies. Like the intro says, this company is a passion project turned into an audio company. I love doing this stuff, and am really more interested in making my clients happy than charging them thousands of dollars. I don’t charge hourly for editing in most cases because I spend way too much time tweaking things. I don’t think my DJ prices are crazy, because I really just like getting loud. I don’t have too many business things to pay for, so I can keep my prices lower.

How does the wedding deal work, and what does it include?

One thing that really chaps my, uh, lips, is when audio companies and DJs charge you for things that you may not have any idea about. For example (and stolen directly from another local company’s site), someone’s $1500 package includes 4 lights, 10 inch speakers, and 3 hours of music, whereas their $2500 package includes 6 lights, 12 inch speakers, and one subwoofer. Cool! Cool? Right??

I offer one package. It’s everything that your wedding needs, and it’s cheaper than theirs, I bet. And by ‘everything you need,’ I mean that if I can fit my entire audio system in the space, it’s going in. If I can fit all my lights in too, you’re getting all the lights. And without getting too weedy, I can let you know that I have a VERY nice sound system, and I take pride in how good my system sounds. For any gearheads, you can check my Gear List Here.

I have no interest in nickel and diming you. I have interest in giving you the best wedding service I can.

The wedding package includes everything. Everything includes all of my best sounding gear, my brightest lights, and my happiest face. There are 2 planning meetings (in-person after covid, or on FaceTime/Zoom/Whatever) so we can go over things and hammer out details, as well as all the setup, teardown, travel….everything within reason.

Will you mix my band?

Yes please.

Why do your social media feeds suck so much?

Alright, fair point. It’s just me, one guy, doing everything here. I’m not great at social media stuff. I accept this. I kind of find social media to be a little annoying, but a necessary evil to this line of work. Sorry.

What does your recording setup look like?

I run Logic Pro X, with various mics, through an X32R. It is a simple or as complex as it needs to be. As of now, I can pull in 16 tracks simultaneously, with future expansion up to 32.

Podcasts are usually run thru the mobile rig, which is way….WAY easier to travel with. It’s a Presonus Firestudio running through Logic. Click/tap this response for a full list.

What do I need to give you for mixing?

Ask whoever recorded you to provide lossless tracks, preferably in WAV format. I’ll give you a Google Drive folder to drop the files into.

What about mastering?

Similar to mixing, I just need a mixdown of your song in a lossless format, preferably WAV. I’ll give you a Google Drive folder to drop the files into.

Whats the deal with that logo?

Yeah, I dunno. It’s kinda weird. But I like it. It’s a 3 and a 4. I drew it in Photoshop very quickly and just kind of ran with it. Plus, the text for ‘thirtyfour audio’ is the same font they used for ‘The Office.’ So that’s kinda neat.

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