DJzone DJ Magazine

In all of his 23+ years in the business, 1PHATDJ never thought much about dieting until he assembled the Phat Productions stable of DJs, a crew of four including himself who collectively work the best clubs and hotspots from LA to New Mexico. It was then, after setting up shop in Southern Arizona, that he discovered that losing weight translated into better business as well as obtaining a gut-punching sound with levels of bass registering on the Richter scale.

So...was it the Atkins Diet, you ask? Jenny Craig? Nope, neither, because we're not talking about calorie-counting here. The weight 1PHATDJ (aka El Gordo, "The Fat One") trimmed-off wasn't his own, but rather that of his stage gear. By switching his loudspeaker inventory over to components from Community's Tandem Series, El Gordo slimmed down to the point where he can pack a complete DJ system into a Chevy Tahoe and still arrive at a gig with more than enough sonic punch to leave the ground shaking when he leaves.

"Not all that long ago, when you went out you'd have to take help and still break your back loading in and loading out, because it seemed like everything weighed a ton," El Gordo recalls. "Now, one person can handle the whole thing, setup times are quick and easy, and I don't have to worry about compromising audio ever."

At the heart of Phat Productions' new svelte approach to sound reinforcement lie Tandem Series TD2212 and TD2118 enclosures. Housing dual 18-inch drivers, the TD2118 subwoofers provide serious bottom-end to complement the two-way, full-range performance of the TD2212s.

"The loudspeakers aren't heavy for their size [each is constructed using lightweight 7-ply wood], and we use optional casters on the subs which allow us to place all our gear on top of them and roll right in," 1PHATDJ adds. "Once we're at the gig, the cabinets can be stacked, or we can mount the full-range boxes directly above the subs using steel mounting poles. As far as sonic quality is concerned, I get compliments all the time. People are always surprised at the amount of power which comes out of these loudspeakers, and the sound isn't harsh. At the end of the night, no one ever complains of ear fatigue, and that's not something we can always say when we're forced to use some house systems."

Joining 1PHATDJ on the Phat Productions team are DJ Theo, a revered figure within the world of Old School Tejano, DJ Baby D, the newest member of the clan, and DJ Lexxie, the resident hip-hop and R&B aficionado. In addition to his regular DJ work, 1PHATDJ is active on the remix scene, and produces and hosts a number of radio mix shows heard on the Sirius satellite radio network.