This week’s DJ LIFE Mobile Monday DJ spotlight, presented by QSC, shines on DJ Tessa from Long Beach, CA, DJ & Founder of PRISM DJs.
DJ Tessa is this week’s DJ LIFE Mobile Monday spotlight, presented by QSC. Based out of Long Beach, California, DJ Tessa is the founder of PRISM DJs.
If you’ve got the chance to check out DJ Tessa live – or even browse her social media profiles – it’s clear she’s making waves within the DJ community. As the founder and DJ of PRISM DJs, the Long Beach, California-based talent might be a go-to for weddings, private parties, corporate events, and more, but she’s also so much more than that.
Having a chance to chat with DJ Tessa about all things mobile DJ, she reveals what being a mobile DJ means to her, keeps us in the loop regarding what her current DJ setup consists of versus what her perfect or dream DJ setup would look like. We travel back to 2002, when she bought her first DJ setup, eventually landing to present day, where one of DJ Tessa’s most recent gigs was providing the DJ soundtrack during an event for Hulu’s new original series, Interior Chinatown.
When DJ LIFE spoke with DJ Tessa regarding all things mobile DJ, here’s how it went down…
DJ LIFE: What does being a mobile DJ mean to you?
DJ Tessa: For me, mobile DJing means bringing joy through music and creating the perfect atmosphere for my clients and their guests. It’s also about delivering top-quality sound with premium audio equipment to elevate the entire experience.
DJ LIFE: Can you tell us about your current DJ setup?
DJ Tessa: I have a different setup for every situation! At home, I practice on a Pioneer DJ DDJ-Rev7 controller. When performing at a large corporate event, I prefer Pioneer CDJ-3000s and an S11 mixer. When performing smaller events, I like to use the Pioneer DDJ-1000SRT controller. When I am in a very, very small, tight space, I adore the Pioneer DDJ-SR2. My preferred sound setup are two QSC K10.2 powered loudspeakers on poles atop two KS112 subwoofers.
DJ LIFE: What would your perfect or dream setup look like?
DJ Tessa: My dream setup currently consists of two Pioneer DJ PLX-CRSS12 Professional Digital/Analog Turntables with a Pioneer S11 mixer. Does anyone have $5k that they’d like to donate to me so I can purchase all this? (LOL)
DJ LIFE: How did you get started as a DJ?
DJ Tessa: I’ve always had a passion for music and collected it in all forms—cassettes, CDs, vinyl, and mp3s. In 2002, I bought my first DJ setup: a pair of Technics 1200s and a Vestax PMC-07 Pro Mixer, and what started as a hobby eventually became my career. By 2009, I was DJing at bars, lounges, and restaurants, which later expanded to weddings. For most of my career, I was an indie wedding DJ, taking a non-traditional approach. Last year, I decided to retire from weddings and now focus exclusively on corporate and premiere events. I’m also the founder of Prism DJs, a booking agency dedicated to promoting diversity and closing the gender gap in the DJ industry.