That’s a good question.
1: I chose yo-yo as some sort of idle time activity(of what little idle time I have). I figured it would be a good way to relieve stress and provide a necessary distraction. The main work I do is pressure cooker type stuff, and what little downtime I have is important to me. However, one must take into consideration most of my downtime is taken away from me, which doesn’t do much to reduce stress.
2: Gotta start somewhere. Went to a local big box store and well, yo-yos changed a LOT since I was a kid, nothing like they are today. The idea was “If I do turn out to like this, I haven’t spent much money” and “If it turns out I don’t enjoy this, I haven’t spent much money”. But I went into it with the idea of enjoying it, and it turns out I do. But I also thought starting off, it wouldn’t be an expensive hobby, which isn’t entirely true.
3: Now that I can operate a yo-yo, and seeing videos out there, I do want to advance past what these inexpensive starter yo-yos can do, so it made sense to upgrade. Seeing videos and reviews, the only one that really caught my eye was the Dark Magic II. The color/metal looks cool. Plus, it was aimed for virtually all levels from beginner to advanced. I also like how it looks with the caps in. Plus, it seems in general people like this model, it was relatively affordable, and it seemed to be a logical step. For the target audience(pretty much everyone), ideally, I shouldn’t NEED to upgrade any time soon.
One throw of the Dark Magic II and I knew this was a LOT better than what I was working with. I was worried, moving from a clutch/brain yo-yo to a ball bearing yo-yo, but I knew that if I got unhappy with what I currently have, I’d quit. For some reason, I have decided I don’t want to give this up so quickly or so easily.
I mean, at the same time, it’s “let’s have the right tools for the job”. I think many people should have some of the better models in their possession, even beginners.
I do FOH and monitor mix for concerts off one console. It’s hard to handle big acts with a Mackie 1604VLZ. 16 ins, 2 pre sends, 2/4 pre/post sends, lack of inserts on the aux sends(so you have to run it through outboard). I lack the monitoring and control I need to handle big acts and complex monitor mixes. Step up to an Allen & Heath ML5000 48B, which if you use every single input, you get 76 total inputs(64 generally usable, 8 assigned to the matrix section only) and 27 outputs/mixes. Control over the 16 aux sends, 8 sub groups, 8VCA, mute groups, scene recall, per channel switchable phantom power, better pre-amps… I’m often working with 36 or more channels at once and 6 monitor mixes at once, so it can be quite a handful.
So, the Dark Magic II seemed to be a good logical purchase. For me it has good looks, great feel and can “grow” with me as my skills improve over time. The fact that the learning videos here also feature that model did influence my decision a little, even though I am not going into this activity with the intention of become a master. It does feel to me a bit light considering it’s size. But I forget how light aluminum is.
I’m dropping anywhere from $100-1100 on a mic(And $3000 in mics a year) or $150+ for LED lighting fixtures. I think $41 on a yo-yo isn’t anything to worry about. I spend more on gaf tape for many shows that I do. I have 4 lights that like to blow $20 bulbs each show. I may consider an all metal or aluminum yo-yo i the future, but right now, I’m only a month into learning so there’s no point in going nuts yet. I’ve got spare strings, YYJ thin and thick lube, so I’m all set for a while. If I need anything else, there’s a store right here I can visit to do my shopping. I ordered the DM2, lubes and strings from here, so I’m well aware of how it works. Chances are when I am ready for non-responsive, I’ll probably order a second DM2 so I can leave one set up for responsive and one for non-responsive. Probably sometime after that, I might consider something else. For me though, if I’m enjoying myself, it won’t matter what yo-yo I have. Isn’t that what it’s about for most of the people here?
