Ableton Live, Serato, And Which Laptop You Should Buy
While there are those who still think the very idea of incorporating a laptop into a DJ set is pure blasphemy, the reality is that more and more performers are going digital. The benefits are fairly obvious, even though the possibility of your data corrupting will prompt frequent backups. The question, of course, that many DJs are facing is: what hardware do I need?
In a perfect world, we'd all have the 17 inch Macbook Pro 2.33GHz Intel Core 2 Duo with 3 gigs of RAM. Given that most Djs are not making bank as it is, options need to be considered for those on a budget. The new Macbooks start at $1099 ($999 for students) and work perfectly with the right add-ons. It is generally recommended that you throw in the extra stick of RAM, making it 2 gigs.
I know several DJs who use the regular white macbook with Serato Scratch Live and Ableton Live, and they have not had a problem. With so many wannabe laptop DJs flooding the market right now, its best to have a heads up over them and supplement your setup. The K25 MIDI/USB Controller is great for a performance/DJ setup while the Axiom 25 Controller is great when you need more knobs for control.
A recommendation for playing out in the clubs is to bring along an audio interface, like the Focusrite Sapphire. While Focusrite does have cheaper versions of this beautiful sounding interface, do not let the $400 dollar price tag scare you away. A good interface will separate you from all the DJs that plug their headphone jack into the mixer (seriously, what are they thinking?).
Finally, we return to the PC user. Given the amount of options for someone purchasing a PC notebook, I would say look for something with similar specs to the Macbook or Macbook Pro. Although AMD is an industry standard, I would stay away from it when looking for a production notebook. The main reason for this is that many companies like AVID Technology, Inc. (aka Digidesign, creators of Pro Tools) do not support them.
For the sake of playing it safe and making sure your notebook performs correctly, I would recommend sticking to the Intel Core 2 Duo chip from 1.83 ghz up. Again, at least 2 gigs of RAM is necessary, and I would say make sure you have Firewire and USB 2 capabilities. You never know when you might need to pop on an extra 500 gigabytes of space at last minute.
What?!
Dell Laptops?
To anyone that can help....
I've been running everything for my music of a desktop pc which has been great but it's a pain in the arse moving it around.
I'm looking at moving all of my music software over to a laptop but I'm fairly tight for cash (as I'm sure we all are thanks to the UK government!!)
Is there a recommended brand of laptop to go for other than the Macs? (I've got so much software that just isn't mac compatible and it would end up too costly to replace it all.)
I would usually steer clear of Dell but they seem to have some good laptop deal at the moment, are they worth it?
Thanks,
confused in North Devon
Hi CND, I can't say many
Hi CND,
I can't say many positive things about Dell laptops. My last computer before making the switch to Mac was an Inspiron 5160 that had nothing but hardware problems from day one. I've heard better things about HP laptops, but I can't really make a recommendation, other than to suggest you avoid Dell.
Maybe Bill wants to field this one?
You might also want to try posting in the Gearwire Forums.
laptops
i've heard nothing but bad things about djing with a dell. A custom laptop would be ideal, but it's not quite as easy to build a laptop the way you can with a desktop. HP is supposedly good, I know a lot of DJs who use sony vaios and toshibas. Between those two, I would say go with the toshiba (with good specs, of course) because they are generally cheaper for what you get and come with the best tech support of pretty much any other manufacturer.
You might want to order online and get it with XP installed. Vista might not work with your old software, and it's still buggy as all hell. I know it sounds crazy, but a friend of mine from Detroit custom built a desktop and put it inside of a shock mount ex-military server case that he found on ebay for cheap. The great thing about it is that he can run a lot more on it in the way of plug-ins live that you could with a laptop in the same price range. Plus, the server case allows him to go mobile pretty easily because it has sturdy handles. Just a thought.
You could also look into Alienware, but they are pretty pricey generally. In the end, I would say look for a laptop with quality ram and a quality board with intel core 2 duo processors. I have had less problems with them than with the AMDs, although one of my desktops is an AMD desktop running ableton and sonar.
Dell is notorious, however, for bad customer service and skimping on the parts they put into their laptops. Anyone else have any ideas?
amd really isn't great
AMD processors might be supported by digi but they are unreliable and tend to get very hot which is not good for anyone doing a live show djing or and actual artist :) who uses Cubase or Ableton and MIDI controllers on stage
cheers
right
that's why I switch my pc to an intel core 2 duo, and the mac already has it so...
thanks for the comment!
laptops
I would say look for a laptop with quality ram and a quality board with intel core 2 duo processors. I have had less problems with them than with the AMDs, although one of my desktops is an AMD desktop running ableton and sonar. http://www.electrocomputerwarehouse.com/
I Don't do DJ
I Don't do DJ
So I don't have Issues.
By the way thanks for Informing Us. :)
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