The joys of a digital dj

Dave Smooth

GuGee Since: 2007-03-04
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Last Seen: 08/12/2008 - 1:41pm
Location: Santa Fe

Submitted by Dave Smooth on March 11, 2007 - 5:38pm.

Recently, I decided I needed a new laptop, since one of the things I would like to do is be mobile with music production/dj'ing (I'm actually a vinyl purist, but got rid of my decks a while back in trade for a car...long story). Of course, this would be my first venture into the world of the traveling digital dj, as I've always just played records out and saved the recording for at home.

So, I'm checking the specs I need in a lappy, 2.0gHz or higher processor, 2GB RAM..yaddi yaddi. Well, damn...laptops of that caliber are expensive!! I was looking at a couple of grand easy....plus, everything new comes with Vista. Which just happens to be incompatible with all the music software I use. boo. So, I would have had to buy a super expensive laptop, and then buy XP Pro, and wipe the drive to install it...seemed like an insane tradeoff.

Since I've always built my desktops, I just ordered everything to build a killer machine at home. 3.0gHz processor, 2GB RAM, 250GB SATA HD, 18X DVD burner w/Lightscribe...and a very cool case w/10 drive bays to boot! And of course, the all needed copy of XP Pro. Total cost: 670.00 delivered to my door. I can use my M-Audio 410 and existing NVidia card as well, and also cram my current drives with over 100GB of mp3's into it as well.

And since I was on a spending spree, I ordered the M-Audio X-Session Mix Lab, which is a mixer/software combo....I'm so excited.

Anybody else use their machine for music production?? Lets talk!

Stevie

GuGee Since: 03-Dec-2006
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Re: The joys of a digital dj

March 16, 2007 - 5:51pm

I'm with ya!

Here's an idea. Get a couple of cheap turntables and some scratchy LP's (ain't they ALL scratchy anyway??) and use 'em as props while your PC tics off a pre-programmed digital playlist. Heck... put a stack of 8-tracks out for viewing, too. This is 2007... the age of the Victrola has gone past! Smiling

Talim

GuGee Since: 06-Mar-2007
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Location: Michigan

Re: The joys of a digital dj

March 16, 2007 - 7:18pm

ain't they ALL scratchy anyway??

Um, no!

Stevie

GuGee Since: 03-Dec-2006
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Last Seen: 08/21/2008 - 12:18pm
Location: Horse Country, Kantuckee

I am: Master of my own domain

Re: The joys of a digital dj

March 17, 2007 - 5:56am

Talim wrote:

ain't they ALL scratchy anyway??

Um, no!

Heh .. I bought my first rock LP in the early 70's. Collected a shelf full of them through the years during which time I went through several types of cleaners - Diskwasher brush type, sonic baths, etc. Dust always found a way to make itself heard no matter how meticulous I was. There was always a few particles that would embed and not come out. Just wasn't worth the hassle.

To each their own but I believe that vinyl LP's are totally an unneeded headache for a mobile dj.

SYNTHETIK

GuGee Since: 26-Feb-2007
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Location: Hubert NC

Re: The joys of a digital dj

March 12, 2007 - 2:54am

Ha ha ha I am like this topic already!! I am a club dj as for the debate about vinyl and all but in my genre ( goth industrial ebm ) there arent really that much vinyl around. We really should have a forum topic thingy just for music production.

soopacee

GuGee Since: 31-Jan-2007
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Location: In The Hood Like Car Engines

Re: The joys of a digital dj

March 12, 2007 - 2:28am

real dj's use vinyl......but RICH dj's use digital LoL

Dave Smooth

GuGee Since: 04-Mar-2007
GuG-Points: 336
Last Seen: 08/12/2008 - 1:41pm
Location: Santa Fe

Re: The joys of a digital dj

March 11, 2007 - 8:24pm

Maybe should have a forum for music production/dj'ing on computers, I just posted this in here because I really didn't see any other place to put it.

Throw the donkey a waffle. C'mon you know you want to... No? You hate donkeys, don't you?

Dave Smooth

GuGee Since: 04-Mar-2007
GuG-Points: 336
Last Seen: 08/12/2008 - 1:41pm
Location: Santa Fe

Re: The joys of a digital dj

March 11, 2007 - 8:19pm

Oh, trust me I've gotten involved in that whole debate of "you're not really a dj unless you play records." Well, I have been playing vinyl for years, and will never give that up. I want to expand is all, and not have to lug around records that weigh a lot! Most of those who say bad things about going digital, aren't djs anyway, so basically have no clue.

Advice:

Buy the best you can as far as processor and motherboard and drives. Sure a pretty case is nice, but definitely not necessary. The board I got for mine is a PCChips P23G and processor is a 3.0Ghz Pentium 4 HT 531 64Bit. And go for fast SATA drives. Like I said, for all the parts, I only paid under 700 bucks. Just check around on sites until you see a good deal for something. And try and get the quietest fan setup you can, believe it or not it does affect things.

And I applaud you for wanting to build your own, theres always something about using something that you built. Smiling Of course, if I could have afforded a Sonica, I would have gone that route. They make an incredible machine!!

Throw the donkey a waffle. C'mon you know you want to... No? You hate donkeys, don't you?

foambrush

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Re: The joys of a digital dj

March 11, 2007 - 9:59pm

""Sure a pretty case is nice, but definitely not necessary. The board I got for mine is a PCChips P23G and processor is a 3.0Ghz Pentium 4 HT 531 64Bit. And go for fast SATA drives. Like I said, for all the parts, I only paid under 700 bucks. Just check around on sites until you see a good deal for something. And try and get the quietest fan setup you can, believe it or not it does affect things.""

Its not about a pretty case an aluminum case can drop temps up to 3C vs steel, and if you haven't ordered your setup yet you may want to reconsider the 531 and look into the d-805 dual core it runs at 2.66 but I have one overclocked to 3.6 on air. I would also avoid any PCChips MB's they are the very low end of the MB spectrum. If you want quiet find an AFTER market CPU cooler (the larger the fan in MM will be quieter) the standard Intel CPU cooler is not very good at cooling.

Thermalright MST 9775-24.99 ---92MM fan

Lite on 20x w/lightscribe dvd burner 39.99

Chemming 301 Black Aluminum case 34.99

Seagate Barracuda 400GB SATA 3.0 119.99

Chaintech 7600GS 256MB PCI-E x16 112.99

PNY 2GB PC2 5300 136.99

Gigabyte 945GZM MB and INtel 805 Combo 125.99

595.93

Still needs a PSU and a couple of fans to circulate air but still a nice little rig and under 700$ without using low end manufacturers

handcovers

GuGee Since: 26-Feb-2007
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Last Seen: 03/14/2007 - 10:06am

Re: The joys of a digital dj

March 11, 2007 - 7:36pm

hmmm... digital dj??? I think you lose all cred when you are a digital dj... most people might think just with a press of a button you are able to all sort of things its kind of like no thinking or creativity is require. saying that, I myself have some pioneer cdj-200 with a djm 300 mixer i want to start making music with the aid of a computer etc etc i was thinking of buying an apple computer... instead im going to built my own music production/film editing machine (i am a film major)i have 900 bucks to spend. any advice?

Ashton

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Re: The joys of a digital dj

March 14, 2007 - 2:28pm

>>>(I'm actually a vinyl purist, but got rid of my decks a while back in trade for a car...long story).

Not really out of bounds for "Fanta Se" (Dave will get it ... will you?)

I'm usually in your neck of the woods at least three or four times a summer. I may hit you up for your club schedule.

As a former "corporate radio jock" in the early nineties, the only computer we used was to browse Prodigy for online material. Digital cds and eight track was the medium and imagine, we actually had to load them ourselves!

I was able to express my artistic side by deviating from a CD package called Hott Mixx on Saturday night, mixing in and out of pre-formated show with some vinyl collections (Psychedelic Jesus comes to mind...Utah Saints, Lords of Acid).

It worked out okay and I never was busted for not sticking with the program.

"A man can stand anything except a succession of ordinary days." -Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

The joys of a digital dj

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