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New laptop advice

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  • August 8, 2013 at 4:37 pm #42991
    DJ 2-Easy
    Participant

    Sorry Mong but i am a Mac user so will be off absolutely no use here. Just wanted to say well done for getting back on it really. I am in the same position as you at the moment, but i am going down the controller/software route.

    I am sure somebody will be along to advise you accordingly.

    Sean.

    August 8, 2013 at 9:21 pm #42998
    Stazbumpa
    Participant

    I went with a Dell Latitude e5520. It’s a business laptop with an i5 cpu and I stuffed a 240gb ssd in it too. Another plus is the 1080p screen and 4 usb 2.0 ports, which have come in very handy since I shelled out a new Denon gear. Anyway, an i5 with 4gb ram will do you just fine. A little bit of tweaking will see off any conflicts that may cause crashes although to be fair mine has run just fine without any real tweaks for nearly a year.
    It’s worth pointing out that I’m running Windows 7 as a fresh install, I wiped the factory install and all the bloatware that new laptops come with when I fitted my ssd. This would be my preferred way of doing things, wipe the factory install and start again fresh.

    August 9, 2013 at 12:16 am #43000
    Dj Emazing
    Participant

    In my opinion Mac or Sony, Sony and Mac uses some of the same parts so they are kind of similar. Asus isn’t bad though being that it’s more of a computer company built for gamer with nice processors, graphic cards and sound cards. Asus will definitely get the job done.

    August 9, 2013 at 12:38 am #43001
    Steve (k-rex) Richman
    Participant

    Greetings, and welcome to the forum. I’m a Traktor user, and have experience with many different laptops but not the Zenbook. Taking a quick look at the specs, quite a variation between the models. They all should be fine running Traktor Pro, with a couple of caveats. Traktor has a very crowded interface, and I wouldn’t want to use it with an 11.6 inch screen (model ux21a). Actually would prefer one of the 15 inch screen models, but that’s your choice, should be OK on a 13 or 14. Also, the lower end models only have 2 usb ports, and no ethernet interface. So, if you need a hardwired network connection, you lose a port – meaning if you use any other usb devices (such as an external drive), you will need a usb hub for your controller, significantly reducing the “ultra light” factor.

    And this is just a generalization – you will pay more for ultra-light form factor than the standard laptop equivalent, so decide how important the convenience is to you.

    Hope this helps 🙂

    August 9, 2013 at 6:07 am #43006
    DJ Vintage
    Moderator

    SSD = must (not only the speed issue, but the fact that it has no moving parts needs to appeal to people actually using it on the road)
    CPU & memory = i5 and 4GB should work just fine, if you can find a laptop offering 6 or 8 GB it’s a bonus
    USB-ports = get one with 1 or 2 USB 3.0 ports. Get a 3.0 USB hub with external power with it. That way you can hook up all that nice Denon gear with no problems
    Screen size = agree with Steve on the 15″. 17″ is too bulky, but anything smaller than 15″ tends to be cramped.
    Traktor = you give too little information about the reason you picked Traktor, for me to comment on it. Obvious other choices are Serato, VDJ and MixVibes Cross (DJ if you don’t want DVS). All should work well with the laptop specs you described (mind you, Serato for example will need licensed hardware to work).
    OS = Either Win7 (preferred in my opinion, at least til 8.1 comes out) or Win8, in which case use the available tools to get rid of the new “Metro” GUI and bring back the “Start”-button. I side with Staz on doing a clean install to get rid of all the bloatware. I would like to add the tip to make your laptop dual boot. That gives you the opportunity to use the laptop for DJ-ing with a committed install, but still use it for other stuff on the days you are not DJ-ing.

    Greetinx,
    C.

    August 9, 2013 at 6:48 am #43010
    Terry_42
    Keymaster

    I am a Mac guy and hands down the best DJ laptop at the moment in my opinion is the 13” MacBook Air with 256 SSD. It has the same resolution as most 15” so will display everything nicely and run anything superbly.

    August 9, 2013 at 7:01 am #43011
    the mongrel
    Participant

    Thanks for the replies, what a helpful bunch you are. It will be running windows 8, I know 7 is probably better but not many computers come with it now. It has 3x USB 3 ports so I don’t see a problem in that department. My main concern was only the 4gb of ram and the fact that I don’t think it can be upgraded, no memory slot thing underneath like older laptops have. But most of you have said that 4gb will be ample so I’m fairly happy with that.

    With regards to me choosing Traktor. Im only familiar with using turntables and a mixer and now i’m making the move to a complete digital setup. I foolishly sold my 1200s a few years ago so now really my only option is an all in one midi controller and a laptop. I downloaded Traktor on my phone which is good fun, so I figured I’d stick with what (little) I know. But I’m open to suggestions if people think Serato etc has the edge over Traktor?

    Cheers,

    Mongrel

    August 9, 2013 at 7:04 am #43012
    the mongrel
    Participant

    Terry_42, post: 43167, member: 1843 wrote: I am a Mac guy and hands down the best DJ laptop at the moment in my opinion is the 13” MacBook Air with 256 SSD. It has the same resolution as most 15” so will display everything nicely and run anything superbly.

    That would be nice, but my budget won’t stretch that far.

    August 9, 2013 at 7:31 am #43013
    Terry_42
    Keymaster

    No DJ software has a huge edge over the other, but they do cater to different workflows.

    So if you are coming from a turntable background like me, Serato will feel more “natural” to you and your workflow and the licensed Serato Hardware (like the Terminal Mix Series or the DDJ-SX or even the Mixtrack Pro) cater to that workflow. So currently for me, coming from this background and workflow, Serato is my choice. Also the beatgridding in Serato is top notch.

    Traktor caters more to the controllerist, offering a huge selection of manipulation of samples and effects, but you buy this with the software being much more complex to handle also and you only release the full potential of Traktor if you use it with all those options (possibly additional F1 controllers etc.). Then Traktor shines.

    VDJ is the most versatile software, but underrated, as to release the full VDJ potential you need real customisation skills. However the broadcasting and video possibilities of VDJ Pro make it stand out in my opinion.

    Mixvibes Cross is the current runner up and has innovated lots and lots the past 2 years. The french company really has their goal set on getting an edge over the competition and they have some really innovative things (Camelot Key detection, effect settings,…) that no other software has. It still is not quite there that you could say it does “anything better” but it has reached a level where you can say it is head to head with the others.

    August 9, 2013 at 8:46 am #43014
    Stazbumpa
    Participant

    Someone will correct me if I’m wrong here, but I don’t think Traktor uses more than 4gb of ram anyway. Can’t comment on any of the other software choices and their requirements, however I reserve the right to slap you about the face for selling your Technics! :-p

    August 9, 2013 at 10:19 am #43015
    the mongrel
    Participant

    Stazbumpa, post: 43171, member: 1739 wrote: however I reserve the right to slap you about the face for selling your Technics! :-p

    Not necessary, I’ve been beating myself up ever since. My DJ career had kind of tailed off and they were just collecting dust etc, no excuse though. Still have most of my vinyl, although not much use without decks.

    August 12, 2013 at 4:43 am #43061
    Lamid45G
    Participant

    the_mongrel, post: 43172, member: 12031 wrote: Not necessary, I’ve been beating myself up ever since. My DJ career had kind of tailed off and they were just collecting dust etc, no excuse though. Still have most of my vinyl, although not much use without decks.

    Ya know you CAN hook your 1200 to a laptop running Serato LIVE Scratch,as Terry pointed out felt more natural to you
    hence skipping the part of buyin a controller

    And ow yeah i double slapped you also for sellin dem 1200 ..o.0

    August 12, 2013 at 6:05 am #43069
    DJ Vintage
    Moderator

    Or to Traktor Scratch or to 79 USD MixVibes Cross (without the DJ) or …

    August 12, 2013 at 7:50 am #43096
    the mongrel
    Participant

    Quandary sorted. I’ve gone for a 14″ Sony Vaio, i5 with 12gb ram. Should be fine to get back into it again. Now I’m on the hunt for a controller 😀

    August 12, 2013 at 11:09 am #43100
    NewportDJ Drew
    Participant

    I have not heard anything good about windows 8 and traktor. Things may have improved tho?

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