Netbook for Djing?

milltown

After too many deckless years I'm now looking at getting a midi controller/mixer to start playing around with my MP3 collection. Once I get back in the groove, so to speak, I wouldn't mind being mobile enough to do a set at the odd party. I'll re-cut my teeth using a desktop but we're off to Florida for holliers in August and I'm thinking of picking up a laptop or netbook while I'm there.

The saying goes " a netbook is for viewing, a laptop for doing" but would a netbook suffice for laptop DJing? The controller would be looking after sound duties so all the 'puter will be doing is playing the MP3s and running Ableton or Traktor.

Thanks in advance for any input.

Zascar

Best to avoid if possible imo. They might meet the minumum requirements for the software etc but they just do not have the grunt. The controller does not always do the grunt work, depends what you are getting. I use an Xponent a little 14" ultrathin notbook which works great, and not that much bigger. The tiny side of the screen on a netbnook would put me off.

It will prob work fine but best to start right if you have the option. You might just regret going the netbook route.

What controller are you looking at?

ED E

These say it all:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y5ydt8Q8wwk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rfSQrNINndE&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MYg3Fx9YDDo

An Asus eee 701 will run anything that isnt super heavy, but you'll want to re-clock it to 900Mhz, as stock they are underclocked.

To be reccomended would be the Samsung NC10 though. Its a lovely piece. 1.6Ghz processor, sure I only have 2 in a 15.4 inch. I thought they were around €400 a unit, but it seems that you can get them for around 230 in dublin. Take 30-40% off probably for US prices and exchange rate you have a very nice machine at a great price.

Also, using Linux + WINE may inprove performance as its lighter than windows. With the NC10 it would be less important than on lesser machines.

deevey

Hehe nice one leathal ... second one is my vid from last year

Should note since I made that vid I swapped to a lenovo s10e, 2.5 gigs ram.

Buildwise there is no comparison between the eee, samsung or levovo.

The Lenovo is a solid and slim netbook.

Samsung and EEE feel nasty cheap in comparison (my opinion)

I'm running Traktor Pro (not 3 as before) on OSX

I'm now using a hercules RMX as midi / soundcard now

The setup works like a charm BUT, beware of chaining FX and using the new keylock simultaneously it will hammer the CPU and cause audio glitching.

I don't use the netbook day to day, nice as a backup or for parties.

milltown

Zascar wrote: »

What controller are you looking at?

Strongest contender so far looks like the Behringer BCD2000. Should be about $140 over there and save me looking for a seperate soundcard if I end up using it by laptop.

http://www.behringer.com/EN/Products/BCD2000.aspx#features

http://www.guitarcenter.com/Behringer-BCD2000-B-Control-Deejay-802026-i1170461.gc

Zascar

Stay away mate, I had it, piece of crap. People will usually sh!t all over Behringer but I think some of their other stuff is quite good, just not this.

It's possible the BCD3000 might be better - at least it comes with Traktor, have a read of the reviews.

If at all possible save up and get either the Xponent or the VCI-100SE which for Traktor seems the best solution.

empirix

vestax vci 100 are good

Executive Steve

You can use a netbook for Serato - you'll have a hard time gigging with it and the display is so small on them you'll be straining your eyes to select a tune though...

milltown

That's Behringer off the team then.

Care to throw your eye over this lot and see could you recommend anything in the sub $200 section? $2-300 at a stretch. As a born again beginner I don't think I could justify the $400+ for the Vestax and whatever extra for a sound card.

http://www.guitarcenter.com/DJ-Controllers-and-Interfaces-DJ-Gear.gc

Only picking that site btw because they've a shop near where I'll be and they seem to carry a decent range.

Out of interest, what issues did you have with the BCD2000, Zascar? It's not like I'll be gigging with a €150 mixer, best it might do is the odd house party.

Zascar

This looks good: http://www.guitarcenter.com/Numark-STEALTH-CONTROL-DJ-Performance-Controller-105188825-i1435488.gc
http://www.numark.com/stealthcontrol

Way better than the behringer anyway. Comes with Traktor so mapping should not be an issue.

Helix

deevey wrote: »

I'm running Traktor Pro (not 3 as before) on OSX

how does the osx installation go on the 900? been considering it myself, but how does the machine handle it?

rexx le gaff

just get a mac book pro, problem solved

deevey

I'm running OSX on the Lenovo s10, not the 900 as it required less messing with drivers as.

The install was quite painless with a few tips from "s10lenovo.com"

It runs about 3/4 the speed of my first gen white macbook which is perfectly adequete for most tasks, really I only wanted to have a backup for my mac originally :P

Ableton runs like a charm.

Just get a macbook pro

I have one ... but not everyone has the beans for one, and anyhows the topic was about running DJ apps on netbooks, when I last checked the smallest screen on a macbook is 13' :rolleyes:

milltown

Actually, never thought to ask this; are there any bricks and mortar shops around Dublin that stock DJ controllers? Be nice to get a feel for what sort of quality to expect at each price point.

VinylJunkie

milltown wrote: »

Actually, never thought to ask this; are there any bricks and mortar shops around Dublin that stock DJ controllers? Be nice to get a feel for what sort of quality to expect at each price point.

Try xmusic at the red cow roundabout, ring them first to check their stock or soundsaround on capel street. Soundsaround are a rip off but might have some gear in stock.

Zascar

http://www.aquariussound.ie/ are very good. There is another sound shop in town but It has had some bad reviews etc. Also there is a guy in the Dance music production forum who has a shop of some sort I think

ED E

Bringing back and old thread here, but ahh well.


Just tried to install Mixxx on my Xandross 701 4G. Complete failure, loads of problems. Anyone have any apps that will install without 101 backup packages?

Thanks, Lethal.