Vesper

Did you remember to install controller drivers and such for the controller?

I really think we need to purge on this new phase. New digital gear just means that more people can actually DJ, or at least learn to? Will DJing become easier? Yes. But what that means is that with people suddenly getting better, It would take more to be considered “good”. I have heard that if you can play Vinyl, you can play anything, which to some extent, is true. But the same can be achieved by a devoted person who learns without software assistance (or with limited)

If you really wanna DJ with earbuds, have you considered changing the existing buds that come with them for other ones? My bi-flange tips i got with my SM e10 is really nice, helps block out a good amount of sound. Tri-flange eartips might be even better, although for some people, they find it goes into their ear a little too much

^Those are a pic of some Triflanges lol

As a DJ, I’d say that you do not entirely NEED the best laptop in the world specs wise. But you need to make your choice quite well.

For instance, Choose an operating system you are comfortable with using and that supports your software (preferably natively, however, for Linux applications such as WINE may help you run some awkward software). Now, Read up on the tech-specs of your software and choose your laptop based around this. You do NOT want to run software on an under-spec PC. I’d recommend making sure everything is specced well, but if RAM is a bit low, you may be able to upgrade it nice and easily. Although this varies depending on the laptop construction. So unless you are sure and you get a big benefit from using this laptop rather than a properly specced one, carry on looking.

Now, There are a few other factors that are pretty important here. Those are Battery life, Rigidity, Screen size, Screen brightness, weight etc. Now. Screen size is very important and depending on where you intend to use the laptop, so is brightness. If you are going to be playing somewhere where glare is a risk (a club, outside, etc) then make sure you check the screen brightness before you buy! And as for screen size. It’s all about measuring portability against work area. With a 17″ laptop, you will get loads of work area, but it’ll be harder to lug around. I would personally advise against tiny 7″ netbooks too! (often software is too big for it’s tiny screen, not to mention most netbooks are brutally underspecced).

Now the rest is down to personal preference. If possible, try things out on the laptop (if you want my advice, find a local store like PC World, try out the gear there, and then order it elsewhere. Despite what the nice sales representative tells you, It will be cheaper elsewhere). Make sure you check a few essential things as well as a few you may have overseen. Specs is obvious, but make sure to give the screen a little wobble and see if it looks sturdy. Is the keyboard nice to use? Is the trackpad responsive? Do the little rubber stands on the bottom hold the laptop up enough to stop it overheating? Some of these things may sound pretty negligable. But avoiding a BSOD is essential, and a well-cooled laptop is sure to do that.

Now, For a few bits of advice

-Picking up a laptop direct from the manufacturer is a great idea. You are ensured a decent warranty, and the gear inside is always fresh up to manufacturer standards

-Don’t trust the sales guy. He is there to drain your pocket. Do you REALLY need a mac? It is nice to have one but it comes at a hefty price

-Ignore the Operating System war. As long as your software runs stably on the OS, why should you be bothered about the multi-threading capability of bla-bla-bla…

-Don’t get ripped off, but equally, don’t skimp. This one will probably be the one most people get wrong. A lot of people believe you need a top-of-the-range laptop and end up spending thousands… And then there are some who think they get the better deal by cutting down dramatically. Both of these can be avoided by being educated about what you buy. A penny saved is a penny earned!

-Go for laptop brands you know you can trust. A well trusted brand is always a good sign. Dell i can certainly vouch for. And if you know any niche brands that are good, use em too! Novatech is local to me and they are really good for laptops. The only real downside is if you somehow lose your graphics driver, or sound controller. Drivers are harder to find (Still, If you know what you’re doing. A quick look in PCI database helps lol)

A decent refurb can be just as good, if not better than a new. You just gotta be careful. Refurbs are those kinds of bargains that everyone misses out on! What’s the difference between gear that was faulty, but has been repaired and tested, and new, straight out of the factory gear?

I got a DJ Control Instinct and i personally can vouch for it. Quite durable, small and it has all the features you’d want. The only annoyance is the lack of a “gain” knob. but the auto-gain in the software makes this much less of a problem

Just make sure you don’t cheap out too much. I NEARLY got a DJ2GO as my first controller. Glad I didn’t. It’s nice as a little thing if you HAVE to use it for some reason, but the lack of EQ would be a real bother