When it all goes Pete Tong..

[DJ Tony McQue]

Just out of curiosity, what are you all using as a backup if your laptop or hard drive crashes on your MP3 playback system? Do you still lug around CD decks as backup or do you use a more portable solution? If you use time coded CDs, how would you cope with your CD decks going down?

In all the years I have been using Virtual DJ, it has never let me down live. I test my laptop before each gig and the hard drive has died only once an hour before a gig, thankfully I have a clone and was able to swap it out. I am currently using a pair of Numark NDX800s and carry a couple of 8GB USB sticks with a good selection of tunes on them. I also carry a CD folder with a very random collection of party compilations and current dance stuff. Perhaps overkill but would be interested to hear what other people are doing.

[jeff wood]

I use OTS AV with a rackmount PC, but for back up, I also have a pair of Denon DNS 1200's,

These have got usb sticks in the back with loads of tunes on, but Ive got loads of cd's, which i keep upto date.

I carry a spare PSU for the PC and I keep meaning to clone a HD, as a backup.

[Shaun]

I have a spare HD2500 in the flightcase alongside the main hd2500. Also have a selection of tunes on my iPhone, so in the unlikely event of both playouts going down I just plug in my phone.

[Leicester Ben]

I just use CD's, if one skips, take it out and put another one in

[cosmicdiscos]

i've got an SD Card player mounted with my mixer.

[Sapphire Disco]

Two laptops and a Numark D2 I must admit that the first time I went out without any Cd's it felt a bit strange but to be honest I've never had to use the spare laptop and only once had to go onto first reserve when I had a problem with a down load that I didn't check, it was a request and I had downloaded the night before there was a glitch at the end that jammed the players.

[DJ James Lake]

I use VDJ with timecoded cds and have a D2 as backup. VDJ is pretty good though because when it crashes it carries on playing the current song til the end of the track, giving plenty of time to swap out the timecode and use a regular cd if needed

[sleah]

I carry a spare PSU for the PC and I keep meaning to clone a HD, as a backup.

Jeff, you really need to consider a disk back up over a spare PSU.
Statistically, the PSU is very unlikely to go down - besides it may damage other parts of the PC if it does - however the hard disk WILL almost certainly fail sooner or later.

i've got an SD Card player mounted with my mixer.

Me too!

[Dynamic Entertainment]

I just use CD's, if one skips, take it out and put another one in

And what if the issue is with the actual player?




I have Serato, so if the cd players die, i can run off the internal players.

If the laptop dies, i have CDs and a spare laptop loaded with Serato.

If the serato box dies, i have 2 phono to jack cables and will have to muddle through with 2 laptops and media player.

If the mixer dies, i have a backup mixer permanantly hard wired into the box that cuts in at the push of a button.

[DJ Tony McQue]

I have Serato, so if the cd players die, i can run off the internal players.

If the laptop dies, i have CDs and a spare laptop loaded with Serato.

If the serato box dies, i have 2 phono to jack cables and will have to muddle through with 2 laptops and media player.

If the mixer dies, i have a backup mixer permanantly hard wired into the box that cuts in at the push of a button.

Now that is serious precaution, total respect though. I used to do gigs bareback in the clubs using just my laptop and PCDJ DAX3 controller. If it ever crashed, I only had a few CDs as backup. I wouldn't even dream of doing a Wedding now without some sort of backup that wouldn't compromise the performance. I feel sick just thinking about what could have happened if my laptop crashed midway through a set, it's every DJs nightmare!