Mac vs pc

[Charlie123]

Hi guys,
I'll start by saying I've got an iMac and love it but I have a pc and find that easier to DJ with. I have a budget of £1000 to buy either a mac without a controller or a PC and a decent controller - numark mix track pro was what I'm thinking of.http://www.numark.com/product/mixtrackpro
The laptop is an acer aspire, it has 8gb of ram so it good value for money.http://www.pcworld.co.uk/gbuk/acer-a...11788-pdt.html
What do you all think? What do you use?

[Gary]

I'd start at the other end of the idea.

The mix track pro comes with some free "DJ" software, depending on which region you buy it from - either Traktor LE, Virtual DJ LE, or Serato Intro - These packages typically seem to have a worth of about £50, when upgrading to the full versions etc. So, with the Mix track Pro being around £149, the actual hardware that you're buying is only about £99 worth.

Have you decided which piece of "DJ" software, if any, you want to end up with?

Traktor 2 for example is dreadfully hungry in terms of processor hardware, and "fine tuning" or optimising the computer to make it work without latency issues.

I'd decide which bit of software you wanted to run first, then have that in mind when looking at computers. Macs seem to have a sort of user-projected "halo" around them with regards to exactly what they can (everything) and cant (nothing) do. I've known users with even Mac book pros have issues with "DJ" software - and the lack of a good count of USB ports on most macs is a little shortsighted as not all DJ hardware works well if run through a USB hub.

In its favour, Mac uses Core Audio, which is a decent enough sound system for you not to need a separate USB sound card - whereas with most windows lappys you'd need to factor in the price (and usb port usage) of an external sound card.

[Charlie123]

I'd start at the other end of the idea.

The mix track pro comes with some free "DJ" software, depending on which region you buy it from - either Traktor LE, Virtual DJ LE, or Serato Intro - These packages typically seem to have a worth of about £50, when upgrading to the full versions etc. So, with the Mix track Pro being around £149, the actual hardware that you're buying is only about £99 worth.

Have you decided which piece of "DJ" software, if any, you want to end up with?

Traktor 2 for example is dreadfully hungry in terms of processor hardware, and "fine tuning" or optimising the computer to make it work without latency issues.

I'd decide which bit of software you wanted to run first, then have that in mind when looking at computers. Macs seem to have a sort of user-projected "halo" around them with regards to exactly what they can (everything) and cant (nothing) do. I've known users with even Mac book pros have issues with "DJ" software - and the lack of a good count of USB ports on most macs is a little shortsighted as not all DJ hardware works well if run through a USB hub.

In its favour, Mac uses Core Audio, which is a decent enough sound system for you not to need a separate USB sound card - whereas with most windows lappys you'd need to factor in the price (and usb port usage) of an external sound card.

So I'm currently using tractor and it runs fine on my pc, my current pc only has 1gb of ram and running vista so on the new machine it should work fine?
I would like to continue to use tractor but serato looks good may well change to that and give it a good go. On that pc in the link I put in the original post would tractor run well on it do you think?

[yourdj]

Mac all the way IMO.

I have had the black ones for a few years now without any issues from normal use.
Must have done several hundred gigs with one machine on Serato Itch and not one problem.

With a pro it will be even better!

So I'm currently using tractor and it runs fine on my pc, my current pc only has 1gb of ram and running vista so on the new machine it should work fine?

Thats probably LE?

Pro 2 needs minimum 1.4 gig Athlon so 2 and above would be preferable.
More even better.

[Gary]

Im somewhere between impressed and incredulous - you were running TRaktor on a Vista machine in only 1gb of RAM?

I'm guessing it was Traktor 1 and that you had no midi controller. (Vista hates Midi, almost as much as Midi hates webcams.

I'd like to say that the i3 spec'd machine you've linked to would "definately" run X, Y or Z "DJ" software, but Traktor 2 is really resource hungry, and at the other end of the scale Serato is quite lean in terms of processing power required but doesnt do much - also, there's so much bloatware loaded into PCs bought via the usual PC box-shifters, I really couldnt say for sure.

I'd suggest that whatever computer you get, make sure that you get the full operating system CD's, and completely re-format the hard drive, so that all the rubbish is gone...all those 30 day trials of this security software, and the 28 day trail of that anti-virus software etc - the bloatware needs to go. Then follow the various threads around for how to optimise your PC for audio/DJ usage, and then fingers crossed that not too much will change in 4 or 5 months when the next version of Windows appears.

[yourdj]

I'd suggest that whatever computer you get, make sure that you get the full operating system CD's, and completely re-format the hard drive, so that all the rubbish is gone...all those 30 day trials of this security software, and the 28 day trail of that anti-virus software etc - the bloatware needs to go.

Even using windows on my mac (which I have to do for my lighting software) annoys the hell out of me. pop up this, pop up that - try and sort somehting out and you have to do this and then do that - virus alert!! .......... the list goes on.

From what I know charlie has no midi controller and uses LE i think.
The midi saps power especially as the computer is powering it so running it on min specs is a recipe for disaster.

been there and done it.

[Charlie123]

Mac all the way IMO.

I have had the black ones for a few years now without any issues from normal use.
Must have done several hundred gigs with one machine on Serato Itch and not one problem.

With a pro it will be even better!



Thats probably LE?

Pro 2 needs minimum 1.4 gig Athlon so 2 and above would be preferable.
More even better.

But if I get the mac I can't get a controller so I would have to do this gig on the computer alone! That wouldn't work well would it?
Wouldn't I be better getting a decent pc and comtroller and once I've done a few gigs buy a mac from the money?

[yourdj]

But if I get the mac I can't get a controller so I would have to do this gig on the computer alone! That wouldn't work well would it?
Wouldn't I be better getting a decent pc and comtroller and once I've done a few gigs buy a mac from the money?

Why not do a gig on the computer, you cant beatmatch any way.
I play most of my non Djing set during the day on Itunes when MCing. its great with the 8 second merge thing.

As long as you choose the right tracks you could do it itunes and they would not care.
Play the wrong music then you have problems.

as per the mac and controller:
Get both on Ebay second hand - sorted. You will probably have £2-300 spare for a mackie thump.
Black macbooks (2/4 gig ram, 2.4 gig processor) are £400 and a Vestax VCI is £3-400.
Not sure what to suggest for Traktor? you will do with a dated midi thats now going cheap, but is still excellent (like the VCI 300)

[Corabar Entertainment]

Toby - get real here, will you. On one thread you tell the lad not to spend out extra money on a spare amp, and on this one you tell him to buy a Mac over a PC.

Do you really think that most DJs would recommend he spend his money that way? Doesn't sound the most sensible approach to me!

[WWDJ]

Budget aside, from what I have read, Traktor is more 'plug and play' on a mac and certainly my experience too. With that said, I have it running perfectly well on a backup laptop, Windows XP, 2gb Ram and that's Traktor 2 in both cases.

Personally I would spend the money on macbook, there are bargains to be had, Amazon, Dixons Travel (if you are going abroad for a trip), which leaves money for a cheap midi controller.

Traktor is changing dramatically on May 30th and so will the controllers so I wouldn't invest loads in a Traktor controller right now.

Reading above though, backup amps come before shiny new laptops in my opinion. Belt and braces first!!