CD VS Laptop VS Vinyl

[pineapple]

Its the big question just wondering on everyone to say on what people are using these days for discos ?

We did when we start use normal cds but then the hassual of looking for songs was bad and be there for hours and then laptops came (thank god for them) but I have seen more and more moving to laptops now

what dos everyone else use

[rob1963]

Hi Pineapple,

You missed the 4th main option which many people (including myself) use, and that's a media controller (D2, Cortex, Denon 2500 etc).

[huma]

Depending on party just a laptop, or if I want to really impress Serato with turntables or cdjs

[mike8863]

cd's i'm a fossil and begrudge paying huge fees to go digital.

[Dynamic Entertainment]

DVS (like Serato gives the best of both worlds). CD or Vinyl yse if thats what you prefer, with the ease of MP3 portability and search function.

[DJ James Lake]

+1 for DVS

[rob1963]

cd's i'm a fossil and begrudge paying huge fees to go digital.

I wouldn't really say it's huge fees, unless of course you're only doing a few gigs each year. It's certainly a LOT less than the actual equipment.

In the first year, the ProDub licence only accounted for about 10% of my costs of going digital, and this year it fell by more than half...to the equivilent of just £1.92 a week.

[pagan_flame]

I went to laptop...and got bored, so now I have a hands-on MP3 controller (American DJ SDJ-2) as primary playout, laptop (OTSDJ) as backup and with CD decks in the console too as extra backup.

Last night's wedding - I was hands-on pretty much all night, and I played just 2 tracks from CD.

I bought a ProDub licence - anything new and essential I download straight onto the drive at 79p a go from 7 Digital (and hence don't need a new ProDub), and to keep up to date with the rest of current stuff I just buy the latest 'Now' compilations as they come out --- my 2 CD tracks played last night were from NOW 73 and NOW 70 respectively!

The SDJ-2 was as a trial, and it's been so good that I use it as primary playout and the laptop primarily now as a playlist / timings / search tool. I may go the whole hog in the January upgrade season and get the Denon HD-2500 and CD drawers if a suitable secondhand set comes along at a good price... ;)

[Excalibur]

Hi Pineapple,

You missed the 4th main option which many people (including myself) use, and that's a media controller (D2, Cortex, Denon 2500 etc).

It's not the 4th option, it's the only one! ;) :D :D

[Vectis]

- Numark d2 director for primary

- lighting computer (touchscreen eeeTop) has OTS Turntables for immediate playout backup

- video playout computer (laptop) has full OTS DJ for immediate playout backup

- iPhone with a couple of hundred must-play party tunes on it for immediate backup and on-site download facility

- karaoke laptop (I only use for kids/teens parties and get away with Winamp for playout) also has a bunch of party tunes ready for immediate playout backup

- Numark iDJ2 on hand to patch in within a couple of minutes for serious backup in case of major failure of playout device(s) or mixer

- USB CD drive just in case a client hands me a CD with a track I haven't got. Can attach to the d2 or either of the computers.

Not played a CD in months.

[Excalibur]

Vectis, I'm shocked that you haven't got Cassette, 8 track, MD, Vinyl, DAT, and wax cylinder capability. :eek: I'm really disappointed. :(

[Vectis]

Vectis, I'm shocked that you haven't got Cassette, 8 track, MD, Vinyl, DAT, and wax cylinder capability. :eek: I'm really disappointed. :(

I do. It's just that in order to carry the spare hard drives, USB keys, cables, lamps, amp and speakers I need to leave something in the shed :o

I've only got a dinky van you know :D

[rob1963]

It's not the 4th option, it's the only one! ;) :D :D

Indeed! :D :D :D


- Numark d2 director for primary

- Numark iDJ2 on hand to patch in within a couple of minutes for serious backup in case of major failure of playout device(s) or mixer

Not played a CD in months.

Same here to all three!

[Excalibur]

I do. It's just that in order to carry the spare hard drives, USB keys, cables, lamps, amp and speakers I need to leave something in the shed :o

I've only got a dinky van you know :D

Since all your functions are within 100 yds of your home, I'd suggest you fit a towbar to the van, and wheels to the shed. ;)

[DJ Jules]

- Cortex HDC 3000 as main playout

- Laptop with Virtual DJ for backup and now for Karaoke (I've given in and I'm going to start doing Karaoke)

- USB CD/DVD drive for client requests (can be attached to either Cortex or Laptop), though I make a point of telling clients that I must have any music that they want played prior to the night (as I re-encode MP3's as well to stop dodgy ones bringing down the Cortex completely).

- Blackberry (usually loaded with the music from the clients playlist + party tunes) as a last resort

- I've then got good friends in Bristol who have CD decks and a big wallet full of CD's and can bring them out to me in an emergency if all else fails.

I've only ever played CD's at a gig three times, once at a school Fete for a dance group, once at a wedding (dodgy Belgium drinking songs) and once at a party a month or two ago when the power supply in the Cortex failed and I had to make that phone call to a friend for a CD player and CD's.

I'm too young to remember Vinyl (or so I keep telling myself anyway).

Julian