›

Serato / Notebook recommendations please....

djsheepdjsheep 3,620 Posts
edited January 2006 in Strut Central
My mate just bought Serato and I've been given the task to find the most suitable notebook for it. He wants a dedicated machine. I was wondering any Serato users could give me a heads up of whats current and good to get and any problems with their notebooks that they bring out to clubs... I guess iBook's are the go right? Any model in particular?Thanks for your help guys.B
«1

  Comments

  • Pistol_PetePistol_Pete 1,289 Posts
    I'd go with the Powerbook before the iBook. I guess the Powerbook Pro isn't Serato compatible yet.
  • SwayzeSwayze 14,705 Posts
    My mate just bought Serato and I've been given the task to find the most suitable notebook for it. He wants a dedicated machine. I was wondering any Serato users could give me a heads up of whats current and good to get and any problems with their notebooks that they bring out to clubs... I guess iBook's are the go right? Any model in particular?

    Thanks for your help guys.

    B

    No probs with my iBook G4 12".
  • GnatGnat 1,183 Posts
    Powerbook G4 has been cool, though I would investigate compatability with Tiger OS as I have been running into some errors with it while using Serato. Panther was solid.
  • ayresayres 1,452 Posts
    IBM Thinkpad T42
  • SwayzeSwayze 14,705 Posts
    Powerbook G4 has been cool, though I would investigate compatability with Tiger OS as I have been running into some errors with it while using Serato. Panther was solid.

    Old news. Hasn't been that way since version 1.2, Serato is on 1.5 beta B right now.
  • djsheepdjsheep 3,620 Posts
    IBM Thinkpad T42

    I heard PCs are a big no no when it comes to Serato????

    misinformed?

    peace.
  • SwayzeSwayze 14,705 Posts
    IBM Thinkpad T42

    I heard PCs are a big no no when it comes to Serato????

    misinformed?

    peace.

    Not really, there's just a lot more recorded errors on pcs than mac's.. prolly has more to do with the pc's use outside of Serato than within it...

    make sense.

    but yeah, get a mac.
  • keithvanhornkeithvanhorn 3,855 Posts
    i have used my hp presario notebook for gigs twice a week since August and have never had it freeze...but i do see most djs using macs.
  • hogginthefogghogginthefogg 6,098 Posts
    IBM Thinkpad T42

    I heard PCs are a big no no when it comes to Serato????

    misinformed?

    peace.

    Not really, there's just a lot more recorded errors on pcs than mac's.. prolly has more to do with the pc's use outside of Serato than within it...

    make sense.

    but yeah, get a mac.


    Cosmo's Mac crashed ("The program Scratch Live has quit unexpectedly") in the middle of his Milk gig. Fortunately, Pase was playing a record on the OTHER pair of decks. First time I've heard of that happening with a Mac.


    I think that you'll be fine with whatever as long as it really is a dedicated machine. My old PC laptop has Serato and SoundForge. That's about it. No internet, nothin'.
  • jdeezjdeez 638 Posts
    IBM Thinkpad T42

    IBM Thinkpad T42

    IBM Thinkpad T42

    IBM Thinkpad T42
  • ayresayres 1,452 Posts
    IBM Thinkpad T42

    I heard PCs are a big no no when it comes to Serato????

    misinformed?

    peace.

    I've never had a problem and I've been running Serato on this computer for 10 months. I usually dj 12 - 18 hours a week. Not one problem.
  • SwayzeSwayze 14,705 Posts
    IBM Thinkpad T42

    I heard PCs are a big no no when it comes to Serato????

    misinformed?

    peace.

    Not really, there's just a lot more recorded errors on pcs than mac's.. prolly has more to do with the pc's use outside of Serato than within it...

    make sense.

    but yeah, get a mac.


    Cosmo's Mac crashed ("The program Scratch Live has quit unexpectedly") in the middle of his Milk gig. Fortunately, Pase was playing a record on the OTHER pair of decks. First time I've heard of that happening with a Mac.


    I think that you'll be fine with whatever as long as it really is a dedicated machine. My old PC laptop has Serato and SoundForge. That's about it. No internet, nothin'.

    Was the time on his mac set to like 1969? Strange question, but I had the same thing happen, but I've seen more crashes on pcs.

    my local serato experience
  • Jonny_PaycheckJonny_Paycheck 17,825 Posts
    I've had no real probs with my serato/powerbook combo except that, if you're going off and on with an all-vinyl DJ then the computer can go to sleep while not in constant use and I did have a freeze when I tried to bring it back up once.

    Other than that, might want to pack a fan to make sure the computer doesn't get too hot.
  • meshmesh 925 Posts



    Cosmo's Mac crashed



    that shit happened to me twice this saturday only i didnt have another guy playing a song. definition of if you ask me. nothing worse than hearing a crowd of people go "awwwww" and then feel the scowl of hundreds. luckily i still carry a crate of backup records...

    but its has been awesome up to that. of course, i am on a g3 ibook with a 700 mhz processor and 384 ram, so its below the standards. and its actually the hard drives fault that it fucked up. the damn power cable is real shady, turns on and off by itself. sucks.
  • SwayzeSwayze 14,705 Posts
    I've had no real probs with my serato/powerbook combo except that, if you're going off and on with an all-vinyl DJ then the computer can go to sleep while not in constant use and I did have a freeze when I tried to bring it back up once.

    custom power setting homie... "Never sleep" open up them system preferences.

    Other than that, might want to pack a fan to make sure the computer doesn't get too hot.

    and a laptop fan makes a nice bridge between cases...
  • Jonny_PaycheckJonny_Paycheck 17,825 Posts
    I've had no real probs with my serato/powerbook combo except that, if you're going off and on with an all-vinyl DJ then the computer can go to sleep while not in constant use and I did have a freeze when I tried to bring it back up once.

    custom power setting homie... "Never sleep" open up them system preferences.

    Appreciate the info, I am a novice on most things technological.
  • ayresayres 1,452 Posts
    i've seen a number of people crash from bad MP3s. check all your MP3s before you play them to make sure they are complete and not corrupted.

    definitely turn all the power saving settings off.
  • SwayzeSwayze 14,705 Posts
    i've seen a number of people crash from bad MP3s. check all your MP3s before you play them to make sure they are complete and not corrupted.

    hi
  • BrianBrian 7,618 Posts
    I have the exact same notebook as urrrs and it's rocksolid. If your friend wants a dedicated machine though, any current iBook should be sufficient as long as you do whatever the fuck tweaks they recommend on the SSL forums. I would actually recommend iBooks as dedicated SSL notebooks because they're sturdy, inexpensive, and if I rememberly correctly, they have powered Firewire ports which you can use your external drives with.

    The only problem I've run into with SSL and my Thinkpad were a few USB buffering errors while having an external drive and SSL hooked up while recording on the same laptop and shit like that but nothing beyond that.
  • BrianBrian 7,618 Posts
    i've seen a number of people crash from bad MP3s. check all your MP3s before you play them to make sure they are complete and not corrupted.

    hi
    SSL also has that broken looking iTunes icon next to MP3s it finds that are bad.
  • ayresayres 1,452 Posts
    waddup Brian!

    does anyone know how to get the "missing" files out of Serato? like when you've moved a file, and put it back into Serato, but it shows the file twice and one of them doesn't work? the missing ones turn red...
  • BrianBrian 7,618 Posts
    waddup Brian!

    does anyone know how to get the "missing" files out of Serato? like when you've moved a file, and put it back into Serato, but it shows the file twice and one of them doesn't work? the missing ones turn red...
    If you have that "Delete files" or "Modify files" (I can't remember what it is at the moment) option selected in the setup shit, you can just click on them and hit delete to get rid of them. What I need to know is how to get rid of files in your library and delete crates beyond just deleting my entire database.
  • Jonny_PaycheckJonny_Paycheck 17,825 Posts
    I want to ask again - is there some reason why my spinning turntable icons aren't showing up? I've tried it on a variety of decks and nothing. Do I need an upgrade to Serato itself?
  • SwayzeSwayze 14,705 Posts
    waddup Brian!

    does anyone know how to get the "missing" files out of Serato? like when you've moved a file, and put it back into Serato, but it shows the file twice and one of them doesn't work? the missing ones turn red...

    Go to setup.
    Toggle "Protect playlist" to checked position.
    Go back to deck view.
    Select file.
    CMD + Del (mac) or CNTRL + Del (PC)
  • hogginthefogghogginthefogg 6,098 Posts
    I want to ask again - is there some reason why my spinning turntable icons aren't showing up? I've tried it on a variety of decks and nothing. Do I need an upgrade to Serato itself?


    Are you also getting an "Interface Disconnected" message? That's what you'll get if you're not 100% successfully connected (from mixer to decks to SL1 box to laptop).
  • jdeezjdeez 638 Posts
    waddup Brian!

    does anyone know how to get the "missing" files out of Serato? like when you've moved a file, and put it back into Serato, but it shows the file twice and one of them doesn't work? the missing ones turn red...

    Go to setup.
    Toggle "Protect playlist" to checked position.
    Go back to deck view.
    Select file.
    CMD + Del (mac) or CNTRL + Del (PC)


    if you use itune's database, doesn't it make this option useless though?


    meaning.. it will still be in itunes.. and it doesn't seem to be deleting from serato anyway.
  • BrianBrian 7,618 Posts
    if you use itune's database, doesn't it make this option useless though?


    meaning.. it will still be in itunes.. and it doesn't seem to be deleting from serato anyway.
    Yeah, it does make it useless. I've found it easier for me to have individual folders with the tracks I would want as crates and then I just drag and drop them into SSL. I do all of the organizational shit in SSL as far as tags and all that shit goes. What I really want is a tappable BPM thing within SSL that will write the detected BPM to the tag of an MP3 you are working on. That would make my life a whole lot easier.
  • SPlDEYSPlDEY Vegas 3,375 Posts
    IBM Thinkpad T42

    I heard PCs are a big no no when it comes to Serato????

    misinformed?

    peace.

    Not really, there's just a lot more recorded errors on pcs than mac's.. prolly has more to do with the pc's use outside of Serato than within it...

    make sense.

    but yeah, get a mac.

    BULLSHIT.

    - spidey
  • jdeezjdeez 638 Posts
    Yeah, it does make it useless. I've found it easier for me to have individual folders with the tracks I would want as crates and then I just drag and drop them into SSL. I do all of the organizational shit in SSL as far as tags and all that shit goes. What I really want is a tappable BPM thing within SSL that will write the detected BPM to the tag of an MP3 you are working on. That would make my life a whole lot easier.


    yeah, i do shit the same way. I was just attempting to diagnose ayres' issue.
  • jdeezjdeez 638 Posts
    another good thing about these ibm laptops is these little gems.... i'm up to 4 now.

Sign In or Register to comment.