Burning Down your CD collection

[Kyle]

can we get a line on this?

when it hits 3:2 put me down for $50

[Lawrence]

... I can always tell when someone is DJing off MP3s as oppsed to wav files. That might be because of the system or bitrate of those whom I hear DJ off laptops most often. Granted, I suspect I might also be one of the few who really notices or cares about the sound quality difference between a wav file and a high-quality MP3, as well. But because I'm the only one suffering through the process, I'm willing to take the steps to preserve the sound quality.

I'd be willing to bet that if you did some double blind tests, you couldn't pick out an EAC/LAME APS mp3 from a wave file on most of the music you dj.

Granted that few people actually use that high of quality mp3.

I'd be interested in doing just that. I've had friends not-so-similarly challenge me to tell the difference between domestic beers in blind tasting and shocked them when I accurately named the six different major domestic beers. I would suspect that distinguishing between domestic and imports (the more analogous comparison) would be even easier , but I'd love to try it and find out if my suspicions are wrong.

As I noted, the difference might very well be in the sound quality of their samples or of the system and sound card they use. That's my major impediment with laptop DJing: I don't see how buying a $3000 laptop system to get comparable sound quality and drive space is worth the convenience when CD-Rs are so cheap and functional. I already waste too much money on CDs for this silly little hobby.

[GemZombie]

My laptop is less than $1500, and is great. Combine that with other equipment that i've bought, and everything is still well under $2000. Plus I get to use that for other things.

If I buy a DJ system, it's going to be close to the same amount (Amp, speakers, CD-Decks, Mixer... misc misc).

The quality of sound that comes out of my laptop and system is as good as anything I've heard at any Swing Dance function.

[Mr Awesomer]

Jesse,
You'd still need the amp speakers with the laptop. It just replaced the cd decks and mixers.

It really wouldn't make financial sense to go laptop... unless like you said you also use it for other things.

[GemZombie]

Jesse,
You'd still need the amp speakers with the laptop. It just replaced the cd decks and mixers.

It really wouldn't make financial sense to go laptop... unless like you said you also use it for other things.

I was trying to imply that... I know it's slightly more with the laptop, but you get more use out of the laptop.

And actually, i got my amp and speakers for free

[Ron]

I rip all the songs I want to play for dancers to WAV. Yes, it takes a lot of space, I've had to buy a few hard drives over the years. But I didn't want to deal with the hassle of converting to MP3 and worrying about compression losses. Ripping to WAV makes even more sense now that high-capacity hard drives are reasonably priced. I keep the songs on the hard drive indefinitely because I'm always making new compilations with different combinations of songs. And occasionally I'll relisten to an original CD to see if I've missed a danceable song. If so I'll rip it and burn it.

I dj exclusively off compilation CDs. My new compilations are usually mostly the songs I've mostly recently obtained plus a few other random songs. I put the songs on the compilation CDs with my favorites near the beginning, but roughly in an order that would flow decently between them in the event that I wanted to let the compilation just play for a few songs while I dance, pee, or get a drink.

I also make theme compilations and artist specific compilations. I've made so many compilations that I recently reorganized, renumbered them all and compiled a new index of songs.