Laptop DJing

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JohnDyer · #331 Post by **JohnDyer** » Tue May 31, 2005 10:59 pm

Bob the Builder wrote:Ok,
I'm not happy with the output level and quality of my laptop sound card or my iMic. I'm looking for a better approach.

I'm trowing up between
Sound Blaster

&

Echo Indigo DJ

There may be something else good at the same price range too.
What would you buy?

Thanks
Brian

I have played back to back with Dan Newsome here in Denver. I was using the Sound Blaster MP3+ (little USB soundcard that doesn't need an AC adapter), and he was using the Indigo. His outputs were WAY higher than mine. I'm thinking there's a little preamp inside - or the preamp is stronger.

I have also used the Sound Blaster Extigy and its output seems to be much higher than the MP3+ - but it needs an AC power source, and it's a big breakout box separate from your laptop. The volume knob is nice though...

I'm thinking about getting the Indigo myself. That would make it "third time's the charm"

Of course if you're going into a mixer anyway, then that will act as your preamp

This Sound Blaster through the PCMCIA slot looks like it would accomplish the same thing as the Indigo. Don't know if you can tweak EQ settings though - one thing my little MP3+ won't do

JeffyCupcake · #332 Post by **JeffyCupcake** » Wed Jun 01, 2005 7:25 am

daryl wrote:Has anybody seen this tiny sound card? You can get it alone for $30 or with noise cancelling headphones for $60. Quite a bit less bulky than my last sound card, which I broke.

http://www.turtlebeach.com/site/product ... advantage/

So how did this sound card work out for DJing? are the headphones decent? The only ones I saw listed with it when I checked today were $49. They seem to be earbuds... would the ones that cover your ears be better?

JeffyCupcake · #333 Post by **JeffyCupcake** » Sun Jun 05, 2005 9:44 pm

I went ahead and bought an AudioAdvantage because it was so cheap but it didn't work as good as having a single soundcard with multiple outputs, especially with Traktor DJ Studio. I did try ASIOx but I don't think it's quite as reliable... so I'm looking for a decent external soundcard for a laptop... preferrably USB. I only need two outputs... one for the stereo system and one for headphones.

What do you all recommend? So far I have seen...
MAYA44, GIGAPORT, Sound Blaster Audigy, Echo Indigo DJ, and Aureon 5.1 USB

AlekseyKosygin · #334 Post by **AlekseyKosygin** » Wed Jun 08, 2005 1:59 pm

JeffyCupcake wrote:I went ahead and bought an AudioAdvantage because it was so cheap but it didn't work as good as having a single soundcard with multiple outputs, especially with Traktor DJ Studio. I did try ASIOx but I don't think it's quite as reliable... so I'm looking for a decent external soundcard for a laptop... preferrably USB. I only need two outputs... one for the stereo system and one for headphones.

What do you all recommend? So far I have seen...
MAYA44, GIGAPORT, Sound Blaster Audigy, Echo Indigo DJ, and Aureon 5.1 USB

Jeff,

I tried Audio Advantage as a soundcard for my headphones, it's definetly better sounding than a generic internal soundcard that came with my laptop and my only real complaint is that it skips while playing when you run it's control panel software which the Creative software for the Sound Blaster MP+ never did. Anyway you are right about Traktor demands for a multichannel soundcard, I bought ESI Gigaport AG because I didn't want to use my PCI slot with the Echo Indigo DJ (I hate how PCI cards stick out of the laptop, I'd rather USB it anyway) , so far it's working great and it's all I use now, so far you are the first swing DJ I've seen other than me that is using Traktor DJ Studio 2, it's a pretty slick program...let me know what you think about it, I'm thinking of getting an external mixer to work with it soon since I don't just DJ Swing...

Alex

falty411 · #335 Post by **falty411** » Wed Jun 22, 2005 7:46 am

for the mac users out there who use DJ-1800 i made a suggestion to them to have it possible that when you play songs in DJ1800 it saves a new playlist in your itunes library (if you use itunes as your library). They were really resposive and said that they will take my suggestion and try to work it into the next build or so.

sweet

JeffyCupcake · #336 Post by **JeffyCupcake** » Thu Jun 23, 2005 5:04 pm

My new laptop is kickin'. However, even with the built-in multi-channel sound card it doesn't seem to let me use multiple outputs with tracktor. I'm thinking about using the Audigy 2 NX. Does anyone else here use that with their laptop to DJ? I did a google search and I found someone that said it will let you use multiple outputs to preview songs on headphones while the other output is playing to the speakers.

Nate Dogg · #337 Post by **Nate Dogg** » Thu Jun 23, 2005 5:36 pm

JeffyCupcake wrote:My new laptop is kickin'. However, even with the built-in multi-channel sound card it doesn't seem to let me use multiple outputs with tracktor. I'm thinking about using the Audigy 2 NX. Does anyone else here use that with their laptop to DJ? I did a google search and I found someone that said it will let you use multiple outputs to preview songs on headphones while the other output is playing to the speakers.

That is the card that I use, I DJ using WinAmp. I know a few other DJs who do the same.

Nathan

Abdel · #338 Post by **Abdel** » Fri Jun 24, 2005 10:44 pm

I have been extremely happy using Sony Vaio laptops to dj with in the last few months. However, I recently purchases a much smaller laptop designed for traveling. It's made by MSI and it carries a two-year manufacturer warranty. It's only a 1.5 Ghz Celeron, based on the Pentium m. I added a stick of 512 MB to give me 768 MB of Ram. It's only a 40 GB hard drive, but I have an additionaly 40 GB USB laptop hard drive for extra storage. This model is equivalent to the Dell Inspiron 700m for half the price and slightly under 4lbs. The sh*t is bad ass and totally worth the money. For sound, I use a Xitel Hifi-Link and I have not had any problem with it.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/de ... 92-8137707

http://www.msicomputer.com/product/p_sp ... 0&class=nb

rockandroll · #339 Post by **rockandroll** » Thu Jul 14, 2005 6:15 am

I have just begun to DJ using my laptop ( First time last night) I am playing it thru a CD deck and amp at a local club ... I am getting lots of Hissing sound and cannot get it out .. I am using a Dell 1000 with a Sound Blaster Audigy 2 ZS Notebook PCMCIA card.. Any thoughts????

LindyChef · #340 Post by **LindyChef** » Thu Jul 14, 2005 2:54 pm

If you don't hear the hissing in your headphones, then it's in the house setup ... perhaps you weren't using the right input?

GemZombie · #341 Post by **GemZombie** » Thu Jul 14, 2005 4:25 pm

LindyChef wrote:If you don't hear the hissing in your headphones, then it's in the house setup ... perhaps you weren't using the right input?

That's not necessarily true, or at least completely true.

I think the PCMCIA card could still be a sticking point... see if you can find someone who has a SBMP3+ to test against.

Bob the Builder · #342 Post by **Bob the Builder** » Thu Jul 14, 2005 5:42 pm

Hissing can come from half a million different things and it can change from Day to Day on what seems like the exact same setup. I had that happened me last night when I was doing some recording. I tested it the night before hand, and last night I was getting noise.
You need to be able to test everything separately.
Stick your head phones into everything separately and with out any music, listen for noise at different volume levels. If the problem is not there, try your laptop off the battery and not the power supply. Make sure all the sound equipment is running out of the exact same power point. Make sure there is nothing with a transformer on it on that power line. Check the mixer gain is not turned up (some create noise), Make sure your volume on your PC is not at 100% (try always to use a little less than 100%). Make sure the mixer channel and master volume is not at maximum. Detach any equipment that is connected that you are not using. (ie mics, CD players, turntables).
Make sure none of the Audio Cables are near the power cables, and also make sure you are using shelded audio cables.
Unfortunately sometimes we rarely get the chance to do sound checks before we DJ. If only the DJing and venue world was ideal.

Brian

LazyP · #343 Post by **LazyP** » Fri Jul 15, 2005 3:24 am

no1. check that your computer sound output is at max level.
This way you minimize the noise level (hissing) which always exist in your computer setup relative to the sound level since the noise level is constant.

rockandroll · #344 Post by **rockandroll** » Fri Jul 15, 2005 11:06 am

Thanks for the advise ..I won't have access to the setup until next week ... I did try to duplicate the hissing by playing the laptop thru my home amp but could not get any hissing ..In fact it sounded great...

Bob the Builder · #345 Post by **Bob the Builder** » Mon Jul 18, 2005 4:26 am

I'm wondering if any one culls there crap song files off their hard drive.
I've still got 15G of space free so I don't even have to think about it for a while, but do you ever think of deleting the songs off your lap top that you hate and know that while you are alive you will never spin them. From a quick look I've got about 1400 of these on my lap top at the moment which is over 4G.
If you are insistant to hold onto them, Why?

Brian

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