SwingDJs

To me, you only need the crazy large hard drive if you're planning on keeping your entire collection on the laptop or are using a large format like FLAC. I keep a master copy of all of my music on my desktop (which gets backed up onto an external HD regularly) and a small subset of music on my laptop (highly rated music and music that I'm currently listening to), so I end up needing maybe 30 gigs on my laptop for my music, but YMMV.

Lindy Chef, what MP3 library system are you using?
Some of the programs make it very difficult to split your MP3 locations especially to an external hard drive.

Brian

You asked Martin, but I can vouch for what the program I utilize.

I use WinAmp, I listen to music playlists off three portable hard drives and my laptop's hard drive without any problem's whatsoever.

When I DJ, the laptop's hard drive has everything I need. But when listening to music at home, I employ all my storage sources.

Nathan

I use iTunes as my database software and then I can share my collections across the network ... when needed, I can then copy stuff between the two. I'll typically rip the new stuff to my laptop and then copy it to my desktop ... then I can just cherrypick the songs I like on my laptop and delete the rest. So in reality, it's two seperate music collections, but mentally I treat it as one. To output music, I have dual soundcards, one running iTunes, one running WinAmp. iTunes is for cuing and searching, WinAmp is for output. Just drag the song from iTunes to WinAmp and it's ready to go.

I have a disaster recovery solution, which involves backing up my iTunes directory to an external hard drive ... works well if something goes to hell.

iTunes works for me because I like being able to have my collection on my iPod. I can listen to it anywhere and update my ratings and listen to new music while not attached to my computer ... now if I could have a selective statistics update between my iPod and iTunes, I'd love that.

It soulnds like you are descirping my set up there (except for the network part).
I just find iTunes is a pain when you want to split songs up over different drives. It's not like it's as easy as grabbing a play list and moving it from one drive to another and mantain all your ratings, BPM's, last played ect, ect info.

Brian

JR Media Center can do this bob. Also has built in functionality for playing multiple audio streams at the same time (cueing, playing etc)..

One program that can do it all. I also use it to dump my music onto my ipod - which is handy when I want to listen to it on the car stereo rather than ripping audio cds (like i use to).

Skippy wrote:JR Media Center can do this bob. Also has built in functionality for playing multiple audio streams at the same time (cueing, playing etc)..

One program that can do it all. I also use it to dump my music onto my ipod - which is handy when I want to listen to it on the car stereo rather than ripping audio cds (like i use to).

Can you upload new ratings from your iPod to it?
How does it deal with AAC digital rights?
How well does it import ratings, BPMs, playlist, song counts from the itunes library?
Does it have a drag and drop facality into other programs with file songs?
How will does it does it work with an iPod on playlists, on the go playlists, podcasts, two iPods ect?

These are some of the reasons I have stayed with iTunes.

Bob the Builder wrote:

Skippy wrote:JR Media Center can do this bob. Also has built in functionality for playing multiple audio streams at the same time (cueing, playing etc)..

One program that can do it all. I also use it to dump my music onto my ipod - which is handy when I want to listen to it on the car stereo rather than ripping audio cds (like i use to).

Can you upload new ratings from your iPod to it?
How does it deal with AAC digital rights?
How well does it import ratings, BPMs, playlist, song counts from the itunes library?
Does it have a drag and drop facality into other programs with file songs?
How will does it does it work with an iPod on playlists, on the go playlists, podcasts, two iPods ect?

These are some of the reasons I have stayed with iTunes.

ratings from ipod to jrmc = yes
aac digital rights = unsure (as in I've got NO AAC files to test with)
importing from itunes library = never installed itunes so don't know (see link below)
drag n drop = yes
ipod playlists = you can view all the playlists and structure of the ipod and pick and chose which bits you want to bring into jrmc (you have to save the on the go list though).
2 ipods = oh to be that rich. but yes it does support multiple ipods (see link below)

its heavily supported, so you should be able to find answers to all your questions here:
http://yabb.jriver.com/interact/

Travis wrote:I'm thinking of getting a laptop for DJing in the near future. What min spec's do y'all recommend?

Short list:

• • 1GB minimum of RAM (Everyone says you can get by with less but why bother)
  • 80GB or 100GB hard drive. 5400 RPM is standard but you can get a 7200 RPM now for a little more. Get the largest HD you can afford.
  • External sound card

I have not posted lately, but, here is my current configuration:

• Dell Inspiron 1150 laptop (P4 2.8 GHz, 512 Mb RAM)
• Sound Blaster Audigy NX 2
• Seagate 100 Gb portable hard drive

I run the supplied Creative Labs Organizer to play my MP3s through the Audigy card and I run WinAmp to play through my internal, built-in sound card... All of my MP3s are on my portable hard drive... Seems to work out alright...

John...

P.S. If your D.J.'ing location does not have wireless Internet, disable your wireless network adapter... Mine polls for signals every thirty seconds or so and skips the music playing... Might just be me though... JKS...

I've recently upgraded my situation:

Dell Inspiron E1705, Dual Core T2300 1.66 GHz
1 GB RAM
100 GB HD

I'm still using my external USB SB hardware, but it works fine ...

Okay, so there's no real info, but I just want to gloat that I got an $1800 computer for $1000. Thanks SlickDeals.net!

Any new updates? I am going to be able to pick up a laptop computer within the next few months and wonder if there is anything new on the horizon to keep in mind...

Has anyone experimented with the new Mac dual boot yet. so you can have both a Mac and a PC in one box?

I haven't personally done it, but now that you bring it up I may start looking at those macbooks again... the guys over at pennyarcade were ridiculousely pleased with the duel boot, so I may have to check it out.

WindsorSwingKid wrote:I have not posted lately, but, here is my current configuration:

• Dell Inspiron 1150 laptop (P4 2.8 GHz, 512 Mb RAM)
• Sound Blaster Audigy NX 2
• Seagate 100 Gb portable hard drive

I run the supplied Creative Labs Organizer to play my MP3s through the Audigy card and I run WinAmp to play through my internal, built-in sound card... All of my MP3s are on my portable hard drive... Seems to work out alright...

John...

P.S. If your D.J.'ing location does not have wireless Internet, disable your wireless network adapter... Mine polls for signals every thirty seconds or so and skips the music playing... Might just be me though... JKS...

Not just you on the wireless polling, although it might be limited to Dells. I disable my wireless as well whenever I'm spinning, if not I get a feedback "kerchunk, kerchunk" every time it polls.