Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

To all the djs: Why a macbook pro?

M

MPB11

macrumors regular
Original poster
Feb 2, 2011
159
0
Hey guys,

I'm new to this forum. I was wondering, I dj a lot but not using computers. I will be starting some productions pretty soon using Ableton. At the same time, I have to buy myself a new laptop. MBPs seems to be what everybody recommends for audio processing but......why??? are they really better than pcs??? are they worth the extra money? Even if they LOOK good and seem to do a great job...wil it really make the difference?

Maybe some of you also dome some audio work on your computers, you could help me clarify this question.

Thanks guys!
 
DISCLAIMER: OK, I'm not that seriously into being a DJ, but I am a Music Producer

There are tons of reasons to use Macs, a full list is right here...

But specifically for DJ's MusicProd's, I can tell you.

1. Software: iLife is free, but if you are serious, I know you need more horsepower. Adobe Audition is on MAC OS X, and even back in public beta form, it still was awesome. (that's how I got it) DJ-1800 is a cool setup, can be used independently as a DJ system, or in conjunction with the equipment. Audacity is a lightweight, open source tool for music editing, and frankly, I like it better than Audition most of the time. And the real guns, AKA, Apple Logic, is a Mac Only deal. And for just playing music, I have some news for you, iTunes doesn't suck on a Mac!

2. Hardware: Not gonna bother you with tech specs, but I will say they are powerful little guys. Mainly the Pro lineup. And it gives you what you need, easy to use MIDI setup, SD Card Reader (In the MBPro), decent speakers (but you will need externals), Firewire, Optical Drive, etc, etc... Overall, a Mac is a nice setup with almost NO configuration.

3. Iconic-ness: Macs are THE music computer, That's why there is a lot of software, AND apple even caters to the DJ/MusicProd Crowd.

Hope you choose a Mac!

EDIT: Mixxx, arguably the greatest free dj software is on the Mac App Store. I use it. You should get it.
 
Last edited:
I worked for two years in a very big club in nyc and among the famous guest djs that we had it was about 50/50 mac and pc. Actually surprised me but you've got to understand that people will use what they are comfortable with and grew up with. Macbooks are known for artists though so it's a safe bet.
 
i find that mac runs serato much smoother than it did on a PC laptop.

its been very reliable for me on a mac. i dont think i can go back to windows for any production related stuff.

plus i use my mac for photo editing work, so having 1 system to do 2 type of work.
 
Thanks for the replies guys. As i said, I'm planning on using Ableton and/or Logic pro on my next laptop, I'm definitly interested in apple products but for me it'll be a switch + I do not plan on djing with it pretty but I'll use it for production. Ableton and logic require a good computer, but you guys are getting me conviced that mbps are the right choice. I hesitate between the 13 and the 15 because portability is important for me but the thing that bugs me is that the 13 only has one input/output slot .....ish.

P.S.: those rumors about the optical drive being taken off the mpbs scareeeeeeeees me ahah. I burn a lot.
 
//beatboxing

Macs got that lo latency man-right out the box. Firewire.
Plus that sexy stage presence i mean, come on, even this powerbook rocks the house:

dd02080540s.jpg


It's not for DJs only either, unless DJ Ballmer counts:
ballmermac.jpg
 
I'm a Dj, and I use a MBP. I've never had any problems, using Serato Scratch Live, it works like a dream. I can't say that it will be better than using a PC (as I've never done any audio on one), but for me it just works.

Are you going to use your computer for djing? Serato/Traktor? or just production?

The fact is, having a mac/pc isn't going to make the difference between being a great and terrible producer/DJ. If you're good at producing/djing, you can do it on anything. So buying a mac for £2000 vs a pc for £1000 (or whatever price!) wont cross the line between good and bad producer.

Having said that, I wouldnt use anything but a mac! It's what I know and love. But, if you're good with PCs then maybe stick with that?

hope there was at least SOME help there!
 
gooner44 said:
The fact is, having a mac/pc isn't going to make the difference between being a great and terrible producer/DJ. If you're good at producing/djing, you can do it on anything. So buying a mac for £2000 vs a pc for £1000 (or whatever price!) wont cross the line between good and bad producer.

Having said that, I wouldnt use anything but a mac! It's what I know and love. But, if you're good with PCs then maybe stick with that?

hope there was at least SOME help there!
Click to expand...

I won't use it really much for djing 'cause I just love the good old mixing (pioneer mixer and cd player + vinyls) but maybe I'll give it a try sooner or later.

And of course, this thread helps in my reflection. ;)
 
I remember when I used to see all these fancy set ups...now I just see a silver slate with a glowing apple and speakers. I wouldn't even question it just sip the koolaid its not that bad. There fast, they won't crash at embarrassing times and they are music friendly. You've got iTunes and 1000's of freeware. I just recently started doing some music editing and it just felt a million times cool on a mac than on a windows computer, I think that alone is enough at least for me.
 
from my experience doing live audio/visual stuff, macs have been more reliable. As others have said when your computer crashes it is very embarrassing. Also battery is a noticeable issue, once the plug fell out of my pc and it died after half an hour during a show, macs definitely have way more battery power.
Software and compatibility are also a big thing. I would spend 40 minutes configuring drivers and the software and all that crap, with mac it was all plug and play.
 
I'm a DJ. I use a MBP 17". But I only DJ with vinyl, so I use an Apogee Duet for recording from the mixer. Which is great because it doesn't crash mid-set. Also you should look at getting an external sound card like the Apogee Duet. I have mine running out to studio monitors & the Analogue to Digital converters in it are second to none, which is great when I produce on Ableton.
 
aussiedj said:
I'm a DJ. I use a MBP 17". But I only DJ with vinyl, so I use an Apogee Duet for recording from the mixer. Which is great because it doesn't crash mid-set. Also you should look at getting an external sound card like the Apogee Duet. I have mine running out to studio monitors & the Analogue to Digital converters in it are second to none, which is great when I produce on Ableton.
Click to expand...

The Apogee Duet really seems to be a must.
 
Synthion said:
DISCLAIMER: OK, I'm not that seriously into being a DJ, but I am a Music Producer

There are tons of reasons to use Macs, a full list is right here...

But specifically for DJ's MusicProd's, I can tell you.

1. Software: iLife is free, but if you are serious, I know you need more horsepower. Adobe Audition is on MAC OS X, and even back in public beta form, it still was awesome. (that's how I got it) DJ-1800 is a cool setup, can be used independently as a DJ system, or in conjunction with the equipment. Audacity is a lightweight, open source tool for music editing, and frankly, I like it better than Audition most of the time. And for just playing music, I have some news for you, iTunes doesn't suck on a Mac!

2. Hardware: Not gonna bother you with tech specs, but I will say they are powerful little guys. Mainly the Pro lineup. And it gives you what you need, easy to use MIDI setup, SD Card Reader (In the MBPro), decent speakers (but you will need externals), Firewire, Optical Drive, etc, etc... Overall, a Mac is a nice setup with almost NO configuration.

3. Iconic-ness: Macs are THE music computer, That's why there is a lot of software, AND apple even caters to the DJ/MusicProd Crowd.

Hope you choose a Mac!
Click to expand...

adobe audition is for windows too...just throwing that out there...

but, dont music fanatics use logic?
 
I use CDJ1000mk3s with a Xone 92 so I'm not using a laptop but I used to use Ableton w/ my Macbook pro and had zero problems performing live.

Quite frankly, i just hate bringing my laptop to a club.

To answer your question, it's mostly because of stability.
 
I'm a dj and producer... I've done djing on plenty of laptops. Traktor, Serato, Ableton (with Akai APC40)... With my buddy, we use a $400 17" acer from 3 years ago... last week, I used serato last minute on my girlfriend's macbook. I previously owned a macbook pro and used serato on that (until the mbp broke)...

Truth is, just use anything powerful enough... and make sure it wont die on you mid-set lol... If to you that means go get a macbook for "reliability" or whatever, then go ahead, but I personally (with plenty experience) find that not to be the case.

frankly what I'm saying is, just because its "macbook pro" doesn't mean its going to be reliable live (I use PC live all the time, works great). But, it does somewhat guarentee enough power/performance to handle things.
 
MPB11 said:
P.S.: those rumors about the optical drive being taken off the mpbs scareeeeeeeees me ahah. I burn a lot.
Click to expand...

Ignore the rumors. Those that talk don't know, and those that know don't talk.
 
jlc1978 said:
Ignore the rumors. Those that talk don't know, and those that know don't talk.
Click to expand...

I like your point, being an cd/vinyl dj, burning is essential to me.

This PC vs MBP discussion(from a dj point of view) is quite interresting!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back