DJing Discussion

Forum
 DJing Discussion
MacBook Pro Opinion
This area is for discussion about DJing in general. Please remember the community rules when posting and try to be polite and inclusive.

MacBook Pro Opinion

DJ C-Killah 1:36 AM - 8 April, 2014
After years of getting usb dropouts, I am planing on jumping into the the Mac wagon and need y'all advice on these:


Product Details

Processor 2.5 GHz Dual-core Intel Core i5 processor (Turbo Boost up to 3.1GHz)
Cache 3MB shared L3 cache
Memory 4GB (2x2GB) of 1600MHz DDR3 SDRAM; supports up to 8GB
Graphics Intel HD Graphics 4000
Storage1 500GB Serial ATA, 5400 rpm
Optical drive 8x double-layer SuperDrive (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW)
Wireless Wi-Fi (based on IEEE 802.11n specification)2 Bluetooth 4.0 wireless technology
Expansion One Thunderbolt port (up to 10 Gbps), one FireWire 800 port (up to 800 Mbps), Two USB 3 ports (up to 5 Gbps), one SDXC card slot
Video and Audio

Or

Processor
2.4GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 processor (Turbo Boost up to 2.9GHz) with 3MB shared L3 cache
Memory
4GB of 1600MHz DDR3L onboard memory
Storage
128GB flash storage1
Graphics
Intel Iris Graphics
Dual display and video mirroring: Simultaneously supports full native resolution on the built-in display and up to 2560 by 1600 pixels on up to two external displays, both at millions of colors
720p FaceTime HD camera
Ports
SDXC card slot
HDMI port
Two USB 3 ports (up to 5 Gbps)
Two Thunderbolt 2 ports (up to 20 Gbps)
MagSafe 2 power port
Audio
Stereo speakers
Dual microphones
Headphone port
Support for Apple iPhone headset with remote and microphone
Support for audio line out (digital/analog)
Wireless
802.11ac Wi-fi

The second one has the retina display
Code:E 2:18 AM - 8 April, 2014
I would not get either of those.

Both only have 4gb of ram. Only one is upgradeable. You want 8gb. The 1st one you can swap out the hard drive for a better bigger and faster one. The 2nd one is a Retina and is not upgradeable in anyway. it also has a very small hard drive. So don't get that one for sure. If you have to get the 1st one. But I will still look around. Can you not justify the cost of a 15"? You get a quad core processor in the 15". Where you only get dual cores in the 13"s.
If you want the smaller 13" get one with 8GB of ram. And ALWAYS buy applecare!
djvtyme85 2:41 AM - 8 April, 2014
to be future proof look for 16gb. you can always upgrade but why not be ahead of the curve. i have a 4gb i5 2.53 processor & it feels VERY slow nowadays due to its limitations.
Code:E 2:51 AM - 8 April, 2014
Quote:
you can always upgrade

Not if you have a retina. If you go retina go with 16gb for sure.
Gio Alex 1:25 PM - 8 April, 2014
Quote:
Quote:
you can always upgrade

Not if you have a retina. If you go retina go with 16gb for sure.


Retina wise:

You don't have to go to 16GB, BUT the HD size is VERY important. 8gb at least, 16gb if you just don't want to have any remorse because that is NOT upgradable. Like mentioned above.

Definitely DO NOT get the 128gb SSD, huge mistake! Even a 256GB is pushing it too. Get a 512GB at least.

Now even we're talking a MBP (non retina)... most of that shit is upgradable. So it doesn't matter. Your base model and doing the upgrades yourself can be cheaper than through apple.

I have my MBP at 16GB (purchased for almost nothing) a 256SSD Samsung 840 Pro (also not expensive) in the main HD bay and a 500GB 7200RPM Drive (dirt cheap) in the optical drive slot.
mr187 9:53 PM - 8 April, 2014
How do yall find these dirt cheap macs ? Every-time I hit ebay all the macs are driven sky high even the broken ones I am just trying to find a i7 MBP 15 but they are always driven sky high I am still using 2006 regular mackbook which I can tell serato will be dropping support for real soon.
sorry not trying to jack your thread lol
Gio Alex 10:03 PM - 8 April, 2014
Quote:
How do yall find these dirt cheap macs ? Every-time I hit ebay all the macs are driven sky high even the broken ones I am just trying to find a i7 MBP 15 but they are always driven sky high I am still using 2006 regular mackbook which I can tell serato will be dropping support for real soon.
sorry not trying to jack your thread lol


lol.. What are you talking about? A current MBP (Non retina) starts at $1200. So anything before that should be less. Retina's start at $1299. I don't think it's that much money. You figure a 2011 13" should go for like $700+ maybe depending on how suped up it is. More for a 15."

Btw, ebay's a gamble. Craigslist is better since you can always meet up and test it yourself. The best is OWC or Tekserve. You'll get some sort of warranty, plus they're reputable companies.
DJ C-Killah 10:52 PM - 8 April, 2014
I really like the 15" but because of cost that's why I wanted to settle for the 13". I've checked the apple site for the refurbished one's because of their year warranty but still their prices ain't cheap. store.apple.com

If y'all can point out a good basic 15" that I can make the necessary upgrade to make it a monster, that will be nice.
Gio Alex 10:57 PM - 8 April, 2014
Quote:
If y'all can point out a good basic 15" that I can make the necessary upgrade to make it a monster, that will be nice.


www.tekserve.com has monthly sales. Call em up. If not, take a look at apple's refurbs: store.apple.com or eshop.macsales.com

You can get Ram & SSDs at www.newegg.com
DJ C-Killah 2:23 AM - 9 April, 2014
So are you guys saying the retinas are not upgrade able. I'm not really concerned with retina. If I get this:
Product Details

Processor 2.3 GHz Quad-core Intel Core i7 processor (Turbo Boost up to 3.3GHz)
Cache 6MB shared L3 cache
Memory 4GB (2x2GB) of 1600MHz DDR3 SDRAM; supports up to 8GB
Graphics Intel HD Graphics 4000 and NVIDIA GeForce GT 650M with 512MB of GDDR5 memory
Storage1 500GB Serial ATA, 5400 rpm
Optical drive 8x double-layer SuperDrive (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW)
Wireless Wi-Fi (based on IEEE 802.11n specification)2 Bluetooth 4.0 wireless technology
Expansion One Thunderbolt port (up to 10 Gbps), one FireWire 800 port (up to 800 Mbps), Two USB 3 ports (up to 5 Gbps), one SDXC card slot
Video and Audio FaceTime HD camera; Thunderbolt port with support for DVI, VGA, dual-link DVI, and HDMI
Can I make it a powerful machine?
Gio Alex 11:34 AM - 9 April, 2014
Quote:
So are you guys saying the retinas are not upgrade able. I'm not really concerned with retina. If I get this:
Product Details

Processor 2.3 GHz Quad-core Intel Core i7 processor (Turbo Boost up to 3.3GHz)
Cache 6MB shared L3 cache
Memory 4GB (2x2GB) of 1600MHz DDR3 SDRAM; supports up to 8GB
Graphics Intel HD Graphics 4000 and NVIDIA GeForce GT 650M with 512MB of GDDR5 memory
Storage1 500GB Serial ATA, 5400 rpm
Optical drive 8x double-layer SuperDrive (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW)
Wireless Wi-Fi (based on IEEE 802.11n specification)2 Bluetooth 4.0 wireless technology
Expansion One Thunderbolt port (up to 10 Gbps), one FireWire 800 port (up to 800 Mbps), Two USB 3 ports (up to 5 Gbps), one SDXC card slot
Video and Audio FaceTime HD camera; Thunderbolt port with support for DVI, VGA, dual-link DVI, and HDMI
Can I make it a powerful machine?


Did you read anything we posted?
Gio Alex 11:37 AM - 9 April, 2014
Quote:
So are you guys saying the retinas are not upgrade able. I'm not really concerned with retina. If I get this:
Product Details

Processor 2.3 GHz Quad-core Intel Core i7 processor (Turbo Boost up to 3.3GHz)
Cache 6MB shared L3 cache
Memory 4GB (2x2GB) of 1600MHz DDR3 SDRAM; supports up to 8GB
Graphics Intel HD Graphics 4000 and NVIDIA GeForce GT 650M with 512MB of GDDR5 memory
Storage1 500GB Serial ATA, 5400 rpm
Optical drive 8x double-layer SuperDrive (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW)
Wireless Wi-Fi (based on IEEE 802.11n specification)2 Bluetooth 4.0 wireless technology
Expansion One Thunderbolt port (up to 10 Gbps), one FireWire 800 port (up to 800 Mbps), Two USB 3 ports (up to 5 Gbps), one SDXC card slot
Video and Audio FaceTime HD camera; Thunderbolt port with support for DVI, VGA, dual-link DVI, and HDMI
Can I make it a powerful machine?



You can slap 16GB in that bad boy and changed that 5400RPM to a 7200RPM at the very least. If not, then get an SSD. What's your budget?
DJ Irv 2:13 PM - 9 April, 2014
Maybe this will help you.
prices.appleinsider.com

If I were you get applecare with the Retina Macs. When the battery goes bad on that badboy you can have Apple replace those annoyingly glued on cells. AppleCare DOES NOT COVER accidental damage but, mail in repair is not that selective with some of their repairs.
Gio Alex 2:16 PM - 9 April, 2014
Quote:
Maybe this will help you.
prices.appleinsider.com

If I were you get applecare with the Retina Macs. When the battery goes bad on that badboy you can have Apple replace those annoyingly glued on cells. AppleCare DOES NOT COVER accidental damage but, mail in repair is not that selective with some of their repairs.


+1
Definitely get apple care if you're getting a retina.
 6 2:17 PM - 9 April, 2014
Or sell it before the year is done.

nm
Jumbo Boogie 3:14 PM - 9 April, 2014
16GB is overkill unless your dealing with video or any form of media editing and 3D modeling. If Serato DJ is all you use and have no plans on adding video djing to your vocab in the future...8GB will do fine. By the time Serato DJ can use 8GB's you'll need a new laptop.

Stick with 7200rpm hard drives...if you can afford to bite the bullet...get at least a 500GB SSD.
DJ C-Killah 3:17 PM - 9 April, 2014
The 15" I posted yesterday is non retina and as far as the GB, it says it supports up to 8GB. By the the way my budget is 1,700 considering the 15" is $1450 from store.apple.com
DJ Irv 3:24 PM - 9 April, 2014
My friend bought a refurb and financed through apple. As long you make the payments on time you should be strait.
DJ C-Killah 3:24 PM - 9 April, 2014
Good looks Jumbo, I'm not into video djing so I will follow your advice and get the base 15" with 4GB and upgrade it like you said
Gio Alex 3:33 PM - 9 April, 2014
Quote:
The 15" I posted yesterday is non retina and as far as the GB, it says it supports up to 8GB. By the the way my budget is 1,700 considering the 15" is $1450 from store.apple.com


Those are apple specs. The maximum (Third party ram) is actually 16Gb, for future reference and to clarify.
Gio Alex 3:38 PM - 9 April, 2014
Quote:
Good looks Jumbo, I'm not into video djing so I will follow your advice and get the base 15" with 4GB and upgrade it like you said


Keep in mind, the base 15 is running off a 5400RPM drive. You might want to upgrade it to at least a 7200RPM, or an 500GB SSD if you can afford it.

7200RPMs
www.newegg.com

SSD
www.newegg.com
Jumbo Boogie 3:58 PM - 9 April, 2014
Not sure but I heard the new retina mac book pro's aren't very user friendly upgradeable...I think the memory parts are soldered in...making them permanent solutions...so if you get 4GB your stuck with it...again I'm not 100% sure definitely ask apple or maybe someone on here could clarify what parts are upgradeable on the new retina's.
Gio Alex 4:02 PM - 9 April, 2014
Quote:
Not sure but I heard the new retina mac book pro's aren't very user friendly upgradeable...I think the memory parts are soldered in...making them permanent solutions...so if you get 4GB your stuck with it...again I'm not 100% sure definitely ask apple or maybe someone on here could clarify what parts are upgradeable on the new retina's.


The current macbook pro retinas are NOT upgradable. The 2012 one's you're able to use OWC solutions for the SSD. Not the 2013 model. Also, contacting apple about it wouldn't necessarily help because according to them it would be voiding the warranty fiddling in there. It's not in their best interest.
DJ C-Killah 5:24 PM - 9 April, 2014
I appreciate all the info but I'm NOT looking into getting a retina.
Code:E 5:36 PM - 9 April, 2014
Quote:
I appreciate all the info but I'm NOT looking into getting a retina.

Get a 15: if you can afford it. And if you think you might ever want todo video get one with a 1GB dedicated video card. The newest non retina mac you can buy is a Mid 2012. so go with that one. You will need to find a 15" version used or you can still buy the 13" version from an apple store.
Jumbo Boogie 6:21 PM - 9 April, 2014
Quote:
I appreciate all the info but I'm NOT looking into getting a retina.

my bad...didn't see this when I responded.
Quote:
The 15" I posted yesterday is non retina and as far as the GB, it says it supports up to 8GB. By the the way my budget is 1,700 considering the 15" is $1450 from store.apple.com
Jumbo Boogie 6:36 PM - 9 April, 2014
Quote:
The current macbook pro retinas are NOT upgradable. The 2012 one's you're able to use OWC solutions for the SSD. Not the 2013 model. Also, contacting apple about it wouldn't necessarily help because according to them it would be voiding the warranty fiddling in there. It's not in their best interest.

This is exactly what prevents me from ever considering them as an option...there's no way around their overpriced upgrades anymore.
Chrisjin 6:45 PM - 9 April, 2014
Find a used 2012 MBP and upgrade the shit out of it you'll be good. Since the dawn of retina, I am starting to hate Apple more and more
4mydawgz 2:48 PM - 10 April, 2014
So there is only one model of macbooks that can be upgraded now? I would definitely kop that one. 13" to me is ideal for dj'n. 15" feels too big.
ozfrombk 3:55 PM - 10 April, 2014
Hmm, if you're straight DJing, I personally don't see anything wrong with a 13". You can even upgrade the RAM to 8gb which I believe is more than enough.
Code:E 9:11 PM - 10 April, 2014
this one can be upgraded.

store.apple.com
DJ C-Killah 10:45 PM - 10 April, 2014
So after all the inputs and consideration, I made this purchase: m.macmall.com
Got a 3% discount plus $100 mail-in rebate.
mr187 3:35 AM - 15 April, 2014
Quote:
Quote:
How do yall find these dirt cheap macs ? Every-time I hit ebay all the macs are driven sky high even the broken ones I am just trying to find a i7 MBP 15 but they are always driven sky high I am still using 2006 regular mackbook which I can tell serato will be dropping support for real soon.
sorry not trying to jack your thread lol


lol.. What are you talking about? A current MBP (Non retina) starts at $1200. So anything before that should be less. Retina's start at $1299. I don't think it's that much money. You figure a 2011 13" should go for like $700+ maybe depending on how suped up it is. More for a 15."
I'll try that cause on ebay they been hitting $1900 easy for an i7 I don't need retna it's only for djing.


Btw, ebay's a gamble. Craigslist is better since you can always meet up and test it yourself. The best is OWC or Tekserve. You'll get some sort of warranty, plus they're reputable companies.
DJQ123 6:09 PM - 22 April, 2014
Hey everyone. Will a MBP i7 quad core 2.0 mhz run serato DJ well? I know in the specs it says minimum to run serato DJ is 2.0 ghz. Can someone give me the run down on this?

Thanks
DJQ123 6:10 PM - 22 April, 2014
Quote:
Hey everyone. Will a MBP i7 quad core 2.0 mhz run serato DJ well? I know in the specs it says minimum to run serato DJ is 2.0 ghz. Can someone give me the run down on this?

Thanks



Sorry Ghz not Mhz. My bad
Code:E 7:04 PM - 22 April, 2014
Yes that will be fine. unless you want todo video.
DJQ123 11:18 PM - 22 April, 2014
Okay Serato family. Would this mac do the trick for running SDJ? I do mostly weddings, so pitch n time and video will not be utalized.

Appreciate your help.

.Macbook Pro 13" Mid 2011 2.7GHz Core i7 with 240 GB SSD drive


Processor: 2.7 GHz Intel Core i7
Memory: 4GB 1333MHz DDR3
Graphics: Intel HD Graphics 3000 384 MB
Software: Mac OS X 10.9.1
Kingston 240 GB SSD drive
SD slot
Superdrive
Backlight keyboard
Code:E 3:43 AM - 23 April, 2014
I would upgrade it to 8GB of ram, but yes that will do the trick just fine. Also get a Firewire or Thunderbolt HD if your going to run an external. Or go the OptBay (DataDouble) route. Let us know if you need more info on that.
DJQ123 12:29 PM - 23 April, 2014
Thank you.
djvtyme85 3:08 PM - 23 April, 2014
it will do but you need 8gb of ram so things run smoother. i have 4gb on my machine and it lags if i push it
DJQ123 3:10 PM - 27 April, 2014
Okay so I have a few on the docket right now that I'm looking at picking up. Need your advice.

MBP early 2011 13'
2.3ghz intel core i5
8gb ram
500gb hd

MBP late 2011 13'
2.3 ghz intel core i5
8gb ram
1TB hard drive

mbp 2011 15'
2.2 ghz quad core i7
4gb ram
500gb hard drive

Price point are close in range. 15' is a 100.00 more than the 13'. I do primarily wedding and corporate events. I do not see myself doing video anytime soon.

Your help is always appreciated.

Cheers
djvtyme85 3:55 PM - 27 April, 2014
if you use a external hd to store your music i'd go with with the first 13" listed. that 8gb ram in either case is what will make the difference. serato DJ runs much smoother with more ram. the 15 is perfect for SL but if your making the transition you can eventually upgrade. extra screen space is easier on the eyes.
mr187 7:00 AM - 28 April, 2014
i'd go for second same as first more hdd
Jumbo Boogie 1:26 PM - 28 April, 2014
Quote:
Okay so I have a few on the docket right now that I'm looking at picking up. Need your advice.

MBP early 2011 13'
2.3ghz intel core i5
8gb ram
500gb hd

MBP late 2011 13'
2.3 ghz intel core i5
8gb ram
1TB hard drive

mbp 2011 15'
2.2 ghz quad core i7
4gb ram
500gb hard drive

Price point are close in range. 15' is a 100.00 more than the 13'. I do primarily wedding and corporate events. I do not see myself doing video anytime soon.

Your help is always appreciated.

Cheers

mid 2012 MacBook Pro 13" i7 Dual Core 2.9Ghz

mid 2012 MacBook Pro 15" i7 Quad Core 2.6Ghz

These are the only ones I would consider if your not going retina. Definitely the 15" mid 2012 and no less then the 13" mentioned. RAM and hard drives size or hard drive type can always be user upgradable...the rest...processor type/speed, connection ports, and onboard graphics your stuck with.
Mike from Chicago 5:38 PM - 16 July, 2014
is AMD still a bad word when it comes to Graphics Card? Or should I stick with Intel?
i5 vs i7? any info would be great.
DJMark 10:17 PM - 16 July, 2014
Quote:
is AMD still a bad word when it comes to Graphics Card?


AMD was (and still is) a "bad word" when it comes to the CPU. The issue has nothing to do with their graphics processors.
Mike from Chicago 7:30 PM - 18 July, 2014
Hey guys, thanks for the feeback this has been helpful.

Would you buy this for SDJ and mixing videos?

Late 2013
15" Macbook Pro (Retina)
2.3 GHZ wi/ Intel i7
16GB
512GB flash memory
NVIDIA GeForce GT 750M w/2GB memory
Code:E 7:51 PM - 18 July, 2014
Quote:
Hey guys, thanks for the feeback this has been helpful.

Would you buy this for SDJ and mixing videos?

Late 2013
15" Macbook Pro (Retina)
2.3 GHZ wi/ Intel i7
16GB
512GB flash memory
NVIDIA GeForce GT 750M w/2GB memory

You can't buy a better computer for Video DJing currently.
eugguy 8:58 PM - 18 July, 2014
I bought the same mac. I just use SSL, no video. Well, really don't do anything else with the laptop besides SSL and general work use. OVERKILL. $2700! It will do video just fine.
Code:E 11:41 PM - 18 July, 2014
I do video with that same laptop, It is great.