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ALL MY FAITH IN THIS DIGITAL SH*T IS LOST!
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ALL MY FAITH IN THIS DIGITAL SH*T IS LOST!

DJ GI-NYC 1:03 AM - 23 January, 2007
Less than 1hr ago my 1yr old Ibook G4 laptop just cut off and will not turn back on. The power cable will not light up indicating its powering up and i called apple and they have no answer after trouble shooting over the phone.

I had a total of 15 crates that i arranged that took me over a month to do and i have a gig in 5hrs. I have used SSL only one time at a gig last week and i still took 4 crates with me just in case (that i ended up using more than the ssl/im still not used to looking at a long ass list on my screen to find my records).

When using turntables and needles etc i realized a long time ago i could always carry a second pair of back up needles. Playing in clubs for over 10yrs now i realize Technic 1200's are damn near indestructible.

But now with this current situation im convinced that this digital bullsh*t is a official wrap! Laptops are by No means cheap! There so irreplaceable that if your playing a club and some idiot just so happens to spill a drink on ya laptop...or ya laptop falls from where ever its located, or it gets dropped, or a power surge jolts and fries ya laptop at a club..just like a body after a heart attack...you and that party are Dead!

This sh*t is way too risky.
And i guess its the luck of the draw because i was always skeptic about using any digital dj services. from CDJ's to Final Scratch to SSl..And before i got SSL i was on this forum for 3months just reading eeeveryday the numerous complaints in the "Help" section...from Crate's Missing, to Song's missing to USB drop out's etc..and i still coped SSL. But no way am i paying 1200.00 for another lap top or any program.

My faith is lost.
Im sticking to what i know best!
Carry my f*ckin crates and Do it the way the Original Dj got it done!

(Pardon the mis-spellings but im pissed)
DJ_Mike_Coquilla 1:26 AM - 23 January, 2007
wow, sorry for your loss... this makes me wanna drag my 2nd or third ol dell's around to my gigs now
dirtythirty 1:31 AM - 23 January, 2007
damn that sucks....is your laptop not under apple care? one time i had a problem a couple of years ago and they had it fixed and back to me in 3 days. plus you should always have your stuff backed up on an exturnal harddrive. i play 3-5 times per week and have been using serato for 2years with no problems. i had an apple powereplug go bad one time and the light went out...get a new power plug...i bet thats all it is.
nik39 1:35 AM - 23 January, 2007
Sorry to hear... but a backup laptop is really recommended. If you're a professional DJ, then 500$ for a backup laptop is not that much considering all the trouble it could save.
DJ Barticus 1:41 AM - 23 January, 2007
that sucks man, but for a little under over 100 you could have backed up all your MP3s on an external drive, i backup my ish weekly
Dj KaGeN 1:49 AM - 23 January, 2007
First off, sorry you are now jaded on the digital DJ era.

But... for a DJ that has been spinning this long and has not taken precautions, and it seems your fallback plan takes you ALL THE WAY back to vinyl. Although the good ole black crack is consistant, but really now, your new back plan is a chiropractor, I'm not sure what is worse. And about the cost of a laptop you picked, well that just makes me laff. I could have 2 solid running pc's for that price.
The Oldboy 1:56 AM - 23 January, 2007
my crates in serato are folders on my external hard-drive. i delete them in serato and re-add them in every so often as i download new stuff into these folders on the drive. this may help you?
DJ GI-NYC 2:05 AM - 23 January, 2007
Dont get it twisted homies..The music im cool on..I actually have 2 external Hard drives. One i used for the Club and the other as a back up that stays at the crib, But losing a laptop is far worst!

"dirtythirty" You said that the light on the power plus would not come on...are you speaking of the orange/green light that comes on in a ring around the plug when connected to the laptop?
I know my battery was a little low and im hoping to god that is the problem.

And as far as $500 not being an issue it isnt! But i didnt pay $500 for that laptop and i dont buy cheap sh*t! So although $500 isnt a crazy amount of money it is in fact a bit low for a high grade laptop and im sure i could have coped 2 $500 lap tops for what i paid for my ibook but thats the same as saying...Naw i'll buy 2 or 3 Neon's instead of buying that lexxus i really want.

And say what you will but i dont know any dj's that use SSL that buy 2 lap tops "Just in Case" yall must be Ballin! But thats my point why do we have to buy 2 of everything "Just in Case" that shows me just like myself, many of you are skeptic and dont trust your software and pc's etc fully either.

I dont mind carrying the crates either...i been doing it this long without any "Back problems" i never complain about the labor..thats part of the job and why i get paid what i do. But like i said i just got this SSL..i had my laptop for over a year and never had an issue...well i hope its just that power cable...Im praying its that power cable only.
CMega 2:06 AM - 23 January, 2007
Ever had a crate of records stolen? I have, sucks. At least in the digital world you can have a backup of all your tracks/vinyl backed up. The laptop was on it's way out anyways it looks like. You were going to have to buy a new one anyways unless you only had the laptop for ssl. I agree about the finding records on the screen but If you have the 57sl, it takes no more than a couple of seconds to get any track found and loaded onto a deck. Don't give up. You just had a bad night. It's just like having a crate of your best records stolen. Sucks but you learn from it.
nik39 2:08 AM - 23 January, 2007
Quote:
And as far as $500 not being an issue it isnt! But i didnt pay $500 for that laptop and i dont buy cheap sh*t! So although $500 isnt a crazy amount of money it is in fact a bit low for a high grade laptop and im sure i could have coped 2 $500 lap tops for what i paid for my ibook but thats the same as saying...Naw i'll buy 2 or 3 Neon's instead of buying that lexxus i really want.

Its a backup laptop! You wont use it often. You can still get a laptop which works fine with SSL for $500.

Quote:
And say what you will but i dont know any dj's that use SSL that buy 2 lap tops "Just in Case" yall must be Ballin!

Ask DJ Enferno, ask Jazzy Jeff. :)

Quote:
But thats my point why do we have to buy 2 of everything "Just in Case" that shows me just like myself, many of you are skeptic and dont trust your software and pc's etc fully either.

Well, I got spare needles with me... With the current technology there are a few single point of failures, and you have to know how to avoid them. One thing is having a backup laptop, next is backup SSL... etc.
sixxx 2:45 AM - 23 January, 2007
I'm sure you've heard this numerous times.. BUT BACK UP YOUR SHIT!!!
mister iLL 3:00 AM - 23 January, 2007
i know the $1200 is a lot in one shot..but if you add up the money you'll save from free digital record pools (for hot crappy music), cheap downloads (for more obscure stuff), transportation fees, etc., in the course of a year i still think ssl pays for itself. any that's even if you completely discount the intangibles (doubles of everything, and pure convenience when everything's working and you can just roll to a gig with a laptop and the box).

hopefully it's a power cable issue, though...
Dj Maxim S 4:03 AM - 23 January, 2007
sorry to hear wat happnd to you, but touchwood nuting like that has happnd to me...i always keep an eye on my laptop n i advise people to step outta my booth(strictly) so tht stuff like this doesnt happen...this is the first time i m hearin a problem like u have faced...well thts the thing you see...i trust digital djing, but end of the day if something happens to ur laptop or ur serato hardware jus fell off or ur laptop...u gotta consider plan b...THTS WHY I CARRY TWO CD CASES ALONG TOO....one for all sorts of house,elektro...and nother rnb,dancehall and lil bit of trance. i wud suggest get a dell laptop man...its known for its reliability, if u wanna show off get a vaio, fujitsu siemens is good laptop too...man frend uses it...dedicated to ssl...i wud say dell inspiron xps...very powerful laptop...
dirtythirty 5:07 AM - 23 January, 2007
yeah the orange and green light. i had one that wouldn't come on and it didn't charge right either. if the orange and green light don't come on....buy a new power cord. you computer won't come on if it is totally dead, hope it helps.
DJ GI-NYC 5:29 AM - 23 January, 2007
Thats for the advice peeps, Im gonna go cop that cord and hope that works "DirtyThirty". Any REAL dj knows what im talking about...and Yeah "CMEGA" i had 6 crates stolen out of my apartment once and that pushed me back like 2-3 weeks in gigs...so what just happened feels juuust like that!

Maybe i will cop a cheap Dell..I mean like i said i have a ibook G4..thats not an ancient laptop and it has only 2 programs on it..SSL, Pro Tools and Safari...so naw it was NOT on its way out...its only a year and a few months old homie.

Bottom line is sh*t happens i guess and it can happen to any one of us. but all that talk of "buy 2" of everything??? Get tha F*ck outta here! if we had to do that for everything in life we would be broke and if that was possible for us all we would be still getting $750+ a gig minimum and not getting disrespected by a promoter talking that $250 B.S cause the young kid with the cd's who carries 1 book is undercutting all the real dj's in the area.

It is what it is...like i said i have 2 hard drives with 220GB of music..so i didnt lose none of that, i never kept mp3's on the laptop..its the laptop itself im pissed about.
dirtythirty 5:38 AM - 23 January, 2007
apple should cover it.
nik39 5:40 AM - 23 January, 2007
Quote:
Bottom line is sh*t happens i guess and it can happen to any one of us. but all that talk of "buy 2" of everything??? Get tha F*ck outta here! if we had to do that for everything in life we would be broke and if that was possible for us all we would be still getting $750+ a gig minimum and not getting disrespected by a promoter talking that $250 B.S cause the young kid with the cd's who carries 1 book is undercutting all the real dj's in the area.

Well, it is what it is. If you rely on it, *buy* a backup. If its not worth for you... thats fine as well. But you will be screwed in situations like these. It is what it is :)
yuri 5:53 AM - 23 January, 2007
yeh new technology brings new problems and challenges.. but after experiencing the benefits its hard to turn back now ya know? Really there isnt much choice anyway. But it definitely does require a whole new set of preperations.. backup laptops.. backup drives.. and all the rest.. goodluck.. lata
DJ FLATLINE 6:33 AM - 23 January, 2007
like others have said, laptops are a dime a dozen now. You can buy a laptop for next to nothing and Serato will run perfectly. I run an Acer laptop as my main and a Vaio as my back-up.

Sorry for your potential loss but in the digital world, you better be safe than be sorry.
DJ Nevoc 6:45 AM - 23 January, 2007
Quote:
I cosign the power cord solution... I had one get severed by kittens once & it did the same thing (pre-Serato).

Remember, no matter what you have running on the laptop, it's still a laptop first ;).


I really didnt get a great look at the posts... just kinda skimming through, but I've had 2 situations where a dog has chewed through the cable on my laptop. I'ts a simple splice and they are back together.
dj disturbed 6:11 PM - 23 January, 2007
Even if you dont have a backup laptop.. at least have everything backed up to a HD... i run 90% of my music off a Firewire800 Hard drive.... then way if soemthing happends to my powerbook.. i can be able to hook up to another one and still have all my crates and music ready to go.
whitematic 6:19 PM - 23 January, 2007
If yours is going to be the only laptop at the gig, then think about some kind of a backup system...i.e. ipod, cd's, some pieces of megamix vinyl. Give yourself some time to figure out the laptop problem without going to dead silence.
I always think about the worst case scenario and try to prepare for it. I even carry an rca to mini plug in my bag, so I could play off my itunes only if serato wasn't working.
QB 6:33 PM - 23 January, 2007
YOU SAY BUYING 2 OF EVERYTHING IS DUMB BUT I USED TO BUY 2 OF EVERY RECORD I WOULD PURCHASE im not sure if you do the same or not but i know that i always bout 2 of the same records i bought 2 sets of needles and i bought an external harddrive as a back up from fry's for 79.00 i still havent used or loaded the external but better safe than sorry think about it u gonna buy 2 of everything anyways so be smart hit best buy and pick up 2 600.00 laptops that are going to be stable and i know its not a macbook but all that matters is that it works good and u have a piece of mind that u have another one just in case. you cant compare computers to cars because u cant pack ur laptops back seat with pussy and drive it home
tig ol' bitties 6:33 PM - 23 January, 2007
yeah mayne, try a PC if you dont have a preference. From people I have talked to using Dells or HP's I have heard very little problems from them.

I have been running a PC for over a year now and have had no real significant issues. Mostly just problems with the externals and corrupt mp3s.

Def look into a PC. I fucked wit a ibook g4 and returned it 2 days later cuz I wasnt feeling it and got an acer 4200 travelmate and shits been gravy ever since.

800-1000 will get you a quality PC fo sure.
QB 8:30 PM - 23 January, 2007
wasnt it mac that was supposed to come out with a 100.00 laptop? myabe you should invest in 10 of those =)
DJ GI-NYC 9:16 PM - 23 January, 2007
damn its funny how some of yall comment but dont read post before you.

The laptop was the issue,i had every back up but that...and like i said for those who dont read! i only used the ssl once and when i did i still carried 4 crates with me.

and homie get real, most dj's arent buying doubles of viynl "just in case one breaks" its possible but you know what we buy doubles for smart ass!
tig ol' bitties 9:20 PM - 23 January, 2007
what version were you using? did u say?

Like I said, try a PC. Maybe it will make you feel more comfortable. Mac's have been known to have issues.
DJ_Mike_Coquilla 9:29 PM - 23 January, 2007
have u checked your usb cable, sometimes if inserted upside-down, it will create a mad short circuit

sorry, i'm new to macs
tig ol' bitties 9:33 PM - 23 January, 2007
Quote:
have u checked your usb cable, sometimes if inserted upside-down, it will create a mad short circuit

sorry, i'm new to macs


I didnt think it was possible to do that..unless you jive talking. :p
dj disturbed 9:34 PM - 23 January, 2007
Quote:
what version were you using? did u say?

Like I said, try a PC. Maybe it will make you feel more comfortable. Mac's have been known to have issues.


not the ones i have used.. PC have been know to have issues more then macs!!!
tig ol' bitties 9:40 PM - 23 January, 2007
nah. dont think so. I did a poll a while ago and Macs had far more crashes
Dj KaGeN 9:49 PM - 23 January, 2007
^^ I loved that poll.
BriChi 10:15 PM - 23 January, 2007
I'm on my 4th Mac, No crashes here. On pc, well, the list is to long to mention. I do pc repair 9-5 so I know better not to use them live
grrillatactics 10:30 PM - 23 January, 2007
Quote:

and homie get real, most dj's arent buying doubles of viynl "just in case one breaks" its possible but you know what we buy doubles for smart ass!


I know a ton of DJ's who buy doubles of vinyl, not in case one breaks or gets scratched, but for rocking doubles and doing tricks with. I used to buy doubles of a lot of hip hop singles, but with my dnb, I would only buy one copy.
DJJOHNNYM 11:17 PM - 23 January, 2007
Man listen, you need a backup laptop period. The only thing I carry "spares" of are needles, and 1 extra mixer. Everything else can be configured to "get me through" the night, if needed. (i.e. reconfiguring amps to take over a frequency if 1 blows, etc..). Well wait, if a 1200 for whatever reason died, I might get caught out there, but them shits are indestructable. A laptop might not boot up for whatever reason, so you'll be stuck. I'm a computer tech, and I got caught with the blue screen of death 3 hours before a gig which turned out to be a hardware (harddrive) problem. And all I was using the laptop for was just to play a few requests the client wanted, so I downloaded them, and was gonna use Virtual DJ.

Man, listen...I burned those joints to a CD real quick to cover myself, but right then and there, I KNEW that if I had relied on just 1 laptop, Idda been hella pissed.

Anything can happen, be prepared.
QB 11:29 PM - 23 January, 2007
I NEVER SAID I BUY 2 of the same lp for a backup i just am basically stating that you should stop bitching about having to buy doubles because when it comes to being a dj usually u have 2 of everything wether its records, needles, mics , speakers whatever and weather or not it is for back up or use isnt the point. the point is your still buying doubles sorry u bought a computer and had a bad experience with it but honestly would you stop using a mixer if you bought one and it malfuntcioned. i dont htink so maybe u wouldnt use that brand anymore thats all. so get over it make smart investments i was always raised not to put all your eggs in one basket. u might drop it. so if money isnt an issue buy 2 1200.00 lap tops. i dont get what your problem is. but are you the kinda person that buys a set of rims and tires and feels there is no need to have a spare since you spent 2,000 on the set you have on your car?
DJ GI-NYC 1:08 AM - 24 January, 2007
QB do yaself a favor and just shut tha f**k up homie! Its obvious that yourself and a small few morons on here did NOT read this post all the way threw before you decided to jump in and start talking...so now ya reply like the rest of the non reading folks are ignored!

ONCE AGAIN! I ALWAYS CARRY CRATES AS A BACK UP BUT THEN AGAIN I ONLY USELD THIS SSL ONCE DAMMIT!!! SO REFRAIN FROM SCHOOLING ME ON HOW TO BE A DIGITAL DJ!

I respect a few of you guys opinions but some of you sound like damn fools! i posted this with the intention to get feedback from those who this may have happened to and to warn others of such things..but lets remember i have 2 EXTERNAL HARDDRIVES! So i Lost NONE of the 220GB of music i have (Which im willing to share with any of you) the only thing i didnt have was a second laptop! and i dont care what nobody says..a MAC is by no means the same as a PC! but thats another debate!

Now to close all this sh*t off BIG thanks to "DIRTYTHIRTY" and a few other for the advice...I was lucky!!!

I just got back from CompUsa and i was told Apple No longer makes the Power cord i need, The Laptop Power source was dead because the Power Cable burned out! which i was told was a known issue after a yr on some of the power cables. He found a used one in the store,tested it and my laptop came back on, so he issued me a 3rd party Kingston Power adapter thats used for the iBook G4 it ran me $130.00!! But i got it...Along with another Laptop that came up to $640.00 as a back up (Which im sure will kick up daisy's before my mac)!

So PROBLEM solved! Thanks for listining to me Vent peoples!
Dj KaGeN 1:11 AM - 24 January, 2007
Expensive day... and glad you're still in the digital game. G' Luck.
CMega 1:48 AM - 24 January, 2007
i dont care what nobody says..a MAC is by no means the same as a PC! but thats another debate!

Yes it is, Macs USED to better than Pc's. It's all choice now. Get with the times. It's 2007, not 1997. Mac's are just prettier IMO.
BriChi 2:09 AM - 24 January, 2007
I agree that the hardware is the same now a days, I don't think Macs are built any better than a good pc, A lot of people just think that osx is more stable than Windows XP. I think that should be more of the debate. my 2 cents, I prefer OSX, although I use both everyday.
Serato
James 2:12 AM - 24 January, 2007
OK everybody be nice now...
QB 2:27 AM - 24 January, 2007
IM GONNA HAVE TO CHARGE FOR THE VENTING haha glad you took my advice and got yourself another low bugdet comp AS A BACK UP =) have a good day douche bag and take a midol
sixxx 2:30 AM - 24 January, 2007
Well, I don't know about getting two of everything. I only have my iBook and two hard drives. All my music stays on the external anyway and if that fails, then I can just get a new one and get my music from the back up. If my iBook fails, I can buy a new one then and ONLY until that happens. And really, how hard is it to install SSL on it? Not hard at all. So no sweat. Nothing lost.

I guess my point is if you have the money and really want to do it. If you NEED to, do it. (Speaking of 2 laptops only). But, whatever you decide to do, back up YOUR MUSIC which is the most important thing out there.
nothing0011 2:38 AM - 24 January, 2007
Apple still makes the power cable for your iBook G4. Check ebay man. You can usually find it on there in the cheap.
DJ GI-NYC 4:14 AM - 24 January, 2007
d:raf Thanks a mill homie!!!
I saw the one i purchased today on that B&H music site which is in NY, i know where there located so its back to CompUsa first thing tommorow! REEEFFFUUUNNDD!

That Power adaptor is like 100 bucks less! and i got another external drive i need to return...Thanks kid!
DJJOHNNYM 5:39 AM - 24 January, 2007
Who the hell makes a power cable that will burn the fuck out? ****Put's up Bill Gates's for President posters all thru this thread....*****
DJ_Mike_Coquilla 12:43 PM - 24 January, 2007
Quote:
No prob. CompUSA=Satan

More elaborate testimonial from a like-minded individual: www.thebestpageintheuniverse.net
that was a good read :)
BriChi 1:11 PM - 24 January, 2007
Quote:
Who the hell makes a power cable that will burn the fuck out? ****Put's up Bill Gates's for President posters all thru this thread....*****


I think he meant the power supply. Obviously a cable doesn't burn out unless you abuse the hell out of it and it breaks apart inside the sheathing. You never heard of a power supply blow out? I work on Dell's and IBM's everyday and am constantly sending the users new power supplies for them.
DJJOHNNYM 1:14 PM - 24 January, 2007
Quote:
Quote:
Who the hell makes a power cable that will burn the fuck out? ****Put's up Bill Gates's for President posters all thru this thread....*****


I think he meant the power supply. Obviously a cable doesn't burn out unless you abuse the hell out of it and it breaks apart inside the sheathing. You never heard of a power supply blow out? I work on Dell's and IBM's everyday and am constantly sending the users new power supplies for them.


Oh, ok...I thought he was talking about the actual cable. I'm not familiar with Macs...I'm new.
BriChi 1:18 PM - 24 January, 2007
Quote:
Quote:
Quote:
Who the hell makes a power cable that will burn the fuck out? ****Put's up Bill Gates's for President posters all thru this thread....*****


I think he meant the power supply. Obviously a cable doesn't burn out unless you abuse the hell out of it and it breaks apart inside the sheathing. You never heard of a power supply blow out? I work on Dell's and IBM's everyday and am constantly sending the users new power supplies for them.


Oh, ok...I thought he was talking about the actual cable. I'm not familiar with Macs...I'm new.


Cool, Didn't want you to think i was getting all defensive and stuff, the coffee hasn't kicked in yet.Lol
DJ MouseAT 1:29 PM - 24 January, 2007
Quote:
But thats my point why do we have to buy 2 of everything "Just in Case" that shows me just like myself, many of you are skeptic and dont trust your software and pc's etc fully either.


For the most part, I can trust my software and PC to keep running. But they're just like any other electronic device in that they could die at any moment. What happens if your CD player craps out on you at a gig? Or the mixer? PCs are fairly unlikely to fail if you set them up right and look after them well, but they're not immune to the laws of physics any more than any other gadget.
s42000 4:27 PM - 24 January, 2007
Quote:
No prob. CompUSA=Satan


Those MFers do really suck .... I think of them as the Satan bonking Sadam on South Park.
society 5:06 PM - 24 January, 2007
I'm glad to hear your problem's been solved--it's really shit that that happened to you, it's like my worst nightmare. I'm like you: I have my media backed up, but no backup laptop (although you've obviously already solved that problem).

I think it's important to mention too that part of becoming a digital DJ is being willing to accept the failure of the system. It was a big part of the research that I did before buying Serato--I had to decide whether I was willing to suffer a potential crash and trainwreck of a gig. It's a hard thing to do, but I accepted it.

Really sucks when it happens for real though. Sorry to hear it man.

As for the PC/Mac thing? Who gives a shit? Both are succeptible to total crashes. End of story.
shiestO! 5:18 PM - 24 January, 2007
Quote:
Quote:

but with my dnb, I would only buy one copy.


i have a few doubles in my dnb only cuz i bought my friends old vinyl or i bought an extra copy of something thinking i lost the original, then of course found the original. for example i have 2 copies of moonway renegade on ram records... but that doesn't bother me. that tune makes my heart tick.
DR BOB 7:56 AM - 25 January, 2007
What a Dumb A#$
DARK 11:14 PM - 26 January, 2007
Id just like to hijack this thread by saying that macs are no more stable than pcs hardware wise or software wise i have owned and used both professionally(recording not djing) and they both crash jsut as much(or little if you know what your doing) the only advantage of a mac besides certain software only running on mac is that is more secure internet wise

anyway glad it worked out in the end ....kinda
society 5:54 PM - 28 January, 2007
Quote:
Id just like to hijack this thread by saying that macs are no more stable than pcs hardware wise or software wise i have owned and used both professionally(recording not djing) and they both crash jsut as much(or little if you know what your doing) the only advantage of a mac besides certain software only running on mac is that is more secure internet wise


You took the words right out of my mouth.
deepdjdanny 11:19 PM - 28 January, 2007
Okay... I hear ya... I'm gettin' a 2nd laptop.
Jader 2:29 AM - 29 January, 2007
ibooks suck ass. mine had assloads of problems. apple replaced it with a macbook. now no problems.
sixxx 5:48 AM - 29 January, 2007
Quote:
ibooks suck ass. mine had assloads of problems. apple replaced it with a macbook. now no problems.


I have an iBook... zero problems. So yeah.