How do people utilize dual drive laptops?

[sss18734]

All I'm saying is that you should definitely have backup options, but a whole backup laptop is pretty extreme.

Not really. It doesn't have to be a state of the art MBP. A few hundred bucks for a good used machine, some importing/exporting, and voila... You have a plug and play replacement if your main laptop dies... All the same cues, playlists, loops, etc.

If you don't use CDJ's or don't want to go through the trouble of also configuring all your music on CD's... It's really a necessity in my opinion.

[blackavenger]

I have an OWC 240GB SSD with programs & sample library in the Optibay, and a 750GB Scorpio Black HDD with both my Serato & Traktor music libraries. I haven't had any issues thus far....::knocks on wood::

[fullenglishpint]

A few hundred vs $10 for a pack of CDs or even a USB stick. And you don't have to arrange all your music on CDs, just enough to play for an hour or 2.

Don't get me wrong, if I were making all my money DJing and playing to big crowds all the time, I'd agree that a backup laptop is a good idea. But for most of us, buying another laptop and keeping it up to date with music is excessive. My problem was with the 'every DJ', not the idea itself.

[sss18734]

My problem was with the 'every DJ', not the idea itself.

Fair enough! I'm usually the first to point out when people generalize. lol.

[ZxZDeViLZxZ]

If your using a regular hdd for music your missing the point of ssd.... Ssd have a high tolerance for abuse hdd very low worth running multiple ssds even if smaller. Furthermore why are you keeping movies on your laptop you use for djing that's a complete waste of space. My laptops are strictly music and design shit nothing else no need for it

[fullenglishpint]

Each to their own. I use my laptop for absolutely everything and I've never had problems. Atm I use rekordbox anyway which is nothing like running traktor or SSL in terms of what it asks of the laptop. And as to why I keep movies on it? I like to watch things on the train, plane, etc. Why not. I have plenty of space.

I agree an SSD would be great for storage if I had the money, but you make it sound like keeping music on an HDD is an accident waiting to happen, which I don't agree with. Using an SSD for OS and apps dramatically improves my boot and load times and overall performance. That's the point of my SSD.

If I were earning all my money DJing and running hardware intensive software to do it, I might think differently. But I'm not.

[shr3dder]

Keep two laptops. Every DJ should have a mirrored backup laptop...

Even having two drives in RAID configuration can't beat the dependability of two machines.

That is extreme....

I have a flash drive that can restore my 120gig SSD quite quickly in an absolute disaster then another flash drive with most of my music on it. In the mean time I'd just play CDs or something.... a second mirrored laptop? Wow, I'd be surprised if anyone other then the big big guys did that.

[ZxZDeViLZxZ]

Each to their own. I use my laptop for absolutely everything and I've never had problems. Atm I use rekordbox anyway which is nothing like running traktor or SSL in terms of what it asks of the laptop. And as to why I keep movies on it? I like to watch things on the train, plane, etc. Why not. I have plenty of space.

I agree an SSD would be great for storage if I had the money, but you make it sound like keeping music on an HDD is an accident waiting to happen, which I don't agree with. Using an SSD for OS and apps dramatically improves my boot and load times and overall performance. That's the point of my SSD.

If I were earning all my money DJing and running hardware intensive software to do it, I might think differently. But I'm not.

It is hdd and DVD drives in laptops are number one failure but mind you I get what your saying about money and using it for everything. I guess I don't as my laptop is kinda a beast and seldomly gets used for anything beyond music or design. 17.3" screen makes it pointless to crack open on a plane tablet or phone for that. Yeah not using it real time which is a lot different then traktor or itch.

For backup I keep a 64gn sdhc card that has a stripped down version of zip installed with all software on it along with full driver packs and music collection back up on a card. Really easy to do and useful if ever having laptop issues can throw in any laptop and boot

[sss18734]

That is extreme....

I have a flash drive that can restore my 120gig SSD quite quickly in an absolute disaster then another flash drive with most of my music on it. In the mean time I'd just play CDs or something.... a second mirrored laptop? Wow, I'd be surprised if anyone other then the big big guys did that.

And if something spills on your laptop? Or your motherboard fails? Or the screen dies? You can be as careful as you want, but lots can go wrong and you don't want to be left running around asking to use someone else's laptop to boot your files from...

Unless you have a fully functional, stand-alone backup source, you're doing it wrong.

CDJ's are fine as fullenglish mentioned because he has everything set up and ready to go on them and clearly plays only in clubs with CDJ's... But if there is no in-house setup, a laptop is a much more practical and cheaper option than hauling around a pair of CDJ's.

Not sure what's so "extreme" about throwing a second laptop into the bag...

[shr3dder]

And if something spills on your laptop? Or your motherboard fails? Or the screen dies? You can be as careful as you want, but lots can go wrong and you don't want to be left running around asking to use someone else's laptop to boot your files from...

Unless you have a fully functional, stand-alone backup source, you're doing it wrong.

CDJ's are fine as fullenglish mentioned because he has everything set up and ready to go on them and clearly plays only in clubs with CDJ's... But if there is no in-house setup, a laptop is a much more practical and cheaper option than hauling around a pair of CDJ's.

Not sure what's so "extreme" about throwing a second laptop into the bag...

It's overkill. As I said in my post, if I did suffer that sort of breakdown that happened I'll just play off the CDJs. I've personally never played anywhere that didn't have a full setup (CDJs and a mixer) ready to go... and if the club didn't have any? Well shit. I'd probably go oh well and plug my phone in and just play a mix.

I've seen a club mixer get destroyed by drinks mid-set. There was no replacements, the night ended. It happens, but that's once in 10 years of DJing out every other weekend I've seen that. I've heard of CDJ's failing though, no one has spares usually either. You improvise.


I just find it hard to believe there is anyone on this board that would have a complete backup mirrored laptop. I could be wrong, but I doubt it. Hence the "extreme" comment. I'm not slating you for it, it's just a very far fetched solution to a very very rare problem