Backups and Redundancy (for professionals) - Page 3
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  1. #21
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    A while back I had some champagne splash on my Macs keyboard while I was mid set. My motherboard fried and my mac only worked when plugged in and half the keys didn't response. It took Apple about 2 weeks to replace the motherboard (they did it for free) so I purchased and OLD black Macbook for 350.00. Scratch Live ran PERFECT on it, that I made it my gigging laptop and kept the nice one at home. I had nothing else on the blackone except for SSL and music.....best 350.00 I ever invested.
    SSL - DJM 800 - Technic 1200's - X1 - ITCH - NS6 - VCI-300

  2. #22
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    Quote Originally Posted by Polygon View Post
    even if rMBPs are made so that even if, say, the wifi module fails, you have to replace the whole damn motherboard.
    The rMBP has a modular Wifi card that can be replaced, just like any other laptop.
    VCM100 / X1 / DJM250 / DJM900 / CDJ2000s / Maschine / Audio2+4 / 2i4 / HS8s / TSP 2.6.8
    Macbook Air i7-3667U+8GB 10.9 / Win7x64 i5-3570k+24GB


  3. #23
    Tech Guru botstein's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Polygon View Post
    rMBP haswell update is coming 15th of October. I'm waiting for it haswell. (pun intended).
    Nice pun!

  4. #24
    Tech Guru botstein's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Paka Ono View Post
    Having two identical laptops, is the easiest solution for hardware. If something on your main laptop dies, you simply pop your old hard drive in the backup laptop and you are back online in 15-20 mins. Then you can send off the failed laptop to get fixed, while you are running on your backup, and are only operating in a single-point-of-failure (SPOF) until you get your laptop back.
    I don't think moving the original physical media would be the best solution, but these solid state disks are so fast that I could restore from a bootable backup in as much time.

    Quote Originally Posted by Paka Ono View Post
    You have to weigh cost benefit analysis. How much is not having a laptop for a week worth to you, versus spending the initial expense to get a second laptop.

    Owning two of anything obviously increases the cost, but if you are a professional, then there is no reason not to have backup hardware...
    Yeah, I'm definitely getting a haswell rMBP and keeping this one in need of repairs as a backup.


    Quote Originally Posted by haze324 View Post
    ...I purchased and OLD black Macbook for 350.00. Scratch Live ran PERFECT on it, that I made it my gigging laptop and kept the nice one at home. I had nothing else on the blackone except for SSL and music.....best 350.00 I ever invested.
    I'm glad this works for you! This wouldn't work for me - I guess I need to be more clear that I'm much more interested in 100% uptime, which would include the ability to play, than just in the ability to play per se.
    Last edited by botstein; 09-23-2013 at 03:54 PM.

  5. #25
    Tech Mentor Frank112916's Avatar
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    Per the Tax writeoff - if you are a professional musician who makes money that you report on your taxes from doing as such, you can take any expense from said profession and deduct it from your taxable income. i.e. You made $2000 gigging this year as a DJ, but spent $2500 on your laptop you can deduct from your taxable income (which for year 1 would be $0 since we will assume you purchased the laptop exclusively for use as a musician) the amount of the laptop value which has depreciated. For instance, using straightline depreciation and a 5 year useful life (you may be able to get away with 3, but for our purposes we will use 5 for convenience sake) then you could deduct 2500/5 or ($500) every year from your total taxable income for the next 5 years - this is overly simplistic, however, as you would use MACRS and not straightline depreciation, a schedule of which can be found here (if you live in the US) - http://www.irs.gov/publications/p946...link1000270861. Or you can simply expense the item in the current year and deduct $2500 1 time, which would give you, in this case, $0 in taxable income for the current year and a tax loss carry forward of $500 for the next year which can be used against your taxable income in that year or up to 3-5 years forward to offset any taxes you may incur. Remember that this can only be deducted against the income you derive from use of your laptop, and not your general income from a regular employer.

    I'm not a tax consultant or financial adviser, but I am in the financial industry and I believe the above to be correct, however I assume no liability for use of said information when filing your tax returns and the consequences arising from said action.

  6. #26
    Tech Guru botstein's Avatar
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    Hey Frank - I edited my post. Thanks!

  7. #27
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    A backup laptop is the ONLY professional way to go if you are heavily reliant on software. I have a backup for both my live audio software AND my dmx software that comes out to every gig.

  8. #28
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    Quote Originally Posted by botstein View Post
    I guess I need to be more clear that I'm much more interested in 100% uptime, which would include the ability to play, than just in the ability to play per se.
    I also bring with me thumb drives with tracks as well as an hour long mix. I also bring an adaptor if I had to plug in my iPhone with enough songs to get me thru a set using Traktor DJ or DJAY. These two combinations would allow me to fire up my other laptop, and just incase I could always bring an Audio 2 if my Serato Sound Card fried on me and finish my set that way using an X1.

    100% uptime.
    SSL - DJM 800 - Technic 1200's - X1 - ITCH - NS6 - VCI-300

  9. #29
    Tech Guru Polygon's Avatar
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    Remember that swapping SSDs in th me rMBP is a PITA.
    Quote Originally Posted by donstone View Post
    I only use VINYL flooring. Rugs are for cheaters.
    Quote Originally Posted by Patch View Post
    If you can't find an Abba song that you like, you are a liar of the highest order.

  10. #30
    Tech Guru Polygon's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by makar1 View Post
    The rMBP has a modular Wifi card that can be replaced, just like any other laptop.
    Whoops, sorry for that. Still a major pain in the butt to replace it. And ram
    Cant be upgraded
    Quote Originally Posted by donstone View Post
    I only use VINYL flooring. Rugs are for cheaters.
    Quote Originally Posted by Patch View Post
    If you can't find an Abba song that you like, you are a liar of the highest order.

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