BIG Question
What do you do when your laptop fails and WILL NOT run AT ALL 5 minutes before your set? (assume you have exausted all troubleshooting with no luck)
I reach for records or cds.
I haven’t run into that problem since my Toshiba died on me. But I usually carry cd’s in my dj bag and have a cd folder in my car just in case its a really bad crash and rebooting doesnt help. Also I carry a firewire HD in my bag with a mirror image of my internal HD and reboot off of it and rock the house!
That is a fantastic idea. Im gonna do that!
Big ups!
I didn’t think of that, JesC. Pretty good idea.
Anyway, I reach for my backup CDs, which are in desperate need of being updated.
I hate playing on cd’s, reason being is most place that I play have this neat little mix station to play off of
so if my lappy crashes I would go home and cry!
haha yeah, the new place we’re moving to has something just as bad, and I gotta plug into an open channel. I’m praying my machine keeps treating me as well as it has been 
My laptop NEVER fails. 
patience.
“Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong.”
Try me. I’m a laptop technician by trade. I’ve never fallen into a situation I couldn’t dig myself out of. It’s like going on tour with the band. Sure our keyboard might “fail” but we’d fix it before the next show. A guitarist’s strings break? but they can sure as hell re-string them.
Nice I wish I had your skills!
…but lets say some asshole trips on a cable and your fine tuned machine hits the floor crash the screen is cracked Corner to corner.
Remember you go on in 5 minutes.
damn I really never had that shit happened.. well u know what now that I remember once.. I had it fuck up on me 4 times in a party… till this day.. it’s been running really good.. haha…but if that was too happened.. damn.. just drink a six pack and call it a night.. fuck it.. lol. give back the money.. lol.. nah to tell u the truth I never thought of it.. plus it would suck cuz I got turntables.. haha… I should get cd players.. but lately the music that is coming out.. is too watered down… sometimes I don’t even wanna play at a party.. cuz I dislike most of the music that is coming out.. went of topic..
seriously though what do u guys think of the music coming out…hip pop..r n b..
SS7, start a new thread for that
I’ve only once seen bad shit happen to a friend. The bass was so strong under the stage (where they housed the subwoofers) that it bounced his brand new macbook pro off the keyboard stand and split it in half. He play keys that night live, but ended up at a different bar with me and a friend crying his eyes out. Got it fixed and all, but still.
If my laptop broke causesome douchebag broke it I’d probably leave. But I make very sure to make sure that doesn’t happen. Between velcro on my laptop stand, and strategically placing my power cords to make sure it doesn’t get tripped over… which is, I think, the best way to ensure not needing to use my CDs.
Lol, i’d never have my laptop in a place where a “tripped cord” could knock it on the floor.
I should also mention that I use an OLED screen…which would need a massive amount of force to break(edit)
But lets say worst case scenario. Due to negligence on the promoters part your laptop is damaged beyond repair and you can’t perform as intended. I would break out the contract which PROTECTS my equipment/gear from negligence and my performance. confirm that I still receive full payment, as well as reimbursement. I’d apologize for the terrible circumstance and let them know I’d be happy to hang out and still be a part of things as best I could, but unfortunately, due to their own negligence they wont be getting the performance they paid for.
If you’re careful and cautious of your laptop as you would be an $8,000 Synth the only time it would be in that situation is based on negligence on the part of the venue/promoter. You bet your butt one of my 5 laptops doesn’t just SIT around waiting for someone to spill a drink on it before my gigs…
We’ve all heard the saying
“shit happens”
All of you have some great input.
My laptop almost fell because of bass. I had to keep pulling it to me. I was so scared that i would be in the groove, and not notice it fall. It really sucked, but i kept a good hold on it. so nerve wracking.
Let me get a copy of that contract so I can be protected like that!!!
Around here If You dont play you dont get paid.
I bring up the broken screen bc i saw that happen to a friend, the club owner said. “well that was a dumb spot to put it” even though it was the ONLY spot it would fit. He had no records and no cds. He didn’t …well, couldn’t play. And didnt get paid. it was shitty
see quote above
Which is something that should NEVER happen! Have you ever seen depeche mode’s synths fall off the keyboard stands during a show? No! because there’s a distinct focus on stability of equipment during a performance.
This is exactly what I’m talking about. We seem to treat our laptops so half-assed. If we were to treat them as the EXTREMELY valuable pieces of gear they are, we’d see a LOT less of these accidents…
heh yea that should be an easy fix, put a non-slip mat or somthin unserneath it
What kind of laptops, hardware and software are you people using?
I want My laptop to beat the odds too!
I used to play on a 3 year old Dell. The only problem it gave me was some power issues. It was a solid machine cause I treated it like gold.
That’s all it takes, man.
Oh, and I’ve used Traktor for years.
I currently play on a 3 year old Dell. The only problem it gives me is some power issues (thought that may be the shonky Chinese battery I’ve got in it). It’s a solid machine despite me spilling booze all over it and have to take it apart to dry in the sun.
It is a far more reliable bit of kit than I deserve.
Also, What about special settings?
Do any of you guys with infallable machines. Do any registry edits to maximize performance or anything of that nature?