# When midi controller or computer breaks down at the party... **URL:** \ **Category:** General Discussion\ **Tags:** ddj-ergo, xdj-aero, traktor\ **Created:** [October 19, 2013, 12:53am UTC](https://forum.djtechtools.com/t/when-midi-controller-or-computer-breaks-down-at-the-party/61446 "2013-10-19T00:53:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![wooofer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ac91a4/32.png) [@wooofer](https://forum.djtechtools.com/u/wooofer)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2013, 12:53am UTC](https://forum.djtechtools.com/t/when-midi-controller-or-computer-breaks-down-at-the-party/61446/1 "2013-10-19T00:53:48Z")
**When midi controller or computer breaks down at the party…** I have a dilemma. I have traktor S4 but friends say that I am a ninja because the controller s4 does not work without a computer and the error pops up at the party I cooked: D That’s why I want to sell it and buy something that will be more unreliable and not the computer I fall I will be able to continue to play the event. I think the Pioneer XDj-R1, Do complicates too much? I want to have a “fuse” when computer breaks down. What do you suggest? ---
**Author:** ![Student](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecc23a/32.png) [@Student](https://forum.djtechtools.com/u/Student)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2013, 3:34am UTC](https://forum.djtechtools.com/t/when-midi-controller-or-computer-breaks-down-at-the-party/61446/2 "2013-10-19T03:34:29Z")
don’t worry. if something breaks, it breaks. doesn’t matter what is it, you’re pretty much always fucked. so don’t worry 😉 ---
**Author:** ![soundinmotiondj](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a698b9/32.png) [@soundinmotiondj](https://forum.djtechtools.com/u/soundinmotiondj)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2013, 3:46am UTC](https://forum.djtechtools.com/t/when-midi-controller-or-computer-breaks-down-at-the-party/61446/3 "2013-10-19T03:46:42Z")
I recommend a second S4 and a second laptop. ---
**Author:** ![makar1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/fbc32d/32.png) [@makar1](https://forum.djtechtools.com/u/makar1)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2013, 12:08pm UTC](https://forum.djtechtools.com/t/when-midi-controller-or-computer-breaks-down-at-the-party/61446/4 "2013-10-19T12:08:18Z")
An MP3 player with premade mixes. ---
**Author:** ![031999](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex001/user_avatar/forum.djtechtools.com/031999/32/86_2.png) [@031999](https://forum.djtechtools.com/u/031999)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2013, 12:43pm UTC](https://forum.djtechtools.com/t/when-midi-controller-or-computer-breaks-down-at-the-party/61446/5 "2013-10-19T12:43:34Z")
i always have one cdj off to the side, with a premade mix in it, just in case i gotta use it. So far never needed it. ---
**Author:** ![ichitaka](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex001/user_avatar/forum.djtechtools.com/ichitaka/32/12504_2.png) [@ichitaka](https://forum.djtechtools.com/u/ichitaka)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2013, 12:58pm UTC](https://forum.djtechtools.com/t/when-midi-controller-or-computer-breaks-down-at-the-party/61446/6 "2013-10-19T12:58:40Z")
For the case that my macbook crashes i just have my ipod and a cable to connect it with the mixer with me. worst case situation, i can even mix with my ipod (lol). Every setup can crash. computers crash, cdjs crash, turntable needles jump off because the bass is too strong etc.. ---
**Author:** ![sdrthedj](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5f9b8f/32.png) [@sdrthedj](https://forum.djtechtools.com/u/sdrthedj)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2013, 7:40am UTC](https://forum.djtechtools.com/t/when-midi-controller-or-computer-breaks-down-at-the-party/61446/7 "2013-10-21T07:40:06Z")
Denon MC6000 and a second laptop or ipod. It’s nice having a 4 channel analogue mixer 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Kaek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Kaek](https://forum.djtechtools.com/u/Kaek)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2013, 9:54am UTC](https://forum.djtechtools.com/t/when-midi-controller-or-computer-breaks-down-at-the-party/61446/8 "2013-10-21T09:54:35Z")
Traktor DJ + Kontrol Z1 for backup ---
**Author:** ![Ryan\_Ruel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bc8723/32.png) [@Ryan\_Ruel](https://forum.djtechtools.com/u/Ryan_Ruel)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2013, 1:24pm UTC](https://forum.djtechtools.com/t/when-midi-controller-or-computer-breaks-down-at-the-party/61446/9 "2013-10-21T13:24:11Z")
Blah. You will always have single points of failure in your rig, even for traditional setups. What if the mixer died? Or an amp? Your headphones snap? You need to look at what will most likely fail, and prepare a backup for that. In the controller/computer case, you are most likely to see your DJ software crash, or the OS. All that you should need to do for a crash is to reboot your computer and restart your application, and you should be back in business. During that period of a few minutes, you would have no music. All you really need is your iPhone/Android phone or another MP3 player cued up with a track and plugged into the sound system ready to go. Most people won’t care you aren’t mixing for a few minutes after a failure, as long as there is music playing. SILENCE WILL KILL YOU AND THE DANCE FLOOR. NEVER HAD NO SOUND. Play a song if a crash happens, then concentrate on getting your primary rig up and running as quickly as possible. Of course, you should really work on getting a nice solid setup ahead of time to reduce crashes to more or less zero. Clean installs, don’t put crazy things on the same laptop, etc. Oh yeah, go with an SSD for a new laptop. Oh yeah, always bring backup cables. Always! ---
**Author:** ![wooofer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ac91a4/32.png) [@wooofer](https://forum.djtechtools.com/u/wooofer)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2013, 4:04pm UTC](https://forum.djtechtools.com/t/when-midi-controller-or-computer-breaks-down-at-the-party/61446/10 "2013-10-21T16:04:40Z")
> [@Kaek](#): > > Traktor DJ + Kontrol Z1 for backup S4 traktor and “fuse” Z1 Traktor for backup Is great cause its cheap but I’d like such set which will assure me in situation when my computer shuts down i will have a quick button to plug in another source such as iphone or ipod. Having s4 in such situations makes a problem in which i’d had to unplug it from computer and plug z1 to amplifier. And it takes too much time while dancefloor would be quiet😃