Djing Machine
Djing Machine Tutorial For Beginners

REAL-TIME TRACK SEPARATION

There aren't many DJs carting around a couple of turntables and a box of LPs anymore. Most have made the switch to digital mixing from CDs, USB drives or standard hard drives on laptop computers. DJ Mac is a wedding DJ service based in Middletown, Delaware. DJ Kruss, the owner and operator, is a experienced and passionate DJ, with over 15 years of professional DJing experience. Mac began his journey in 1987 when he met Jimmy Blunt of J.B. In today's DJ business, using a laptop computer is almost essential. Gone are the days of having to carry around heavy crates of records (thank God). Now, laptops store all your music and whatever DJ software you choose to use. Sure, there are now ways to put all your music on a flash and plug your flash into your player and go 'laptop free.' However, you most likely still have your laptop.

MacBook Air– The MacBook Air laptops are very popular in the DJ world due to their more inexpensive prices. In fact, a lot of beginner DJs will start DJing with a MacBook Air laptop and upgrade to the MacBook Pro later.

VirtualDJ 2021 uses advanced technology and the power of modern computers to revolutionize what DJs can do. With this new version you can mix in real-time the various components of your tracks (vocals, instruments, kicks, hihats, etc). This opens the door to new ways of mixing that were simply not possible before, and will forever change the way DJs mix.
With real-time stem separation on any track, perfect live mashups and seamless transitions are now the new normal:

ModernEQs can achieve a much more accurate separation than traditional frequency-based equalizers, and help achieve perfect transitions like never before.
The new Stem pads will let you create live mash-ups and remixes in real-time easily. Let your creativity fly free.
The new waveforms give a clearer than ever view of your tracks, where you can easily see beats and vocals to avoid clashes and breaks.

We all know that when it comes to computers Mac is the superior machine in terms of basic performance, but is it the best DJ laptop? There are many factors that make a laptop a solid piece of DJ equipment, and the brand name isn’t always it. But for the sake of argument let’s say Mac makes the best laptop for DJs; what particular Mac laptop is the best?

Before we talk about which is the best laptop it is important that you consider what your needs are as a DJ. Do you require a monster screen? Superfast processor? Loads of memory? No matter which laptop you think is the best, it must be the best for you.

MacBook Pro

MacBooks, in general, do a very good job of running most DJ software so you need to look more closely at the specs to decide which one you want to be your DJ laptop.

Djing Machine

The Pro offers between 8 and 16GB of onboard memory and as much as 512GB of additional storage. But with cloud access you don’t have to worry too much about storing everything you need. However you do want to make sure you have enough memory to run basic computer functions as well as enough to allow the DJ software to run at optimal speed.

Next you want to make sure you have all the connections you need. The MacBook Pro laptop offers several different connections including microphone, HDMI, USB ports and a SDXC card slot.

MacBook Air

Ah, the MacBook Air has DJs all aflutter because it is a dream for DJs looking to travel from gig to gig without a big load. Whether you choose the 11 or the 13-inch display you’re looking at less than 3 pounds worth of laptop. That alone gives the MacBook Air the edge among Mac laptops for DJs.

Even though the MacBook Pro does offer a slightly faster processor than the 1.7 and 1.8GHz dual-core processor, it isn’t a significant improvement to forget just how light the aptly named Air is. While you may not enjoy the small screen size on the Air, it does give you more than enough space to see what your DJ software is doing.

This particular Mac laptop offers DJs several USB ports, which is pretty much all you need these days as a laptop DJ, but it also comes with several other inputs and outputs if you need them, but alas, no Ethernet so if you need it, forget the MacBook Air.

iPad

Ok so the iPad doesn’t fit the strict definition of a laptop, but it does fill a gap in the DJ world for the superlight DJ on the go. With new software made specifically for Apple’s operating system, iOS, this tablet is quickly becoming the new alternative to the traditional laptop. Of course there are still issues, such as the relatively small screen but with 128GB of storage many mobile DJs find the tiny display a small price to pay.

There are no DJ controllers, DJ software and even apps to accommodate DJing from a mobile device so whether you have a big to prep for or just a house party, the iPad can get the job done with a USB.

So, which is better…

Unfortunately that is not a question I can answer for you. Personally I prefer the MacBook Air for my DJing but that’s just me. If you’re still learning and want to make sure you don’t miss anything, you’ll probably lean toward a larger screen with the MacBook Pro. And because of the security (Kensington lock compatibility) offered on the Pro you may feel safer leaving your expensive equipment among hundreds of inebriated partygoers to go fetch a drink.

While many DJs don’t feel comfortable with the lightness and slimness of the Air, the Pro isn’t so much larger that you’ll pull a hamstring lifting it. If you’re liking for lightweight but not Air light, consider the iPad. It’s small enough to fit in a backpack but substantial enough you don’t have to treat it like crystal goblets.

If you’ve never used a Mac laptop before for DJing or anything else you should definitely take a trip to your nearest Apple store to make sure you have a full grasp of the new machine. It’s easy to use—I promise—but if you’ve been a Windows person all your life, there will be an adjustment period that shouldn’t take place during a gig.

One final word on Mac laptops for a DJ is that these machines are pricier than your average laptop…by a lot. If you have a very strict budget there are other laptops that can get the job done so you can get everything you need as a DJ. Get what you can and when the paid gigs start rolling in…upgrade!

I hope I helped you figure out which Mac laptop will help you as a DJ. Email in the box below to get access to Free video DJ lessons that will answer all of your questions on how to become a disk jockey!

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Djing Machine Tutorial For Beginners

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