Converting to MP3

[Art Dearing]

:clap Sir Wolfey put it in simple to understand (lay-man's) terms. Congratulations! This is what the novice likes to read.

I'm gonna go digigal...not sure when, but still "specking" out Laptops, etc.

Sure could use more info in layman's terms with regard to how digital controller works in relationship to laptop screen/software. Either way you view it one must have a "screen"/monitor on which to SEE everything....right!?

"Still spinning after all these years...vinyl 45's and CDs."
"Less Mic, more music for dancing" is my motto.

DJ Art

[Professor Jam]

Yes and not Art...

A new trend is to incorporate screens on controllers that enable you to mix on a hardware unit without viewing a monitor... To see everything on a small screen you toggle between view modes...

Spin Tight!

[Art Dearing]

:wow Professor Jam, thanks for the update.

DJ Art

[Mike Mahoney]

Wow, Thanks guys!

Some great info here! Cap, I agree with you that short sound byte answers are the quickest way to drag a perfectly good topic into the mud.

I am currently using Audiograbber with a LAME encoder, and it seems to work well. I also just recently realized I can convert CD+G with this program as well.

I too am having trouble understanding the need for a controller along with the keyboard and screen. It seems a bit more cumbersome than necesary.

Any advice on this would be great! Thanks again!

[Professor Jam]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE</div><div class='quotemain'>I too am having trouble understanding the need for a controller along with the keyboard and screen. It seems a bit more cumbersome than necesary.

Any advice on this would be great! Thanks again![/b][/quote]

Personal mixing style and creative edge.

[Cap]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE</div><div class='quotemain'>Personal mixing style and creative edge. [/b][/quote]Absolutely correct. The outboard controllers can facilitate an on the fly creative mix that kicks the proverbial booty.

OR...

Create your favorite mixes in advance using a high powered audio editing program. Thousands of pre-mixes can be made perfectly...once and forever. Your own personal signature, your own creativity, your own everything...done,once and forever, at home in your spare time. The time and effort, headphones on and off, concentration and distraction, the possibility of error...eliminated. It's your choice, your call.

[SirWolfy]

Art,

There are some basic "nut 'n bolts" articles that I wrote on making the transition to CPS (computerized Perfromance Systems), on the WeDJ.com Forums. The articles, "So You Wanna Go Digital, Eh?" were written with professionals like yourself in mind. Bear in mind that most of these articles were written as much as 3 years ago now, so some of the information may be a bit "dated" but do have a great deal of info crammed into them.

Also of interest to your quandry, I am in the process of writing a book that is based off of what the WeDJ series of articles started and will bear the same name. Keep an eye here, at WeDJ and the Computer DJ Learning Center for more details and a tentative release date. All I can say right now is that it will be in the next 6 weeks or so. I am still in the process of garnering coprorate and industry support as I am finishing the content, but when it is released, it will be available from a number of sources.

[Art Dearing]

[img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif[/img] Thanks for the update, Sir Wolfy. I've been doing additional research on the subject. In the process now of trying to figure out what I really need in the way of Laptop. Soooooo many vendors to choose from.

I've been re-thinking the purposes for which I really need the Laptop vs. Desktop. I believe that moreover I tried to combine their uses into one, the laptop, and that my friend is expensive $$$$. Reassessment is definitely a priority.

How much RAM is truly needed? How great a graphics card do I need? How fast do I need the computer to process tasks? Do I need the 17" Bright Screen vs. 15" Bright Screen. How big a HD do I actually need? Do I really need CD/DVD Double-Layer vs. CD/DVD burner. Is wireless capability a necessity? Same for networking?

I've customized both HP and Dell and the price is still WAY up there!

My dilema is two fold. First, the current generic desktop that I have is a Pentium 2, which is not all that fast, w/60 GB HD. It has WIN 98 OS. I have it loaded up with many programs, too. Second, should I downsize the Laptop to mere necessity and purchase a new P4 Desktop with Flat Screen, wireless capability, and network all three?

The Laptop's minimum purpose should be (1) manage music database (2) do presentations (B&G meeting), view DVDs, burn CD's and convert to MP3 vinyl and cds, and do minimal word processing. Also, I'd like to be able to connect Laptop to my DJ mixer's third Channel in emergency.

Now, having said all of the above...is there hope for me yet? LOL Has anybody else experienced the same dilema or am I crazy? :shrug

Chime in .... anyone!

Cap, by the way, you and I will be the same age next month!

DJ Art

[SirWolfy]

Probably the biggest thing I can tell you right now is this: whatever you choose to go with, make it for DJ use only. The reason for this is that the more stuff (printers, scanners, cameras, strobelights,etc.) that you have plugged into your CPS and the more programs that you have installed (like AOhell, video games, special screen savers, etc.) use up more of the system's resources; increasing the odds of there being an untimely system "hiccup" or "freeze"

Another thing, as you have found out, the more you try to give a laptop the capability and storage capacity of a desktop / tower or rack mount system, the more exspenive it gets. Is the portability of a laptop worth the added exspense of one or two external hard drives and a USB sound card??? In my opinion, no.

But to answer some of your questions without getting too much into details:

512MB RAM Minimum

Onboard Video is OK, AGP Video Card is better and uses less system resources

A Celeron @ 600MHz is the minimum CPU speed that you will need for JUST playback. For encoding music, you want as fast as you can afford to go! Pentium 4 3.0GHz+ with a FSB of 800MHz is about as good as it gets right now...

The size of the monitor is more personal preference than anything, but I recommend a minimum of 15"

I recommend a minimum of two hard drives for your CPS. One to have all of your operating system and software on and a large (200GB+) one for just music. Ideally, whatever your large drive ends up being, you purchase a second, identical sized one for backing up your music on.

A LAN / Ethernet / RJ-45 connection is a necessity for networking, wireless is not.

A high speed CD-ROM (48x or higher) is all that you need for converting your CDs to MP3s or any other format that you choose.

In a word, AVOID the likes of Gateway, Dell, HP / Compaq, E-machine, etc. Build your CPS yourself or have a reputable source do this for you. All of the companies mentioned above; send out all of their computers with oodles of useless and resource hogging software and hardware. Additionally, many times these machines are built by someone who is NOT a certified computer technician and may come complete with a full set of IT issues before you even open the box.

In summary, a laptop is extremely useful for client meeting and even using as a backup CPS in a pinch (I've used an ancient 400MHz LT a number of times for this...lol), but just does not compare to a larger system in many respects. Consider going the route of a rack mount system or a desktop / tower if you plan on a high-end, power user sound system.

[Cap]

Art: "Whadya say there, sonny? Speak up, ya young whippersnapper! :lovesic

Art, as in anything, your personal decision and choices ultimately determine which way to turn. You are doing well by investigating what choices there may be before arbitrarily jumping in and finding yourself in an inescapable corner, an expensive one to boot.

At the risk of personal attack, this is the road I've chosen based on audio mp3 & karaoke only. I do not offer or use video. Video raises minimum requirements dramatically and DJMC could assist you if that's your direction.

First, all high horsepower programs are on the home/office desktop. Only the absolutely needed softwares are on the lap top. My decision was to treat the lap top as a dual CD player.

No games, no internet, no anti-virus, no photo editing, no nothing. Operating system, mp3 software, Office 2000, and that's edit! K.I.S.S.

Under this concept or approach, a whole lot of horsepower is not needed. For me, eBay has been "my friend". Carefully and cautiously, 4 lap tops were purchased with more buzzers & whistles than what is realistically needed yet at the same price as 1 new unit.

So what do I have? Purchased used on eBay:
(3) SONY VAIO PCG-GRX-560 laptop computers (sold one back on eBay and made a few bucks). Pent-4M processor, 1.6ghz @ 400mhz front bus. 512mb RAM. 16.1" TFT screen (that's sizable for a lap top). 80gb 5400rpm internal hard drive. WinXP-Pro SR1a, 3 USB-1 ports, 1 Firewire port, and use the GigaPort-AG USB external sound card. The entire music library is internal. Any external devices is for duplicity of the entire music library.

Why 3? A backup to the backup of the main.

Now, for all the other remote stuff you mentioned...presentation, watching videos, surfing the internet in a hotel room, playing video games, routine office work off-site, I have a separate unit. SONY VAIO PCG-XG18. Just an ordinary work-related lap top, but it doesn't do DJ work, just like the other 3 don't do office work.

The office computer that I built last spring provides all the ponies I need in the office, but it doesn't do DJ work, just like the other 3 don't do office work.

If you'd like to chat instead of type, please feel free to call me. It's still a long winter! [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/wink.gif[/img]


[Sub-Note : SirWolfy and I posted at the same time so his is another look that's good advice as well. ]