Musicman20 Posted July 23, 2012 Share Posted July 23, 2012 Hi all. You may remember my recent posts about trying out Synth’s and branching out a little. I’ve realised what I really need is a good laptop to allow me to do the following: DJ – myself and a friend run a DIY free entry DJ Night back home, and its just had its 5[sup]th[/sup] anniversary. I don’t plan on giving this up as we only do it once or twice a year, and we are looking at spreading our wings to Newcastle. I’d like a laptop that can run the DJ programs and possibly allow some new mixes to be put in. Keyboards – I figured if I want to play Synth, what I could do is get a good keyboard plug in for the laptop and just go from there. That way I can use other programs with it to, for instance, create my own music, create tracks for basslines to be put over, and general have more flexibility. Synths – See above. Can a ‘plug in’ keyboard used with a good laptop be used for synth work as well? Go easy on me if that is blindingly obvious! Recording – Use programs to plug my bass into the laptop to allow recording, (I’d need an interface unit, which is fine). What do I really need to get to allow all of this? I’m guessing: Half decent laptop Correct cables Keyboard plug in Programs (DJ program, recording program, etc) USB Interface for bass and guitar input Can anyone recommend if this is a good route to take? I was going to just buy a Microsynth XL, but I figured what I am proposing will allow a lot more flexibility. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JakeBrownBass Posted July 23, 2012 Share Posted July 23, 2012 (edited) . Edited January 19, 2013 by JakeBrownBass Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Musicman20 Posted July 23, 2012 Author Share Posted July 23, 2012 [quote name='JakeBrownBass' timestamp='1343063019' post='1744616'] Are you wanting a controller for the DJ software or are you happy with a mouse & keyboard. [/quote] Thanks, yeah Mouse and Keyboard are enough for me. We are a mixture of electro/rock/punk so a lot of the time its quite 'basic' in terms of our skills needed. Its more about the right songs at the right time with what we do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JakeBrownBass Posted July 23, 2012 Share Posted July 23, 2012 (edited) . Edited January 19, 2013 by JakeBrownBass Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Musicman20 Posted July 23, 2012 Author Share Posted July 23, 2012 [quote name='JakeBrownBass' timestamp='1343065674' post='1744686'] I'd have a look at something like the M-Audio Keystudio 49i for a 'budget' all in one solution. [url="http://www.dv247.com/computer-hardware/m-audio-keystudio-49i-keyboard-based-music-production-system--47632"]http://www.dv247.com...n-system--47632[/url] 61 keys, Instrument line in, mic line in, stereo AUX in & then stereo out. That would act as your interface & keyboard needs, you'd just need to find the software you like. My favourite keyboard controller is the M-audio Axiom series, was the easiest i've used for programming and has plenty of bells & whistles to control the soft synth. WIth this route yo'd have to buy a separate audio interface. [/quote] Thanks! Do you use an Apple or PC for your music? See, we are due for a new iMac, but we were steering away from a Macbook. Now I want something portable, so would it be a good idea to get a good quality PC laptop or spend more on a Macbook? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JakeBrownBass Posted July 23, 2012 Share Posted July 23, 2012 (edited) . Edited January 19, 2013 by JakeBrownBass Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Commando Jack Posted July 26, 2012 Share Posted July 26, 2012 Jake seems to have it covered, but I couldn't get the link to land on the Keystudio i49, (btw surely it would have 49 keys) You have it spot on MM20 but the only thing I would say is make sure your audio interface (whether in a keyboard or separate) has outputs to send to the desk. Usually your DJ software will then let you cue/audition from the headphone out of the laptop. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Musicman20 Posted July 30, 2012 Author Share Posted July 30, 2012 [quote name='Commando Jack' timestamp='1343316625' post='1748879'] Jake seems to have it covered, but I couldn't get the link to land on the Keystudio i49, (btw surely it would have 49 keys) You have it spot on MM20 but the only thing I would say is make sure your audio interface (whether in a keyboard or separate) has outputs to send to the desk. Usually your DJ software will then let you cue/audition from the headphone out of the laptop. [/quote] Thanks! Had a good long think this weekend about which direction to go in, and as the bass I was going to buy brand new has come up second hand for a great price, Im going to start buying these DJ/recording bits and pieces in September when my new job and higher salary kick in. No time like the present! I'll keep updating this thread. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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