Computer Size - what is the most basic

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MADNESS

MADNESS

Well-Known DJ
Dec 20, 2006
2,293
49
65
Florence, AZ
www.primetimedj.net
Ok, I have been seeing a lot of threads on new Lappy's and Netbooks. Got a question. To run Rockit or other similar programs. No lighting or anything like that. What would be the basic set you think one should have and why.

I am talking # of gigs of ram, Hard drive, etc. Also what is the best basic computer would you recommend
 
For RockIt, this is what Rick has posted on his website:

Windows XP / Vista / 7

1 Ghz CPU or faster

2 GB of RAM or more

60 MB free disk space

DirectX for video playback

Windows Compatible sound card (s)


Many of the netbooks will run music playing software just fine...if you step it up to video, you'll want to find something much beefier to do the job.

As far as size of screen, I think that's a personal preference. I personally don't like anything less than 14".

Asking for a specific laptop preference will yield a whole other debate. I personally like and have success with Acer, so that's what I use.
 
A simple rule I always tell people who ask me about Rockit:

For playing audio only, if the computer can run the OS, it can run Rockit. Rockit uses little resources for actually playing music. The CPU, memory and hardware stuff, is more related to HOW FAST you want it to run, and how robust you want your searching, sorting, display, etc.

I had one gentleman argue with me recently, because he said Rockit cannot handle unlimited tracks in its library. He had over 200,000, and was running it on a lappy, and said it was slow, and that meant it was not unlimited... :sqrolleyes:


So, you should size your system according to the speed you want out of it. Putting 200,000 tracks on a slow external drive, using a reasonably slow lappy, will not produce the best results (although it will work)... ;)

If you will be using a large library, you will want a faster and more powerful machine all around -- if you have a reasonably sized library, just about anything will do, and again, it will only affect robustness of a few things, not the music playback itself.
 
MADNESS said:
OK Rick, what would you consider a reasonable sized library, 10,000 - 20,000??
Click to expand...

Hard question to answer... :sqerr:

I generally keep my working library small when I do a gig -- usually 5,000 or under, or thereabouts. My reasoning is simple -- I know what I'm going to play, as I've been doing this for 35+ years. So I have no need for lots of tracks to clog up my system.

3 - 20,000 is probably a good guess for most DJ's I talk to that have a legit library, and works fine. I test with up to 60,000.

I know people like to come out on the boards and say I've got 50 million tracks to impress people, but they usually don't, or they bought one of those Limewire HDDs, which is gonna foul their system up anyway.


BTW, I'm a cherry picking weenie :)

I don't put anything in my working library that I am not prepared to play -- it just slows everything down. I keep an external with a large collection attached, but that is not my library -- just there if needed. So Lief Garret, and the theme to the Andy Griffith show, are not on my internal drive, or in my library :sqwink: :sqlaugh:
 
Since Madness has slightly veared of the original topic.

A note on RockIt and the Playlists creator.....

If you have different folders on your drive (like say by genre), RockIt will run much faster if you create Playlists based off of those folders, instead of trying to load the Windows folders.

Tell them why that is, Rick. ;)
 
Randy A said:
A note on RockIt and the Playlists creator.....

If you have different folders on your drive (like say by genre), RockIt will run much faster if you create Playlists based off of those folders, instead of trying to load the Windows folders.

Tell them why that is, Rick. ;)
Click to expand...

Geeze dude, it's Sunday -- you never give me a day off Randy -- I want a raise dammit... :sqlaugh: :rofl:


But I'll byte :D

It's because all the parsing of the tag contents, and other pertinent file stuff, is done when you create the playlist via the folder -- otherwise Rockit has to parse the tags for each folder as you display them through the My Computer interface (each time you display them).

There's a lot of overhead when displaying actual folder contents. The tags need to be read for each file, the length has to be verified via a separate call, most people's drives are fragged to Hell, and lots are using USB drives.

Add them to the lib and/or playlists, and all the work is done up front, in the comfort of your living room, while you watch TV, and drink a cold beverage of your choice :)
 
MADNESS said:
Ok, I have been seeing a lot of threads on new Lappy's and Netbooks. Got a question. To run Rockit or other similar programs. No lighting or anything like that. What would be the basic set you think one should have and why.

I am talking # of gigs of ram, Hard drive, etc. Also what is the best basic computer would you recommend
Click to expand...

Reliability reliability reliability see attached
 

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My personal view is set a budget and get the best deal for you money. Say I have $600 to drop on a notebook. I'm going to surf around all the websites and get the best bang for my buck.

Today I wouldn't buy anything with less than 4GB of RAM and a 2.0Ghz + dual core processor but I'm a big mulitasker. As already said pretty much any machine will run Rockit it's how fast you'd like it to run. :)
 
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