Laptops Cramp My Style

When I start talking about mobile DJ equipment with people, two questions tend to arise.

Q1: Do you use laptops to spin tunes?
A1: Nope.

Q2: Will you ever use laptops to spin tunes?
A2: Nope.

And the conversation continues from there with me explaining that the only place laptops will have in my rig is for people to type up requests. Sometimes, it can be difficult to read writing, especially in a darker setting, but a laptop with a low screen light is visible enough without being a distraction.

I prefer CD players over anything else. They're not as heavy as vinyl to carry and they're more durable. Practicality aside (because I know laptop lovers find MP3s to be more practical than CDs), I want to spin the tunes myself. I love to put a CD in a machine, find my cue, and use the slider on the mixer. It helps get me into the music more.

With laptops, I'd just be pressing Enter and using predetermined playlists for a gig. To me, that takes the art - and the fun - out of everything. When I'm behind the board at a gig, I don't just sit and watch the crowd, I observe them and meld with them. I'm talking about the fusion of the crowd with the music through the DJ (in this case, myself), all enhance by my lighting and sound equipment. I don't just run a business, I create an artful masterpiece.