I can understand not wanting to buy a Mac but in all honesty your entire post seems like a troll to begin with being this is common knowledge and yet... HERE YOU ARE!!! This is a place to post personal encounters to help the community at large.

Optimize your storage and back up your files because the Windows Fall Update is just around the corner. At the IFA Keynote in Berlin Terry Meyerson, VP of the Windows.

What did you bring to the table here? You are using an AMD machine which is known not to work with Serato. You are also using Windows 8.. WHICH IS KNOWN NOT TO WORK with Serato. May I ask what is the point that we are missing? The fact that you had it running AT ALL with Windows 8 AND an AMD processore is nothing short of a miracle. SOME may consider updating to a new version of Windows 8 when the first version isn't even supported yet reckless behavior.

Anyway moving on, You will all be pleased to hear that Serato DJ is working perfectly on Windows 8.1 with my AMD chips. (Couple of registry issues to correct) Oh and the reason I have been so 'reckless' is that when I considered going fully digital this year it needed to be PC based as I am also in the process of converting about 20 years of Vinyl. I went for the Mix Track Pro II as it was new out & cheap and came with Serato DJ free! But it did not say that AMD's and Windows 8 was not supported on the Numark Box, Something that Serato need to address with it's 3rd party partners. Anyway as I hear all the Laptop wannabes are going to be banned in clubs I'd just like to say I'm ok as I can remember life without a Sync button! CDJ's are simpler!

Quote: Culprit - Windows 8 machines run fine. Windows 8.1 machines, not so much. Of the few machines you've seen running smooth, which were 8.1 machines? Hey Sin, I'm not sure I never checked the versions I don't know how to use windows 8 yet If there's a start button on the bottom left of the desktop view, then it is 8.1 unless you did the hack to bring back your original start button(which I doubt you did). Another thing you can do is go into your start screen(metro layout) and without selecting anything, type in System Information, and when the results appear, select it and that window will show you all relevant information to your system.

Serato also features the Vestax Typhoon which can be picked up at guitar center for $75. As long as you are a hobbyist which it sounds like you are (nothing wrong with that BTW) and plan on using at home like you said it is fine.

It is one of the lower end controller's and was designed for the budget minded beginner's as most of Numark's hardware is. One thing I didn't understand from the beginning of this post is you mentioned the concept of purchasing CDJ's. The price of one CDJ is about the cost of everything you are using (at least what you mention on this post) times two (possibly even three) so in all honesty it is a very good solution but one that does not sound very feasible for you so why are you comparing the two? Would you honestly expect a $200 controller to work on the same level as a $600 ea (for the absolute lowest model BTW) item?

Budget beginner? Mmmmmmmmm No.

'The reason I have been so 'reckless' is that when I considered going fully digital this year it needed to be PC based as I am also in the process of converting about 20 years of Vinyl. I went for the Mix Track Pro II as it was new out & cheap and came with Serato DJ free!' Just because you add £££££££ to the price of a product does not mean it is any good, your paying for the brand & the fan boy hype in most cases.

It's was a cheap way to try out what's better. Anyway as it turns out it's my new Pioneer Nexus's with the 900 mixer. Two thumb drives, couple of cables and whack the amp up. It has the old school feel, crisp controls. Been using them anyway at venues along with turntables (Yes those old things) as always, Lag free and the only chips I have to worry about are the ones I put ketchup on.

Two problems here. The Mixtrack Pro was in fact made with Serato DJ Intro in mind and comes with that free. Serato DJ is a paid upgrade and not what it was initially designed for as like I said it is a beginner's controller. Again no problem with that just saying. Second problem is I am still confused as to why you NEEDED to go PC to convert your vinyl.

Are you not able to do this on a Mac? Just because you add £££££££ to the price of a product does not mean it is any good, your paying for the brand & the fan boy hype in most cases. I would say SOME cases. Opinions aside the fact remains that the better gear costs more than the inferior gear and in your case the beginner gear. Furthermore fan boy hype (which is a popular defense) comes at no cost. There is also more fan boy hype on controllers than any of the Pro level gear period. I am not against anything and whatever works for you I am not here to decide.

Even the Vestax Typhoon I mentioned earlier is not necessarily a bad choice.. If it works for you. The only things I do have a problem with is ignorance and finger pointing after the fact when the blame is clearly due to user error. I am not sure why you NEED a PC to convert your vinyl but even if that were the case wouldn't an Intel running Windows 7 which are BOTH supported be a better decision?

This is not a Mac/PC debate but rather a machine that even if by some miracle is able to run Serato is nothing short of a ticking time bomb and yet the resources were all there to have avoided this altogether. I wasn't trying to offend you by calling you a beginner nor did I imply you were cheap. I just went with the resources provided to me in your context and assumed as they are after all beginner level errors. Oh, and please also get your facts right Check the video too you will notice it is running SERATO DJ! Yes it comes with intro free, so frankly your claim ' The Mixtrack Pro was in fact made with Serato DJ Intro in mind and comes with that free.

Serato DJ is a paid upgrade and not what it was initially designed for as like I said it is a beginner's controller' Is unfounded as look at all the extra features Serato support with the UPGRADE! Which I did in fact get free! Intro is for beat matching novices and people that sing into their hairbrushes so why would they need a controller that allows you to do so much more! Why are you so mad? Who said it didn't run Serato DJ? I said it was made with Serato DJ Intro in mind AND it comes with it for free.

I said from the start to each his own and whatever works for you. Never once knocked you for your decision to buys such a controller. EVERYTHING I said was and still is a fact. It IS a beginner controller (and a good on at that) which is why it comes with Serato DJ Intro. Short for Introduction.

I didn't make this stuff up don't get mad at me. I won't even get into any other debate's as I refuse to break any forum rules on your account. I WILL SAY ONE MORE TIME>Whatever works for you is fine by me. Why would I care. That was not the issue I saw. The fact is you made some rather risky choices, things didn't work out for you (at first at least) and you got mad at Serato for it. Also speaking of facts why did you NEED a PC to convert your vinyl again?

I am still puzzled by this. LOL This has just been too much. All Of Numark's Mix Track Pro's 1 & 2 as well as the Mix Decks come with Dj Intro. Numark will provide you with a free Lic and upgrade to DJ if you also have the Akai LPD8 and register them both then submit the serials of both to them.

But no Numark's lower end Controllers do not come with DJ. Only The Itch Controllers have a free Upgrade To DJ since DJ is replacing Itch as Serato's controller Software and as of 2015 Controller and DVS (Yeah Serato) When I was looking into Going to Serato I did my homework and already knew which processors were not supported.

That was your error as you may be a Traktor or VDJ user. I would love to use a AMD processor but I don't want the problems that can come from that decision. I'll Stick with Intel and pass on any AMD unless it's free. Deejdave got you good at the start but you set yourself up for that.

How do you come to the forum and post what is clearly stated in the minimum system requirements? I use the Mixtrack Pro which is an entry level controller but it was what I could afford at the time. I plan to move to the DDJ SX in the near future as it is a Pro controller and won't require me to use my lpd8 unless I just want to add a midi controller just because. Glad you got your issue resolved. Have a great day Mate and calm down cause if you are a real DJ no need to prove it here in the forum do it in the clubs. ^^ True that!!

I wasn't even calling him out or anything not that he would even have to prove himself to me even if I did like you said. I just assumed he was a beginner based on the decisions he made and may have been wrong on that one. I didn't mean to offend him on that I promise. The only things I will stand by is the fact that there are far too many issues happening as it is (even people with MacBooks's in some cases now) to be messing with gear that is NOT supported and furthermore it is entirely unfair to get mad at the developer when they have as clearly as the possibly could stated what is/not supported. When pretty much the only two items they don't support (AMD & Windows 8) are used forgive me for considering that reckless. I didn't want this to turn into a pissing match nor will I let it (on my end) I just felt if the action of finger pointing is to be done someone should step in and point the finger in the proper direction being this was in NO WAY Serato's fault.

No harm No foul. He said he got it working but again using the AMD machine with Windows 8 tweaked or not, running Serato smoothly or not in my opinion is just a ticking time bomb. For the record I would LOVE for AMD to be supported as well as they are amazing processor's and for the money can't be beat so please don't think I am biased either in that sense.

With Numark.. Maybe but that is simply due to previous bad experiences. LOL Hey deejdave I totally understood your position and I agree 100 percent with you. I know you had no intention on offending him, but he took it to heart for whatever reason.

Serato will even attempt to help him if he ask for it by opening a trouble ticket in the correct area. Any problem that I have had they have been right there to assist me. What he needs to understand is that if he post a question like that in a forum, he is bound to get other members opinions. I think you did a lot to calm the situation but at the end of the day, everyone that chimed in on his post had to be asking can he read or just too lazy to do so? I would tell anyone that is about to make a purchase to do your homework before you buy.

How often will the box give you all the information needed? If considering going digital what do you look at first a controller or the software that you will be choosing to run. I would look at the software first and that would tell me what hardware and system specs I need to run it. But hey some of us have boat loads of money to waste and as you said before to each their own.

I just thought he was funny because I said to my wife just what you said in the forum before I even got to your post. I am however glad that he resolved his issue, but I would be looking for a non AMD machine if I was serious about going digital. Oh and no one pointed out the fact that Nexus cdj's are digital and so are thumb drives. Not turntables they are analog unless you hook them to Rane or Traktor hardware converting them into hybrid analog to digital controllers.

I guess what he calls digital is the software and not the tech. Now as for AMD vs.

Intel well Intel makes a much better processor and computer professionals swear by them. AMD is a cheaper solution for people that can not afford Intel. Where AMD has the advantage would be in the video processors. Intel is so good that Apple scrapped their chips and are using Intel inside now and we all know how picky Apple is when it comes to their hardware and software. All very basic stuff for professionals because you need to know about your gear and what is out there. Completely agree.

I made the horrible mistake of purchasing the CDJ-2000Nexus's at the point in which they were not supported. This was a scenario I could NOT understand, did not agree with, and fought to change but at the end of the day I owned up to not reading up on it. I just assumed it would be being the MK1's were and it's not like there were statements on the spec sheets stating it was 'NOT supported' but still the blame was on me. As far as the apple/intel issue goes there is talk of them going back to AMD. Let me get this straight. I 100% agree that Serato SHOULD support AMD (future products at the very least) as they are quality processors. As far as Windows goes they should support whatever they advertise.

The great variables & options that total up to infinite combinations of hardware configurations make for quite the challenge to have a stable environment. I don't mean to cause an uproar but it seems the easiest way to fix this issue of 'support what you advertise' is to simply stop claiming support for windows based PC's.

I am NOT saying this is morally right or in the best interest of anyone but there is no doubt the easiest way to fix a problem is to get rid of the root of the problem. Simple problem solving skills.

You have item A which seldom leads to issues and item B which often leads to issues. What do you do? This is totlly off topic and at this point I feel this whole thing should be closed as the problem was never there to begin with rather the problem was not Serato's. At best this was a verification of Serato's widely known claim that they DO NOT support AMD or Windows 8. We should close this discussion and I agree with your point. I believe that Serato will support Windows 8 in the future but just not at this point.

It's hard enough to support windows machine's because they have so many variables when it comes to hardware, and they have done a remarkable job in making it a pretty stable platform. I see it like this, major companies will not jump on the band wagon when a new os is released, They tend to wait until the first or second service pack is released. That is when the platform is proven to be more stable. I can understand why Serato has not jumped right into supporting Windows 8 if only for that reason. Windows 8 is a resource hog and thus using it will require you to have a much better system than Windows 7.

I also see that they have stopped support for XP which is no surprise, since Microsoft no longer supports XP either. This is not to say that you won't get some updates when using XP but they have moved on from that architecture and don't wish to develop that old technology any longer. I thank you for the chance to converse as it has been a great conversation. I hope that any other AMD users will read the minimum system requirements and understand that if they choose to use AMD, they are using an unsupported Processor and if there are any problems they are pretty much on their own. So they better be on top of their game in either programming or pc repair as with his problem the answer was in making changes in the registry.

Note: If you aren't familiar with registry editing do not attempt to do so as you may cause serious issues with your operating System. LOL Apple went to intel chip's. Guess you can say they wanted to use what PC's were already using. Apple's Intel transition was the process of changing the CPU of Macintosh computers from PowerPC processors to Intel x86 processors. The transition became public knowledge at the 2005 Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), when Apple's then-CEO Steve Jobs made the announcement that the company would make a transition from the use of PowerPC microprocessors supplied by Freescale (formerly Motorola) and IBM in its Macintosh computers, to processors designed and manufactured by Intel, a chief supplier for most of Apple's competitors. So They don't have faster processors they got on board with the PC.

The term x86 denotes a family of backward compatible instruction set architectures based on the Intel 8086 CPU. The 8086 was introduced in 1978 as a fully 16-bit extension of Intel's 8-bit based 8080 microprocessor, with memory segmentation as a solution for addressing more memory than can be covered by a plain 16-bit address.

The term x86 derived from the fact that early successors to the 8086 also had names ending in '86'. Many additions and extensions have been added to the x86 instruction set over the years, almost consistently with full backward compatibility. The architecture has been implemented in processors from Intel, Cyrix, AMD, VIA and many other companies. The term is not synonymous with IBM PC compatibility as this implies a multitude of other computer hardware; embedded systems as well as general-purpose computers used x86 chips before the PC-compatible market started, some of them before the IBM PC itself. Quote: Buy a Mac BUy a MAc lol Macs arent the solution lol fast processors and lots of ram fixes everything. Turn off programs you dont need.

Automatic startup programs who needs them when djing customize your laptop for what you want. If only it were that simple. Even the fastest of the fast with max RAM and SSD don't guarantee you will have no issues let alone the it will work with Serato at all. Not meaning to be argumentative it's just the truth.

It shouldn't be that way but it still remains a fact. Unfortunately it is never cut & dry with PC's (Not trying to start debate here just trying to help) as there are far too many variables. Even if he was using the same exact laptop as you it does not mean you will have an identical experience. It's a good start though. You don't have to go far to reach this conclusion yourself either.

In the post alone the OP did not have luck with 8.1 while DJ Poole did. That being said I have been seeing some positive feedback with 8.1 & Serato DJ 1.6 Beta but also keep in mind there is a reason Windows 8 (including 8.1) is not yet officially supported by SDJ although my guess is it is coming real soon. I'm new at this, but I have to agree with zac about something he said.

I have a lot of music and always been into dj's so I decided to get me a lap top and two alto power speakers and the mix track pro 2. I down loaded the soft wear and I was on my way. I was so impressed with the soft wear, I down loaded the 14 day trial period and then they had a special half off their Serato dj I brought it. Now this is when I check the spec and found out that they have no support for windows 8 and AMD processor and when I checked, this is what I have. I went back to guitar center and told the guy who sold it to me, that he should tell the consumer what work and what don't. But at the end of the day my stuff works great no problems.

I'm one of the lucky few that has all of the wrong stuff and it works fine. I have one thing more to say. If you have the wrong windows and the wrong processor and it work fine don't change your setting and don't do to many up grades back up all of your music on an external hard drive and save for a new lap top.

Mix track pro 2 is a great controller. Honestly maybe should have researched it a little further prior to purchase but I will hand it to you on your cool & calm outlook on how you will handle it. If I were in your shoes it is exactly what I would do.

NO ONE ever said it definitely won't work with EITHER but its definately there to let you know you shouldnt be surprised if it does not work. In the end if you are one of the lucky ones who manages to get it working you should absolutely walk on egg shells, don't do anything (if it aint broke don't fix it applies here) major, and plan ahead just like Bigzoe is suggesting.

You may be new to this but I can tell you will have some smooth sailing in some time by thinking just like that. May I ask what laptop you will be looking into? (here's where the true test occurs LOL).

The overall issue here is why doesn't Serato DJ support Windows. I understand the processor issue with AMD, but you can choose not to buy a new laptop with AMD - you can't choose to buy a new machine that is still running Windows 7 because it is a legacy OS. People spent good money, and in some cases, a lot of money as early adopters to buy controllers connected to machines at the time running Windows 7. A lot of them are now forced to choose between a new controller and software, or a new laptop. I doubt any of them thought in a few years that they would be stuck using an old laptop running a legacy OS because the vendor wouldn't be able to support the next version of its software in the new OS. I doubt a lot of people who research the system requirements for this software go looking to buy an old windows 7 laptop or a new MacBook just so they can run Serato DJ.

Windows 8 is a stable, and fast OS. It supports touchscreen. All major competitors in this space support Windows 8 as a desktop application. I am not aware of any major software vendor whose software is not supported in Windows 8 desktop environment. My Four Walls Keygen For Mac. The fact Serato DJ doesn't support Windows 8 is an anomaly and as people upgrade their machines, they are literally driving a large percentage of existing and future customers crazy not to mention driving sales away.

I have a dedicated machine running Windows 7 on my rig - I have every expansion pack - but I have a brand new machine running Windows 8.1 that won't run Serato DJ unless I remove the SD Card or disable it in the device manager before I start it up. That's ridiculous. The new machine is smoking fast, has a brilliant display, a PCIe SSD, USB 3.0 and has a touchscreen and I can't take advantage of any of it without working some kludgey workaround to get it going. That's straight up amateur hour. Along with a lot of other people, I am very confused and frustrated by the ongoing decision not to support an OS that most major software and hardware manufacturers are able to do and have already done. Supporting this OS more than a year after release so customers can feel OK to upgrade their laptops seems pretty reasonable - no one is asking Serato to build a cold fusion reactor or anything in the realm of rocket science here. While I understand SOME of what Sigma_7 said I can say that I myself recently did just that.

NOT with PC obviously but I did this with my new Mac. I knew the 2012 MacBooks are very stable with Serato DJ and I also knew the new MacBook's are questionable. As in it can go either way not to mention Retina is not supported at all yet.

Mavericks is not officially supported yet either (just like Windows 8) so i went with the older machine JUST to run Serato DJ with it. It just seems like risky business to do anything but. My craft is important enough to me (and my customers) to not go with something I knew worked. What I am getting at is the latest & the greatest applies to my personal life but when it comes to business tried & true is a more fitting description for the products I choose. Furthermore Serato IS working on Windows 8 Support just like they are working on Mavericks support BUT they are smart enough not to claim the support until they are 100% sure it is as stable as it can be. This is a VERY hard task when it comes to a machine with so many variables that both the manufacturer's & the consumers turn into a very tough environment by accident & on purpose. Deejdave: staying current is hard.

That is the nature of the industry - it still doesn't make sense. Name another major hardware or software vendor that has a product that supported Windows 7 but doesn't support Windows 8 a year and change later. I mean come on. Pdidy: the question at hand is why can I only run this 'professional software' in a hurting and grossly outdated consumer laptop and OS environment instead of on an updated machine.

I could probably run Serato DJ on a netbook I could find under my couch misplaced sometime around when the dutch lost the world cup in 2010 - yet I can't run it on a Sony Vaio Pro 13 Intel Core i7-4500U, 8GB RAM, 512 GB PCIe SSD, touchscreen IPS display running Windows 8 Professional 64 bit OS? Quote: Honestly maybe should have researched it a little further prior to purchase but I will hand it to you on your cool & calm outlook on how you will handle it.

If I were in your shoes it is exactly what I would do. NO ONE ever said it definitely won't work with EITHER but its definately there to let you know you shouldnt be surprised if it does not work.

In the end if you are one of the lucky ones who manages to get it working you should absolutely walk on egg shells, don't do anything (if it aint broke don't fix it applies here) major, and plan ahead just like Bigzoe is suggesting. You may be new to this but I can tell you will have some smooth sailing in some time by thinking just like that.

May I ask what laptop you will be looking into? (here's where the true test occurs LOL) I have a HP Pavilion 17 Notebook PC AMD Quad-Core A8 5550M Accelerated processor,750 GB Hard Drive and 4 g of ram. And to be honest you guys talk about research so that what I'm doing.

I tell you what give me a suggestion and I will look into it. Quote: the overall issue here is why doesn't Serato DJ support Windows. I understand the processor issue with AMD, but you can choose not to buy a new laptop with AMD - you can't choose to buy a new machine that is still running Windows 7 because it is a legacy OS. People spent good money, and in some cases, a lot of money as early adopters to buy controllers connected to machines at the time running Windows 7. A lot of them are now forced to choose between a new controller and software, or a new laptop. I doubt any of them thought in a few years that they would be stuck using an old laptop running a legacy OS because the vendor wouldn't be able to support the next version of its software in the new OS. I doubt a lot of people who research the system requirements for this software go looking to buy an old windows 7 laptop or a new MacBook just so they can run Serato DJ.

Windows 8 is a stable, and fast OS. It supports touchscreen. All major competitors in this space support Windows 8 as a desktop application. I am not aware of any major software vendor whose software is not supported in Windows 8 desktop environment.

The fact Serato DJ doesn't support Windows 8 is an anomaly and as people upgrade their machines, they are literally driving a large percentage of existing and future customers crazy not to mention driving sales away. I have a dedicated machine running Windows 7 on my rig - I have every expansion pack - but I have a brand new machine running Windows 8.1 that won't run Serato DJ unless I remove the SD Card or disable it in the device manager before I start it up. That's ridiculous.

The new machine is smoking fast, has a brilliant display, a PCIe SSD, USB 3.0 and has a touchscreen and I can't take advantage of any of it without working some kludgey workaround to get it going. That's straight up amateur hour. Along with a lot of other people, I am very confused and frustrated by the ongoing decision not to support an OS that most major software and hardware manufacturers are able to do and have already done.

Supporting this OS more than a year after release so customers can feel OK to upgrade their laptops seems pretty reasonable - no one is asking Serato to build a cold fusion reactor or anything in the realm of rocket science here. I totally agree with you, when you go and buy a new laptop they don't sale it with windows 7 only windows 8. I even went to Microsoft and they said they don't sell it so I went to amazon and got window 7. Now I'm going to get a new machine and put windows 7 on it what do you think. ^^^ LMAO @ Sigma I mean literally LOLing!!

Honestly Bigzoe you can do the research. See what's having the issues. See what's working. The answer is very simple but apparently some people don't want to hear it.

I am finding it amusing the the hater is choosing to hate on one of the laptops easiest selling points. I mean I guess all those consumer report guys and analysts along with all the consumers are getting it all wrong. Obviously this guy is disgruntled at something but unlike him i won't tell you what to get.

Make the decision for yourself. Use all the forums here (which apparently we are all in on it it as well as Serato) and make the call. I guarantee it won't lead you to the doorstep of an MSI.

I am not saying anything good or bad about it but I would NEVER lead someone away from the obvious answer while serving my own personal agenda. Again Mavericks isn't supported yet either... Right there with ya. I just choose to wait until it is to introduce it into my rigs. Whatever's whatever.

Like I said make the choice yourself and I don't want to say one way or another. I understand your feelings (@ Sigma_7) I really do. I can appreciate the want for a unique machine and a more user friendly machine that is GREAT for every day use (which you will see many of use here do just that) BUT I believe the question was aimed at a machine for use with Serato. Maybe this will help a little BUT as it says in the article the MOST important thing to take into consideration is what is KNOW to work with Serato with the least amount of issues and the BEST performance. You're losing the script - I'm not worried about issues.

I have dedicated machines for work, for audio and video processing, for DJing, for camping, for media centre, for whatever. I have an Intel machine running Windows 7 that I am using Serato DJ on.

It's a solid machine. But I am still butthurt about not being able to use any of my new machines and the capabilities they offer - especially the touchscreen - in a flawless way with anything other than ITCH. I expected when I bought a controller with Serato that it was a superior product in every way. The first controller I bought was a choice between a Pioneer DDJ-S1 (Serato) and Pioneer DDJ-T1 (Traktor) - I actually gave up two channels to go with Serato - years later, I'd have no way of knowing I wouldn't be able to run their latest and greatest software with an SD Card installed on a major OS build that isn't supported more than a year after release. I mean, talk about system overload! SD Card mayhem, what?

It's just a joke. Like buying a Ferrari that only runs on coal.

There are many great schools out there but as I am sure you can guess this is in NO way a course to be taken online which more & more are starting to offer. Unlike Ableton & other DAW's this is a hands on technique and diving in and just practice will help you. If you don't want to that is fine as well. Trust me your ears will be better judges of how you are progressing than you think. When I 'got it' I didn't have anyone to my side to say 'great job' I literally just knew. Because music in a way is based on algorithms & sequences your ears are trained enough even as a music enthusiast to tell when things are going right or wrong. Maybe take a stab at it, see how you progress & if you feel like you hit a standstill then maybe go for it.

LOL Most OS aren't stable for years. No company or business moves to a new OS because it's the newest latest and greatest OS out there. They wait until at least the first sp is released before the migration. I'm not at all upset with Serato because their commitment to excellence is beyond reproach. As deejdave said neither Windows 8 or Maverick are supported at this time.

Key words being at this time. Serato will support it in the future but the only question is when. As for Windows 8 hummm it's OK, it boots fast but it's a resource hog.

That is why they beefed up the specs on the windows 8 laptops. The ones that upgraded to windows 8, just meeting the requirements were not so impressed. I am not a fan of Mac's but if I were having problems with PC based machines I would be willing to spend the extra money for one. I can get a top of the line pc laptop for the price of a used Macbook pro. So why would I want to spend the extra money for something used. As for ssd drives they have a limited write and will fail if you exceed it. A ssd drive is gret for your OS and booting but not for programs that write to it all the time so be mindful of that fact.

When do you start to get upset. I would think that a company like serato to grow with the times.I would not want windows 9 to come out and your still working on window 8. As technology gets better so should the company. This is not to take away from what pdidy said ( Why wouldn't someone want to buy the best recommended tool for the job?

) If I had to go with an older model in order for my gear to work well that what I have to do, but a lot of people have faith in this company so they must be doing something right. TwoCities: you seem to be looking at this from a corporate or enterprise perspective.

Win 8 is not a resource hog. I have it running on a variety of different machines - the lowest of which is has 2GB RAM, 32GB SSD, 1.2Ghz Intel CPU, touchscreen display.

This is running Win 8.1 32 bit - it boots in 8 seconds flat, and is very responsive, snappy, and quick. It won't be doing any weather modelling or 3D animation rendering, but for everyday use and everyday apps, it's an awesome little throwaway machine. Do these system requirements really look like an OS that's a resource hog? Processor: 1 gigahertz (GHz) or faster with support for PAE, NX, and SSE2 •RAM: 1 gigabyte (GB) (32-bit) or 2 GB (64-bit) •Hard disk space: 16 GB (32-bit) or 20 GB (64-bit) •Graphics card: Microsoft DirectX 9 graphics device with WDDM driver that said, I have 64-bit Win 8.1 running on more suitably equipped machines - I watch resource use carefully out of curiosity.

The OS seems to 'use more if you have more' but it never compromises performance or speed in anything I do on my machines. It seems to use what is there.

That said, it's not and won't ever be a corporate OS unless they create a desktop only version. It's nice to have a touchscreen and go back and forth between desktop and the Start screen where are the metro apps are, but it is laughable to think corporations would load this on business machines. As far as SSDs I am not using any write-intensive programs on any SSD I have, and to be honest, most people don't.

If you're really paranoid, you can use an 128GB SD Card with 90mb/sec write capability as a target for your OS/browser/application temp folders, download folders, media library folders, etc. Part of the beauty of the SSD aside from power consumption, silent operation, file copy operation speeds, is the instantaneous OS and program startups and shutdowns. Using it for the OS and not for programs isn't even getting half the benefits of having the SSD in the first place. For DJs, I don't know how you can think you can rely on a mechanical drive if you're playing on huge systems and subjecting an HDD to that kind of sustained vibration, heat, and high sound pressure levels outside or in any given venue vs an SSD.

In a non-enterprise setting I'd be and have been a lot more worried about a mechanical hard disk drive crashing than an SSD reaching it's write cycle limit on enough block to compromise the drive completely - both scenarios being extremely rare, I'd err on the side of the performance boost of the SSD in a tradeoff. I'm just stating the obvious. Serato is a corp. A corporation approaches new tech slowly and we are talking about giving support to a newer OS. From windows 3.11 to windows 7 every business has moved slowly in migration and or support of a newer OS.

They typically won't embrace it until after at least the first SP has been released. As I understand it Serato is working on support for the Maverick and Windows 8 OS's. I would not have much faith in a company that was reckless in jumping the gun in supporting a new OS until it has a proper shake down. Ie SP1 SP2 to work out all the issues that weren't addressed during the release after beta. As for mechanical drives. Ok they are a little slower but there is tech that has been around for years both anti vibration dampers as well as drives that are built to resist vibrations. They cost a bit more but if that is your concern, problem solved.

As for an SD card to put my files on.hummmm don't think they all would fit. Oh OK use several SD cards and switch between them as needed ' No Thank You'.

I have had several SD cards and USB drives just die and lost all the data that was stored on them. I Couldn't reformat them or they were no longer able to be detected or seen by the computer. I Have had an ssd drive reach it's max write cycle limit on me, so I'm speaking from experience. I'm not saying the technology isn't good, but if you endorse it and give all these pro's you must also give the con's. You have been suggesting using SSD drives but not giving the full picture where a fair and practical / informed decision can be made as to use them or not.

I am sure that many professionals don't have SSD drives in their laptops no matter if it's MAC or PC. FYI Serato writes to each file every time you set a cue point or make any changes to it.

Also when you analyze your files it writes to to the file. If you adjust your beat grid it writes to the file. So as I was saying and maybe not clear enough for you to understand what my point is on that, 'any files that are getting written to a lot should be on another drive and not your SSD drive'. I had Windows 8 on several computers and it was a resource hog. Keep in mind that windows slows over time and some of this is tied to the registry. No getting around that con for windows.

As your registry grows it takes more time for Windows to go through thus affecting performance. I like the way some of the features in windows 8 work, also noticed the huge departure MS has taken from how windows was set up, managed and worked. Windows 8 reminded me of an android or Apple iOS. A huge difference then anything previously done by them. I just have to say if it works for you then great if not try something else. I chose to go back to Windows 7 because it's what Serato supports at this time. As I can tell there is much thought in how you are doing things and I hear a desire to expand what you are able to do with Serato software.

Taking your performance to the next level, but at the moment It's not supported. It's not hardware so I can't see why they wouldn't plan to support it in the near future. It's just not supported at the moment. They have been busy working on DJ which is a new code base for both DVS and Controllers so very little time to focus on supporting the latest OS on the market. Next month is the release of the official DJ 1.6 and we might see support for Maverick and Windows 8 at that time.

They have also been working on adding support for other hardware which also might be a good reason they haven't gotten to it yet.

The latest episode of Sonic State’s Sonic Lab is a review of the, an MPC-style MIDI controller. Host Nick Batt takes a look at the new MPC-style MIDI controller, introduced at this year’s. The Trigger Finger Pro is a portable, 16-pad (4×4 configured) instrument with onboard sequencing. The Trigger Finger Pro draws from its predecessor’s performance pad roots, but features significantly improved hardware design and additional features. The Trigger Finger Pro comes with Arsenal – a virtual drum machine app that can be used within your DAW or standalone. Along with AIR Drums and Hybrid 3 plug-ins, Trigger Finger Pro includes 8 GB of ready-to-play sounds, loops, one-shots with content from Black Anomaly, Prime Loops, Toolroom Records, and more. It also offers an onboard step sequencer and hardware MIDI out, so you can use the Trigger Finger Pro to sequence hardware synths in sync with software beats. The Trigger Finger Pro has a street price of US $399. More details on the Trigger Finger Pro are available at & Nick Batt shares more of his thoughts on the new controller.

No midi input disappointing also to using a keyboard for real time recording, maybe at least a usb keyboard would work? I assume sequences can be polyphonic? Also no mention if sequences can be different lengths, and different number of steps for polymeters/polyrythmns. I was hoping this might be a poor mans performance handy Cirklon, but sequencer doesnt seem quite that advanced. However, for the cost of 3 Arturia beatsteps, you seem to get functionality of 64?

Beatsteps, so its a good price from that point of view. My interest is for a hardware sequencer, so computer software/soundsets is a distraction of their efforts for me though. I’d buy this if they just had a little different design. I don’t need the whole software package.

Bud I’d definitely need a midi input to use it as a sync slave as a stand alone. This device could be really great if it could be a standalone midi sequencer like my cirklon. I’d could use it for sequencing all my drummaschines like the Jomox or even with a modular.

Together with the cirklon that would be the centre of my whole setup. But I definitely don’t need another midi controller with tons of loops and software. That’s just not my taste. You can sync it over usb, which is not ideal, but passable for my needs. Each sequence is monophonic, but it is easy to create polyphonic sequencer by playing them across multiple tracks with the pads. It really shines as a midi controller, whether or not you use the sounds it comes with (I tend to not, and still find it incredibly useful). The pads are also really good quality, and the sequencer is solid – if a bit basic.

That said, it is really quite a bargain if you happen to need an all-round controller that is far less tied to its innate software that things like Maschine. It’s pretty well made, and intuitive while still having a shed-load of customising options. If they added the ability to record what you play in over the usb (you can trigger the pads over usb, so should be easy to do), ability to adjust the step length individually for each track, and the ability to customise the screen readout (or better – an option to tie the sliders/dials cc assignments to each pad), it would be a perfect bit of kit. Why do we need something 1/6th of the price of a LM-1? Well, because we are not all rich. And because this is really very different in almost every way to a LM-1. As far as “another one of these things” goes, I can’t name a single alternative that incorporates high-quality pads, bi-directional midi with customisable led feedback, a standalone 64 track step sequencer, iOS compatibility, makie/hui/cc control, a solid internal clock, and all for £300.

The nearest thing that approaches this is one of the Elektron boxes, which are a lot more money, or a full-size maschine or spark, and neither of them are anywhere near as customisable, nor are they standalone. I’m absolutely not interested in connecting this to a computer, so the software extras aren’t particularly compelling, though I’d probably goof around with them. I’m not using a DAW or Ableton, so I don’t care about controlling software with it. And MIDI in for me also isn’t all that critical because I’d be using it as the master. What I really want is a stand-alone sequencer with an interface as easy as the Korg ESX/EMX series, and this looks like it could be that.

And with the dirt-cheap MPX8 and MPX16 from Akai, it would seem to nearly replace the Korgs and with a little more flexibility. Too bad it’s only 4 bars instead of 8 like the Korgs, but it seems more flexible in other ways.

Much cheaper than an Electron Octatrack, and with far fewer critical rotary encoders, which are notoriously flaky these days. I won’t buy gear very dependent on rotaries since most companies skimp and use cheap mechanical ones instead of optical ones, and the cheap ones start going flaky in 6 months to a year. It looks to me I can use the sliders on the Trigger Finger Pro instead of the rotaries for my needs and avoid that problem. BOTH my Korg ESX and EMX have a flaky data knob, the only rotary encoders on the beast, and check the reports of flaky encoders on the Electrons. Avoid rotaries like the plague.