I was working with a small budget when I bought my new DJ laptop and home computer. I went with the base model M1 Mac Mini with 8GB RAM and 256GB storage and the base model M1 MacBook Air with 8GB RAM and 256GB storage. The MacBook Air runs all DJ software with ease! Serato DJ with Serato Video with Stems, no problem. The battery life is amazing! The Mac mini runs Maschine and Adobe Premiere pretty damn well! If you do go for an M1 Mini or Air, go for 16GB RAM and more than 256GB storage. My 256GB storage is always full. I have never had any issues with the temperature on the M1 MacBook Air. If I were buying a new DJ laptop today, I would probably go for the M2 MacBook Air with 16GB RAM and 512GB or 1TB of storage.
M2 MACBOOK AIR USER. is very good, doesnt throttle not even in outdoor summer gig. serato and rekordbox are not CPU intensive. i even did a serato video set for hours no hick ups. i have all other software in there still and so far so good.
doing the video is what makes a newer laptop like M2 shine.. totally overkill for normal audio Serato use but if you can afford the latest laptop all gravy.
I have a 2019 i7 Macbook pro with the super touch bar 😉 No problem with live Serato stem on the fly. Im on beta 3.1 with Denon sc5000 and it rock solid. No need of M1 or higher!
An interesting note: Luke Miani, who has a great channel talking all about Macs here on UA-cam, just shared that he received a new M3 machine with Ventura installed on it. So there is a (slim) chance that if you buy an M3, you won’t be stuck on Sonoma. I’ll be following that with interest.
I'm still rocking a Mid 2012 13 inch MacBook Pro just for djing and it runs absolutely fine! I've used it with both controllers and cdjs and it has never let me down. Highly upgradable and very shock resistent. They are also cheap to repair and cheap to replace as well in case the damage is beyond repair 😂😂
@@ferfzero4333 I’ve used stems with it and it runs decently well. With rekordbox stems take a while to load but nothing to crazy, with Djay Pro it’s really quick. Although I have to admit that this computer struggles a lot with video mixing.
I still use my 2012 MBP I7 2.9ghz 16gb ram took out the cd drive put in 2tb ssd and I use it with srems no problem with process when drop for stems checked
@@ferfzero4333I also use a mid 2012 mbp and it can certainly handle doing stems, just gets real slow when you're using it on the fly. Serato's display will freeze up while its doing all its compute but it will still output audio. Same thing can happen when you run 4 tracks too but not as much as when youre using stems. i bought the laptop for cheap so i take what i can get out of it.
I bought a Macbook Air M1 (16GB/512GB) just for DJing in 2020. And i still LOVE it. It never let me down and it can handle all DJ software with ease. I even sold my desktop PC and now i use this Macbook for everything.
@@demariobrooks3979 Longest one with this Macbook was 6 hours in a very hot environment. No problems at all. That’s one of the reasons why I love the Macbook Air! This is without a doubt the best laptop I can advise for DJing. And I see and use a lot of different laptops since I’m in IT.
I got a 2020 M1 Mac air. The perfect combination with my gears. It is perfect for DJing no need for a $2400 book for JUST DJing. But if you want to go for it. Do it
The past weekend im worried because i forgot my mb air m2 charger in my house. I can play a 6 hours set with less than 75% of the battery. I Think MacBook Air M2 is one of the best laptops for djs.
I bought an M1 MacBook Air 8gb 256gb for $830 a year ago. Here in Argentina was the only model not overprized. I think that for the ones that are in a budget it’s still the best laptop buck for buck today. I would love to have magsafe but you can get an M1 Air right now for $750 so the difference between this one and the M2 is not 100 bucks. I use it 8 or 9 nights a month with a satechi hub, my library in a micro sd and mixers, controllers or cdjs connected. Never had an issue. Love your videos!!!!
Running a MacBook Air with the M2. Doesn’t get warm even after extended DVS use on RekordBox. Hardly touches the CPU usage so it stays very cool. Would recommend the 512GB over the 256 because of the read/write speeds. The 512 is much much faster. Running macOS Ventura - no issue. Didn’t take the chance updating to Sonoma.
Dude, literally ANY M1 macbook, even first gen, will be absolutely fine EVEN WITH STEMS. Been playing 6+ hour sets in cramped "boiler room" style rooms for the past few years, been using stems since they came out. Magsafe absolutely should not be a game changing decision, if your mac power cable is getting yanked out you have bigger issues on your hands than magsafe. You do NOT need a TB of storage for DJing lmao. You also should not care about speaker quality on your DJ laptop. This entire video seems like a apple shilling, if you're making music thats a different story; but for DJing I dont think any of this video is really necessary past the first 5 minutes.
Just bought a refurbished M2 Macbook Pro 16Gb, 1TB since stems look like so much fun! I also work on video effects and this one works for me. Ordered some chroma cables and I'm all set...didn't have to twist my arm too much Mojaxx lol. Still have two 2012 MacBook Pros but in the hot summers they struggle without a fan or shade. They shall remain great backup dj laptops when needed.
ive been using my macbook Pro with Sonoma, on both Rekordbx and Serato without problems. Sure, they claim its not compatible yet, but it seems to work fine. btw, both Rekordbox and Serato are still being extremely slow and lazy about updating their software, and it still DOES NOT natively support the Apple Silicon (M1, M2, M3) processors. Those two apps only run in emulation mode using Rosetta 2, and are Intel applications. (Its been 3 years since Apple launched the M series processors and they havnt shipped any Intel Macs for ages) Just imagine the performance these Macs would get if Rekordbox and Serato actually did their job properly and supported the Apple Silicon processors natively. The performance would be insane ! Exporting or Analysing tracks or processing Stems in bulk could be a lot faster!
I just picked up the M2max 32 Memory 2TB I use it for both djing and photography. Stems on the fly, butter. I went from the 2012 which I had been using since 2012. Absolutely love it.
For DJ purposes only (on Traktor), I was actually still very happy with my 2012 Macbook Pro (the last upgradable Macbook), which I upgraded to 8GB RAM. Then a friend had a 2018 model Macbook Pro to spare (Intel core i7, 32GB RAM, 500GB SSD) that comes with 4 USB C/Thunderbolt ports, which is awesome because I hate USB hubs, and I can easily hook it up with my two Traktor controllers. There's no Macsafe on it though, but this doesn't bother me too much tbh. So all works very well for DJ-ing I must say. Gaming on a Mac is still too limited so I use a Windows laptop and desktop for all other stuff.
USB hubs are terrible. I can still use an even older MBP without issues as long as you have thunderbolt drives (SSD) and good cooling. My main machine is a GIGABYTE 17" gaming laptop that is suited very well to live gigs . My mirror machines are Macs.
This is the right video at the right time!!! I have a 2013 Mac Book Pro, it is perfect and has never given me any problems but... now I can't get the stems update, so I'm thinking of buying a Mac Book Pro M2 8gb 256gb I think this can work well for just DJing
Always used Windows based laptops since I switched to software for DJing in 2011 & never had issues & at a fraction of the price of Apple laptops. Currently using an Asus i5 10th Gen with 16GB RAM & 512GB NvME SSD. Runs smooth as silk with Serato DJ.
There have been some pretty unreasonable changes to Windows 11 on Microsoft’s behalf. Which is why many audio developers are struggling to update software to Windows 11.
Simple answer as to why Mac: DPC latency. Macs don't have it, Windows do. DPC latency is what makes your high spec Windows laptop unable to perform audio processing without glitches. Laptop power management (cpu throttling etc) is a major cause of DPC latency and one of the reasons XMG cannot build a low audio latency windows laptop. Take two identical build windows laptops, install different software on them and you might find one works ok for audio, the other doesnt. Its a crapshoot.
just a note I use a 15" MacBook pro mid 2012 2.3 Ghz quad core intel core i7 Catalina 10.15.7, 16gb ram,1tb ssd Samsung runs Traktor 3.8 and serato dj pro 3.0.12 stems and video fully loaded , and serato dj pro 2.55/rane sl3 I also run dmx lighting software this computer has a lot of options ports/including cd /audio in/out /video /sd card and more original's battery still on normal operation cycles for those that think these computers are obsolete I run davinci resolve 18 for video and capture one for photography , all I can say still going strong no screen or keyboard problems with this model bonus I can upgrade the cd writer to an additional internal ssd drive bootable . back up / mirror or music/video library
Thank you! I have been on a 2012 mbpro with 16g ram and running mojave... no issues... but i think i will go for a new m3 16" with 38g ram... mostly for ableton.
Running an M1 Air 8gb 512 gb runs Serato with my S5 no issues with stems ect great little laptop prefer the smaller size of the airs would have liked more ram but all working great
I’ve been waiting a while for someone to make this video so thanx Mo Jaxx!! I like to future proof as my as I can so is an M3, 12-core CPU, 18GB Unified Memory enough for Serato Stems and Serato Studio?
Mac > Win For audio/DJ, video editing, layout/design, photography, light-medium 3D, causal gaming, etc. Win > Mac For hardcore gaming, more heavy 3D (cuda/optix)... but that's mostly it. No, thanks for me.
I just upgraded to a 13' MBA M2 (16/1TB/8C GPU) and run it with Sonoma, Traktor, Traktor x1 MK3 and a Pioneer DJM 750 mk2. Everything works perfectly fine. I was able to perform a 4,5h set without any issue. IMO the MBA config is the perfect compromise between specs and price.
im on a crossroad what to choose, to safe $$$ and go for MBA m2 16/512 or tighten the belt and get MPro M3 18/512..... its 700eur difference here. So you recommend MBA??? How does it analyze tracksin RB or Traktor, with ease or getting warm and unresponsive?
Hey, great video, as for what I'm using... MacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, Mid 2015) 2.2 GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i7, 16 GB 1600 MHz DDR3 and it handles Serato perfectly, not sure about stems as I've not got into that but for regular djing, it rocks. Can't see that I'll need an j upgrade anytime soon so I'm sticking with this machine untill it dies. I think you can pick this model up for around £500 now.
I use a 6 year old Gigabyte 17" machine and have a few Macbook Pros mirrored..all of the Macs are around 10 years old. The windows machine is better with heat disappation than the macs and see no difference in use with any of the machines. I use Rane 72 with Turntables and Serato , I don't do stems as I'm not happy with how they sound currently (muddy murky artifacts) . I come from stem production and other things... with certain software that I compare these on the fly stems .
I’ve got 2 - 2019 MacBook Pros that I bought refurbished. They have 32gb RAM with the i9 processor and they handle stems on the fly with no problem at all. I’ll never buy a brand new Mac again.
Or get a used Lenovo P-Series laptop that packs a bigger processor, with room for 4 drives/SSD's, a crazy amount of Ram, a really decent video card and more ports than you can imagine. No thermal issues at all, plenty of power even for video editing Ableton, etc. And also enjoy a variety of mil-spec features like vibration and drop resistance, water resistance, etc. By the end of it all you'll likely be under $2000 and will have years worth of life on it. #foodforthought
This. Honestly Mojax worst review ever. He clealy doesn't well understand computer hardware enought to properly make this video. There are so many better options available and not just cause of price.
I'm a Windows guy Through and Through! From Windows 95. That said, I have a Mac Mini from 2012 like Mojaxx. With an upgraded HD to SSD, and maxed out RAM, it STILL works. I also have a MacBook Pro 2020 M1 with the 512GB / 16GB RAM configuration. Another Mac Mini 2020 M1 with the 256GB/16GB RAM Configuration and I have the iPad Pro 12.9 2020 M1 Pro. All in all... That M1 is PERFECT. Quiet, fast, and based on my 2012 Mac Mini, will last EONS!!! I am dabbling with Abelton, FCP, RKB, Serato, and a bunch of other stuff and these M1s laugh at me like, bro... What else you got! So, skip to where Mojaxx gives you the gem and tells you to get a refurbished M1 MacBook Pro M1. The M2 and now M3 are just so you can be cool and with the now. TL:DR = Buy a Refurbished M1 Pro and that baby will work like a dream.
Cloud service is the worst possible method of back up . Always backup locally not remotely unless you have a gig that requires remote service (rare) .. Never give your library away to these cloud providers and what happens when they cut off access.. just buy 3 of the same and have your local, and 2 mirror drives or on mirror computers of similar capability. Thank me later but I doubt any thanks at all because most people support this cloud storage garbage.
@@SPINNINGMYWHEELS777 you want your music data in three different spots. 1. On site 2. Offsite 3. Online good luck when you lose your physical drives🤷🏾♂️🤦🏾♂️ lol
@@bboymac84 Offsite is least reliable - it's optional . You bought into it though, and that's fine I'm into freedom of choice 100% . I'm talking physical redundancy with backup - never 'lost' data in 35 years of using computers - due to data redundancy when I lost 1 SCSI drive... in 1996 .. I know my comment isn't popular but I could care less. Maybe you don't remember those days of carrying records you didn't store them in Florida if you lived in Ohio . Owning, cataloguing storing my digital media locally is just part of the professionalism and what makes a standout DJ due to 'your set is your set' . I rip all my own stuff as well. Google inc (or whoever owns the servers) doesn't need copies of my rare sides. I understand we live in the convenience generation but it's really not convenient it's an illusion - kinda like how people are 'djing' now.. should be called button jockey not disc jockey. Cheers dude it's an intersting topic .
I had a 16 inch MacBook Pro 2019 and it went out on me about an hour before a show back in February so I ran out to the local Best Buy and bought an M2 16 GB MacBook Air and in Texas we had some of the hottest weather we’ve ever had this summer and I did several pool parties and never had an issue. I don’t think I’m going back to a MacBook Pro, especially DJing out at beaches and stuff. I’m not as worried if my MacBook Air gets damaged for my Home set up I just ordered the iMac M3 today. Replacing my 2017 iMac Pro so looking forward to trying that out. Great video.
Thanks for the review - I am considering buying the m2 or m3 macbook air this year, if it can survive DJing in Texas heat, it will be juuuust fine out here in Canada lol
Another great video sir!!, also not forgetting that the M1 air can also handle music stress free up to 58 tracks editing in Logic before it shits the bed as well as all of the usual suspects for our live sets.....I did however because of Sky and their new affiliation with apple got a deal on a M2 pro 13" through their mobile store to save having to splurge our 2 bags on a new machine
6th most influential DJ in the world right here! I'm not even in the market for a new laptop, but he's talking macbooks so I better think about upgrading🤣
Was never done optimising windows pcs constant problems been on mac past 10 years now would never go back to pc not for DJing and certainly not for production you get what you pay for unfortunately
I'm rocking a Razer Blade 15 with the nvidia 3060. Had to spend some time with some driver issues and making sure all the settings were right but it's been a really stable experience on Rekorbox DJ. I DJ for hours on it doing VJing and I don't notice any issues. I do have to use a USB hub but only if I am video mixing (might be a windows issue with latency, they have always been iffy with USB 2 vs USB 3 conversion, don't know why). Audio (which most djs do) is an extremely solid experience in both outdoors in the heat or indoors.
Hi Mojax. Question about Video DJING? I use Serato and MixEmergency, Does having a higher GPU core help at all for Video DJing or is it primary used for rendering out projects for editing? Thank you for your video and great info. Respect and appreciate you.
I use the M2 AIR . works totally fine with video sets for hours . I also edit on davinci resolve 4k videos . Super fine . Difference come in on the export times.
I had a M1 MacBook Air, (2020, 8gb/512), Running Rekorbox DVS I found that it was fine for about 30-40 minutes but after that started to mess up....I also found that if I was recording I would get audio drop outs in the recording that were not evident while playing...not sure if it was just a Rekordbox issue or perhaps using DVS caused the problem. These problems were evident with bluetooth, wifi and all other non-essential processes turned off. I sold it got an M1 MBP (2021,16gb/512).No issue at all with the MDP of course :)
I’m still on my old 2012 MacBook Pro updates SSD hardrive and 16 gig memory. It does fine for what it do and what event I dj .. but this guide will help as I will be finally upgrading near future … thank you
I have the Mac air and I had to buy like all these usb port extensions 😂😂 that was my only gripe. But yea if that bad boy is charging….good luck plugging much of anything else in lol
I personally recommend getting a quality vinyl wrap instead of a clip-on clear case. With those kind of shells, you'll end up with a lot of dust & dirt getting caught inside it and you'll actually damage the machine more than without.
An interesting perspective, but I’m going to disagree, as I’ve been using similar cases since 2007 (starting with my white plastic MacBook - classic!) and have never had any issues like that with them.
Im a bedroom guy.....running Dell Precision M6800 17" + 32GB Ram and 3 SSD disks....pretty solid with windows 10 + Serato DJ Pro + SL3box + vestax rotary mixer - No internet connections, no firewall, no updates....nothing- Total dadicated for audio
I am a DJ who mixes videos on a weekly basis using Mix Emergency with Serato. On the side I do Post Production work for TV, Documentaries and Movies. The last movie I did needed at least 64GB ram cause I had about 800 Pro Tools tracks.
you've never heard of bouncing? you're running 800 audio tracks? Is that a typo kid? Pro tools has a limit under 800 to run tracks last I heard it was around 256 Mono tracks.. . Maybe you're not speaking english properly , define what you mean by 800 Pro Tools tracks and how are you using them in context with Serato.
Thank you !!!! Lots of useful details for someone discoververing Apple ecosytem.... I kinda like the Apple quality but I'm still still sceptical about theyr phylosophy, Apple is definitely not for people with a tight budget... It have some pros and some cons.... Your videos is really precise and useful !! Thanks again ;)
pro all the way and i prefer two fans at full pelt.With the m3s we shall see.Serato or final cut are pretty heavy on the cpu so as much as i can afford
Hi there, i have Mac mini i7 16gigs memory , install open legacy pacher ( Sonoma Os last version with al the update ) for heat up i install Mac funs App and can handle very very well ,setup on core temp sensor , and you can use on very hard environment no problem , as for speed is more than enough for dj 2Tb on 2ssd (is possible ) no problem , as ports ( complet ) and work very very well
Thanks for the video. This is very helpful. I'd be interested to know what people think about the acclaimed "overheating" issue on the new M3s. Or rather that the M3s run a bit hotter than the M2.
i will be going from an eight core intel machine to an M3 Mac of some sort.That is a major jump .I waited because as it stands my intel machine has served me well and i was in no hurry to fork out over two grand when my old Mac as long as the fans are clean is holding up quite well .I dont bother with live stemming just yet but in Serato Studio i am all over that.The future though is going to require major grunt so it will soon be time for an M3 based Mac.Should be fun
If you use the Mac only for djing, I’d recommend 1 To and if you use it for production as well, an external SSD will do the job perfectly. But if you use your Mac also to work with and have large amounts of files, I would recommend 2 To if you want to have your music library in your Mac OR use an external SSD for your music library as I do for many years. I use 80% of my 1 To for work, so really think of your actual and future needs. But Apple does not help with their insane upgrade SSD prices. And really think ahead for the memory, because storage can be resolved with external SSD but memory is not upgradable
i have had bigger screens as i am old so i have text enlarged but a bright 14inch might be ok but not if there is only one fan.I feel more secure with two.
I have a MBA M1 w/ 16 gb RAM. It is a bit annoying having to tote around a hub & lack of magsafe is irritating but aside from that, I've never had any issues with overheating & it doesn't even break a sweat running Serato or VDJ Stems alongside Ableton. I've had multiple i🎉nstances of of power hungry VSTs...Sytrus, Massive, Omnisphere on FL Studio w/ audio tracks that I didn't bother bouncing & took everything I've thrown at it. Doesn't flinch for Final Cut Pro where my MBP i9 would. In hindsight I wish I hadn't jumped on it so quick & waited around for an M2 but it is what it is
how does your advice change if we take music production into the equation? Ableton or similar programs? thanks for your great insights as always. I use a MAc book M1pro 32 mg ram and 2 tb ssd. Guessing this will last me a while....
Thank you for not dismissing the M2 MacBook Air. So many people think that you have to get a spec'd out $5000 MacBook Pro which is not true at all. I have the 15" M2 MacBook Air and it works great, including with Stems.
Not having that fan with the Air is my apprehension, I'm upgrading from Macbook Pro 2015 15' which is truly a champion amongst champions. Stuck between Air to save some $$$ or Pro to cover all bases. I do alot of FCPX and Adobe editing as well during the week.
Terrible video. You don't need an expensive MB Pro just for DJing. What about new beginner DJs? Not everyone is a professional master DJ. They can start even with the base M1 MB Air for that. It works absolutely fine.
Speaking of M1s (i assume the same goes for M2&3 but havent tried those) i used to have one with 512/8gb config and it has been used outdoors in open air with no tents and around 40C+ next to a lake while under a late afternoon sun. I do remember monitoring max temps at about 50 deegres C more or less, with Serato v2 back then. I agree that a fan always sounds like a better idea, but really....that fanless M1 stood like a champ and seemed to be as good as a fan cooled model. Only thing that gets hot with this kind of setup are those freaking type c metal hubs you always need (and those do get quite hot indeed, no matter which brand and type i ever tried.)
In my controller days, i had a 2011 MBP with the i7 which was fine when it wasn't cooking itself into oblivion. It had it's logic board replaced twice for that reason! Since then i've only ever used computers when I do DVS and i've done that on a 2012 Mac Mini which i still use in the studio today and a ThinkPad W541 from 2015 to 2021 and currently use a Surface Pro 7+ when i'm using DVS out somewhere. I'll also use the Surface for any on the fly library management with Rekordbox if i'm on the road since I have the cloud library stuff turned on. I do most of my library management from my main desktop in the studio.
I was working with a small budget when I bought my new DJ laptop and home computer. I went with the base model M1 Mac Mini with 8GB RAM and 256GB storage and the base model M1 MacBook Air with 8GB RAM and 256GB storage. The MacBook Air runs all DJ software with ease! Serato DJ with Serato Video with Stems, no problem. The battery life is amazing! The Mac mini runs Maschine and Adobe Premiere pretty damn well! If you do go for an M1 Mini or Air, go for 16GB RAM and more than 256GB storage. My 256GB storage is always full.
I have never had any issues with the temperature on the M1 MacBook Air.
If I were buying a new DJ laptop today, I would probably go for the M2 MacBook Air with 16GB RAM and 512GB or 1TB of storage.
M2 MACBOOK AIR USER. is very good, doesnt throttle not even in outdoor summer gig. serato and rekordbox are not CPU intensive. i even did a serato video set for hours no hick ups. i have all other software in there still and so far so good.
doing the video is what makes a newer laptop like M2 shine.. totally overkill for normal audio Serato use but if you can afford the latest laptop all gravy.
What memory you rocking - 8 or 16gb ?
How much ram do you have? 8gb or 16gb
@@adamproctor7554 8GB
@@thijnenninga6109 8GB
I have a 2019 i7 Macbook pro with the super touch bar 😉 No problem with live Serato stem on the fly. Im on beta 3.1 with Denon sc5000 and it rock solid. No need of M1 or higher!
I ordered a MacBook Air M2 16 GB 1TB two years ago for my DJING career best money I ever spent good video man
An interesting note: Luke Miani, who has a great channel talking all about Macs here on UA-cam, just shared that he received a new M3 machine with Ventura installed on it. So there is a (slim) chance that if you buy an M3, you won’t be stuck on Sonoma. I’ll be following that with interest.
Just chiming in to say that I have had 0 issues with Sonoma using Rekordbox & Ableton Live! :)
I'm still rocking a Mid 2012 13 inch MacBook Pro just for djing and it runs absolutely fine! I've used it with both controllers and cdjs and it has never let me down. Highly upgradable and very shock resistent. They are also cheap to repair and cheap to replace as well in case the damage is beyond repair 😂😂
No way it’s able to keep up with live stem processing…
Like, if I agree you can use an older machine, IF you know the limitations.
I've done it on Rekordbox and it seems to work just fine. Perhaps it takes a little longer though...@@ferfzero4333
@@ferfzero4333 I’ve used stems with it and it runs decently well. With rekordbox stems take a while to load but nothing to crazy, with Djay Pro it’s really quick. Although I have to admit that this computer struggles a lot with video mixing.
I still use my 2012 MBP I7 2.9ghz 16gb ram took out the cd drive put in 2tb ssd and I use it with srems no problem with process when drop for stems checked
@@ferfzero4333I also use a mid 2012 mbp and it can certainly handle doing stems, just gets real slow when you're using it on the fly. Serato's display will freeze up while its doing all its compute but it will still output audio. Same thing can happen when you run 4 tracks too but not as much as when youre using stems. i bought the laptop for cheap so i take what i can get out of it.
I bought a Macbook Air M1 (16GB/512GB) just for DJing in 2020. And i still LOVE it. It never let me down and it can handle all DJ software with ease. I even sold my desktop PC and now i use this Macbook for everything.
How long are your Dj sets
@@demariobrooks3979 Longest one with this Macbook was 6 hours in a very hot environment. No problems at all. That’s one of the reasons why I love the Macbook Air! This is without a doubt the best laptop I can advise for DJing. And I see and use a lot of different laptops since I’m in IT.
Do you find the screen is large enough for Serato font?
@@mangadoloyou can adjust your font sir
I use the same macbook also but i don't think it's advisable for outdoor play. It's macbook air without air (Fans) haha
I got a 2020 M1 Mac air. The perfect combination with my gears. It is perfect for DJing no need for a $2400 book for JUST DJing. But if you want to go for it. Do it
The past weekend im worried because i forgot my mb air m2 charger in my house.
I can play a 6 hours set with less than 75% of the battery.
I Think MacBook Air M2 is one of the best laptops for djs.
I bought an M1 MacBook Air 8gb 256gb for $830 a year ago. Here in Argentina was the only model not overprized. I think that for the ones that are in a budget it’s still the best laptop buck for buck today. I would love to have magsafe but you can get an M1 Air right now for $750 so the difference between this one and the M2 is not 100 bucks. I use it 8 or 9 nights a month with a satechi hub, my library in a micro sd and mixers, controllers or cdjs connected. Never had an issue. Love your videos!!!!
Does yours work perfectly with serato stems
Brooo i got the 14 pro m1 16gb unified and 1TB hard drive is a beast….. coming from the 2012 pro 13”
Running a MacBook Air with the M2. Doesn’t get warm even after extended DVS use on RekordBox. Hardly touches the CPU usage so it stays very cool. Would recommend the 512GB over the 256 because of the read/write speeds. The 512 is much much faster. Running macOS Ventura - no issue. Didn’t take the chance updating to Sonoma.
Any apple silicon will destroy Dj duties with ease!
Dude, literally ANY M1 macbook, even first gen, will be absolutely fine EVEN WITH STEMS. Been playing 6+ hour sets in cramped "boiler room" style rooms for the past few years, been using stems since they came out. Magsafe absolutely should not be a game changing decision, if your mac power cable is getting yanked out you have bigger issues on your hands than magsafe. You do NOT need a TB of storage for DJing lmao. You also should not care about speaker quality on your DJ laptop. This entire video seems like a apple shilling, if you're making music thats a different story; but for DJing I dont think any of this video is really necessary past the first 5 minutes.
Just bought a refurbished M2 Macbook Pro 16Gb, 1TB since stems look like so much fun! I also work on video effects and this one works for me. Ordered some chroma cables and I'm all set...didn't have to twist my arm too much Mojaxx lol. Still have two 2012 MacBook Pros but in the hot summers they struggle without a fan or shade. They shall remain great backup dj laptops when needed.
ive been using my macbook Pro with Sonoma, on both Rekordbx and Serato without problems. Sure, they claim its not compatible yet, but it seems to work fine. btw, both Rekordbox and Serato are still being extremely slow and lazy about updating their software, and it still DOES NOT natively support the Apple Silicon (M1, M2, M3) processors. Those two apps only run in emulation mode using Rosetta 2, and are Intel applications. (Its been 3 years since Apple launched the M series processors and they havnt shipped any Intel Macs for ages) Just imagine the performance these Macs would get if Rekordbox and Serato actually did their job properly and supported the Apple Silicon processors natively. The performance would be insane ! Exporting or Analysing tracks or processing Stems in bulk could be a lot faster!
I switched to an M2 Air 512gb storage and I love it.
same , had mine for a bout a month. So fast , so lightweight , works FLAWLESSLY with Serato Stems too.
My dongles didn’t work so I returned it but I LOVE THE m2 air
My 2015 macbook 15 inch runs like a monster still to this day.
same brother. same...
I have the same but stems doesn’t work great
Same, it doesnt even support the newest OS which i think is required for Serato Stems to work well.@@GamingDJ
I just picked up the
M2max
32 Memory
2TB
I use it for both djing and photography.
Stems on the fly, butter.
I went from the 2012 which I had been using since 2012. Absolutely love it.
the best mid 2012 last one upgradable by users
For DJ purposes only (on Traktor), I was actually still very happy with my 2012 Macbook Pro (the last upgradable Macbook), which I upgraded to 8GB RAM. Then a friend had a 2018 model Macbook Pro to spare (Intel core i7, 32GB RAM, 500GB SSD) that comes with 4 USB C/Thunderbolt ports, which is awesome because I hate USB hubs, and I can easily hook it up with my two Traktor controllers. There's no Macsafe on it though, but this doesn't bother me too much tbh. So all works very well for DJ-ing I must say. Gaming on a Mac is still too limited so I use a Windows laptop and desktop for all other stuff.
Hi, could you please give feedback for MacBook Pro 2019 model to be used only for Traktor pro 3 and UA-cam. Is it safe for gigs?
USB hubs are terrible. I can still use an even older MBP without issues as long as you have thunderbolt drives (SSD) and good cooling. My main machine is a GIGABYTE 17" gaming laptop that is suited very well to live gigs . My mirror machines are Macs.
@@gamesheat The 2019 Macbook Pro is the same model, just with updated specs. So you should be excellent to go.
This is the right video at the right time!!!
I have a 2013 Mac Book Pro, it is perfect and has never given me any problems
but...
now I can't get the stems update, so I'm thinking of buying a Mac Book Pro M2 8gb 256gb
I think this can work well for just DJing
Always used Windows based laptops since I switched to software for DJing in 2011 & never had issues & at a fraction of the price of Apple laptops.
Currently using an Asus i5 10th Gen with 16GB RAM & 512GB NvME SSD. Runs smooth as silk with Serato DJ.
There have been some pretty unreasonable changes to Windows 11 on Microsoft’s behalf. Which is why many audio developers are struggling to update software to Windows 11.
@@kevinochoa6429 what 'unreasonable changes' are you talking about?
Im going to Acer Predator for my next buy . Im using Apple now ,but im gonna switch at some point
If you’re getting an m1 air go after used/openbox options. Listings for $600-700 are often available for even 16gb 512
Best buy also has certified Apple refurbished Macs. Mine was Just like new.
Simple answer as to why Mac: DPC latency. Macs don't have it, Windows do. DPC latency is what makes your high spec Windows laptop unable to perform audio processing without glitches. Laptop power management (cpu throttling etc) is a major cause of DPC latency and one of the reasons XMG cannot build a low audio latency windows laptop. Take two identical build windows laptops, install different software on them and you might find one works ok for audio, the other doesnt. Its a crapshoot.
Getting a refurbished Macbook Pro isn’t a bad idea. Mine is. You save a decent amount of money
Thats what I did I ordered a refurbished MacBook pro 16 gb 1tb 2017 was £270 from eBay
The fact the mac air don't have fan is a good feature - as smoke fluid and moisture in clubs kills everything over time
just a note I use a 15" MacBook pro mid 2012 2.3 Ghz quad core intel core i7 Catalina 10.15.7, 16gb ram,1tb ssd Samsung runs Traktor 3.8 and serato dj pro 3.0.12 stems and video fully loaded , and serato dj pro 2.55/rane sl3 I also run dmx lighting software this computer has a lot of options ports/including cd /audio in/out /video /sd card and more original's battery still on normal operation cycles for those that think these computers are obsolete I run davinci resolve 18 for video and capture one for photography , all I can say still going strong no screen or keyboard problems with this model
bonus I can upgrade the cd writer to an additional internal ssd drive bootable . back up / mirror or music/video library
If you are a Real professional, This shouldn't be a Issue with price. The going rate is 2000 and up for Mobile Dj's
ironic that the *Air doesnt have fans....
I have a 2017 and 2014 mac book air running rekordbox traktor and serato and djay on both of them and having no problems
Thank you! I have been on a 2012 mbpro with 16g ram and running mojave... no issues... but i think i will go for a new m3 16" with 38g ram... mostly for ableton.
Como te fué con eso ?
I have a 2022 MacBook Pro M1 (16g/1tb) for my DJing and I LOVE IT!!!! Hands down I will buy another one very soon!!
i use skylake hackintosh i7 6700k,32gb ram,super stable with traktor and ableton
Rekordbox stems need 16GB RAM minimum to be stable
Ah yes another round of e-waste from crapple. Zero ethics company.
Running an M1 Air 8gb 512 gb runs Serato with my S5 no issues with stems ect great little laptop prefer the smaller size of the airs would have liked more ram but all working great
I’ve been waiting a while for someone to make this video so thanx Mo Jaxx!! I like to future proof as my as I can so is an M3, 12-core CPU,
18GB Unified Memory enough for Serato Stems and Serato Studio?
That will be plenty!
I ordered a MacBook Pro m3 pro with 11-core CPU and 36GB unified memory
Thanks again
Mac > Win
For audio/DJ, video editing, layout/design, photography, light-medium 3D, causal gaming, etc.
Win > Mac
For hardcore gaming, more heavy 3D (cuda/optix)... but that's mostly it. No, thanks for me.
2023 Mbp m2 pro ,16’ I use it for producing beats. Works like magic 💪🏾
I just upgraded to a 13' MBA M2 (16/1TB/8C GPU) and run it with Sonoma, Traktor, Traktor x1 MK3 and a Pioneer DJM 750 mk2. Everything works perfectly fine. I was able to perform a 4,5h set without any issue. IMO the MBA config is the perfect compromise between specs and price.
Do you use STEMS with it? If so, how does it run using STEMS?
im on a crossroad what to choose, to safe $$$ and go for MBA m2 16/512 or tighten the belt and get MPro M3 18/512..... its 700eur difference here. So you recommend MBA??? How does it analyze tracksin RB or Traktor, with ease or getting warm and unresponsive?
Hey, great video, as for what I'm using... MacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, Mid 2015) 2.2 GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i7, 16 GB 1600 MHz DDR3 and it handles Serato perfectly, not sure about stems as I've not got into that but for regular djing, it rocks. Can't see that I'll need an j
upgrade anytime soon so I'm sticking with this machine untill it dies. I think you can pick this model up for around £500 now.
You can buy it as a student without any school information. You will save $200+ in a new Mac device.
Oh and 96 degrees. No issues in the Jersey heat
Awesome guide
I ordered a Mac m3 pro with 11-core CPU and 36GB unified memory trying to future proof. What do ya’ll think?
I use a 6 year old Gigabyte 17" machine and have a few Macbook Pros mirrored..all of the Macs are around 10 years old. The windows machine is better with heat disappation than the macs and see no difference in use with any of the machines. I use Rane 72 with Turntables and Serato , I don't do stems as I'm not happy with how they sound currently (muddy murky artifacts) . I come from stem production and other things... with certain software that I compare these on the fly stems .
I’ve got 2 - 2019 MacBook Pros that I bought refurbished. They have 32gb RAM with the i9 processor and they handle stems on the fly with no problem at all. I’ll never buy a brand new Mac again.
Or get a used Lenovo P-Series laptop that packs a bigger processor, with room for 4 drives/SSD's, a crazy amount of Ram, a really decent video card and more ports than you can imagine. No thermal issues at all, plenty of power even for video editing Ableton, etc. And also enjoy a variety of mil-spec features like vibration and drop resistance, water resistance, etc. By the end of it all you'll likely be under $2000 and will have years worth of life on it. #foodforthought
This.
Honestly Mojax worst review ever. He clealy doesn't well understand computer hardware enought to properly make this video.
There are so many better options available and not just cause of price.
I'm a Windows guy Through and Through! From Windows 95. That said, I have a Mac Mini from 2012 like Mojaxx. With an upgraded HD to SSD, and maxed out RAM, it STILL works. I also have a MacBook Pro 2020 M1 with the 512GB / 16GB RAM configuration. Another Mac Mini 2020 M1 with the 256GB/16GB RAM Configuration and I have the iPad Pro 12.9 2020 M1 Pro. All in all... That M1 is PERFECT. Quiet, fast, and based on my 2012 Mac Mini, will last EONS!!! I am dabbling with Abelton, FCP, RKB, Serato, and a bunch of other stuff and these M1s laugh at me like, bro... What else you got! So, skip to where Mojaxx gives you the gem and tells you to get a refurbished M1 MacBook Pro M1. The M2 and now M3 are just so you can be cool and with the now.
TL:DR = Buy a Refurbished M1 Pro and that baby will work like a dream.
1TB is enough to hold mudic your actually gonna play. Get a back up drive. Then back up files in your cloud service. Done! Moving on!💪🏽
Cloud service is the worst possible method of back up . Always backup locally not remotely unless you have a gig that requires remote service (rare) .. Never give your library away to these cloud providers and what happens when they cut off access.. just buy 3 of the same and have your local, and 2 mirror drives or on mirror computers of similar capability. Thank me later but I doubt any thanks at all because most people support this cloud storage garbage.
@@SPINNINGMYWHEELS777 you want your music data in three different spots.
1. On site
2. Offsite
3. Online
good luck when you lose your physical drives🤷🏾♂️🤦🏾♂️ lol
@@bboymac84 Offsite is least reliable - it's optional . You bought into it though, and that's fine I'm into freedom of choice 100% . I'm talking physical redundancy with backup - never 'lost' data in 35 years of using computers - due to data redundancy when I lost 1 SCSI drive... in 1996 .. I know my comment isn't popular but I could care less. Maybe you don't remember those days of carrying records you didn't store them in Florida if you lived in Ohio . Owning, cataloguing storing my digital media locally is just part of the professionalism and what makes a standout DJ due to 'your set is your set' . I rip all my own stuff as well. Google inc (or whoever owns the servers) doesn't need copies of my rare sides. I understand we live in the convenience generation but it's really not convenient it's an illusion - kinda like how people are 'djing' now.. should be called button jockey not disc jockey. Cheers dude it's an intersting topic .
So if you are basically dj only with Serato you only need the bae model m1 . If you’re recording or streaming that’s when you need the heavy guns
I’m still rocking my very first Mac Pro 2012 but looking to upgrade soon. Looking to get a Air but not sure how it performs in the sun vs a pro
I had a 16 inch MacBook Pro 2019 and it went out on me about an hour before a show back in February so I ran out to the local Best Buy and bought an M2 16 GB MacBook Air and in Texas we had some of the hottest weather we’ve ever had this summer and I did several pool parties and never had an issue. I don’t think I’m going back to a MacBook Pro, especially DJing out at beaches and stuff. I’m not as worried if my MacBook Air gets damaged for my Home set up I just ordered the iMac M3 today. Replacing my 2017 iMac Pro so looking forward to trying that out. Great video.
Thanks for the review - I am considering buying the m2 or m3 macbook air this year, if it can survive DJing in Texas heat, it will be juuuust fine out here in Canada lol
Who here is using windows laptop and using serato/stems? Looking for suggestions on something I can get used.
Another great video sir!!, also not forgetting that the M1 air can also handle music stress free up to 58 tracks editing in Logic before it shits the bed as well as all of the usual suspects for our live sets.....I did however because of Sky and their new affiliation with apple got a deal on a M2 pro 13" through their mobile store to save having to splurge our 2 bags on a new machine
This is the best review at the moment on youtube
6th most influential DJ in the world right here! I'm not even in the market for a new laptop, but he's talking macbooks so I better think about upgrading🤣
😂
Using Apple Macbook Pro 2017 13 inch i5 2.3ghz 8GB 128GB SSD
Was never done optimising windows pcs constant problems been on mac past 10 years now would never go back to pc not for DJing and certainly not for production you get what you pay for unfortunately
I’m running a late 2021 MBPro M1Pro Max w/ 64GB of ram and 1TB internal SSD. I hope to not need an upgrade for a lonnng while.
I'm rocking a Razer Blade 15 with the nvidia 3060. Had to spend some time with some driver issues and making sure all the settings were right but it's been a really stable experience on Rekorbox DJ. I DJ for hours on it doing VJing and I don't notice any issues. I do have to use a USB hub but only if I am video mixing (might be a windows issue with latency, they have always been iffy with USB 2 vs USB 3 conversion, don't know why). Audio (which most djs do) is an extremely solid experience in both outdoors in the heat or indoors.
A Macbook WITHOUT AN „M“ Processor has NO FUTURE !
If you broke move along ppl
Hi Mojax. Question about Video DJING? I use Serato and MixEmergency, Does having a higher GPU core help at all for Video DJing or is it primary used for rendering out projects for editing? Thank you for your video and great info. Respect and appreciate you.
I use the M2 AIR . works totally fine with video sets for hours . I also edit on davinci resolve 4k videos . Super fine . Difference come in on the export times.
I upgraded from a MBP 2012 to a 2021 M1 32/ gb with 2tb Ssd. I own all of my music. I gotta say.. I love it
Needed this video.
I had a M1 MacBook Air, (2020, 8gb/512), Running Rekorbox DVS I found that it was fine for about 30-40 minutes but after that started to mess up....I also found that if I was recording I would get audio drop outs in the recording that were not evident while playing...not sure if it was just a Rekordbox issue or perhaps using DVS caused the problem. These problems were evident with bluetooth, wifi and all other non-essential processes turned off. I sold it got an M1 MBP (2021,16gb/512).No issue at all with the MDP of course :)
The venue I dj at outdoors here in Vegas has a AC next the laptops
Most of them do, or should at least because its absolutely necessary.
I’m still on my old 2012 MacBook Pro updates SSD hardrive and 16 gig memory. It does fine for what it do and what event I dj .. but this guide will help as I will be finally upgrading near future … thank you
Got the same mbp 2012 is a beast especially with the upgrades but unfortunately it’s starting to show its age and brought a Mac air m1
Windows 11 currently having problems with the audio on AIFF files. Lots of volume fluctuation during playback!
I have the Mac air and I had to buy like all these usb port extensions 😂😂 that was my only gripe. But yea if that bad boy is charging….good luck plugging much of anything else in lol
I personally recommend getting a quality vinyl wrap instead of a clip-on clear case. With those kind of shells, you'll end up with a lot of dust & dirt getting caught inside it and you'll actually damage the machine more than without.
An interesting perspective, but I’m going to disagree, as I’ve been using similar cases since 2007 (starting with my white plastic MacBook - classic!) and have never had any issues like that with them.
I have a MacBook Air i3 from 2020 and never a problem, Traktor in my case doesn't use too much power to use, audio its ok, video its way more heavy
My Macbook air worked like a charm 2 days in a row, in blazing sun. Love it.
was it hot to the touch after or normal heat? I just grabbed a maxed out m2 15 air, still faster and better than my i9 16"
👍🏾👏🏾🤟🏾Have the some MacBook air m2 love it
Will the new M2 Air or 14 Pro process stems well?
I have a m2 air Maxed out and its seamless just annoying having 2 usb ports for L/R & mixer
Im a bedroom guy.....running Dell Precision M6800 17" + 32GB Ram and 3 SSD disks....pretty solid with windows 10 + Serato DJ Pro + SL3box + vestax rotary mixer - No internet connections, no firewall, no updates....nothing- Total dadicated for audio
I am a DJ who mixes videos on a weekly basis using Mix Emergency with Serato. On the side I do Post Production work for TV, Documentaries and Movies. The last movie I did needed at least 64GB ram cause I had about 800 Pro Tools tracks.
you've never heard of bouncing? you're running 800 audio tracks? Is that a typo kid? Pro tools has a limit under 800 to run tracks last I heard it was around 256 Mono tracks.. . Maybe you're not speaking english properly , define what you mean by 800 Pro Tools tracks and how are you using them in context with Serato.
@@SPINNINGMYWHEELS777 Dude, seems like you haven't used Pro Tools Ultimate, it has over 2000 tracks.
iPad Air M1 or iPad Pro M2 with Algoriddim Djay Pro AI.
Thank you !!!! Lots of useful details for someone discoververing Apple ecosytem.... I kinda like the Apple quality but I'm still still sceptical about theyr phylosophy, Apple is definitely not for people with a tight budget... It have some pros and some cons.... Your videos is really precise and useful !! Thanks again ;)
you looking bad mate !! i wish the best for you
pro all the way and i prefer two fans at full pelt.With the m3s we shall see.Serato or final cut are pretty heavy on the cpu so as much as i can afford
Only problem is update every month mac or windows releasing updates even dj software releasing firmware update
I feel rekordbox dj is really sad
Hi there, i have Mac mini i7 16gigs memory , install open legacy pacher ( Sonoma Os last version with al the update ) for heat up i install Mac funs App and can handle very very well ,setup on core temp sensor , and you can use on very hard environment no problem , as for speed is more than enough for dj 2Tb on 2ssd (is possible ) no problem , as ports ( complet ) and work very very well
Thanks for the video. This is very helpful. I'd be interested to know what people think about the acclaimed "overheating" issue on the new M3s. Or rather that the M3s run a bit hotter than the M2.
i will be going from an eight core intel machine to an M3 Mac of some sort.That is a major jump .I waited because as it stands my intel machine has served me well and i was in no hurry to fork out over two grand when my old Mac as long as the fans are clean is holding up quite well .I dont bother with live stemming just yet but in Serato Studio i am all over that.The future though is going to require major grunt so it will soon be time for an M3 based Mac.Should be fun
If you use the Mac only for djing, I’d recommend 1 To and if you use it for production as well, an external SSD will do the job perfectly.
But if you use your Mac also to work with and have large amounts of files, I would recommend 2 To if you want to have your music library in your Mac OR use an external SSD for your music library as I do for many years. I use 80% of my 1 To for work, so really think of your actual and future needs.
But Apple does not help with their insane upgrade SSD prices.
And really think ahead for the memory, because storage can be resolved with external SSD but memory is not upgradable
Macbook Air 15" in Texas heat 100 plus Fahrenheit and no issues. I did have issues with my 16" 2019 Macbook Pro running on Intel processors.
i have had bigger screens as i am old so i have text enlarged but a bright 14inch might be ok but not if there is only one fan.I feel more secure with two.
I have a MBA M1 w/ 16 gb RAM. It is a bit annoying having to tote around a hub & lack of magsafe is irritating but aside from that, I've never had any issues with overheating & it doesn't even break a sweat running Serato or VDJ Stems alongside Ableton. I've had multiple i🎉nstances of of power hungry VSTs...Sytrus, Massive, Omnisphere on FL Studio w/ audio tracks that I didn't bother bouncing & took everything I've thrown at it. Doesn't flinch for Final Cut Pro where my MBP i9 would.
In hindsight I wish I hadn't jumped on it so quick & waited around for an M2 but it is what it is
how does your advice change if we take music production into the equation? Ableton or similar programs? thanks for your great insights as always. I use a MAc book M1pro 32 mg ram and 2 tb ssd. Guessing this will last me a while....
Thank you for not dismissing the M2 MacBook Air. So many people think that you have to get a spec'd out $5000 MacBook Pro which is not true at all. I have the 15" M2 MacBook Air and it works great, including with Stems.
same BUT I did spec my air out like a pro I just hate that hot pro and fan lol so I paid extra tab for thiness and cooler body
Not having that fan with the Air is my apprehension, I'm upgrading from Macbook Pro 2015 15' which is truly a champion amongst champions. Stuck between Air to save some $$$ or Pro to cover all bases. I do alot of FCPX and Adobe editing as well during the week.
I have a spec'd out m2 air 15 inch and I love it. I paid a pro price but I don't have that pro weight and fan that blows hot air thru the computer
Terrible video. You don't need an expensive MB Pro just for DJing.
What about new beginner DJs? Not everyone is a professional master DJ. They can start even with the base M1 MB Air for that. It works absolutely fine.
Speaking of M1s (i assume the same goes for M2&3 but havent tried those) i used to have one with 512/8gb config and it has been used outdoors in open air with no tents and around 40C+ next to a lake while under a late afternoon sun. I do remember monitoring max temps at about 50 deegres C more or less, with Serato v2 back then. I agree that a fan always sounds like a better idea, but really....that fanless M1 stood like a champ and seemed to be as good as a fan cooled model. Only thing that gets hot with this kind of setup are those freaking type c metal hubs you always need (and those do get quite hot indeed, no matter which brand and type i ever tried.)
Recently bought a refurbed 2021 M1 Pro and it works flawlessly. Less than £1500
In my controller days, i had a 2011 MBP with the i7 which was fine when it wasn't cooking itself into oblivion. It had it's logic board replaced twice for that reason! Since then i've only ever used computers when I do DVS and i've done that on a 2012 Mac Mini which i still use in the studio today and a ThinkPad W541 from 2015 to 2021 and currently use a Surface Pro 7+ when i'm using DVS out somewhere. I'll also use the Surface for any on the fly library management with Rekordbox if i'm on the road since I have the cloud library stuff turned on. I do most of my library management from my main desktop in the studio.
been waiting for this
I’m on the latest Mac OS, and Rekordbox with usb Link working fine. About 3 weeks ago it was broken, but performance mode was working.
No issues with my Mac air M2 while DJing, never again intel laptops.