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Forum: General Discussion

Topic: What is your PC backup plan B (and C)? - Page: 1

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Gang -

Last summer (2009), I had a system meltdown. The mobo basically took a dump and needed repair. That left me w/ just my lappy. It was clunky but I was able to hobble through my event. Using a touch pad and laptop keyboard was not fun.

If you have seen my rig, you would know I use a DMC-1 and at the time, W192L PCI card.

So, that following week, I bought a 2nd mobo and 192L and made my 2nd identical rig to keep on hand - at the ready.

FF to August, 2009. Current rig was a Core Duo and was the repaired rig. Backup was Quad Core but same configuration, just not tested live - but exactly same hardware. Well, main rig took yet a nother dump and instead of working off the lappy, I opted for the Quad Core. Using ever since.

FF to December, 2009. The system came out of the cold and sound was distorted. It kept popping and the waveform itself was stuttering to the point of just not moving. ASIO/WDM Multi/Single - no joy. Then played off the internal sound and all was well, but was not going to suffice.

Apparently, moisture on the 192L made it very unhappy, but dried off in time for the event.

That told me I needed a 3rd solution. Went to Gigaport AG and then an HD and final upgrading to a DAC-3. Figured easier to swap if trouble in future.

Finally, the reason that prompted me to post this thread. Just rebuilt the main rig w/ fresh install of Windows 7 home and after many bench tests, seems road ready. But swapping rack units might not always be convenient.

Since I am now using a DAC-3 and Gigaport, both are of course USB. Last night I connected a hub then connected both USB devices on the backup lappy (running VDJ 7). Configured VDJ to use the 3 lines and saw the DAC-3 right away. Ran some basic test like I would at a gig was was very impressed.

Checked for power and only 250ma and 80ma were needed on the USB bus.

Now, I have the ultimate backup. In case of rig suicide, just connect the lappy and hub then the other USB devices and then get full use of my DAC-3 and mixer.
 
Posted Tue 16 Nov 10 @ 12:30 pm
I made a top 1000 of my average tracks.
Burning on Cd.
Every time I rent a disco-bar with cd players.
Plug in my audio 8.
Now I play professional 3 years with laptop en virtualdj no problem so far.

My cd map is my plan b
 
I don't have a plan B

But in 11 years of digital DJ'ing I have never needed one!

I have always bought top of the range laptops, replaced the HDD every year or so and tested rigorously before gigs.

Current laptop is the Dual Core Macbook Pro 17" running XP 32bit. It's fantastic!
 
I have to admit I didn't have for years, I just made sure that my gear was the best and well looked after so that I have confidence in it. Never let me down.

Anyway recently I thought this was a bit bad so I bought a 1u SD/USB player, can be seen on last couple of pages on here's my gear what's yours page.
 
I bring two external hard drives to every show, one full sized lappy and one netbook. The netbook is the back up....
 
Extra HD & iTouch

Joey...
 
One thing VDJ does that is very helpful... gather all the tracks played during the year which should be 99% of everything needed for an emergency.

So what I do, is allow VDJ's logs create a yearly log and just copy those tracks to a separate location and tuck away on a backup drive.

A perfect backup of music that will fit on any portable media player.
 
Plan B is a second OPSYS HDD in my rackmount PC. There is a power changeover switch on the front that allows me to swap which drive is powered up. If one drive fails I can switch off the PC flick the switch an run from the second, cloned disc.

Plan C is a lappy with external drive.

Plan D is a rather bulky Numark CDN95. And a set of 8 MP3 discs that I can use if all else fails.

I am thinking of replacing the CDN95 with a rackmount MP3 player like the one Charlie mentioned earlyer.

Daz
 
For the last decade I've used pre-mixed backup CDs. Earlier this year I decided to change to using a 30gb iPod. I set VirtualDJ to record at the start of one of my regular gigs and recorded a 4 hour mp3 (no MIcrophone). This was transferred to the iPod, at a gig I plug it into one of the mixer channels and just set it playing at the start of my gig. If needed, I just have to push the mixer fader up. I also chopped the file into CD sizes and burned 3 CDs to carry with me too (in case I forget to charge the iPod battery up lol).
 
hi Ewitles,

what usb hub do you use??
I don't trust them for the world, but maybe yours is solid.
(I had one that got great reviews, but connected hdd's would still 'disappear' after a while)

I stick to using no more than 4 usb devices on my laptop, since it has (only) 4 usb ports.

thanks,
Arie
 
Oh BTW,

never trust that your system is so solid, you never need to bring a backup:
I had a gig where I brought one system ("most solid ever"), a dancer tripped, and her cocktail landed on my keyboard.
My laptop survived through the gig, but ever since I bring a cd player and cd's.
And sometimes a 2nd laptop.
And an iPod / iPhone.

Having a cd-player also helps when guests / customers show up with a cd, that you "have to" play ...
(I don't like using cd-players inside computers ...)

I just to have a laptop with 2 internal hdd's, the 2nd one was a clone of the first. This is good in case of hdd failure, but "cocktail incidents" can do more than just damage your hdd ...

-A-
 
The hub is a generic made from China.

No hard drives, just to connect the DAC-3 and Gigaport and maybe an extra mouse/keyb.
 
aha that might be the trick, thanks.

I guess I would trust a hub for input devices like mouse / keyboard.
Hdd's might still be risky.
 
I take 2 laptops and 2 hard drives.
 
DJ von Smoothousen wrote :
Oh BTW,

Having a cd-player also helps when guests / customers show up with a cd, that you "have to" play ...
(I don't like using cd-players inside computers ...)

-A-


Actually, I do trust those. For one day, Atomix will support CD-TXT and perhaps freedb. :)

In reality, some CDs that don't/won't play nice in consumer-ish players, play just dandy in Virtual via a PC CD player.
 
aux channel connected to my ipod, or iphone or cd player,
 
back up 2 me is at least 2 or 3 different items....


back up at the gig .........

usually just emergency cd's and cd player left in the van

if i have any concerns before the gig about my main rig , then the back up system is brought to the gig

and setup ready to go ...... i have had it happen to me twice , that my instincts were right , and it did save the day

ask yourself what is the worst case scenario , and be ready for it , leave nothing to chance

i was at a school dance once when i was worried about the main rig going out , and i had the back up system set up but not

powered up ..... the main started getting glitchy on me , but no freeze ups .... so i powered up the backup ....

a little later the whole gym is wall to wall kids dancing to a line dance and i asked myself " what's the worst case

scenario for me ? " " crashing right now".......so i cue 'd up the exact same tune on the back up and sync'd 'em .....

literally seconds later the system crashes and i just pulled up the fader on the backup and all was well ........


back up systems in general

1 is ok , 2 or more much better

don't mix operating systems if you can help it

give yourself months , not days or weeks to set up new systems the way you like

and try them out under several different scenarios
 
As I use my NDX800's as MIDI controllers, they are my backup.

Setup:

Laptop output (through DJIO) into channels 1 and 2 of a DDM4000

NDX phono outputs into channels 3 and 4 of a DDM4000

Two identical USB Sticks that I load with all the tracks that I'll be playing that night (less any Netsearch files - obviously), plugged into the USB port on the NDX's.

If the laptop has a fit, switch the NDX's to MIDI-MASTER and carry on using channels 3 and 4 on the mixer.
 
I have a backup laptop, my old Total Control and io soundcard. Depending on the job, it is already connected and ready to go with the backup external hard drive.

For plan C i have an ipod loaded with the staples and premixed stuff.

For plan D i have my iphone. If there is a dvd player on the job i use that with cds i just leave in the truck.

Usually if it is a 2 man job, they usually bring their laptop.

I have a backup Behringer mixing board and have backup wireless mic always with me.

I also have a 16gb Sandisk thumb drive loaded with stuff and backup wedding music and requests for that day.


It all depends on the situation of the party. No matter what, I always have backup with me then freak out and get it together if it happens. HAHA
 
a week ago my Vista system died on night shift at the strip club

it's Vista ..... i already salvaged what i could and then trashed it

if i had a stick of dynamite i would have blown it up for laughs

or i could have given it to "Poo Poo Garrett " for his next youtube video ......

i thought it was dying on me .... so i got my back up tower out of the van and had it in the booth

when it croaked i played a cd for a song or 2 while i swapped out towers , then kept on going like

nothing happened

now , i have 2 W7 systems and one way old XP
 
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