So we’ve finally arrived at Y2K and are you aware that you might be the only DJ left on the planet not using a personal computer? If that describes you, I wouldn’t tell anyone, but I’d read on, as I have put together a guide for all of you on what kind of computer equipment you’ll need to stay competitive in the world of DJing.

Whether you hear someone talking about CD burning, computer-based recording or what MP3 can do for you, it’s all gonna be dependent on the computer you put together. [Editor’s note: For more information on CD Burning, PC-based recording or MP3, please see recent stories in DJ Times.] Even if you are a total computer novice and can barely understand e-mail, you’ll be downloading in no time and surfing the net for cool beats once you put together a system that meets your needs. Let’s get started.

The Lowdown

First off, I won’t be discussing MAC computers here. MACs have come a long way in the last few years, but I am still a devoted PC guy. You might ask, “Why should I look into a PC vs. MAC?” To tell you the truth, the MAC had a very successful run within the music industry as the computer of choice. But as the price of the PC dropped dramatically, more and more people began to get home PCs. The change was inevitable. In fact, more software manufacturers started pumping out PC software, as the MAC began to slide in popularity. Now more than 90-percent of the world’s computers use the PC platform. With that said, there are terrific computers from Apple. Check them out at www.apple.com.

So PC it is. OK, what does that mean? There are many computer manufacturers out there that make terrific units. You know most of the players. They include: Dell (www.dell.com), based in Round Rock, Tex.; Compaq (www.compaq.com), based in Houston, Tex.; IBM (www.ibm.com), based in Armonk, N.Y.; Gateway (www.gateway.com), based in North Sioux City, S.D.; Packard Bell (www.packardbell.com), based in Sacramento, Cal.; and Hewlett-Packard (www.hp.com), based in Palo Alto, Cal. All of these companies make terrific computers. Which one to go with? It all depends on price, features and knowing exactly what you want out of the computer.

What Do I Need That For?

Whenever a client of mine asks me, “Which One Should I Get?” Or “Which One Is The Best?” I usually answer, “Whichever one meets your requirements best.” It might sound like a cop-out, but it’s a truthful answer. Sure, there are features that make a difference and money is always a factor, but you have to know what you want a computer to do before you buy one. Knowing this will give you more joy and efficiency in working on it. So, what do you need in a computer? That’s a big question. What about an operating system?

Most computers now come with Windows 98 as the operating system (www.microsoft.com), but I am beginning to see Windows NT a lot, too. When buying software, make sure the program you are buying is made for either Windows 98 or NT. If some of you still use Windows 95 that’s no problem, but eventually that’ll be phased out as 3.x was before it.

When it comes to the processor, most computers come packed with Intel (www.intel.com) processors of some kind. Pentium II, Pentium III and Celeron processors are among the most popular. There are also fine chips from other manufacturers such as AMD (www.amd.com) and some others. I recommend getting somewhere in the neighborhood of 400 mHz. The speed at which your computer processes information or tasks can easily enhance your PC experience or cause you to freak out. As such, prepare to spend a bit on a quick, efficient processor. In terms of memory, I always tell my clients that, depending on the Operating System you choose, memory should run between 64 and 128 KB.

Numerous units from the manufacturers I have listed above exist in a wide variety of computers. What does that mean? Well, if you like Dell, there are numerous models. If IBM is more your style, they have something for everyone. If you are just into searching the Internet and listening to some music on your PC, then some of the sub-$1,000 PCs might be for you. If you are going to be working on mixing, recording, editing or CD burning, then you’ll probably want to spend anywhere from $1,100 to $1,700 on a unit. Of course, the more toys you add to the system, the more it’s going to cost. Now that you’ve made a decision on the manufacturer – Dell, IBM, Gateway and Compaq, my personal top four choices based on service, price, reliability, reputation, personal preference and experience – let’s take a look at some of the cool stuff. 

Does That Come With It?

Most units are going to come with a hard drive, somewhere around 4 to 9 Gigabytes. If you want more storage space, there are drives out there from IBM, Seagate, Samsung and a host of other manufacturers. Make sure when choosing a hard drive you get a SCSI drive — not an IDE drive. The SCSI-type drives are more expensive, but you’ll need them for any type of CD burning or recording.

As for a CD-ROM, most computers have a perfectly fine CD-ROM for reading. The faster drives cost a bit more, but they read data easily — a key component to the CD burning or editing functions. The cooler stuff comes into play once you get the basic system out of the way. At this point, we have a PC Maker, operating system, processor, hard-drive and CD-ROM. 

Throw in a monitor and the basic system is almost complete. Now trust me when I say this: Buy the biggest monitor you can afford. You’ll want to be able to see after hours of use and with smaller monitors, the process of working over long hours can hinder your sessions. I recommend at least a 17-inch monitor. Can you get away with smaller? Yes, but after a while you might want to invest in a new pair of glasses, too. This is one case when bigger is definitely better.

Toys & Fun Stuff

With the basics out of the way, we can talk about some cooler stuff like CD-Rs (CD Burners), Zip and/or Jaz Drives and digital sound cards. This is where the computer usually takes a run up in bucks. I am not a big fan of re-writeable CDs, aka CDR-W, due to the fact that the drives and media are quite expensive. So what if you screw up a burn? CDs are somewhere around a buck a disc. That’s less than cassettes.

I am, however, a full-fledged fan of high-speed CD-R. Drives now come in external or internal formats and up to 8x speed. That means if you take a 74-minute disk filled with audio and burn it at real-time, it takes 74 minutes. However, with an 8x burner, the time can be cut to about 9 minutes. It’s not like tape dubbing where faster speed time affects quality. Since we are talking about digital information on the disc, recording at a faster speed will never diminish the quality.

There are numerous CD-R drives out there from Seagate, Imation, Pinnacle and Plextor among others. My personal favorite, though, is the Smart & Friendly (www.smartandfriendly.com) 8x Rocket. It’s the bomb. As for storage, I don’t like to keep too much music on my hard drive without backing it up.

Yeah, you can make a CD of your mix and keep that as a reference, but I also have an Iomega (www.iomega.com) Jaz drive. Based in Roy, Utah, this company offers a back-up drive with cartridges of data, some of which hold up to 3x more than a CD ROM of data. With the 2 Gig Jaz Drive, you’ll never have to worry about running out of space. The 2 Gig cartridges are expensive, but well worth the price. I cannot tell you how confident I feel backing up a mix or some other data to it. I know it’ll always work. The Zip configuration is also available in computers but only holds a 250 MB. That’s about 1/3 of a CD’s potential.

Sound cards are important, too! You’ll have a basic sound card that comes with the system, but if you want to transfer your mixes to DAT from the computer, a digital sound card is a must. Check with your local music retailer for more information on selection, but there are tons of cards available for PC. They differ on whether or not you are into multi-track recording, editing only or both. There are numerous configurations in the I/O and most offer MIDI, too.

Where To Get Them?

Knowing what you want is half the battle, but remember, most of these computers come with the same bells and whistles in a given price range. Except for a few add-ons, which we’ve described above, you can assemble a basic system from one of the companies I have listed earlier.

Another question is: Where should I buy it? Should I go to a retailer or should I research the net and buy on-line? What about going to a specialty store like Gateway? The truth is wherever you get the best price and service, buy with them. Keep in mind that the seller of the unit should be a reliable, well-known merchant. Some of the retailers like Office Max, Staples, The Wiz, Best Buy, Circuit City and Office Depot will offer the best variety. Buying direct from the manufacturer is another option. Dell conducts a major piece of their business selling over the net, direct to the customer, allowing the user to customize the system from the get-go.

If at all possible, try and purchase as much from one company as you can. Most will have everything from the CD Burner to the Jaz Drive. You might have to get the digital sound card from a music retailer like Guitar Center, Sam Ash Music or MARS. Recently, I found a website called CNET to be a wonderful shopping guide (www.cnet.com). You can’t buy anything from them, but they offer major insight as to which products stand up against each other in comparison and also where to buy them for the best price.

Well, there it is – just a quick run through the world of computers. It’ll take some time to get used to all the technical terms and concepts, but there is a whole New World out there for the DJ and the PC can help you achieve it.