Serato DJ Pro General Discussion

Talk about Serato DJ Pro, expansion packs and supported hardware

Macbook Pro 2011 15" with serato dj problems

Dj Ricky Redz 4:38 AM - 31 December, 2017
Ok so i found out that the 2011 15" macbook pro is a "hit or miss" situation after i purchased 2 (main & backup).

My issue is this:

After playing for a while (time varies) the peak or next to peak, usb light (i think) would flash between red n orange & tracks would gradually slow down while playing glitchy or stop and serato would become unresponsive.
If i open Activity Monitor it would show me over 100% processor use (up to 190%) then free up withing a few seconds. If i keep activity monitor open on another desktop and it happens again i would just swipe across to that desktop and it would free up.

Having the same issue with both macs

Both are almost identical

2011 15"
2.2 i7
12gb ram/8gb ram
AMD Radeon 6750 512mb + Intel HD 3000
500gb main hdd with 1tb in cd bay (main)
1tb hdd only in secondary
macOS Sierra 10.12.6
Serato dj 1.9.10

And the issue seems to happen in warmer conditions (day vs night/club environment)

Wifi/Bluetooth: off
Automatic gfx switching: off

Open to any suggestions...
DjSyndic8 6:45 AM - 31 December, 2017
Quote:
Ok so i found out that the 2011 15" macbook pro is a "hit or miss" situation after i purchased 2 (main & backup).

My issue is this:

After playing for a while (time varies) the peak or next to peak, usb light (i think) would flash between red n orange & tracks would gradually slow down while playing glitchy or stop and serato would become unresponsive.
If i open Activity Monitor it would show me over 100% processor use (up to 190%) then free up withing a few seconds. If i keep activity monitor open on another desktop and it happens again i would just swipe across to that desktop and it would free up.

Having the same issue with both macs

Both are almost identical

2011 15"
2.2 i7
12gb ram/8gb ram
AMD Radeon 6750 512mb + Intel HD 3000
500gb main hdd with 1tb in cd bay (main)
1tb hdd only in secondary
macOS Sierra 10.12.6
Serato dj 1.9.10

And the issue seems to happen in warmer conditions (day vs night/club environment)

Wifi/Bluetooth: off
Automatic gfx switching: off

Open to any suggestions...


seems like your issue is overheating maybe invest in a Laptop cooler if you DJ in a warmer environment

don't forget to optimize your Mac so that its stays at peak performance at all times
support.serato.com
DJ Unique 8:06 AM - 31 December, 2017
Try installing SMC Fan Control.
Boost the RPM's on your fans and confirm both are actually working.
DJ Tecniq 5:06 PM - 31 December, 2017
It’s just your laptop if it’s an intel core 2 duo Mac these processors are not supported in SDJ 1.8 or above. SDJ is not like Scratchlive it requires more cpu the program itself is what’s causing the computer to perform so weak as it’s struggling with Serato’s high demand of cpu. I would try a 1.7 or 1.8 version if your hardware supports it. But the fact is you need to update your laptop to at least an i5 or i7 Mac. Any 2012 or above MacBook Pro would do. It’s just time to upgrade.
Dj Ricky Redz 7:49 PM - 31 December, 2017
Quote:
Try installing SMC Fan Control.
Boost the RPM's on your fans and confirm both are actually working.

Smc fan controll is installed and no ridiculous temp reported so i'm lost there...
Dj Ricky Redz 7:50 PM - 31 December, 2017
Quote:
It’s just your laptop if it’s an intel core 2 duo Mac these processors are not supported in SDJ 1.8 or above. SDJ is not like Scratchlive it requires more cpu the program itself is what’s causing the computer to perform so weak as it’s struggling with Serato’s high demand of cpu. I would try a 1.7 or 1.8 version if your hardware supports it. But the fact is you need to update your laptop to at least an i5 or i7 Mac. Any 2012 or above MacBook Pro would do. It’s just time to upgrade.

Both have 2.2ghz core i7
DJ Tecniq 8:56 PM - 31 December, 2017
Quote:
Both have 2.2ghz core i7
K you def shouldn’t be having those issues then some 2010/2011 Macs had bad graphics cards my old Mid 2010 did and it ran SDJ like shit. Also I would not trust High Sierra on a 2011 machine anyways. New software and old hardware are a bad combo. Lastly i would try disabling WiFi as this may be the problem esp on High Sierra. Hopefully this resolved it if not I’d have the laptop looked at for any defects. Serato uses a lot of cpu but it def shouldn’t be using that much.
Dj Ricky Redz 2:22 AM - 4 January, 2018
Quote:
Quote:
Both have 2.2ghz core i7
K you def shouldn’t be having those issues then some 2010/2011 Macs had bad graphics cards my old Mid 2010 did and it ran SDJ like shit. Also I would not trust High Sierra on a 2011 machine anyways. New software and old hardware are a bad combo. Lastly i would try disabling WiFi as this may be the problem esp on High Sierra. Hopefully this resolved it if not I’d have the laptop looked at for any defects. Serato uses a lot of cpu but it def shouldn’t be using that much.

You didn't read all of the original post... I did all the optimization steps!

Found out over the holidays that one kept a constant 86° and the other 92° while playing with smc fan controll running at 6200 RPM!
DJ Tecniq 3:54 AM - 4 January, 2018
Quote:
Found out over the holidays that one kept a constant 86° and the other 92° while playing with smc fan controll running at 6200 RPM!
I didn’t mention any of the optimization steps however have you taken apart your Mac and cleaned the fans out lately? This could def be why 1 of your fans are running a higher temp than the other🤔 if you haven’t you prob should esp since it’s an old grandfather Mac.
DJ Tecniq 4:00 AM - 4 January, 2018
For the issue you’re having i would keep fancontrol running at all times the fact one fan is running higher temp than the other that’s a concern. You have to remember it’s a 2011 mac they don’t last forever and I’m sure the later models have improved. It’s 7 years old i think it’s just time to upgrade bruh🤷🏼‍♂️
Dj Ricky Redz 6:10 AM - 4 January, 2018
I've cleand both macs thoroughly so thats out... Seems i have to just hand them down to another department and get some 2015s inatead... Sigh!
DJ Tecniq 7:45 AM - 4 January, 2018
Quote:
I've cleand both macs thoroughly so thats out... Seems i have to just hand them down to another department and get some 2015s inatead... Sigh!
I would def get rid of at least one of them they are outdated and a newer machine would benefit you performance wise anyway. I got a 15” Mid 2014 mbp and it’s a beast. I’m running maybe 15% cpu or less with Serato & Video. If you do this for a living i would of upgraded a long time ago.
DJ Padida 1:43 PM - 4 January, 2018
My mbp 17 i7 2.3ghz runs fine on yosemite which i find the best os for serato.
Marv Incredible 4:58 PM - 4 January, 2018
Redz, the model you're having trouble with is the exact same model I'd been fighting to get working properly for 3 years. To be fair, I never had any issue with the dedicated graphics card and it runs every other program successfully, but even after maxing out the Ram and installing an internal SSD, it still couldn't run SDJ reliably.

And sice SDJ was the ONLY program I had trouble with, I always felt that was Serato's fault, but nevertheless it was MY problem so in the end, the only way to solve it was to buy another. I'm now running a 2015/16 model and enjoying a flawless SDJ experience for the first time ever.

Good luck G
raedonquan 5:06 PM - 4 January, 2018
2011 i7 12gb ram running fine on Sierra with all my sdj gear... i only have library glitches on the screen..


my other laptop late 2011 i7 yosemite running fine only reason why its still yosemite becasue i still run scratchlive with 62 run sdj and itch.



there must be a program that is running in the background.... try and do a fresh OS install
DJ Tecniq 7:37 PM - 4 January, 2018
If none of the above helps scan for malware maybe you got a virus or something. It’s free www.malwarebytes.org
Dj Ricky Redz 12:37 AM - 5 January, 2018
Quote:
2011 i7 12gb ram running fine on Sierra with all my sdj gear... i only have library glitches on the screen..


my other laptop late 2011 i7 yosemite running fine only reason why its still yosemite becasue i still run scratchlive with 62 run sdj and itch.



there must be a program that is running in the background.... try and do a fresh OS install

Tried a fresh install, same issue, i can only go back to el capitan because im using a sz2 and thats the oldest OS the driver supports.
Quote:
If none of the above helps scan for malware maybe you got a virus or something. It’s free www.malwarebytes.org

Scanned with about 3 different well known apps... Same results!

Ive given up on them, going to upgrade to a 2015 model.
DJ Tecniq 1:37 AM - 5 January, 2018
Could always take the Mac to an Apple store and they can run a diagnostics test to see if anything is internally wrong with it. Lastly try to run a diagnostics test yourself or reset pram that may just be your fix. Good luck