Buying a laptop - Soundcard advice...

seachto7

Hi all,

Getting rid of my HP modded desktop as I will be making the move overseas for a while. A laptop would suit me for music recording and for general work stuff too.

You may say "get a macbook", but not totally sold on just getting an Apple.

So, I'm going to try and get something with 4GB RAM or more anyhow.

However, are there minimum specs I should be looking at in terms of a soundcard or CPU? There are a lot of laptops for sale on adverts now, so might plump for one if I know what to look out for spec wise.

Music wise, I'd be recording basic enough I may use a drum plug in and amplitube for guitars. I just want to get semi decent demos done.

I have been using Reaper and it's done the job for me so far. Basic but works.

So, I wouldn't be using lots and lots of plugins and/or a huge amount of tracks per song if you get me...

Which is why an Apple may not be necessary.

seachto7

Sorry mods. Just saw the sticky on top of this forum. So feel free to delete this thread if you think it's necessary

TroutMask

The main issue with non-mac laptops is the hardware. Flaky USB ports and weird bridging chips in the FireWire busses lead to erratic results for pro audio users. One way around this is to buy an 'audio ready' lappie from a supplier like Rain Computers. Or you could scour the net for reviews Gearslutz etc. until you find a good one. Rain lappies look nice - i'd trust them.

seachto7

TroutMask wrote: »

The main issue with non-mac laptops is the hardware. Flaky USB ports and weird bridging chips in the FireWire busses lead to erratic results for pro audio users. One way around this is to buy an 'audio ready' lappie from a supplier like Rain Computers. Or you could scour the net for reviews Gearslutz etc. until you find a good one. Rain lappies look nice - i'd trust them.

Yup.Apple it is lol.If I save the pennies and go for one.Anytime I used one before I never had an ounce of trouble

old gregg

Dunno. In the last 10 years I've a range of Windows based Toshiba and Sony laptops to write, record and mix 6 albums, tour festivals around Europe every year and I've never once experienced a flaky usb port and only one on-stage crash at a festival in France last year due to flaky Novation drivers. The key to using a Windows machine for pro music work is strip out everything not required on day one (including network capabilities), never install 'just for fun' software and never use it for anything else other than music.

seachto7

Yup. I see what you mean old gregg. I wouldn't be making pro quality recordings, decent enough quality demos to present ideas to people more than anything. I would imagine I might then re record them professionally if they were good enough to record!!

Thing is, I'll have to use the laptop for general stuff as well.

old gregg

Yea slightly different set of needs there. I keep one lappy for music and the previous lappy for regular stuff like facebook and porn

TroutMask

old gregg wrote: »

Dunno. In the last 10 years I've a range of Windows based Toshiba and Sony laptops to write, record and mix 6 albums, tour festivals around Europe every year and I've never once experienced a flaky usb port and only one on-stage crash at a festival in France last year due to flaky Novation drivers. The key to using a Windows machine for pro music work is strip out everything not required on day one (including network capabilities), never install 'just for fun' software and never use it for anything else other than music.

You've been lucky! Dunno about the 'work only' business, if i have a nice laptop I want to use it for everything. Also the 4 pin 1EEE 1394's that come with nearly all PC laptops are pretty useless - if you just look at the cable, it falls out. And the chances of getting a good bridging chip on the same are slim.

old gregg

TroutMask wrote: »

You've been lucky! Dunno about the 'work only' business, if i have a nice laptop I want to use it for everything.

That's the equivalent of having a guitar and wanting it to double as a breakfast tray

TroutMask

old gregg wrote: »

That's the equivalent of having a guitar and wanting it to double as a breakfast tray

Heh - maybe you have a point - haven't you ever eaten baked beans out of a frisbee with a shoehorn? Or slept in a FOH console flightcase

I do use my main mac for everything. Have to clean it up a bit if i'm recording. Mind you, I run 2 laptops when recording, fed off a multichannel splitter.

I do think you're right though - it's a good policy to keep work and play separate on computers in general. I found that I had to do this more when I was a Windows kid. The last dropout causing 'kernel panic' i had was caused by McAfee. I actually think Mac are screwing up now - going the same silly path Windows went after XP.

Lightbulb Sun

TroutMask wrote: »

You've been lucky! Dunno about the 'work only' business, if i have a nice laptop I want to use it for everything. Also the 4 pin 1EEE 1394's that come with nearly all PC laptops are pretty useless - if you just look at the cable, it falls out. And the chances of getting a good bridging chip on the same are slim.

I have a 3 and a half year old Dell, never had any trouble with the firewire port or ever heard of such a story.

As for the sound card OP, you'd want to get an external one for recording and the flexibility.

seachto7

Yup, I use an edirol USB > desktop