Buying a Laptop to make music

[pk]

Your problem is that you get too focused on the mac vs. PC debate, rather than concentrating on what's the best tool for the job

Eh? WTF? I haven't mentioned Mac's once?? You did, not me!

Both Macs and Windows machines have Firewire, and that was the part I was talking about. For audio software it doesn't matter which you pick, though I have my preferences naturally - it's video apps that Windows are shitty at.

 

[editor]

.... - it's video apps that Windows are shitty at.

*looks to see the slightest reference to video anywhere in this thread
*fails to see anything
*wonders why pk has to keep bringing it up

 

[tarannau]

Well well, I never knew USB2 was quicker than Firewire 400...!

Learn something every day innit... though all my drives are on a Firewire 800 chain so it doesn't affect me really.

Theoretically it is, but Firewire pisses all over USB2 when it comes to sustained transfer rates, hence its popularity in video production and the like. USB2's a cheaper option - there's a bigger fee involved in licensing/using Firewire iirc.

From USB ware. (com)

Read Test:
5000 files (300 MB total) FireWire was 33% faster than USB 2.0
160 files (650MB total) FireWire was 70% faster than USB 2.0

Write Test:
5000 files (300 MB total) FireWire was 16% faster than USB 2.0
160 files (650MB total) FireWire was 48% faster than USB 2.0

Firewire 800 is a different league altogether.

 

[editor]

There's no compelling, deal-busting differences between USB 2.0 and Firewall when it comes to regular music production on a laptop.

Nit-picking discussion here: http://forum.cakewalk.com/tm.asp?m=780235

 

[pk]

*looks to see the slightest reference to video anywhere in this thread
*fails to see anything
*wonders why pk has to keep bringing it up

*looks to see the slightest reference to PC vs Mac in this thread
*never fails to amaze me how easy it is to start a platform war even in a forum the Editor rarely visits
*smiles and whistles the Talking Heads classic line ... "same as it ever was" ...

 

[heinous seamus]

Uggh. Still haven't bought a laptop. Anyone want to recommend me something?

 

[miniGMgoit]

Got to shop
By laptop with large hard drive and at least 1gb of ram
Make sure you get a decent make. I've always used Toshiba laptops and they have generally been fine. The one I use for the internet now (my old music making laptop) is 6 years old and is more reliable than anything else I have ever used.
Very noisy fan these days though.

 

[UnderOpenSky]

Uggh. Still haven't bought a laptop. Anyone want to recommend me something?

Budget?

 

[heinous seamus]

Upto about £550, I guess.

 

[heinous seamus]

Got to shop
By laptop with large hard drive and at least 1gb of ram
Make sure you get a decent make. I've always used Toshiba laptops and they have generally been fine. The one I use for the internet now (my old music making laptop) is 6 years old and is more reliable than anything else I have ever used.
Very noisy fan these days though.

You make it sound so easy! What about this Vista/no vista, firewire/no wirewire stuff!

 

[UnderOpenSky]

I hear good things about Lenovo. A quick look on ebuyer shows this for £410.

Lenovo N500 Laptop, Dual Core T3400 2.16GHz, 4GB RAM, 320GB HDD, 15.4" WXGA, DVDRW DL, Bluetooth, Vista Home Premium

 

[heinous seamus]

Looks a beast of a machine.

 

[purplex]

Just go buy a dual core laptop with as fast a disk as possible, fw could be useful if you want to plug in an external audio card or poss. fw hard disk it will come with usb and you can expand that with an external hub
or
you could hold on as the first couple of quad core laptops have been introduced which should have the effect of reducing the price of dual cores once the technology is proven.
If you want specific suggestions ill post some up, the lenovo laptops are good as are toshes. Groovy.

 

[miniGMgoit]

There really isnt anything much to think about. As long as its got good ram, a decent size hard drive and a couple of usb ports your laughing.

 

[RubyToogood]

Can I slightly derail this thread? ... I really need to get some decent recordings of my stuff at some point and am thinking it may be more cost effective to just buy my own kit than shell out for studio time. On top of new computer, what else would I need, and what sort of total cost would I be looking at including costs of software? I've never looked into this with any seriousness and don't know where to start.

This is aimed at getting nice acoustic recordings so mikes etc. Would want to be not too limited as to the number of inputs, be able to do overdubs etc. I don't think I need anything fancy or loads of plugins. Just something that will give me a good method of working at home and producing fairly professional results.

 

[heinous seamus]

I've just bought a setup myself.

Apart from the comp:

Audio interface: £100+ Have a look about and see what you fancy. When I was having a look around the Roland Edirol Ua-25 seemed like a pretty good option. Oh and some of them come with free software so you can start right away without having to buy software too.

Compressor mic: I went for an AKG perception, about 50 quid it cost me I think. A stand and cable too, about a tenner.

Monitor speakers: I just went for some bog standard M-audio ones for £60 or so. No idea what's recommended but I was fed up of spending money by the time I got them

You will need headphones too. I'm just using some bogstandard ones I got ages ago for twenty quid or so.

Software... well a new version of cubase is about a hundred quid I think.

How much is it for studio time?

 

[pk]

Can I slightly derail this thread? ... I really need to get some decent recordings of my stuff at some point and am thinking it may be more cost effective to just buy my own kit than shell out for studio time. On top of new computer, what else would I need, and what sort of total cost would I be looking at including costs of software? I've never looked into this with any seriousness and don't know where to start.

This is aimed at getting nice acoustic recordings so mikes etc. Would want to be not too limited as to the number of inputs, be able to do overdubs etc. I don't think I need anything fancy or loads of plugins. Just something that will give me a good method of working at home and producing fairly professional results.

I reckon you might be able to get some seriously professional recordings with the help and talent of people here. Seems needless to buy a load of kit and then learn how to use it properly just for an album worth of music - plenty of peeps here (myself included) would be more than happy to help you out for a couple of beers!

 

[RubyToogood]

I reckon you might be able to get some seriously professional recordings with the help and talent of people here. Seems needless to buy a load of kit and then learn how to use it properly just for an album worth of music - plenty of peeps here (myself included) would be more than happy to help you out for a couple of beers!

Many people offer to help, few deliver unfortunately. They do a bit and then get bored and find something more important to do. And hopefully it's not just one album.

I'm sick to death of relying on other people to get stuff done because without exception they have all let me down, sometimes even when I was paying them. I want to be in control, even if I have to get it mixed/mastered elsewhere. Three years I've been doing this shit and I've got one lousy four track demo to show for it. And that's not mentioning the projects that came before that, that went exactly the same way. This is me at the end of my tether -------------------------

 

[pk]

Many people offer to help, few deliver unfortunately. They do a bit and then get bored and find something more important to do. And hopefully it's not just one album.

OK that might be the case, but to my knowlege you've never started a thread entitled "Please help me record an acoustic album" and seen what might come of it though, have you?

 

[RubyToogood]

No, and I can't see myself doing it now. Apart from the danger of volunteers getting bored, you're also at their mercy of their whims. If you screw up a take, you can't insist on going back and doing it again, because they're looking at their watch wondering when they can get off down the pub. If you hate the mixes they've done, you can't say so. If they start trying to get clever and putting stupid effects on it, you can't say "take that off". I've even had a situation where someone recorded a load of stuff for me but wouldn't finish it off and was too lazy to put the files onto DVD so I could take them elsewhere and get them finished. Fuck that.

 

[heinous seamus]

I recommend getting some decent speakers, mine are shit

 

[oicur0t]

I would master it for you. I've worked with all the greats, belle & sebastian, eels...er danniii [sic] minogue!

In fact I have produced demos for friends before. Low end stuff etc. If you want a chat about it let's have a beer, if only for me to tell you what not to do. I will PM you.