Which new Laptop to use for recording?

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Porgi Tirebiter

New member
Is it necessary to use a "gaming" laptop with an Intel i7 CPU or equiv AMD, or could I get by with something less expensive? I'm recording classical guitar w/ an under the saddle pickup into a zoom ps02 direct to the sound card(DMX 6fire) with my current desktop. I don't have an amp, just a Fender Passport 150, which I have set up as the line out of the sound card. Anyway, I really want to get no latency with my next workstation. I have some software from the Computer Music DVD's and discs, but am basically using Audacity right now. I have some plug ins, sounds, sequencers and samplers which are free plus stuff I haven't taken off some DVD's yet because I think this PC is probably loaded with programs already. The Office and business stuff, music, graphics... I just get so much latency already. The CPU is 2.43 gigs, but out of date, I guess. Anyway, I'm really looking for Forum members' choice for a new unit.




Using Desktop with Asus K8V Se Deluxe MOBO and Athlon 64 3400+, 3 gig DDR 400 physical memory,Asus series V9400 AGP card,Terratec DMX 6fire
 
i bought a new HP 6GB laptop for about $600 last year. I don't believe you could ever get absolute 0 latency with any machine...but I am getting about 8ms through the interface i'm using with this laptop. I don't begin to notice anything until around 18ms or so, if i remember correctly. I only use this laptop for recording and mixing, so it's bare bones on programs other than that. Once my mixing session gets very intense (around 45 total tracks with average of 2.5 plug-ins on each, plus about 10 group busses, plus Superior Drummer, plus virtual instruments), i begin to hear some clicks and pops due to the processor being overworked. But again, this is only on very heavy sessions and it's calmed down a bit once i learned how to organize my channels and busses more effectively (share compressors and reverb, when possible, for example).
 
What OS are you using? You have a wireless connection, right which means you need at least a firewall, AV, Spywareblaster, Malwarebaytes, but you have no Office Suite or other such apps on this laptop?
 
Having other applications on a lap top is generally not an issue. However apps that poll the system (such as virus checkers, screen savers and wifi) can interrrupt audio recording.

The specs of your laptop are fine; audio recording doesn't place a huge demand on CPU (though adding plugins can).

Managing latency with an on-board sound card is problematic. They are ok for gaming, skype and so on, but are not good for recording, and in particular, duplex recording (i.e. recording and playing back simultaneously).

You could probably hang on to your existing laptop and get very respectable recordings if you instead invested in a dedicated audio interface.
 
Even the most expensive computer with nothing else running is not going to give you zero latency--and frankly that shouldn't be a problem.

Ditch the onboard sound card right away and invest in even a relatively inexpensive USB interface with direct monitoring. This will give the zero latency you want--but it will also yield a major increase in quality in terms of noise floor, headroom, etc. etc. The basic on board sound chips are useless for any form of serious audio work.
 
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