Best Laptops for a Studio?

Sorry B, I thought it would be easy to find the relavent articles and posts, it isn't!

This: CPU Throttling

Touches on the problem which is that many modern laptops have power control systems that the tyro simply does not know about and even experienced computer peeps find hard or even impossible to disable so, whilst the raw spec of a laptop might appear impressive on paper that power cannot be used in practice for music recording/manipulation.

You don't say (or this BOF missed it!) what exactly you are using but either you had the specialist know-how to choose the right machine off the shelf or you did the, rather deep, mods? Of course it could have been the same situation that obtained when Wife bought me an HP i3 g6, blind luck! The G6 will run a 15track Cubase LE6 recording effortlessly. It is also very quiet mechanically (as is my HP W7/64 tower.) and even the OB sound is very acceptable jacked into my Tannoy 5as (I do NOT however attempt to record with OBS! No, NI KA6 takes care there).

Not arguing Bobbs just saying that there are some well specified but musically useless lemons about! I don't have the need but were I to go mobile I would put a decent MOBO in a rack with a decent PCI/PCIe card (tho' they are getting like rocking horse droppings now!) and/or usb/usb 3.0/ FW capability. A 22inch,WS monitor (or 100quid telly!) is not the beast to lug it once was and knocks spots off a 15inch lappy display, not "tied" to the works either!

Dave.
 
Well, in my case it's not a DEEP specialist knowledge but some background. I also bought (internet order) from a company that allowed a fair degree of customisation in terms of features (and that I know doesn't load you up with too much un-needed shit, though I won't say none). In my case, it's a Lenovo Think Pad with Core i7 Processor, Express Card slot to cater for my Firewire needs and a 7200 rpm HDD.

Beyond that, I have a standard "optimise your Windows 7 PC for audio" script that I found a while back and I run/check that. From memory, it's pretty similar to that SOS advice. FYI, other than needing the power management to be switched off, the settings were okay from the start on this one.

However, having said all that, I really meant what I said about modern computers getting to the point where you don't need max power to happily run a basic DAW. My previous computer was a Toshiba Core 2 Duo and I frequently recorded 16-24 tracks at a time with no glitches or problems--and mixed similar, including real time effects. Depending on the effects I sometimes had to "freeze" some tracks but that wasn't a big problem. The biggest thing is to be sensible and shut down the usual culprits like networking, anti virus and wifi.

FYI, on the new laptop I haven't butted my head against any limits yet in terms of effects on a mix--and my experiment recording 32 tracks for 2 hours yielded no glitches (I don't normally go that high due to restrictions outside the computer but my mixer/interface can handle that if I make some compromises elsewhere.

As I said before, having a laptop is very useful to me if not 100% essential. I do a lot of theatre sound work and got sick of lugging a full tower system in and out of various venues (especially the one with the ladder to the Front of House position!). If I didn't have any mobile needs and was devoting a computer purely to DAW work then I'd probably still go for a tower system--but frankly the drawbacks of laptops apply more to a few years back than today.
 
Aha! The Lenovo!
IIRC that is one of the few brands that SoS recommended and the shit? Yes, I have pulled all anti-virus junk off the HP and just run Win SE. It has to be a GP home machine primarily but certainly can serve as a very quiet recording platform for acoustic guitar.

I also use a Toshiba Satellite Pro (Vista, ugh!) with 3G ram. I THINK that is another good music machine and I am hoping work, whose it be, will sell it to me sometime. I would first see if it can take 4 or more gig of ram and then load Win 7/64 (they can have their Blista license back FWIW!).

Dave.
 
I just read an article in , I think Recording magazine, that new macbooks are becoming un-upgradable, I read they are even glueing in the memory? So that pretty much was the final nail in the coffin for me . Why in the hell would pay that much money for a computer when I could get a windows based system spec'd the same for nearly half the money? So I could look cool? No thanks, if I was rich sure, but im not. Screw apple. They may have the best tablets,{ipad} but not computers IMO.
 
to be honest, i run a laptop. but if i was buying a computer for my studio (as stated) then i would go for a desktop, upgrading is just one point, another is connections.

My laptop is more powerful than most desktops so...
Click to expand...

Whoopdy flipty doooo. Here is your medal :facepalm:
 
Does the number of cores make a difference?

Are the number of cores a priority?
Bobbsy said:
The trouble is going to be that laptop specs (particularly Windows based ones) change so quickly that the advice today isn't necessarily valid tomorrow. A minor change (say a different video card with different drivers) can have a knock on effect that causes dropouts in your DAW.

However, some general advice:

First, you don't need a Mac. Fans say Macs are more stable but, if that's true, it's only because Apple control the hardware and software being used. You can make your Windows machine just as stable by not loading it up with every bit of free junkware out there. You'll certainly get more bang for your buck with Windows.

Second, get the fastest/best processor you can afford. Frankly, the hardware has now caught up with DAW software and even my 4 year old laptop can do fine mixing up to 30+ tracks with effects--but it's still worth getting the best you can afford if only for future proofing.

Third, get as much RAM as you can afford. RAM makes a big difference to how much you can process at once. 2 gig is a bare minimum; 4+ gig is better; 8+ better still.

Fourth, ask about the disk speed. A lot of laptop disks spin at 4800rpm. This limits throughput with things like audio tracks. 5400 should be your minimum, 7200rpm is better. Faster again is even better but very unlikly you'll find it as standard. However, you may find that you can circumvent all this by using an external hard drive.

Fifth--and very important--check the laptop has the right connections for your planned interface. Pretty well all have USB these days. Make sure it's USB2. Maybe you can get USB3 but not likely for your budget. If you have any idea of using a Firewire interface or external drive, you're going to have a very limited choice of laptops.

Sixth, and a favourite of mine, look for a laptop that supports a second monitor display. DAWs like screen space and as soon as you get into serious mixing, you'll want to add an extra big screen monitor.
Click to expand...
 
JingleMoney said:
Are the number of cores a priority?
Click to expand...

The real priority is speed. The number of cores helps increase the speed because multiple cores let the computer do more stuff at the same time. But you can't just look at the number of cores-- you have to also consider how fast the cores are. A single-core processor can multi-task, too, by doing some of this task for a bit, then some of that task, etc.-- but if you've got multiple cores the tasks can be split up between them. "Many hands make light work."

There are other things that can affect speed-- the size of the cache(s), amount of RAM, etc. So it can become difficult to weigh the relative merits of one laptop/computer over another when they're stronger and weaker in different areas.

But the number of cores is definitely a major consideration-- just not necessarily the most important one.
 
Yup. The above pretty much sums it up but I'll add one other consideration: the DAW you use. Some can use multi core processors really well and can really fly when given them. Others completely ignore the extra cores and make them a waste of money.

It's worth doing some digging on the specs for the DAW you plan to use.
 
I'm really happy with my ASUS i7.
Rod Norman
Engineer

ProdaGee said:
Hi Everyone, I need Newer, better, fast Laptop, I Currently have a desktop computer but its old and slow. so im saving already for a good Laptop. Im used to Microsoft computers but I know Mac's are good for music programs but the Cheapest is at LEAST $600..

What would be the cheapest, good performance laptop for Beat Making ?
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Hi ProdaGee,

You've probably bought your new computer already as this thread is kinda old. But i just want to share my opinions anyways if anyone else is looking for a new computer.

I used to work with ''cheap'' PC's a lot but a lot of them broke. But it wasn't only that, computers break sometimes. The thing i caught up on was that the computers often were really slow and couldn't stand a lot of plugins etc.

Mac or PC, i don't really care. But i do think that the computer specs needs to fit your needs and that it is worth paying a little more for your computer. After i bought my Mac i have not have any frustrating moments as i had before :)

Hope this helps.
-T
 
Great thread. I'm looking for a used/refurb laptop. I'm in the $300 range and it looks like I can get Intel 5i 2.5 processor, 8 gb ram and 250 gb hd.
Someone told me lenovo think pads aren't good for audio....why?

I see thinkpads, dell latitudes, and hp elitebooks....with the specs I have mentioned...all in my price range.
Are the any favorites among those 3 for any of you?
 
jimistone said:
Great thread. I'm looking for a used/refurb laptop. I'm in the $300 range and it looks like I can get Intel 5i 2.5 processor, 8 gb ram and 250 gb hd.
Someone told me lenovo think pads aren't good for audio....why?

I see thinkpads, dell latitudes, and hp elitebooks....with the specs I have mentioned...all in my price range.
Are the any favorites among those 3 for any of you?
Click to expand...

laptops are not great if you're 100% in the box.

laptop cpus are poorer in quality than desktop cpus...

For example, you may read i7 on a laptop but its power is not equivalent of a desktop i7, it's more of like
a desktop i3.

To all of you guys thinking to buy a laptop for your home studio please check out cpubenchmark.net
, you can see the true power behind a cpu name.
 
jimistone said:
Great thread. I'm looking for a used/refurb laptop. I'm in the $300 range and it looks like I can get Intel 5i 2.5 processor, 8 gb ram and 250 gb hd.
Someone told me lenovo think pads aren't good for audio....why?

I see thinkpads, dell latitudes, and hp elitebooks....with the specs I have mentioned...all in my price range.
Are the any favorites among those 3 for any of you?
Click to expand...

I'm on my second Thinkpad for sound use and have been very impressed with the quality. (The first one still works by the way...it just got too limiting in processor power once Audition decided it had to have a 64 bit operating system.) Come replacement time (hopefully not for a while) Lenovo will certainly be top of my list again based on my experiences.

My knowledge of Dell is quite a few years ago but, back then, I'd have urged caution. My employer (back when I was working) invested heavily in Dell but we had no end of problems trying to use them for sound. It turned out Dell had done some customisation of the Windows that they cam installed with which caused problems trying to connect audio hardware with dedicated drivers. I have no idea if this is still the case but, if I were you, I'd ask around.

My son has had two HP laptops. One caught fire (well, the power supply anyhow) and his current one is throwing some software glitches at him. However, don't take this as a definite "no"...my son is the type to be rough on gear!

Paschalis I. said:
laptops are not great if you're 100% in the box.

laptop cpus are poorer in quality than desktop cpus...

For example, you may read i7 on a laptop but its power is not equivalent of a desktop i7, it's more of like
a desktop i3.

To all of you guys thinking to buy a laptop for your home studio please check out cpubenchmark.net
, you can see the true power behind a cpu name.
Click to expand...

Yup. Everything you say is true. However sometimes it's worth putting up with the limitations for the flexibility.

Just as an example, I do a lot of recording and editing at home then take my laptop into various theatres to playback those sounds during shows. Ideally I'd have a desktop in my studio and a laptop for portable but (insert whine about living on a pension here) it's hard to justify the expense.

As a comparison though, even on a laptop, my system can easily handle 24-36 tracks with a modicum of effects. This is a maximum for me--I haven't tried more and most of my work is a lot less. However, for me the limitations are more to do with screen size (I have a 20 inch VGA I plug in at home) and the lack of flexibility for installing different drives and PCI cards. However, I can live with those.

Anyhow, you certainly get more computer for your money with a desk top...but sometimes that's not the only consideration.
 
Bobbsy said:
I'm on my second Thinkpad for sound use and have been very impressed with the quality. (The first one still works by the way...it just got too limiting in processor power once Audition decided it had to have a 64 bit operating system.) Come replacement time (hopefully not for a while) Lenovo will certainly be top of my list again based on my experiences.

My knowledge of Dell is quite a few years ago but, back then, I'd have urged caution. My employer (back when I was working) invested heavily in Dell but we had no end of problems trying to use them for sound. It turned out Dell had done some customisation of the Windows that they cam installed with which caused problems trying to connect audio hardware with dedicated drivers. I have no idea if this is still the case but, if I were you, I'd ask around.

My son has had two HP laptops. One caught fire (well, the power supply anyhow) and his current one is throwing some software glitches at him. However, don't take this as a definite "no"...my son is the type to be rough on gear!



Yup. Everything you say is true. However sometimes it's worth putting up with the limitations for the flexibility.

Just as an example, I do a lot of recording and editing at home then take my laptop into various theatres to playback those sounds during shows. Ideally I'd have a desktop in my studio and a laptop for portable but (insert whine about living on a pension here) it's hard to justify the expense.

As a comparison though, even on a laptop, my system can easily handle 24-36 tracks with a modicum of effects. This is a maximum for me--I haven't tried more and most of my work is a lot less. However, for me the limitations are more to do with screen size (I have a 20 inch VGA I plug in at home) and the lack of flexibility for installing different drives and PCI cards. However, I can live with those.

Anyhow, you certainly get more computer for your money with a desk top...but sometimes that's not the only consideration.
Click to expand...

Yeah bobbsy, my daughter has a lenovo she uses for college. I bought it for her after talking to the geek squad at best buy. They really like lenovo and they work on computers day in and day out.
That's why it puzzled me when I heard they weren't good for audio. I was specifically planning on a thinkpad. Thanks for giving me some experienced input.
I also haven't cared for Dell having owed a couple ...mainly because everything to do with Dell computers has to come from dell.
Thinkpad was my plan all along and I'm sticking to it after hearing your reveiw.
 
Get a desktop. Cheaper, more versatile. Sure, you can't take it along*, but, start your studio with one.


*I used to take my desktop along with me, actually--just the box, because there was a monitor already there in the other studio, ready to go.
 
jimistone said:
Yeah bobbsy, my daughter has a lenovo she uses for college. I bought it for her after talking to the geek squad at best buy. They really like lenovo and they work on computers day in and day out.
That's why it puzzled me when I heard they weren't good for audio. I was specifically planning on a thinkpad. Thanks for giving me some experienced input.
I also haven't cared for Dell having owed a couple ...mainly because everything to do with Dell computers has to come from dell.
Thinkpad was my plan all along and I'm sticking to it after hearing your reveiw.
Click to expand...

Actually, I just had a thought as to why some people might say the Thinkpad isn't good for audio: they (or at least my model) don't have much by way of on-board audio. All I have is a headphone socket and a built in mic for Skype and such...there's no mic input etc.

Of course, as soon as you get serious and add an interface, none of this matters.

You're spot on about Dell needing their own stuff. Back when RAM was expensive, the aforementioned employer had a break in and they stole the RAM from 30 or 40 computers. We couldn't just go out and buy RAM anywhere--we had to order from Dell and, because of how much we needed, it was back ordered. We were left without computers (fortunately mainly in admin areas) for several weeks.
 
Bobbsy said:
Actually, I just had a thought as to why some people might say the Thinkpad isn't good for audio: they (or at least my model) don't have much by way of on-board audio. All I have is a headphone socket and a built in mic for Skype and such...there's no mic input etc.

Of course, as soon as you get serious and add an interface, none of this matters.

You're spot on about Dell needing their own stuff. Back when RAM was expensive, the aforementioned employer had a break in and they stole the RAM from 30 or 40 computers. We couldn't just go out and buy RAM anywhere--we had to order from Dell and, because of how much we needed, it was back ordered. We were left without computers (fortunately mainly in admin areas) for several weeks.
Click to expand...


Let us hope the ram was of little value to the thieves since presumably it would only work in Dells?

Dave.
 
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