buying a laptop...dell inspiron 1521 doesn't have a stereo line in. what?

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orticjones

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i'm looking for a laptop, and i'll want to record some stuff. now, i was close to buying one of the new inspiron 1521s, looking to spend about 1500$. it has everything i want, except a basic stereo line in. that pisses me off. my dell desktop has one.

anyway, i'm wondering what other types of laptops i should look at. i'd like to have the basic mic in, headphone out, stereo line in. i record rather primitively, but i like it: condensers into mixer, mixer into stereo line in thru a y cable, then into n-track. this set up suits me, but i don't think the new dells will allow me this process.

any advice out there from folks who know more about this stuff than me? thanks.
 
YES.
There's an ultra cheap Behri one but you get what you pay for.
The AD conversion in the basic comp isn't worth using so get a USB pre.
I'm not enarmoured of laptop recording but make sure you have the MAX allowable RAM to keep you humming.
 
How do you know it doesn't have a line in? Some cards use the mic jack as the line-in jack also.

Regardless, you will be better off with a good sound card.

For 1 or 2 simultaneous tracks, USB should be okay. But I would feel safer about getting a firewire interface.
 
Be very careful that you can find an interface compatible with Vista.I would try to find a laptop with XP.
 
Here ya go

$200. Case closed. http://www.zzounds.com/a--2676837/item--MACONYXSAT

You'll have two ONYX preamps (very good) and flexibility here. Don't waste your time messing with the laptop's sound circuitry; you'll just end up disappointed. This bypasses all the crap.

If you are going to use the laptop for anything more hefty than a couple of tracks, you should consider an external hard drive and keep all your data files on that drive. You'll eliminate conflicts from having a slow drive (native to the laptop) looking for program instruction at the same time it's trying to track your sound. I've had good luck with LaCie drives, in part because they're housed in a practically indestructible cast aluminum case. And they cost in the same league as other drives. The one pictured is 250 GB for $135.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822154069
 

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Dell went back and started offering XP again since its customers where having so many issues with Vista.


Like beezelbubba said, stick with XP.
 
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