computer recommendations

[daddymac]

I know this has been gone over a gazillion times before.

I am thinking of buying my first laptop for audio recording. What are your general recommendations for a basic but solid laptop for recording, spec wise, or specific models for that matter.

I don't do anything heavy - just basic tracking and mastering and burning CDs. No heavy plug ins or soft synths.

I was thinking about something with a Intel M processor, in the 1.8 - 2.0 G range, 1Gig or ram. I might do an external HD for audio files.

I still want to use the laptop for general use though, including internet. is it everyones opinion that you MUST do a dual boot and have one OS set up for music? Stripped of any frills, then tweaked for audio?

thanks for the help

 

[Bulls Hit]

Yep, mobile cpu so you don't get the fan noise;
1GB ram should do it;
Try for a 5400rpm drive, but if you're going to use an external drive that doesn't really matter;
I use my laptop for recording & also on the net. I don't use dual boot, but I do have 2 hardware profiles

 

[bgavin]

I bought a new Dell Inspiron 6400 for mobile measurements and occasional recording. I got the T2300 Duo-Core processor with the fast FSB, and 1.0gb of DDR2 fast memory, in two sticks. This allows use of the dual memory controller for a performance increase.

Price was $1120 shipped, with a 3 year warranty.

When I received the machine, I saved a GHOST image of the entire disk, then wiped the machine clean. I spent the extra $10 and bought the WinXP install CD, which makes reinstallation painless. Take note: the disk contains more than just the operating system. The Utility and Restore partitions exist on the disk, but are hidden. One should always have an image of their entire disk, should it have to be replaced, and these partitions restored.

Wiping the machine clean provided a huge performance boost over factory stock. Dell bundles a bunch of shit on their machines because they are paid to do so by the various vendors. All the added junk (AOL, Sonic, Music Juke Box, ad nauseum) are hooked into the Windows message loop, and slow the machine. The only way to fully get rid of this junk is with a fresh install.

My laptop uses an Edirol UA-25 interface and external phantom supply with a Superlux ECM-999 measurement mic. I have a pair of Rane MLM preamps that I can feed into the UA-25 for up to 8 channels, mixed. Phantom power in the Rane is only 15v and useless with my mics.

 

[Bulls Hit]

I bought a new Dell Inspiron 6400 for mobile measurements and occasional recording. I got the T2300 Duo-Core processor with the fast FSB, and 1.0gb of DDR2 fast memory, in two sticks. This allows use of the dual memory controller for a performance increase.
.

Sounds like a real hot machine. Does the Duo-Core run all applications faster, or do they have to be compiled for it to run quicker? Is it a 400Mhz FSB? My laptop's a 333. I heard the DDR2 ram runs slower than DDR, maybe that was clockspeed

 

[daddymac]

bgavin,

excuse me if I'm a little uninformed on some of this. When you say you "ghost" the disc, is that the same as a backup? what is the purpose of a "ghost" if you are going to reinstall the OS?

I assume that the reinstall disc lets you choose, and therefore pare down what options you can install? thus staying from all the extras that originally were installed?

does this void the warranty? Dell had some great deals on laptops the last few days. Free upgrade to dual processor, free 1g ram. But it looks like it's over - for now.

thanks for your help.