Dedicated DAW Laptop

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PorterhouseMusic

PorterhouseMusic

Well-known member
I think I'm ready to finally purchase a dedicated laptop that will be used strictly for working in a DAW. I did read through a couple of threads here on the subject.

I expect to continue to capture performance data and do all tracking with the Tascam DP-32SD and then import those .wav's into the laptop DAW. I expect to use both Cubase and Reaper as I already have both of them and am moderately proficient with both.

Obviously - I want a lean, mean streamlined dedicated laptop. No bloatware or crap running in the background.

I am aware of PC Audio labs and am considering one of their machines. Any other sources that I should be looking at? I do have a local computer repairman in town who's reputable and knowledgeable. Don't know if he has experience with this - but I did think to ask him as well.

I don't need or want the most powerful machine available - just something plenty capable for editing and mixing in the above mentioned DAW platforms. I didn't want to go crazy with the cost - hoping to get something that'll do the job at or below $2500.00

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Any advice is much appreciated.:thumbs up: Thanks in advance.
 
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Curious if you really need a laptop, or if a desktop might do it for you? Only wondering about possible future upgrade possibilities.
Are you planning to take it with you? Do you use the Tascam in a portable sense?
 
Dave Matthews said:
Curious if you really need a laptop, or if a desktop might do it for you? Only wondering about possible future upgrade possibilities.
Are you planning to take it with you? Do you use the Tascam in a portable sense?
Click to expand...

Yeah - others are asking me the same question elsewhere. It's a sensible question.

I was leaning laptop so that I could work in the DAW when I travel for leisure. But I'm not locked in that mindset. It's occurred to me that I can have reaper (already do) on my Lenovo business class laptop and simply move and open projects in it when I travel. I'll have to check on that with Cubase - but I assume it's probably the same dealio.
 
I think I'm plenty capable if it came to building my own but at this point I really just want to make music and work in the daw. So buying something already put together is very attractive.
 
I would get a Macbook Pro M4 Pro w/36GB ram and 1 TB SSD - or a MacMini with the same CPU, Ram and SSD - I have no experience with PCs.
 
Oops one of the most unhelpful things I can do when asking for advice is to forget to include key information. And I did not mention that I am strictly a PC guy and intend to stay that way. Thank you for your input
 
I upgraded my desktop about a year ago. That is the nice thing about desktops. I purchased MB, processor and I was willing to use a chip with onboard graphics but there was a small problem. All said and done, I was in for an AMD 7, 32GB, 2 TB SSD data card. Repartitioned my old HD to be just C drive. Reused everything else, about $800. Now, I would think for about 1Kish, a pretty good capable laptop (I tend to lean towards AMD chips and in a laptop are not as common)with dedicated graphics should get you where you want to go. May or may not have dedicated GPU. I don't see GPUs being all that important until you get into games or video editing. Even on video editing, it is more of a time issue than capability.

I don't know what technological changes have been made in the last 5 years in video editing other than 4K, maybe modeling. But those areas would be your greatest need for power. If you go into the $2500 you are getting into gaming laptop range. Which seems pretty intense, but I would think would certainly do the job.
 
That's exactly what I did. Bought a quad core i5 laptop just for recording.
I am now thinking I may switch to an Apple mini, possibly.
The 'enter' key on the laptop ceased working, so I rely on an external usb keyboard now.

My other 'general browsing laptop' has a big problem too.
It tells me the wifi circuitry is currently not functioning. But that is the ONLY way it can communicate.
Of course it has security screws to keep me out.
That laptop is now just an expensive paper-weight.

I now think laptops are just not reliable enough.
 
PorterhouseMusic said:
Yeah - others are asking me the same question elsewhere. It's a sensible question.

I was leaning laptop so that I could work in the DAW when I travel for leisure. But I'm not locked in that mindset. It's occurred to me that I can have reaper (already do) on my Lenovo business class laptop and simply move and open projects in it when I travel. I'll have to check on that with Cubase - but I assume it's probably the same dealio.
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As long as you're happy with the decision, it'll work whatever you buy that's recent/decent! :-)
 
For me, the snag with laptops is all the gubbins you have to have, hanging off the available socketry. Plan for that - maybe a multi-drive unit with good transfer speeds. What kills now is time loading sample packages. Gigabit network socket is important too, plus extra monitors. The computer just needs memory and speed, and most are good at that now. Plus of course, the ability to do all this silently.

I use macs and pcs. I have Cubase 14 running on both. The Mac is compromised by the external drives, while the pc with the ease of internal SSD storage works better. The PC second internal drive gets easily updated as sample packages grow, the mac has to run them outside the box, and this is a distinct negative.
 
Thanks for the replies. All this input is helpful towards my goal. Much appreciated.
 
Slouching Raymond said:
That's exactly what I did. Bought a quad core i5 laptop just for recording.
I am now thinking I may switch to an Apple mini, possibly.
The 'enter' key on the laptop ceased working, so I rely on an external usb keyboard now.

My other 'general browsing laptop' has a big problem too.
It tells me the wifi circuitry is currently not functioning. But that is the ONLY way it can communicate.
Of course it has security screws to keep me out.
That laptop is now just an expensive paper-weight.

I now think laptops are just not reliable enough.
Click to expand...
You can grab a USB Nano wifi adapter for under £10. My old Dell desktop started to drop offline, and I grabbed one off Amazon. It picked up the speed, since it supported 5GHz and the new safety protocols.
 
Porterhouse,

If you're just doing mixing, you can get by with a lower spec machine. However, I would check to see what upgrade options are available for any laptop. These days, one of the cost cutting measures is to eliminate memory slots, and extra NVMe slots. My Lenovo has an extra memory slot and a place for a 2.5" SSD. It's older, the new ones come with memory soldered to the motherboard and one NVMe slot for the SSD.

Something like the HP Probook 465 G11 has two memory slots. You can get it with a Ryzen 7735U which should easily run Reaper and Cubase. Throw in 16 or 32GB DDR5-4800 RAM and you should be able to handle 99% of any mixing tasks.

An HP - EliteBook 660 G11 has Intel Ultra processors, can be upgraded and even comes with Thunderbolt, should you ever decide that you want to go that route. You can get them on Amazon for about $1200 with 32GB and a 1TB. You can go up to 64GB and 4TB for under $1500.

https://www.amazon.com/HP-Elitebook-660-G11-Fingerprint/dp/B0D9JR8D5T?th=1
 
I assume you will get a W11 machine but in any case look into this,
windowsforum.com

Windows 11 Welcomes MIDI 2.0: A Game-Changer for Musicians

WindowsForum.com brings you an exciting update that’s music to the ears—literally. In a move that will thrill both nostalgic MIDI lovers and modern digital composers alike, Windows 11 is now embracing MIDI 2.0, a long-awaited upgrade that could redefine how musicians interact with their devices...
windowsforum.com windowsforum.com
to make sure you get a capable laptop/desktop. There is more about this and the new, low latency drivers being developed in the current SoS magazine.

IMHO 16G ram minimum with a 32G upgrade capability.

Dave.
 
From the other end of the spectrum: I got a mini-PC with 8gb RAM and an intel core i5 processor (I can't remember which one). And has Win11. I paid $103 USD (used off Ebay). Basically I installed Reaper on it and then disconected from the internet. I do not do anything on it apart from Reaper; the occasional download of a VST or something, but nothing else. It runs much faster than any other machine I've ever had. I could probably make it even better by uninstalling all the extra bloatware but I haven't yet, as it's plenty fast enough for what I use it for. Lots of people will tell me that I may run into problems later down the line especially if I have lots of tracks with fx, but I don't really use more than virtual drums + 3 tracks for bass, guitar and vocals, with max 2 fx running on each. And if I run into problems I can upgrade to a new machine in time.

My point is, it will probably depend on what you want to do with Reaper. If you are already making big projects then I think you have ansered your own question - buy as good as you can afford! But I'm very much only spending out on what I need at the moment, and upgrading at a later date is possible if I really get more into it.

If I did upgrade though, I would certainly get a PC with space for more RAM. It's a shame that here in the UK, most powerful PCs are designed for gaming so often come with a high end graphics card which bumps the price up considerably. But for a Reaper-only machine, I'd probably get one built for me with just RAM and a decent processor
 
GuitarGrater said:
From the other end of the spectrum: I got a mini-PC with 8gb RAM and an intel core i5 processor (I can't remember which one). And has Win11. I paid $103 USD (used off Ebay). Basically I installed Reaper on it and then disconected from the internet. I do not do anything on it apart from Reaper; the occasional download of a VST or something, but nothing else. It runs much faster than any other machine I've ever had. I could probably make it even better by uninstalling all the extra bloatware but I haven't yet, as it's plenty fast enough for what I use it for. Lots of people will tell me that I may run into problems later down the line especially if I have lots of tracks with fx, but I don't really use more than virtual drums + 3 tracks for bass, guitar and vocals, with max 2 fx running on each. And if I run into problems I can upgrade to a new machine in time.

My point is, it will probably depend on what you want to do with Reaper. If you are already making big projects then I think you have ansered your own question - buy as good as you can afford! But I'm very much only spending out on what I need at the moment, and upgrading at a later date is possible if I really get more into it.

If I did upgrade though, I would certainly get a PC with space for more RAM. It's a shame that here in the UK, most powerful PCs are designed for gaming so often come with a high end graphics card which bumps the price up considerably. But for a Reaper-only machine, I'd probably get one built for me with just RAM and a decent processor
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If/when you do upgrade talk to Scan. I have not had any of their product but they have a very good name and their top bloke, Peter Kain gives generously of his time on the SoS forum. Would that reps from other related industries would "come amongst" us proles now and again!

Dave.
 
GuitarGrater said:
From the other end of the spectrum: I got a mini-PC with 8gb RAM and an intel core i5 processor (I can't remember which one). And has Win11. I paid $103 USD (used off Ebay). Basically I installed Reaper on it and then disconected from the internet. I do not do anything on it apart from Reaper; the occasional download of a VST or something, but nothing else. It runs much faster than any other machine I've ever had. I could probably make it even better by uninstalling all the extra bloatware but I haven't yet, as it's plenty fast enough for what I use it for. Lots of people will tell me that I may run into problems later down the line especially if I have lots of tracks with fx, but I don't really use more than virtual drums + 3 tracks for bass, guitar and vocals, with max 2 fx running on each. And if I run into problems I can upgrade to a new machine in time.

My point is, it will probably depend on what you want to do with Reaper. If you are already making big projects then I think you have ansered your own question - buy as good as you can afford! But I'm very much only spending out on what I need at the moment, and upgrading at a later date is possible if I really get more into it.

If I did upgrade though, I would certainly get a PC with space for more RAM. It's a shame that here in the UK, most powerful PCs are designed for gaming so often come with a high end graphics card which bumps the price up considerably. But for a Reaper-only machine, I'd probably get one built for me with just RAM and a decent processor
Click to expand...
It's posts like this that make me laugh about how much things have changed. 2 days ago, I was cleaning up a bunch of stuff in the basement and came across a receipt for memory I bought in 2000. Two 64MB of PC100 memory, and it only cost me $180!!!! You got the best deals at computer shows where dealers would sell at a good discount. It was like going to a flea market for nerds.

Now you get a whole computer that is 100 times more powerful for that price. I would say that is some progress over 25 years.


memory chips.webp
 
TalismanRich said:
It's posts like this that make me laugh about how much things have changed. 2 days ago, I was cleaning up a bunch of stuff in the basement and came across a receipt for memory I bought in 2000. Two 64MB of PC100 memory, and it only cost me $180!!!! You got the best deals at computer shows where dealers would sell at a good discount. It was like going to a flea market for nerds.

Now you get a whole computer that is 100 times more powerful for that price. I would say that is some progress over 25 years.


View attachment 149283
Click to expand...
Dallas, TX, 90's, once a month on Saturday, you would go and find all of the "bulk" computer parts, broken out, or in bulk, for sale. Cash only no credit cards. I think the UK call it Carboot sales? Something like that.
 
DM60 said:
Dallas, TX, 90's, once a month on Saturday, you would go and find all of the "bulk" computer parts, broken out, or in bulk, for sale. Cash only no credit cards. I think the UK call it Carboot sales? Something like that.
Click to expand...
We had smaller ones locally, but the biggie was the Dayton Microcomputer Association's Computerfest. There were 2 each year in the late 90s and early 00s. It covered the entire Hara Arena and Expo Center in Dayton OH, and you could also go to Hamfest which is a huge event. We would have our shopping lists, and 2 or three of us would drive the 120 miles and fill the trunk of the car with new cases, motherboards, and assorted parts.

Hara Arena was demolished by an EF4 tornado about 5 years ago.
Those were fun days!

Computing today means going to Costco or Staples and putting the laptop in the cart. Whats the fun in that?
 
I'm exhausted..... reading everything there is to read. Good grief. What a pain in the ass (imo). But I've had a lot of helpful comments and suggestions - here and elsewhere. Thank you.

A lot different from where I started - it looks like I'm likely going this route:

AOOSTAR PRO MAX GEM12 8845HS Mini PC, 32GB DDR5 5600Mhz RAM 1T SSD Mini Gaming PC​


$540.00

I've already got a great monitor, keyboard, and mouse. It's a good start, I think.
 
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