Firewire port adapter.

Ok I have no idea why nobody has asked but why are you buying a laptop? They are arguably inferior for recording and mixing.
 
Is that true these days?
With SSDs and modern i5/i7 chips, I doubt the average home recordist would get near the machine's limits.
All the mac minis and iMacs use equivalent hardware..mobile/integrated gpus etc.

The last laptop I used for recording was 2nd gen i5 with SSD. I only moved to a desktop for graphical performance 'cos I do the odd video edit sometimes but, audio wise, it was tip top.
I did use two external screens, though. If find it hard to go without.
 
TBH I wasn't thinking MAC because yes I would say in that regard yes. All macs these days appear to use M.2 drives and either integrated GPUs or something else.

I was thinking the typical PC world where you can cram multiple internal drives inside a tower vs a laptop, or in the case of OP a $12 PCI-e card that would fix his dilemma.

Also cost to performance ratio still isn't the same, at least from what I can tell.

It's all personal preference but I would rather build a rackmount PC and do that for portability over a laptop with a max average lifespan of 4 years. I have also never had a laptop battery last more than a year with heavy use out of the 3 I have owned in the last 10 years. Maybe that's gotten better but I doubt it.
 
Yeah fair enough.
I depends on your needs and really backups and multiple storage should be important for most people.
In terms of processing power, though, and decent laptop can hold its own for sure.
 
The desk top vs laptop is always an agonising choice for me. I do a lot of work at home...but also quite a bit out at local theatres.

My four year old Lenovo with an I7 does the job well. I run Audition and Premiere Pro and can handle mixes with a track count in the 30s no problem or edit HD video--for this sort of thingI can add a second, larger monitor when at home but still have all I need when I'm out and about. It also runs a programme called Show Cue System which I use for live sound playback in theatres.

Having said that, I get nervous every time I put the computer in it's bag and go out so I'm seriously wondering if, next upgrade, I should divide the money and put a very powerful desktop in the home studio and have a cheaper laptop for location stuff.

Decisions, decisions.
 
Yeah, tough call.
I look after my gear, but I always recommend people but SSDs in working laptops.
The number of times I've had to replace hard drives and recover data for people on the move - photographers and the like.
Usually the laptop chassis is banged up and dinged all over the place.

Most of the machine will take that, but a spinning disc seems to be the first thing to take issue with it.
 
I gave away my $1800 Toshiba lappy to my stepson so he could go to college. Somehow the dishes still disappear...

Other than that I have no input as to how worthy a laptop is. But I do have eating utensils when I want them. So... :)
 
The wife uses a surface pro for work and it's a pretty fantastic machine. Not a laptop but the battery seems to last a few hours before pooping out.

I also dig a tablet with a full OS on it. TBH I would rather have an older surface pro over an ipad because it's the full OS and actually has a USB port on it.
 
$ for $ a tower is always going to beat a laptop if only because you are buying a keyboard, trackpad and monitor as well. That said, some folks need the convenience of a laptop for field work.

I always thought that if I was in computer recording now I would build a tower and put a handle on the top!
Make up an umbilical to carry video, mouse and keyboard. I the AI would need to be close handy so the tower could be no more than 3ish mtrs away for USB although we now have some great Ethernet solutions?

Rackmounted? Great but expensive!

On the "dying hard drive" issue? I was recently told by a PC tech not to just shut a laptop cover down but to shut it down completely. He said in the former case the hard drive is still "active" and jerking the computer about can bugger things.

Dave.
 
ecc83 said:
I always thought that if I was in computer recording now I would build a tower and put a handle on the top!
Make up an umbilical to carry video, mouse and keyboard. I the AI would need to be close handy so the tower could be no more than 3ish mtrs away for USB although we now have some great Ethernet solutions?


Dave.
Click to expand...

Back in the early days of doing theatre sound from a computer rather than minidisk or CD, I used to do just that, sans handle. The huge drawback though was that this tactic moved my production machine into a theatre so any changes needed had to be done there, often to the annoyance of actors or lighting people who complained about the noise.

After a couple of shows like that, I bought a very cheap reconditioned desktop and installed nothing on it but a basic editor (Cool Edit 96/2000) and my playback software. For simple playback of stereo tracks, not much computer power was needed--I'd transfer changes and additions from home on DVD-ROM.

However, after moving from the UK to Aus, laptop fever bit and I've been working this way for the past 9 years. However, even as I get older, the amount of work is going up, hence my pondering the situation.
 
ecc83 said:
Rackmounted? Great but expensive!
Click to expand...

Actually rackmount PC cases aren't as bad as you would think. I was looking at one for $120 IIRC.

I opted not to do that though because I was a little worried about cooling aaand I didn't need to be portable.
 
Guitargodgt said:
Actually rackmount PC cases aren't as bad as you would think. I was looking at one for $120 IIRC.

I opted not to do that though because I was a little worried about cooling aaand I didn't need to be portable.
Click to expand...

Yes well, you say $120, over here that will be £120! that's an SSD, LOT of ram, a decent mic or a modest AI!

Dave.
 
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