Guitarist Looking for the right Laptop PC (or Mac??)

  • Thread starter Thread starter Spotcheckbilly
  • Start date Start date
S

Spotcheckbilly

New member
Hey everyone,

I'm a guitar player looking to get into looping software and recording onto a laptop. Here's my situation:

CURRENTLY OWN:

1) M-Audio Omni Studio (i/o box with 4 ins/outs & Delta66 soundcard, connects to PC via SPDIF)

2) Dimension PC Desktop computer



LOOKING FOR:

1) Best options for a Laptop PC that will be compatible with the M-Audio Omni Studio. Looking for a stable laptop that will enable a guitarist to record cleanly using looping software/keyboard-midi/and my M-Audio Studio...Also, I NEED SPDIF b/c that's how the Omni Studio hooks up to the PC. Keep in mind, I'm going to have to buy a refurbished Laptop b/c that's the only way I can get a decent one for @ $1,000.

2) Recommended Looping software...I was looking into ACID b/c I like the fact that it's looping software combined with tracking software, whereas Appleton (for MAC/Protools) is only looping software (not tracking software also).


I really appreciate the advice. I'm also curious if I'm just headed down the completely wrong road and if I should bag what I got and go MAC/Protools. But honestly, I can't afford that. I can only spend around $1,000-$1,200.


Last but not least, can anyone recommend a good way to sell my Dell Dimension PC?

Thanks fellas/gals!
 
So.....

....just realized that my Omni Studio doesn't offer midi capabilities. I reread an old post of mine and forgot that I missed this point when I purchased it actually. I actually I didn't think I'd need, but now I realize it's a feature that I definitely will want to make use of. So, this makes the Omni Studio/Delta 66 soundcard obsolete to me.

Seems like I need to suck it up and start over by going MAC Laptop with Protools M Box/Appleton Looping Software. That's what my rep at Sweetwater recommended. Apparently it will be MUCH less of a headache and actually allow me to spend most of my time being creative and productive rather than dealing with problems. And, I'm not much of a recording gear head. I really just want to get the job done (recording w/ loops) and have a damn good time doing it. Guitar, midi, bass, and loops. That's going to be my approach.

The question is, where can I get "steal" on a Macintosh Laptop? What models should I be looking at? What models should I steer clear of?

Again, I appreciate the advice fellas/gals.
 
i don't know if you will be able to use the omni/delta in a lap top as they are PCI bus powered.... maybe with some sort of PCIMCIA adaptor? as far as software, sonar and home studio can do groove clips which are looping clips that you can change the tempo and pitch of... pretty handy, they are compatible with ACID too.

an older toshiba laptop would suit your needs well. mine is a 1.7ghz with 512 ram and it does the job quite well
 
just read your second post...

well if you want the apple lap top, you will need new software and a new soundcard.... that is gonna cost you more than 1200 i think.

if you only need to record one track at a time, consider getting a cheaper USB sound card. also what is appleton? is it similar to ableton http://www.midiman.com/products/en_us/Live4-main.html ? if it is the product you mean, it will work on PC as well.
 
More Thoughts.

Yes, that was a mispell on my part. Ableton is what I meant. And, thank you for your quick replies!

What I was getting at was the fact that I'd like the option of growing into Midi. I'd like to get a Midi keyboard and possibly do midi synth guitar stuff at times. The Omni doesn't support midi, so I'm thinking it would be wise to cut my losses now and start a new direction.

This new direction would either be different hardware or a different Laptop type/operating system. I really want to go Mac b/c I know it's going to be easier/more reliable for me. I'm no techie. I don't understand all of the computer recording talk. I need simple, even if it takes me more time to save up the money. I gotta do things in a way that will keep my brain out of the recording gear and into the music/recording. MacIntosh seems to be the best route.

Side note: I just realized I'm not so sure the Pro Tools M box that the Sweetwater rep recommended has midi capabilities.

Cleaning up the thoughts here........I'd like to go Mac w/Protools, but have to find a way to make it affordable. I was thinking about Mac Powerbook G4. Seems to be my only option for Mac really. Oh, where can I find a refurbished one for cheap. That's the real question.

This is where I need advice:

1) Midi...........I have to figure out how I can use Midi with the Mac/Protools setup.

2) Soundcard........Not sure if a soundcard comes with Prools or not. Does the G4 not come with a good soundcard? Like I said, I don't know much in the recording department.

3) Hardware/Software......I'd like to go Protools b/c it seems to be the easiest. Again, I just want to record with my guitar/bass/midi keyboard/looping software. So I guess I just need some 1/4" jacks and midi jacks.

*******************************************************

Last but not least..........I may be persuaded to still go the PC route, but I need to hear a strong case for that.

Thanks everyone.
 
Spotcheckbilly said:
I'd like to go Protools b/c it seems to be the easiest.
Click to expand...
And also the most expensive.

Bear in mind that Sweetwater 'rep' is a salesman who is on commission - the bigger you buy the more he/she makes.

You don't need to become a 'techie', but you will need to acquire a certain level of sophistication in order to use computers for recording. You can go the easy way with 'pro tools' or you can go the (IMHO) smart way by buying a refurbished laptop, some good software, a functional USB audio/midi interface and get recording for well under $1500 dollars.

Dropping big dollars and then finding out that you bought the wrong stuff would be a BIG drag.

BTW, Tracktion is the software I use. Looping is important to me too, and VST fx and VSTi compatibility are features that I use all the time. Try it for free here.
 
Really free traction

Believe it or not:

http://www.guitarplayer.com/freetracktion.htm

I downloaded it and installed it. I think paying traction customersare not pleased.

Tips:

Do not fill in a machine id first on the reg page. download installfile, fire up traction. first splachscreen will give machine I.D.

This way, your sequencing soft will cost you nothing AND its legal!

Secondly: I use 2 USB midi keyboards. Both on my main machine and on my laptop. Works very well, in winxp even no additional drivers required:

http://www.zzounds.com/a--2676837/item--MDOKEYSTAT61/a--518323

Do not buy an USB1 soundcard! Do a search in newsgroups: problems almost guaranteed.

I think these are interesting:

http://www.zzounds.com/a--2676837/item--ECHINDIGOIO/a--518323

http://www.zzounds.com/a--2676837/item--MDOFWAP2496/a--518323

http://www.zzounds.com/a--2676837/item--TERPHASE24/a--518323

I do not see why you would go with a refurbished laptop, with the low prices these days.

Hugo

www.pego.be
 
hmmmm......

So, the debate of PC vs. Mac is giving me more headache as of yesterday.

First off, the rep at Sweetwater does not make comiss. off of the computers. He even suggested I buy a refurbed Mac Powerbook from Apple or somewhere else if I could find a better deal. The problem is that I can't find one for less than $1,300-$1,500. That's an investment for me, especially b/c I still would need to spend around $1000 more for both the lowest level ProTools as well as the Ableton software. That's pushing even getting started recording off for some time.

The PC route would definitely allow me to get up and running faster. I already have a Delta 66 soundcard from the Omni Studio package. Plus, I'd be able to use ACID which I find easy to use. But, my issues are:

1) I don't want a PC that is going to crash on me/give me issues.

2) My Omni Studio requires SPDIF. What PC laptops have SPDIF?

3) My Omni Studio does NOT do Midi. How do I do Midi with a PC Laptop? Get some other kind of outbox to go through the USB port?

4) I will be using the internet quite frequently with my chosen laptop, so some good virus protection is very important. That's one reason MAC's are so appealing to me.


I'm trying to decide if it's worth the wait to take the long road with MAC/Protools or get set up and started now with the PC route.

Oh, and, SSScientist, why would MAC/Protools be the wrong route?

Thanks.
 
spot. as soon as you mention laptop. there are no cheap solutions - unless you buy used.
my recommendation would be an amd sempron with 7200 rpm internal hard drive. this will prolly do 40 tracks.
if you need more ,,,, mix the 40 to stereo..reimport to a new session and add 39 more tracks.
heres some pc tutorials you might find interesting.
http://www.garys.web.st/midibasics.htm
http://www.garys.web.st/basicintro.htm
music123.com and zzounds.com have a number of sound solutions for laptops.
 
getting MIDI into your computer is as simple as buying a keyboard with USB capability. my evolution keyboard www.midiman.com does its midi thing through usb and works well.

In an earlier post you were asking about the soundcards in the G4, well the protools mbox is the soundcard. The audio interfaces or hardware you are referring to are soundcards, you need a firewire one or a USB one to go with a lap top. Like i said before i don' tknow how you would hook a delta 66 up to a lap top as it needs to be in a PCI bus to get power.

Why have you decided on a lap top again? did you want to record on the go? a desktop is a much cheaper solution but it is a pain to pack around with you. Also with a desktop you could use your omni studio and not have to get a new soundcard.

if you used your omni studio, and the free traction, you could have 1200 bucks to spend on a desktop which would suit your needs very well.
 
Laptop

Well, here's my reason for wanting a laptop.

I run a website for guitar players (www.sixstringsoul.com) and I would like to have a laptop so when I'm traveling, I can still work on the website while out of town or merely at a coffee shop.

So I got to thinking, I want to do recording with Looping software, so why not sell my desktop and get a laptop that will allow me to work on my website AND do recording, ya know? That way I can also work on my recordings when I'm traveling/at a coffee shop. I like the idea of being mobile.

I don't have very big needs. I don't need more than 40 tracks. I probably don't even need more than 20 tracks. I just want to record Guitar/Bass/Keyboard-midi stuff and Looping software tracks. One man band kinda stuff. So, I'd like to get a very stable laptop that I won't have to worry about when using Internet all of the time (viruses crashing the laptop and losing recordings, etc.). MAC is known for being much more stable and offering much better protection. But, I'm not sure if it's the best option for me at this time. Maybe there's a Laptop PC that will be very similar for me. Not sure.

Lastly, I'd like to have a CD burner/DVD player available for burning CD's and watching DVD's obviously.
 
Last edited:
all good points, i got my lap top for the same reason, MOBILITY. one thing i found that is by adding mobility, you loose power and increase cost.... no way around it. apple makes some sick computers, their lap tops are top notch, but they come with a price tag. did you want to work on your website online as you are on the go, or did you just want to create pages and then load them up later? if you want the former, you will need Wifi which will cost you again.

I think there will be a solution for you, you just need to do some looking around and researching to fit your needs. I think the most important suggestion i can make is be open to other programs other than ableton/pro tools. they are good programs but there are others that are comparable to them for less cash. I stand by cakewalk stuff, their midi is great and their overall features and support are excellent as well.
 
Thanks

Thank you to EVERYONE for your generous help. I really appreciate it.

To answer a question, I would like one computer (a laptop) that will enable me to do website work as well as record (analog inputs, midi-keyboard, and looping software).

I just got off the phone with a different Sweetwater rep and he was telling me that if I want to use the internet extensively AS WELL AS record, I need to go MAC due to virus protection. Seems like good advice, as this is what I've heard from folks. Maybe I'm a fool for wanting to do web work AND recording on the same laptop, but that's what I'm after.

At this point it's looking like a MAC Powerbook G4 is my only way to go, but I can't afford it without going into more debt. Damn! Maybe I need to save up and think of this as a future investment.

Any more advice is still appreciated. Thanks again.
 
PC Laptop Connectivity Question

So, I just got off the phone with Tigerdirect.com and if the Mac thing just won't work out I can have them make me a custom PC for not too much. AMD Athlon 3400 Processor, 1 Gig of RAM, 60 Gig of Hardrive (will buy external hard drive later), DVD/CDRW drive, 2-4 USB ports, not sure about FireWire yet, 1 year warranty, Wireless/Ethernet capability, and Windows XP Pro as the OS. How does that sound? That would be plan B if the MAC Powerbook G4 don't work out.

So, if I went PC, I'd have to still ditch my Omni Studio if I can't get a SPDIF jack on the Laptop. What would you guys recommend for me? I'd want about 4 inputs, midi capapbility (I could go USB separately for this), you know that kind of thing. Something like the Omni Studio but not I guess. Oh, I'd need a good soundcard too. What would the best options be?

Thanks again.
 
So, if I went PC, I'd have to still ditch my Omni Studio if I can't get a SPDIF jack on the Laptop. What would you guys recommend for me? I'd want about 4 inputs, midi capapbility (I could go USB separately for this), you know that kind of thing. Something like the Omni Studio but not I guess. Oh, I'd need a good soundcard too. What would the best options be?
Click to expand...

the soundcard and the input/output unit is the same thing.... i think i said that before. i would go with that computer tigerdirect quoted you, sounds really good. i wouldn't suggest a usb soundcard if you want 4 inputs as it may be too much bandwidth for it to handle. You are gonna want a firewire unit (and so you need firewire on that laptop). maybe an m-audio firewire 410 or firewire audiophile.
 
Well, my Omni Studio came with the i/o box as well as the Delta 66 soundcard. I'm assuming that the souncard is built into the Protools Mbox and connects via USB? Either that, or it comes with a separate soundcard.

Well, at first I will just be recorded one, maybe two tracks at one time, so USB will be ok at first but I definitely need to make sure my laptop will have Firewire capability for when I get more involved and need to upgrade in the future.

Again, I'm strongly leaning toward MAC/Protools Mbox to get started. It will cost me a bit more, but I will hunt for a deal. Since I will be using internet extensively with the same laptop that I will record on, everyone I've talked to over the phone/in person suggest MAC because of the Virus Protection/stability. I don't doubt PC can get the job done just as well, but I'm not dedicating my laptop to just recording, so that sets me apart from a lot of folks recording I think.

If anyone here uses a laptop for recording and internet usage and has never had issues with viruses/system crashing and losing recordings, I'd be interested to hear your setup/advice.

Lastly, do you guys think a 12" laptop screen is too small?

Thanks.
 
spot. i gave you a good laptop config. about the cheapest your going to find with processing power. or the tiger deal is good as well.
i may be accused of bias, but i'm also a computer engineer.
in my opinion powerbooks dont have enough power compared to the amd systems. a good way to check - if you dont believe me is to record a track on a amd 64 laptop, then on a powerbook for example. then take a stop watch and time how long it takes each to process reverb on the track.
now - some will say..but they use different applications, but its the end user result. providing you mate an amd 64 or even a sempron with a good fast hard drive (not a slow laptop drive - i mean 7200 rpm)...youll see what i mean. also frankly - i dont like usb. having said that however some folks
it seems to work fine. but ive seen a lot of problems with it.
you only have to scan the back posts as evidence on this bbs.
as to viruses and firewalls - be aware - if you have all that stuff enabled while recording it can impact the efficiency of your daw.
this is why i have two machines. one for internet, and one for daw.
my daw machine never sees the net. i realise cost wise you cant do this.
however - its something to think about for the future.
as i said - before spending ANY MONEY ...do in depth processing tests on powerbook and an amd pc laptop with a fast hard drive in it.
and see which one puffs out first recording track after track after track.
youll find you learn a lot in the process. theres nothing like a real life test.
most decent mac and pc dealers will let you run such a test.
just record blank tracks on each platform.peace.
 
manning,

you give good advice. thank you.

my question to you is if the powerbook is really that much slower that it will drive me crazy? Is it something that really only matters to a person recording lots of tracks at once, or mixing down like 30-80 tracks? My projects will be small (probably 5-20 tracks) and won't be recording more than 2-3 tracks at once most likely.

believe me, the PC route would be easier for me b/c I can use ACID which I like and not spend as much $. But, I'm really trying to have just one computer: a laptop to do internet/recording.

If Mac's are so slow, then why are so many professionals using them? Do they have faster processors or something?

Thanks for the advice.
 
a lot of pro's were using macs , because thats all that were available at the time. this was before amd stormed the market.
if you scan the net youll find a market shifting where now a lot of pro's have installed amd 64 and even dual amd opterons. the latter some folks tell me will do 180 tracks.
as i said - if you think i lie to you , do your own independent tests.
but note one thing. read up on how a lot of folks are getting low latency audio due to the architecture of the amd 64 processor.
its really up to you. ....do your own testing.
its on higher loads that the amd systems shine.
also - if your in the market for good pc audio and midi software i suggest you at least try powertracks that i use from pgmusic.com.
it has several features not in acid. particularly scoring and notation editing is its forte as well as the fact that it comes with an array of effects built in
thus saving plug ins. if you DO go mac. one of the popular packages is band in a box, (also works on pc). hers some musicians using both....
pg musicians....powertracks/biab...
http://www.charmedmusic.com/
http://www.tir.com/~rharv
http://www.cyberus.ca/~ifraser/songs2
http://www.wesleydick.com/
http://www.davehoskins.bizland.com/
http://www.ericendres.com/
http://rthigpen.com/
http://www.members.shaw.ca/glitch/index.html
http://www.riojazz.com/
http://www.russell-demussel.be/simonread.html
http://www.aei.ca/~denisl/index.html
http://members.cowtown.net/ontap/
http://www.russell-demussel.be/russ.html
 
ya remember that the added power of the amd will benefit in many other ways than the just track count,
your mixdowns will be faster,
you can multitask better (talk to you guitarist junkies on msn while you create webpages)
you can use more plugins and softsynths at the same time, this will probably be of most use to you as you want to get into midi work.

Don't forget that pro tools will work on PC's as well.

I do hear you about virus protection though. That probably is one advantage of mac over pc. All i can say to that is while i have had my pc toshiba lap top running the lastest updates of windows XP, i had only one virus, and that was due to my computer being on my university's network. If you are backing up your projects like any good boy should be, the virus issue is small.

Keep in mind that there are many programs taht will outperform protools in the midi area (the area that you implied you wanted to get into) both in features and ease of use. Protools is a cool piece of software though, obviously it has its place as many people like it. The major problem with protools is, for you, you are stuck with the m-box. You have to use their hardware if you want to use protools, so its either the m-box or the next stup up to the digi002 which you wouldn't want to pack around with you. using protools excludes you from using many cool firewire soundcards like the MOTU mkII or m-audio firewire interfaces....
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top