Help The Newbie Out!

C

CaribbeanBadBoy

New member
OK, so after previous stints getting info in the DJ/Hip Hop and Newbies sections I've decide that I want the cenerpiece of my studioto be a laptop comp...

What laptop is best for music production? And what plug-ins do you guys suggest for making tracks of a Hip Hop/R&B nature - kinda stuff Neptunes would do.

I'm familiair wih Fruityloops and Reason (checked out the demos and pretty much got the jist of it) but are there better options out there? And if so, what are they?

I need my production centerpiece to be portable (thus the laptop) and to eventually be able to handle doing entire tracks (acoustic stuff, vocals, et al) as opposed to just programming (which is why i ruled out MPC and Triton and stuff) cause a friend is willing to each me engineering so that eventually i'll do everhtying in my productions.

I already write lyrics, melody and have pretty mcuh all the song structures in my head when inspiration hits me. Just need to be able to input all that stuff when I decide to program/produce.

Holla back and lemme know what's good and user friendly for this kind of stuff...
 
A lot of laptops have had a history of compatibility issues with pro soundcards. I would choose the soundcard you want to get and then ask the manufacturer what laptop they guarantee to work with their soundcard. You need to do your research.

PCMCIA based soundcards are good (eg RME, Echo) but cost a lot more than usb soundcards (which tend to have the issues). MOTU make some good firewire based soundcards though some say they are better with Macs rather than PCs.

An alternative option is to go with a Mac laptop. An i book is pretty good value (and powerbooks are great but a bit pricier) so check out some of the mac music forums on the net eg sound on sound, harmony central. Because of the limited models of Macs out there, soundcard manufacturers can test their products more thoroughly with Macs and so 'theoretically' should have less compatibility issues. Still best to do your research though (I am definitely not that knowledgeable about Macs).

ps do you follow the cricket?
 
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Thanks Alalfa! Priceless info :)

People like you are why I've come to love this forum almost overnight. The Sound On Sound forum has proved very helpful thus far... haven't gotten to the Harmony Central one yet ;)

As for the cricket... sorry not a major follower - especially not when we (the West Indies) are getting our asses kicked! ;)

Holla!
 
Good luck in finding a good laptop and soundcard. A card from RME, Echo or MOTU would be the safest bet if you can afford them. M-Audio is coming out with the Firewire 410 that looks interesting and affordable. Unfortunately with any new product there are bound to be bugs in the drivers and you'll end up being an unpaid and very fustrated bug tester if you are one of the early buyers.

Otherwise you'll have to take the plunge with a usb soundcard and hope for the best. Let us know how you go and if you get a good setup working.
 
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