laptop/desktop

[jrhoden]

i posted a year ago regarding an Acer Aspire 5610Z that i had...i have since gotten rid of it but will be in the market in the next 2 weeks for another laptop can anyone suggest a good laptop for recording $1000 and under?...i really wasnt impressed with the Acer Aspire 5610Z

or can anyone suggest a good home built frankenstein desktop...which parts would be best for only recording. im not concerned about video...etc just using it for recording...or should i go with a mac?...

thanks

 

[Almy]

There is a lot to look for when buying a laptop. Which chipsets are used, which firewire chipsets are used, fsb, so much. But without getting into all that one suggestion is to call!

I recently bought a dell laptop and then ordered a SIIG firewire 800 express card. It was actually very worth it because when I called dell they were willing to price match competitor stuff I was looking for that had better chipsets.

I wound up getting a core 2 duo, 800fsb, with 2 gigs of ram, a 17inch screen, and an nvidia graphics card for $1099 with shipping. So when you eventually make your choice don't hesitate to call companies and get them to match prices.

I'll let others get into the hardware issues and such. My brain hurts from all the research I did on that before getting mine .

 

[brzilian]

Go for the Mac!

After testing the waters last spring with a Mac Mini, I sprung for a MacBook at Christmas and don't miss Windows one bit. All my softsynths are already Universal Binary and I am liking Logic Express 8 better than anything I've used on the Windows side (Sonar and Cubase).

My Gateway Athlon-64 laptop now sits in the corner of my studio gathering dust...

 

[altitude909]

Go for the Mac!

After testing the waters last spring with a Mac Mini, I sprung for a MacBook at Christmas and don't miss Windows one bit. All my softsynths are already Universal Binary and I am liking Logic Express 8 better than anything I've used on the Windows side (Sonar and Cubase).

My Gateway Athlon-64 laptop now sits in the corner of my studio gathering dust...

Maybe you should get some reading comprehension software for it..

can anyone suggest a good laptop for recording $1000 and under

 

[brzilian]

Maybe you should get some reading comprehension software for it..

I guess that goes for you too:

or can anyone suggest a good home built frankenstein desktop...which parts would be best for only recording. im not concerned about video...etc just using it for recording...or should i go with a mac?...

2.0 Ghz Core2Duo Mac Mini (same guts as MacBook except for video) - $799

http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APP...9914000/wo/234W2JUdw81o3Vpa12uT5Yw476D/2.?p=0


Idiot.

 

[altitude909]

Idiot?

Ok mister "the only computer advice I am capable of giving is buy a mac",

Just because your too stoopid to figure out a pc does not mean buying a mac gives you a PHD in computer science. You're a ponce and a dipshit, anyone who would recommend a computer with a 5400 rpm hardrive for audio should have their head examined. Plus, a keyboard and a warranty will run you another $250 so come a little bit better than the same line you have been running for the last year + or STFU

 

[timthetortoise]

Idiot?

Ok mister "the only computer advice I am capable of giving is buy a mac",

Just because your too stoopid to figure out a pc does not mean buying a mac gives you a PHD in computer science. Your a ponce and a dipshit, anyone who would recommend a computer with a 5400 rpm hardrive for audio should have their head examined. Plus, a keyboard and a warrenty will run you another $250 so come a little bit better than the same line you have been running for the last year + or STFU

As much as I hate to do this, you + are = you're.

To address the OP, you have A LOT of options. Intel prices are dropping a slight bit, AMD is low-priced as ever, you may want to seek someone who is knowledgeable in person, and have them help you pick out components. There's no one setup dedicated to a DAW, but there are some things that you have to look for (for instance, a lot of people have had problems with certain Firewire chipsets).
Personally, if I were going to build a $1000 system, I'd go with something like this setup (assuming you have a monitor)

Quad Intel
Gigabyte Mobo
2 GB RAM (x2)
Silent video card
500 GB HD
Power Supply
And
Antec SILENT Case (I used to work at a place with these cases and they RULE)

Brings you to a total of around $865+shipping
Not bad at all for a quad core system that should last you for awhile.

 

[altitude909]

Fair enough, you got me. I'll invoke my "drunken poetic license". I spelled warranty wrong too btw.

 

[timthetortoise]

Fair enough, you got me. I'll invoke my "drunken poetic license". I spelled warranty wrong too btw.

I know, but "your" is one of my huge pet peeves. When one's trying to denounce another's intelligence, it helps to use English properly (though I do agree that brzilian is a pompous dipshit)

 

[jrhoden]

Go for the Mac!

After testing the waters last spring with a Mac Mini, I sprung for a MacBook at Christmas and don't miss Windows one bit. All my softsynths are already Universal Binary and I am liking Logic Express 8 better than anything I've used on the Windows side (Sonar and Cubase).

My Gateway Athlon-64 laptop now sits in the corner of my studio gathering dust...

yeah ive read on a few forums that non macs are nothing but a pain in the ass for recording .

theres a much higher rate of crasing...besides mac is from what ive read and understand alot more secure online as well...

 

[timthetortoise]

yeah ive read on a few forums that non macs are nothing but a pain in the ass for recording .

theres a much higher rate of crasing...besides mac is from what ive read and understand alot more secure online as well...

There's only a "much higher rate of crashing" if you get a bunk piece of hardware, extremely incompatible parts, or do not understand how to maintain your PC. My previous DAW system had its first crash after 3 years of use, and that was because a foot accidentally knocked the host cable out of its port. And my new DAW system hasn't had a crash yet. A little research can save you lots of money in the long run.

 

[jrhoden]

thats true tim

whats the best soundcard for recording?

for a desktop im looking at M-Audio Delta 1010LT Sound Card

if i go with desktop vs laptop with that card for example what cideo card do i need - like i said at beginning of this topic im not interested in video at all for this ...

 

[timthetortoise]

There really is no "best" one, it's whatever suits your needs.
Personally, I have been using 1-2 Delta 1010s for about 6 years now and have never had a problem with them. I started using my buddy's Firestudio/Digimax combo for awhile and liked it a lot, but it got the red light of death recently so he's a convert to the Delta 1010 now. This is a good option if you don't mind using PCI, but if you want Firewire I'd still recommend a Firestudio, as the preamps sound good and (assuming you don't get a lemon) the hardware is very stable with Windows (though the Delta is even more stable). I would allocate a separate budget for an interface aside from your computer budget.

That's assuming you mean interface by soundcard. If you mean just a plain soundcard, here are a few ones that look decent
M-Audio Audiophile 2496 - Never used one but have heard lots of good things about it. Sets you up with basic two track recording capabilities assuming you have a mixer to use
HT Omega 7.1 - Your basic 7.1 card, but with optical in/out (which you may or may not have a need for)
M-Audio Fast Track Pro - What I personally use at home. Provides latency free input and output, very very stable, an all-around great little interface if you're willing to spend the $100 or so more than a regular sound card. With my system it works fine, but I guess it would really depend on if the USB on your motherboard has problems or not (which would be a rare occurrence as USB has, for the most part, gotten its bugs worked out)

Here you have lots of choices too. Fun, eh?

 

[jrhoden]

lol yeah

i dont mind though....id much rather ask alot of questions now than go crazy and be sorry about my choices later
im looking at firestudio now - looks good

 

[timthetortoise]

While it was working, it was a hella solid interface and the preamps sounded pretty transparent. If you don't need the extra capabilities, a Firepod might be a better choice to save a little coin.