Laptop or desktop?

[lyricist]

How many of you use laptops for recording?

How many of you use desktops?


Both?


Someone suggested I use a desktop because they are easier to upgrade, etc.. But I love the laptops...


Interested in seeing the outcome.

 

[christiaan]

I've used both for recording and both got the job done. If you need portability, by all means go the laptop route.

 

[crankz1]

Both here.
On the road it's the laptop.
In the studio it's the rackmount ... sometimes with the laptop being used as a remote for the rackmount via LAN and TightVNC.

 

[Chris Shaeffer]

Another die hard road warrior here. I have 2 laptops, actually-a mac and a PC.

I have 3 studios that I move back and forth between (2 of them mine) and I do some location work (drove 5 hours for one once- paid for my mixing console.) So I'd be kinda limited in what I've been doing if I had a desktop.

I mix analog, though, and use *fast* external drives so I'm also not limited by the relatively slow drive and weak processors on the lappies.

Desktops are a WAY better value, UNLESS you need the portability. Then the laptops are priceless.

-C

 

[Bulls Hit]

Laptop for tracking - quieter

Desktop for mixing - more grunt

 

[lyricist]

Desktops are a WAY better value, UNLESS you need the portability. Then the laptops are priceless.

-C

Yep I agree.

I just bought a new laptop but it is not fast enough to be recording. ( I guess i just need to upgrade to 1 GB ram!) so i was left with option 1. upgrading and seeing if it went fast. or option 2- selling and buying a new one.

some computer guru guy told me with the desktop you get more for less but i reaaaally like the portability of a laptop.

 

[Bulls Hit]

There's no reason a modern laptop should not be fast enough for recording.

Mine has only a 4200rpm drive, Pentium M 1.6, & 512MB ram, with a bunch of that used for the graphics card.

That's happily done a 2 hour session of 8 tracks @ 24/48 without missing a beat

 

[lyricist]

There's no reason a modern laptop should not be fast enough for recording.

Mine has only a 4200rpm drive, Pentium M 1.6, & 512MB ram, with a bunch of that used for the graphics card.

That's happily done a 2 hour session of 8 tracks @ 24/48 without missing a beat

Im also posting on a computer board now trying to find out what exactly i need..as well as trying to find answers here.

I don't have a pentium but i have a celeron M which is related to the Pentium...mine has only only 1.40 GHz. because i also use photoshop a lot, im going to go ahead and upgrade to 1GB ram. (right now I only have 248 RAM, sad huh? windows XP can barely run on that!)

hopefully after the upgrade of RAM it can handle everything i'll be using to record and not skip any beats as well. *hoping* if it fails i dont know what i'll do. Guess i could try upgrading to a pentium but thats kind of hard with a laptop.

 

[Chris Shaeffer]

Is that Centrino board? A centrino running at 1.4 is much faster than we're used to thinking of for that number.

-C

 

[lyricist]

Nope i don't think it is.

i've heard of that before though. This is just a celeron M. below the pentium supposedly. It's pretty slow but the people at the computer board say its because windows XP can barely r un on 248 MB. I'm upgrading. I hope they're right.

 

[David Katauskas]

I currently use a laptop, but would much rather have a desktop.

 

[bcains]

I'm currently running a G4 Mac (desktop) for my recording.
And i use my laptop just for the internet and word processing etc.
But i dont need something portable for recording based work.
Obviously i'd be going for a boosted up laptop if i needed mobile recording thou.
They both have their pros and cons.

 

[guitar junkie]

i have both alough one does not have recording software on it right now... but i have a iMac G5 that i use at the studio and i have taken it on the road with me to record a show or two. the lappy is running Linux right now and i have not set it up with any software but i hope to do that next month or so and try out Ardour and maybe Rosegarden and see how i like it

 

[lyricist]

I currently use a laptop, but would much rather have a desktop.

May i ask why?

 

[Monkey Allen]

Desktop...so I can play Condition Zero with no lag AND record my crappy musical ideas

 

[lyricist]

Desktop...so I can play Condition Zero with no lag AND record my crappy musical ideas

What are your current laptop specs?

How much RAM and GHz? Are you on a pentium processor?

 

[cawhite12]

I use both, though I use my laptop for audio stuff a little more.
Desktop: Athlon XP2500+ 512MB RAM
Laptop: Pentium M 2.0Ghz 512MB RAM

 

[lyricist]

your laptop specs sound like what i think im settling on except ill prob go with pentium 4.


what brand is yours??

 

[dwillis45]

but i have a iMac G5 that i use at the studio and i have taken it on the road with me to record a show or two.

I have two i-Mac G5's, one for recording and one for video editing, digital photography, and desktop publishing/graphics applications. Those machines are indeed very portable, especially if you use the original packing box. The only thing they really need is a handle on the top!

 

[cawhite12]

your laptop specs sound like what i think im settling on except ill prob go with pentium 4.


what brand is yours??

My Laptop is a Dell Inspiron 8600. You might go for the Pentium M before you go with a Pentium 4. Do some research, the Pentium M outperforms the P4 on many tasks, including audio. That's what made me eventually go that route. Plus, the new Pentium M's (with the 533Mhz Bus) are even better. If you can wait another year, Intel will have the Dual Core Pentium M based Yonah's out. Those will probably kick fat ass.