Laptop that will handle Cubase progrock projects

L

lukasz.jan95

New member
Hi folks,
I know that there are many of such a topics on forums but I didn't find the one that answers me accurately and is up to date. So here is my case:
I'm currently working on a laptop Toshiba SATELLITE A300-24z Intel Pentium Dual-Core T3400 3GB 320GB which I bought like 6 years ago without any purpose of doing some home recordnig stuff. :facepalm: because I thought it's a fun play for super rich people. Having bought Cubase and couple of VSTinstrument plugins (I've got Miroslav Philharmonic)
I'm stuck now because my CPU meter is higher than Empire State even when I have 5 MIDI tracks with some efects etc so I have to freeze them. It is massacre now. I thinking of new laptop these are my postulates:
1. I don't want to have such a problem like I have for now lol
2. I need a machine that will handle eg. 20 MIDI tracks and 20 audio tracks withch vst like NI.
3. Will be a computer that can still be useful in at least 5 years (being kept up to new technologies and softwares that will be available)
4. Will be copmatybile with Skarlett interface and genetally homerecordingfriendly (lot of USB ports)
5. ...... nice price
6. Has to be quite silent-working and fast.
7. I don't want to buy things that are not usefull for me

I've been yesterday in music store and the guy said that I don't need a super-duper laptop for this. He had a quite a laught when I showed him the specification I got from a I.T specialist and said that Skarlett 2i4 (I gonna buy it)will do so much to the computer that I can even have a 4gb RAM and that Dual Core processor I have now. Is it right?
If you use any laptop that will live up to my expectations please share the name of it with me. I finally have to do up my recording stuff.
Sorry for my english. And please use foreginers friendly way of explaining things.
 
How does your laptop perform now compared to when you bought it?

If it hasn't been looked after, maybe a fresh install of windows will make all the difference?
You are on the shy side, technology wise, but it's not quite a dinosaur yet.

Mac/PC debate left at the door, a windows machine will grind to a halt if it's not used carefully.
 
My first question is, why a laptop?

Second is for Steenamaroo (and you didn't leave the debate at the door), why would a windows machine grind to a halt? I usually have 10 audio tracks, VSTi's, VSTs running and have very little issues. Unless Cubase's code isn't optimized to be ran on a Windows OS. Then it makes sense.
 
Laptop because I want to play live sometimes and it would be much more handy to have all my settings and software with me. Windows is because I'm a little bit afraid of all things different there.... And heard some opinions that Mac works worst with Cubase. And, yes, I've got Cubase on Windows plus I think that Mac is more expensive.
 
lukasz.jan95 said:
Laptop because I want to play live sometimes and it would be much more handy to have all my settings and software with me. Windows is because I'm a little bit afraid of all things different there.... And heard some opinions that Mac works worst with Cubase. And, yes, I've got Cubase on Windows plus I think that Mac is more expensive.
Click to expand...
I would then set my sight on a gaming laptop (they make them). I am saying this to you unless you really want to go through super tech specs (which, if you did, you probably wouldn't be posting this message). Once again, compare the graphic's specs as that is where you can really cut some costs and you probably don't need it (once again assuming you won't). I would not worry about on board sound as you will want an external audio device to get the desired results (this is site has plenty of information around this subject). I record alone, so I only have a two channel (primarily), but your requirements you might need more. That right there should get you up to speed as long as your requirements don't change (and they probably will), but your laptop should handle anything for music for the next few years.

My desktop is 4 years old, but it had high end specs from a long time ago and I have no issues.

Hope that helps.
 
OP, you didn't answer my question.
Is the computer running slower than it was when it was new?

DM60 said:
My first question is, why a laptop?

Second is for Steenamaroo (and you didn't leave the debate at the door), why would a windows machine grind to a halt? I usually have 10 audio tracks, VSTi's, VSTs running and have very little issues. Unless Cubase's code isn't optimized to be ran on a Windows OS. Then it makes sense.
Click to expand...

I mean over time, not under load.
If you don't maintain your machine or use it carefully it'll end up full of (read:constantly running) all sorts of crap.

My point is that reinstalling windows afresh might be all that's needed.
 
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I did disc formatting 2 times since I bought my laptop and for the second time I did it I uninstalled Windows Vista and changed it to a Windows 7. It was 3 years ago. Whole system worked better but at this time I wasn't using any proffesional softwares like Cubase so I can't say even how it would be to start from a scratch and so on. My antivirus works fine, I try to keep discs not overloaded so I pressume I care for my laptop.. but anyways it will probably work better after reinstall to Windows 8... What do you think? What if I try reinstalling into Windows 8 and buy Scarlett 2i4 to make things work faster.. Will scarlett improve the speed of working with many tracks?
 
lukasz.jan95 said:
I did disc formatting 2 times since I bought my laptop and for the second time I did it I uninstalled Windows Vista and changed it to a Windows 7. It was 3 years ago. Whole system worked better but at this time I wasn't using any proffesional softwares like Cubase so I can't say even how it would be to start from a scratch and so on. My antivirus works fine, I try to keep discs not overloaded so I pressume I care for my laptop.. but anyways it will probably work better after reinstall to Windows 8... What do you think? What if I try reinstalling into Windows 8 and buy Scarlett 2i4 to make things work faster.. Will scarlett improve the speed of working with many tracks?
Click to expand...

Ok, sit back, take a breath. You do not need a gaming laptop, nor do you need to do anything more than asses the actual abilities of your existing laptop, before you move forward. Do not go trying to install windows 8, on an older laptop. You already mentioned your antivirus, so that tells me that you have not optimized your lappy, to its full potential, as a recording computer. Keep in mind, when you want performance for one particular task, especially with a laptop, you need to set it up to do so.

I'll be back later...
 
While Jimmies down the pub, whatever,. here's a few numbers .
My HP laptop is an i3 2core 2.4G procc with 4G ram. Runs Win 7 Premium 64bits.
I have Cubase LE6 on it and just plugged it up to my NI KA6 AI (love it! Not a single sign or bleep, no drivers installed. Nuffin, it just bloody works!) . I don't run the music systems much since the musician of the family vacated us to France. But there you go.... 15 tracks on Cubase not a glitch. The processor was pulling 18% tops, dplclap latency checker was 250muSecs max.
And this machine has not been "cleaned out" for ages. Automatic updates are stopped but the wireless internet is not.

I have heard whispers of driver issues with the Scarlets? Might worth downloading the latest fidget?

And! I seem to remember Toshies got a good reccy in SoS for a music laptop?

Dave.
 
Just looked up your CPU spec.
It falls more or less in line with me previous laptop (T7500).

That machine performed really well...I comfortably ran pretty heavy sessions on it.
Now...the thing is I maxed the ram out to 4gb (why do you have 3?), and I used SSD hard drives, and I ran OSX on it.

I'd speak to Jim about picking the best OS and stripping it back. You might be ok yet. ;)
 
Then this is a big difference if you run OS and SSD drive and 4gb...
Well, I don't know if I really want to upgrade my laptop I have. To check if I can work on this I'll have to buy Scarlett first... Anyways I would buy it in the near future because I need phantom and XLR input... Please If you have a certian model of a laptop which you know works very well then please share it here. Link or sth.
 
WRT SSDs. I am CERTAINLY no expert here but I have read that their main advantage is fast booting?
AFAIK the OS and DAW software in a PC loads from HDD into memory and runs therefrom? The HDD plays little part in the speed of the system once all is up and doing?

SSDs of course are cool running and silent.

Dave.
 
ecc83 said:
WRT SSDs. I am CERTAINLY no expert here but I have read that their main advantage is fast booting?
AFAIK the OS and DAW software in a PC loads from HDD into memory and runs therefrom? The HDD plays little part in the speed of the system once all is up and doing?

SSDs of course are cool running and silent.

Dave.
Click to expand...

SSDs actually, the hard drive is the slowest part on your computer. Now, all of this depends on a lot of things, but in general, an SSD can help with IO like if you are capturing multiple tracks live you will get near RAM performance. However, with computers having 8/16 Gb RAM, a lot can get shoved into memory. If you are seeing your hard drive light a lot when working, then an SSD would improve your system performance.
The reason it helps with boot times and app loads is because of IO activity during that time.

As a general rule, if you see your HD light flickering a lot, you could probably benefit from a SSD. If you have a 64 bit OS, RAM could help as well so you can buffer more. Not an absolute, just a guide line.
 
I noticed a ridiculous performance increase all round when I went SSD.
Not just when recording but in how my system would handle heavy sessions etc.

I actually cloned my 5400 hdd to SSD whilst at uni. There was a session that wouldn't play back without disabling some VIs or tracks.
From the SSD it was flawless.

I put one in my mums netbook too, just because I had an 80gb one spare.
The thing flies now. It surprised me to be honest.
 
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