Notebooks, laptops

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verandi

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Hello

I want to buy a laptop, on which I can make music.
I used to make music simply with my MIDI sequencer, and actually I want to continue doing so, but unfortunately there are, as far as I know, no laptops with soundcards good enough for midi sequencing (meaning that they support soundfont banks, and that I can load them into the RAM, that they support effects like pitchbend, reverb, distortion etc...) or are there laptops with soundcards like these? Or can I connect or install a soundcard myself on a laptop?
I also thought that maybe I could change to making music on Sonar, Cubasis or other software synthesizers when I finally have a laptop.
Could you give me suggestions about what laptop to buy, the criteria are actually only those which are relevant for making music, good soundcard, the processor must be fast enough for software synthesizers.

Thank you for all answers and tips in advance
Sadjad Siddiq
 
This month's issue of COMPUTER MUSIC has a feature on laptop sequencing....You might want to check it out.
 
Thank you for the tip. Unfortunately I cannot order the magazine, since I don't have a credit card. Is the article available online or could someone scan it, please?

I have read some other articles on the internet site of Computer Music. There was one (i think rather old) about laptops and add-ons like Opcode's Sonicport or the WaMi Box.
What are these external devices? Do they enhance the soundcard? Can they work as MIDI synthesizers instead of the chips on the actual soundcard in the laptop?
Could I use them with my 486 laptop if I just want to do sequenzing, and no recording or other "more complicated" stuff?

Thank you again in advance,
Sadjad S.
 
there are a lot of options for notebooks these days..

call around the news shops, you can probably find a copy of Computer Music in town...

if you are just doing midi sequencing, you can accomplish pretty much anything with a fast notebook and access to some decent monitors.
 
These are the specs, as I said, it is a very old computer, but I thought maybe I could simply buy a PCMCIA soundcard (if such a thing exists) to be able to do some simple MIDI sequencing with soundfont banks, since I can do the more serious stuff on my desktop PC at home...

IBM 755C specs:
Processor type: 486DX2 50MHz
RAM: 4MB / 36MB
Disk capacity: 340MB
Display: 10.4" 640x480 -- TFT - active matrix
Bus type/architecture: ISA/VESA
Expansion bus type: ISA/VESA
PCMCIA support: 2 Type I/II or 1 Type III
Processor manufacturer: Intel
Math co-processor: Built-in
L1 internal CPU cache: 8KB
L2 external CPU cache std/max: 0KBKB / 0KBKB
L2 external CPU cache type: --
Upgradable processor: Yes
Processor upgrade options: 486DX4
BIOS type: Flash
RAM speed: 70nsns
RAM type: Parity
RAM slots total (available): 1 IC or 2 DIMM via memory module adapter (1 IC or 2 DIMM via memory module adapter)
Hard disk average seek time: 14ms
Graphics chipset: Western Digital WD90C24A2
Graphics data width: 32-bit
Video RAM std/max: 1MB / 1MB
Video RAM type: DRAM
Audio chipset make & model: Analog Devices AD 1848
Audio data width: 16-bit

Expansion options:
Plug and Play support: Yes (PCMCIA)
Expansion unit port: Yes
Parallel ports (type): 1 (EPP)
Serial ports (type): 1 (9-pin 16550A)
Expansion ports: AC adapter jack

Thank you for reading
 
Take a look at the apple lap tops! They are very good for the kind of work u are describing!
maybe a titanium G4! Hmmm! v.Nice but that maybe to expensive!

if u get a apple remeber as well that if u want evetually u will be abl to upgrade to at least 8 track audio recording with the MOTU fire wire!

and I would run cubase for the kind of work u want to do not cubasis! get Cubase! Cubasis is a morn of a cut programme just to get u used to Cubase I feel! U might as well just go straight for the cubase!

i have also heard good things about sonar!
 
verandi said:
These are the specs, as I said, it is a very old computer, but I thought maybe I could simply buy a PCMCIA soundcard (if such a thing exists) to be able to do some simple MIDI sequencing with soundfont banks, since I can do the more serious stuff on my desktop PC at home...

IBM 755C specs:
Processor type: 486DX2 50MHz
RAM: 4MB / 36MB
Disk capacity: 340MB
Display: 10.4" 640x480 -- TFT - active matrix
Bus type/architecture: ISA/VESA
Expansion bus type: ISA/VESA
PCMCIA support: 2 Type I/II or 1 Type III
Processor manufacturer: Intel
Math co-processor: Built-in
L1 internal CPU cache: 8KB
L2 external CPU cache std/max: 0KBKB / 0KBKB
L2 external CPU cache type: --
Upgradable processor: Yes
Processor upgrade options: 486DX4
BIOS type: Flash
RAM speed: 70nsns
RAM type: Parity
RAM slots total (available): 1 IC or 2 DIMM via memory module adapter (1 IC or 2 DIMM via memory module adapter)
Hard disk average seek time: 14ms
Graphics chipset: Western Digital WD90C24A2
Graphics data width: 32-bit
Video RAM std/max: 1MB / 1MB
Video RAM type: DRAM
Audio chipset make & model: Analog Devices AD 1848
Audio data width: 16-bit

Expansion options:
Plug and Play support: Yes (PCMCIA)
Expansion unit port: Yes
Parallel ports (type): 1 (EPP)
Serial ports (type): 1 (9-pin 16550A)
Expansion ports: AC adapter jack

Thank you for reading
Click to expand...

Heh, talkin about being descriptive...

Well, I can't say you'll get away with using soundfonts on a 486 laptop... Sorry... (I dunno, maybe its fast enough) BUT, if you got a PCMCIA MIDI Controller card, aquire a DOS MIDI sequencer hook it up to a outboard midi synth or sampler... I'd say your in buisness.... I've seen it done.

Of course, at that price point, you might as well get a better laptop and a PCMCIA Audigy (They do exist, don't they?) card for your soundfonts.
 
Don't know about PC-card version of a Sound Font-capable soundcard, but there's now a USB Sound Blaster device available, called the Extigy.

I doubt a 486 could handle it, though, even if you could add USB ports...

But as purely a sequencing platform, you should be able to get a MIDI interface and use it with an external synth just fine. It probably won't run one of the more modern apps that include audio recording, but something older or something MIDI-only might be found.
 
You could probably trade that laptop for an external sound card to use on a more recent laptop. Sorry but that sucker will be worthless to invest in any new equipment for it.

I'm guessing it's running win95 and wont handle most modern apps anyway.
 
:) I am really grateful for all these helpful replies.
Actually I tend to buy(ing?) a new laptop...

What is the difference between an external synthesizer and an external MIDI interface, or is it the same? (Are you talking about keyboards and stuff or modules?)
I read an article about the WaMi Box, Opcode's Sonicport etc, what are they called? Are they external soundcards or external synthesizers or what?
What is the actual difference between an external synth and an external soundcard?

If I buy a brand new laptop, would you suggest to have an external soundcard or something similar as well? [Although... I couldn't afford that anyway :( ]
Forgive me my ignorance, but I am a bit confused,
Thank you
 
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