Questions about using MR-8 with laptop

I

Ichor

New member
So I'm toying with the idea of getting an MR-8 and using it in conjunction with a laptop (which I have yet to buy). Hypothetically, if I were to do this, what would be an ideal laptop to get? First of all, I'm kind of interested in Apple G4s, but I don't have much experience with macs, so I'm wondering if there's a big difference between mac and PC performance-wise. Is one clearly better than the other for use with editing music, or is it really just a preference thing? Would I be better off with something like a Dell notebook?

Also, while on the topic of macs, would a G4 work well with an MR-8? And would using a mac limit my choices for software? I'd basically just want to be able to stick the .wavs from the MR-8 onto the laptop and edit/mix the song there. I'd like a program with some synth capability too.
 
Most modern laptops with reasonable memory and CPU would do fine for mixing. I would stick to Windows based PCs as there is lots more software available for them.

It's hard to go wrong with Dell, as they stand behind their gear.

Ed
 
Can't comment on the synth capability, but my old 500Mhz Celeron laptop works great with the MR-8 and n-Track.

I'd say PC for the reasons Ed outlined, but there seem to be quite a few Mac users around here, as well.
 
I think the biggest issue is how does the MR8 perform with Macs? Any mac users out there have any good/bad experiences?

Since you are using the MR8 for the recording and the timing you won't have to worry too much about getting a bad-ass USB soundcard. The biggest issue is to get a lot of ram (at least 128 MB and prefferably 512mb, if not more) Other than that, any pentium that's 300 mhz or better should work fine. (though my pentium 233 laptop is no slouch!) So any brand-new laptops will be perfect and a lot of used or old laptops will work too!


I think the new-school MacOs is SOOOO AWESOME. Banging GUI, with a unix command line! (yes, my next machine will be a mac!)
 
it all depends on what you want to do with it.

I'm using a Pentium I 133mhz not even mmx, from 1995 with 48mb ram decent Hdd added a usb pci card and win2k.

the usb is 1.0 and all i do is transfer to the pc to save, archive, backup, and reload the mr8.

so if that's all you want to do it's easy. and that's about all youcan do with the mr8's usb port - transfer.

if you want to do editing, mixing, mastering, etc., then you need a better pc/mac. and for that i'm useless. for this stuff, you'll just be using the mr8 for the source of you wave files. so yo uneed to pick your choice of tools and then see what hardware supports you software tools. i'd do a few hundred hours of research in the software section of this site, it's huge. I'd like to get into that too, someday, but for now i'm into songwriting and acoustic, solo, simple mixes, low production....

If i want to burn a cd or mp3 my .wav's, then i transfer by network over to my old celeron 400 w/ 128 mb, decent Hdd and convert it or burn cuts to the cdr.

it takes me about 4 minutes to transfer 155mb from mr8 to old pc. I do wish the mr8 had usb 2.0, then i'd get a card for it and save me some time. but this'll do for now. we're talking about a $300 DAW....
 
Ive got a 12inch g4 note book and ill just tell you that it rocks with the mr8...you are going to have to be willing to spend a little extra $ for software (apple has just released soundtrack, supposedly its going to be amazing) but the ease and reliabilty of a mac will blow you away...

b
 
mac

i do computer graphics by trade, so i know the processing from macs are much better for film, music and graphics. But be prepared to spend a lot more for the mac and its power. If all you are looking at is using the mr 8 and computer in conjunction go with the pc and n track, i am, it will be more versital for the average user.

But mac really does rule, windows 98 was equilivent to mac system 7 from the 80's
 
If you're thinking of purchasing a laptop just think long and hard about not just the cost but the reliability and customer service factor. Avoid any product made by the HP/Compaq corp. Their quality is very uneven at best and their rank at the bottom in the computer trade press for customer service.
I have several friends who are IT specialists who consider the Sony Vaio and Toshiba lines to be the best laptops available that use Windows.
 
Addenda to Previous post:

If cost is a significant factor, check out Gateway and Dell. They produce some excellent units which are priced comparably to the HP/Compaq garbage, but which have higher quality. In addition, Gateway and Dell seem to be locked in a continual battle for who has the best customer service and tech support--which is a good thing for us consumers.
 
a12stringer said:
If you're thinking of purchasing a laptop just think long and hard about not just the cost but the reliability and customer service factor. Avoid any product made by the HP/Compaq corp. Their quality is very uneven at best and their rank at the bottom in the computer trade press for customer service.
I have several friends who are IT specialists who consider the Sony Vaio and Toshiba lines to be the best laptops available that use Windows.
Click to expand...

Hey a12stringer, how many Compaq's have you had to call em garbage?
Is this another case of hearing someone else call em garbage so you dole out your first hand knowledge to potential buyers?
And you've had experience with their tech department so you know they suck?

I got a Compaq laptop and it works great..

I've had it for 1 1/2 years and only had one problem, about a year ago the hard drive started messing up and I called Compaq and after talking to em over the phone they told me I needed a new HD, so 2 days later I had a brand new HD they sent me and they talked me through the install, and reinstall of the software which was simple and I put the old one back in the box and sent it back...
no problems since...

I just got a Tascam US-122 USB audio-midi interface that I started using to record on it, it sounds great...
I use it with Cool Edit Pro...:rolleyes:

And I heard Gateway sucked, first hand from someone who bought one, but since I have no experience with them I'm not gonna tell everyone else they do...

And my sister who has a Dell has had more problems with it than I've had with my Compaq....

So whats your theory?

Apples and oranges, man....

:confused:
 
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Kelly 5150:
I've owned one Compaq and one HP. Also helped keep dozens in service where I attended graduate school. It was a losing battle until we switched to Vaios.
And your experience is?
 
I'm going by first hand experience with the product, and first hand experience with the tech support...

It was/is nothing but A+
 
There was an HP laptop we worked on at the shop, this was a few years ago tho, I think we had it in about ten times and it was just a mess. We were authorized service center too. I used to run away when I heard the secretary say the owners name, 'line 3.' or whatever.

Toshibas were in every day, we had a pile of 'em. But few Compaqs. So after I left I got a Compaq. Well, mine has a bad cd drive, the batt. died fast, and it's too slow -k6. So you never know.

All this is old news tho. I don't know what's up these days.

I do know my friend has a Dell and has nothing but good stuff to say and he's had it 2 years.
 
Dell has good support, cuz my sister had to use it a couple times.. CD player crapped out and something else which escapes me at the moment...

It mostly comes down to support, cuz most computers use pretty much the same parts...
 
Kelly5150
I don't want to turn this into a flame war, but I have to point out that it is poor logic to say one's single limited experience with one laptop is a more valid criteria to go by in making a major expenditure than the multiplied experiences of those who have years of experience with multiple units and deal or dealt daily with having to repair many computers.

If you have had an HP/Compaq product and never had a problem and it has served you well, that is good. But from my experiences and the multiplied experiences of my friends who are IT specialists and systems analysts, we would say that your experience is the exception rather than the rule where HP/Compaq products are concerned. If one follows the product reviews and polls in Consumer Reports and PCWorld, it seems that more people who are qualified to make such judgments agree with me than with you. Of course it is possible that 20,000 Frenchmen could all be wrong, but statistically speaking, it is highly improbable. And that is what we are dealing with here--probabilities. And the probability that something will go wrong with an HP/Compaq product is significantly higher than it is with any other. When those companies were separate entities, they both consistently placed at the bottom in terms of how owners of them ranked customer service according to PCWorld.

I would add to my advice that anyone contemplating a major expenditure like a computer should be reading PCWorld and Consumer Reports and not just posting to forums like this.

I stand corrected on my use of the term "garbage". It is an emotionally charged term. But I will say an HP/Compaq laptop, based on my experiences and the multiplied experiences of others in the IT field, in terms of probabilities, is not as good an expenditure as other brands.

Incidentally, I have had first hand experience with both tech support for both Compaq and HP. In the case of the Comaq, the glidepad had to be replaced, it was under warranty when I sent it and I was promised it would be back to me within 10 days. It took them six weeks to repair, the warranty lapsed while it was in their "care" and they billed me $300 because the repair took place after the warranty expired. They said it didn't matter when the problem was reported, they billed based on when the problem was corrected. I don't know of any other company that rips people off so blatantly, especially when most other companies would have handled it as covered under warranty based on when the problem was reported and the unit sent to them, not when the repair work was actually performed.
 
The main thing that made me want to comment was you saying Compaq was garbage, thats quite a blanket statement....

The best tech support I've ever received was from Compaq....

I dont know if I got the only cool guy working for em, and the only one that ever sent out a brand new HD in 2 days without costing me a cent and following through with the installation and everything...

Guess I got lucky.....:confused:
 
I have used a Toshiba Satellite Pro laptop for the last couple of years for work and home purposes. I give it an absolute thrashing, and I must say, I am pretty impressed with it's reliability. I get the occasional hangup or stall, but in the main, it is a flawless performer. Even with all the networking crap on it, I can still use it for around 8-10 tracks of audio in Cakewalk.

good luck

oh BTW - If I could have any laptop, it would be a Mac G4
 
My final words on this thread and then I'll "shut up" (so to speak). The latest issue of consumer reports evaluates several laptops. The highest ratings went to Gateway and Dell respectively. Lowest ratings went to the Vaio and Toshiba (which surprised me). HP and Compaq were in the middle.

The bottom line is that everybody forms brand loyalties based on personal experience. Some people's personal experiences carry greater weight (a person who has experience in servicing given brands carries a weightier opinion than someone whose experience is limited to the unit he or she owns).

Basically, my advice remains unchanged. A person should research his or her purchase and make an informed decision when making such a significant purchase and not just buy based on whatever computer Wal-Mart, Best Buy, or Circuit City has on sale this week.

I hate to think what invective might have been heaped on me if I had said the personnel at Best Buy are better to deal with than those at Circuit City or vice-versa. :)
 
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