Which NOTEBOOKS do artists use?

[Chris Shaeffer]

What software do you use?

If you have a specific set of audio programs you like to use, head to the forums for those programs and see what folks are having good luck with there.

Pro Tools, for example, has very specific and well known requirements that Digidesign publishes. That's why I have a Mac, actually- there were no PC laptops I liked that met the spec when my last PC died. I tried one hoping it would work...but no luck.

Anyway, a thought.

-C

 

[lyricist]

What software do you use?

If you have a specific set of audio programs you like to use, head to the forums for those programs and see what folks are having good luck with there.

Pro Tools, for example, has very specific and well known requirements that Digidesign publishes. That's why I have a Mac, actually- there were no PC laptops I liked that met the spec when my last PC died. I tried one hoping it would work...but no luck.

Anyway, a thought.

-C

Well..im new to digital recording. sooo when i first started i got a free copy of Flstudio and it wreaks. so new beginnings..new laptop..new recording software..etc

i was looking around at soundcards and it seems alot of 'em come with their own software..so i figured id try whatever came with the soundcard i went with and see if i like it or not..yada yada.

But yeah in looking i did notice some things will only work on a mac. Like the other day i was just browsing around and saw something called i think it was the firepod or something similar to that..only for macs.

so really i dont know which software i'll be using. i guess in the future when i find myself in digital recording my next laptop purchase will be a bit easier!

 

[arjoll]

Like I said, Macs gained a foothold in the professional world back when PC's were unstable pieces of crap. Thinks Windows 3.1 and 95, folks.

This is exactly right, and what I explain to clients (our company is an Apple Authorised Reseller and an HP Premium Business Partner so I have a foot in both camps - but run an HP nc8230). I have come from an accounting background, and MYOB 3 on a Mac was rock solid, while MYOB 3 on Windows 3.1 requierd regular saves.

OSX crashes just as much as XP (if not more in some cases). That's still not very much!

At the moment, actually, if you're looking for a high performance laptop you'd be crazy to buy a Mac. PC laptops run circles around the G4's- Mac's only competitive line (in terms of performance) is the G5- particularly the dual G5. Oh, the PB G4's are really nice and I love mine, but the same money would buy you a *screaming* PC.

Again, exactly right. The power consumption problems with the G5 will be one of the major reasons why Jobs has decided to move to an Intel platform.

I'm just waiting for someone to make OSX dual-boot with XP on Intel Come on, VMWare, you can do it !

 

[arjoll]

Im just curious to what is being used out there i've tried asking what ppl on THIS BOARD use and got LITTLE no NO replies.

Ok, I use an HP Compaq nc8230 CTO - Pentium-M 2.0, 2 GB, 60 GB 7200 RPM, DVD+/-RW, 15.4" WSXGA Intel 802.11b/g, XPP.

 

[lyricist]

ok so basically back in the day macs were a more trusted system then pcs, as pcs required constant fixing and such.


over the time..pc caught up. today, pcs can do what macs can do and more. and many pc brands are very trusted..


do i have that part clear??



so my question is... i know that regarding pcs(dont know anything about macs) you can have 1 computer, configured the same..and it will work better for one person than it will the other.

some reasons are person #1 may be using the computer simply for email and web surfing. while person #2 may be using it for heavy gaming


im just wondering when it comes to audio recording..what are some brands that seem to "hold up" and pass the test of sturdiness so to speak

and thus brings me around to my initial question regarding artists. i just wonder what seems to be a popular brand among artists. notice i said artists..not celebs.. ppl heavy into the music business..recording..musicians...producers...blah blah blah. indi..big boys..garage bands.. it doesnt matter. it just seems that if a certain demegraphic of ppl are using one brand for one thing..it doesnt mean that another demographic can use that same notebook and find sucess.

i guess this is where the joys of personal configuration comes in. but is there that ONE BRAND that just seems to be favored in regards to audio recording? the closest thing i have found for help was registering at on a HC gaming site and seeing what those ppl use

 

[lyricist]

Ok, I use an HP Compaq nc8230 CTO - Pentium-M 2.0, 2 GB, 60 GB 7200 RPM, DVD+/-RW, 15.4" WSXGA Intel 802.11b/g, XPP.

2 gig ram............. hmm

how many tracks do you typically record at once?

and, are you getting lag at all?


im not sure the proper terminologies of things but


i know that using Flstudio i could have like 10 different layers playing and it would LAG LIKE crazy. how many tracks can you play back simultaneously without any strain?

 

[arjoll]

Like the other day i was just browsing around and saw something called i think it was the firepod or something similar to that..only for macs.

Do you mean this? It will work with Windows and comes with Cubase LE. Make sure that if you get a PC laptop you get one with IEEE1394/Firewire/iLink as well as USB 2.0 so you've got flexibility to use whatever hardware you want.

 

[arjoll]

2 gig ram............. hmm
how many tracks do you typically record at once?

Two - most of my recent recording has been live classical through a Tascam US122. I am not a heavy-duty recording/musician person (if you look through my posts you'll notice I mainly contribute to tech discussions). Other than that it was with a Tascam MSR16 and there was no lag in that puppy!

I work in IT, memory was cheap, and my HP came with a hefty 'dealer starter' discount. Premiere Pro runs like a dream as well!

With your other specific questions there are othere here who will be able to give far more specific answers, but most of your issues will probably relate to the choice of sound hardware more than the laptop.

 

[MichaelM]

so my question is... i know that regarding pcs(dont know anything about macs) you can have 1 computer, configured the same..and it will work better for one person than it will the other.

some reasons are person #1 may be using the computer simply for email and web surfing. while person #2 may be using it for heavy gaming


im just wondering when it comes to audio recording..what are some brands that seem to "hold up" and pass the test of sturdiness so to speak...

Really, if you are sticking to PCs, one brand isn't better than the others for recording. All brands make high end and budget machines, as well as in between models as well. What you need to do is go into a shop and compare the SPECS of models from all brands to find what you want. Work out exactly what you want to be able to do with the computer, so you have an idea of the specifications you need. The logo on the lid is the least of your worries.

 

[lyricist]

Two - most of my recent recording has been live classical through a Tascam US122. I am not a heavy-duty recording/musician person (if you look through my posts you'll notice I mainly contribute to tech discussions). Other than that it was with a Tascam MSR16 and there was no lag in that puppy!

I work in IT, memory was cheap, and my HP came with a hefty 'dealer starter' discount. Premiere Pro runs like a dream as well!

With your other specific questions there are othere here who will be able to give far more specific answers, but most of your issues will probably relate to the choice of sound hardware more than the laptop.

Thanks...


well for me... again im not sure of the proper termonologies but the most i will be recording at once, for now..is two tracks as well.

I think 1 gig ram is sufficient for that.

HOWEVER..after i get done the 2. i will keep adding on more. like i'll record my keys..then add in drums...then synth..and the list goes on until im done the song

then i'll also be adding the vocals of course.

my goal is to beable to play all of this back SMOOTHLY with no strain. that is my goal and also my greatest fear.

when i received my new laptop admittedly i didnt knowmuch about specs so its typical it didnt work i assumed anything would be better than what im on now. bought it..loaded fl studio. tried to play my 8 track midi file and blurry and lagging like crazy. my next laptop i want it to fly. i want to be able to open midi files in there..assign instruments to each layer and have it play with no problem.

 

[lyricist]

Really, if you are sticking to PCs, one brand isn't better than the others for recording. All brands make high end and budget machines, as well as in between models as well. What you need to do is go into a shop and compare the SPECS of models from all brands to find what you want. Work out exactly what you want to be able to do with the computer, so you have an idea of the specifications you need. The logo on the lid is the least of your worries.

Well if i post what i hope to do with this laptop do you think yourself or someone here can help me?


Like so far ive gathered that i guess i need atleast 1 gig ram. im still having trouble with how much HD i need(also cos i'll be using an external one too)..the speed of the HD.

things like that.

 

[MichaelM]

Yeah someone will be able to help you. I'm kindof looking at laptops at the moment as well, for uni next year (I can't take housemates using the computer when I need it anymore!)....

So, what do you want to do with your laptop?

 

[brzilian]

lol stfu k?

Im into the christian music scene,

Wow. Good roll model...

 

[lyricist]

Wow. Good roll model...

Yeah

im a sad sick individual

good thing you dont have to be perfect to be accepted by jesus

 

[lyricist]

Yeah someone will be able to help you. I'm kindof looking at laptops at the moment as well, for uni next year (I can't take housemates using the computer when I need it anymore!)....

So, what do you want to do with your laptop?

Okay lets see here...



Here is what i can think of right now at the moment.


1. Quiet
2. not excessively hot.
3. NO LAG (will need to multitask at times as well as play back a handful(around 10-15) of layers(not sure if this is the correct term) at once.
4. but!! i will not be recording more than 2 channels at once.

im not sure how to be sure if a laptop is quiet or on the cooler side of things. But as far as lag goes.. playing 10 tracks back(and by tracks i mean the different instrument layers that make up one song) or so at one time i feel that a pentium M centrino of atleast 1.73 GHz and 1 gig of ram would be sufficient..can anyone agree?

If it isnt sufficient what should i be looking on getting instead? no lag is INCREDIBLY INCREDIBLY important to me! I will be over joyous if i can play back layers without lag.


so that is basically it. i will be making a good amount of songs ...i also web design and take a good amount of pics..so a failry large HD is needed.

here is where it gets a bit tricky... will the size of an HD affect GHz/ram speed?? meaning if i get a 100gig HD would it be wise to get more Ghz and Ram or does that not matter??

also i will be putting more important files in an external HD but since any laptop i have ever seen comes with only ONE firewire port--that will be taken up by the soundcard. so i would have to plug in the external HD into a usb 2.0 port

with that said..and the things i will be recording at one time.. would a 100gig 5400internal HD. and a external gig 7200 HD be able to handle what im doing with no lag??

if i chose to just use a 5400 internal HD for recording like 1 channel at a time but yet having up to like 10 tracks in one song..would that be able to handle? or for having 10-15 tracks(layers whatever its called someone tell me what this is called ) making up one song and playback with no lag..would 7200rpm be the better choice? or would 1 gig ram with 1.73GHz(equiv to about a pent 4 2.8GHz) suffice?


again, if not..what may be a better choice????

thanks!!


eta- forgot to ask. how much CPU FSB is suggested?? 400 MHz too little?

 

[gordone]

For the millionth time (well maybe second time!). RAM is Random-Access-Memory, and is solid state (no moving parts) and typically gets dumped everytime you shut down your PC (ie is not persistent). It is the fastest type of memory (besides the CPU's cache). A Hard Drive contains moving parts, is slower than RAM, but is persistent. It is also much cheaper than RAM/Solid-state memory. So 5400RPM Internal RAM makes NO sense!

I don't mean to bust your chops, but you really need to get your terminology straight. I recommend buying a book or two on the basics of both PCs and Home Recording. It will help a ton! The phrase

would 7200rpm be the better choice? or would 1 gig ram with 1.73GHz(equiv to about a pent 4 2.8GHz) suffice?

makes absolutely no sense. If you arm yourself with the correct terminology, buying a laptop based on specs will be MUCH easier.

In my last post to you, I made some recommendations on hard drive speed and internal/external drive concerns. I see you didn't get the point the first time I made it (as well as the first time I corrected you on RAM/HDD differences), so I won't bother again. Please go to a bookstore and buy a book on all of this. You'll thank me later...

Good luck!

PS - What were the specs of the first laptop bought? (the one which "wreaked" [sic])
If it was anything purchased recently, you should have been able to get a bunch of tracks going at once.

EDIT - These threads had some good recommendations for you -
https://homerecording.com/bbs/showthread.php?t=173425
https://homerecording.com/bbs/showthread.php?t=169434 (See Post #10 )

Since you asked, I use a Dell with an M-Audio product and have NO problems. My Dell isn't a laptop though. I have an older Dell laptop, but it would explode if I tried multitracking on it (not because it's a Dell, but because it's old and slow)

 

[noisedude]

How didnt that make sense?


let me know and i can reiterate it.

You said:

"Well, im definitely going to stick with PC...and yes i have definitely decided to go with centrino

though just recently i heard that AMD's are better for audio recording."

You just heard that AMDs are better, but you're definitely not going to buy one? That doesn't make sense mate.

It seriously doesn't make much difference what brand you buy. Make sure there's a good processor in there (no 'mobile' processors ... they're low-speed to conserve battery power). Then make sure there's at least a gig of ram, a large enough hard drive to tide you over till you get an external firewire one, and you're set. The onboard graphics and sound are relatively unimportant, at least, they won't be a clinching factor in your purchase.

Then find a company with decent customer service and buy their product. Over here I've had good experiences with Dell, but a lot of Yanks on here have said otherwise. Acer, Compaq/HP, IBM, whatever .... just get the specs right, and then pull one out of a hat if you have to.

FWIW - Pentium 4s tend to have higher floating-point scores on benchmark tests, which I am told means they are quicker for the kinds of processes involved in audio. AMDs are apparently quicker at most other things, which gives them an edge for some games ........................ but basically, you'll be fine whatever you choose. It's 2005, baby!!

Nik

 

[lyricist]

You said:

"Well, im definitely going to stick with PC...and yes i have definitely decided to go with centrino

though just recently i heard that AMD's are better for audio recording."

You just heard that AMDs are better, but you're definitely not going to buy one? That doesn't make sense mate.

huh?? definitely going to buy one what??

I meant im definitely going to buy a pc with pentium M centrino

BUT i just heard that AMDs were better for recording. im not buying an AMD.. i just heard the other day they were better and i had never heard that before.

It seriously doesn't make much difference what brand you buy. Make sure there's a good processor in there (no 'mobile' processors ... they're low-speed to conserve battery power). Then make sure there's at least a gig of ram, a large enough hard drive to tide you over till you get an external firewire one, and you're set. The onboard graphics and sound are relatively unimportant, at least, they won't be a clinching factor in your purchase.

Then find a company with decent customer service and buy their product. Over here I've had good experiences with Dell, but a lot of Yanks on here have said otherwise. Acer, Compaq/HP, IBM, whatever .... just get the specs right, and then pull one out of a hat if you have to.

Thanks.

oh, but i am into webdesign so i'd say I would also need a pretty decent graphics card.


but for recording the video memory needs to be dedicated, right?

 

[lyricist]

For the millionth time (well maybe second time!). RAM is Random-Access-Memory, and is solid state (no moving parts) and typically gets dumped everytime you shut down your PC (ie is not persistent). It is the fastest type of memory (besides the CPU's cache). A Hard Drive contains moving parts, is slower than RAM, but is persistent. It is also much cheaper than RAM/Solid-state memory. So 5400RPM Internal RAM makes NO sense!

I don't mean to bust your chops, but you really need to get your terminology straight. I recommend buying a book or two on the basics of both PCs and Home Recording. It will help a ton! The phrase makes absolutely no sense. If you arm yourself with the correct terminology, buying a laptop based on specs will be MUCH easier.

In my last post to you, I made some recommendations on hard drive speed and internal/external drive concerns. I see you didn't get the point the first time I made it (as well as the first time I corrected you on RAM/HDD differences), so I won't bother again. Please go to a bookstore and buy a book on all of this. You'll thank me later...

Good luck!

PS - What were the specs of the first laptop bought? (the one which "wreaked" [sic])
If it was anything purchased recently, you should have been able to get a bunch of tracks going at once.

EDIT - These threads had some good recommendations for you -
https://homerecording.com/bbs/showthread.php?t=173425
https://homerecording.com/bbs/showthread.php?t=169434 (See Post #10 )

Since you asked, I use a Dell with an M-Audio product and have NO problems. My Dell isn't a laptop though. I have an older Dell laptop, but it would explode if I tried multitracking on it (not because it's a Dell, but because it's old and slow)

It does make sense in my mind but it didnt make sense when i wrote it because i accidentally called 5400rpm internal ram , ram instead of INTERNAL HARD DRIVE

i was REALLY tired last night as i usually am when i have time to get on the computer and i didnt even notice i called it ram.


Im not too ignorant when it comes to computers as i am when it comes to terms of home recording.

i am well aware ram gets dumped and that HD stays.

so wherever i mentioned 5400 or 7200 and called it ram i meant to type hard drive, and in my mind i knew it was HD which is why it made sense to me but i didnt even catch i was typing the wrong things

 

[arjoll]

oh, but i am into webdesign so i'd say I would also need a pretty decent graphics card.

Not really - I often get people asking at work, and the reality is that unless you are looking at gaming or possibly 3D CAD the onboard video will be just fine. High end video won't make your graphic software run any better, a better CPU and more memory will be fine.

but for recording the video memory needs to be dedicated, right?

I have read that Protools is quite fussy, but I have run Audition on a number of laptops I've had in the last couple of years (Compaq N1020V, Toshiba Tecra S1, two HP nx7010s, an nx6120 and my current one, an nc8230 - working in IT is great ) and had absolutely no issues. Again this is recording just two tracks at once, but I have made sound effects etc with up to 15 tracks.