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Producing on a laptop

I'm still really interested in producing, but I just want to know whether a Macbook Pro will be sufficient enough for producing Trance on?

I'd prefer going down this route as it saves me having to buy separate parts to put together my own computer.

Most certainly. A MBP is more than enough to produce on, and you'll find that many people on here had to cut their teeth on far less.

Just get logic, a decent midi controller and some headphones/monitor speakers and away you go.

Over time time, you'll probably want to get an audio interface, room treatment, etc, but for right now, you can start with a pretty simple setup.

quote:

Originally posted by DJ RANN Most certainly. A MBP is more than enough to produce on, and you'll find that many people on here had to cut their teeth on far less. Just get logic, a decent midi controller and some headphones/monitor speakers and away you go. Over time time, you'll probably want to get an audio interface, room treatment, etc, but for right now, you can start with a pretty simple setup.

Thanks mate

Would this be okay?

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B00...mZ7L&ref=plSrch

quote:

Originally posted by Joeydav Would this be okay? http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B00...mZ7L&ref=plSrch

Sure, but damn, do you get reamed for Apple products in the UK

quote:

Originally posted by DJ RANN Sure, but damn, do you get reamed for Apple products in the UK

What do you mean?

quote:

Originally posted by Joeydav What do you mean?

please tell me you're not about to buy that? You can pick that up here for less then $1k now.

If that's what you paid a few years back, then OK.

quote:

Originally posted by DJ RANN please tell me you're not about to buy that? You can pick that up here for less then $1k now. If that's what you paid a few years back, then OK.

Brand new? I can't find the same one with the same specs for cheaper.

quote:

Originally posted by Joeydav Brand new? I can't find the same one with the same specs for cheaper.

quote:

Originally posted by DJ RANN

The post is empty mate?

https://www.google.com/search?q=App...+4000,&tbm=shop

The hard drive model is nice because it can be had for cheap. Regardless if you get the hard drive model or Retina though you will be somewhat limited CPU wise with the 13" model. I have the 13" one and its not that bad but you do have to be especially careful with CPU intensive plugins. If you are going to have a high number of tracks you want to use CPU light plugins like Hive/Sylenth or bounce your tracks when you are done with them.

Just something to keep in mind before you buy.

You don't want a dual core. You want an i7 quad.

I think the i5 non retina was the better deal. Less heat.retina is a retwrded concept on a laptop.

The laptops went downhill after 2011 models. Soldered ram. All that bullshit. Get a used 2011.

quote:

Originally posted by Looney4Clooney I think the i5 non retina was the better deal. Less heat.retina is a retwrded concept on a laptop. The laptops went downhill after 2011 models. Soldered ram. All that bullshit. Get a used 2011.

The main perk of the retina model outside of the nice screen is having a PCIe SSD. They are pricy for the bigger ones but they make a huge difference in loading practically everything.

Sure, it wont make your plugins run faster but it will make the computer much nicer to use. Less time waiting for plugins / samples / DAW to load.

I find it frustrating producing on a 15 inch screen, just isnt enough space

quote:

Originally posted by evo8 I find it frustrating producing on a 15 inch screen, just isnt enough space

I only produce on my laptop screen when I am traveling. If I was using it as my main production machine it would be connected to a 1440p 27" panel.

13" is VERY painful if you are working on a big complex project.

quote:

Originally posted by Looney4Clooney I think the i5 non retina was the better deal. Less heat.retina is a retwrded concept on a laptop. The laptops went downhill after 2011 models. Soldered ram. All that bullshit. Get a used 2011.

This is somewhat true but I don't like the idea of buying something 4 years old. My 2008 imac is still going strong but I have a feeling Yosemite is the last OS that Apple will allow me to install.

Sure, that's a great innings at 7 years for any computer but the point with Apple products (always has been) is you buy the top spec one you can afford at that time.

The current non-upgradeability of Macs are really to force you to make that decision at the outset.

The reason they did this was that they apparently save 60% space during the engineering phase by not allowing RAM, HDD and Video Cards to swapped on certain products.

The 2011 MBP's were the last models that you could update the ram on but what you have to factor is that even thought you can upgrade the RAM, you're looking at all the other parts being 4 years old now, and frankly, I'd care more about my processor being new, and ponying up for the most RAM I can at point of purchase.

Now having said all this, it's always best to buy the model of MB or MBP that is being replaced with a new revision. They're typically 20% less in price and the difference in processing between them is usually less than 5%. More bang for less buck, and the good part is, it will have been publicly beta tested for about a year, so it will be wasy to know if there's any issues with that model.

My advice would be to find a new or lightly used 2014 model.

quote:

Originally posted by DJ RANN This is somewhat true but I don't like the idea of buying something 4 years old.

The price of them isn't too bad but yeah its age has put me right off... My job now has me traveling a lot now so I'm looking for something myself.. I was looking at windows laptops but for a good spec i7 quad I think I'd rather go for a 2013 ish macbook and pay the extra.

There's some good deals to be had if you look around, well at least compared to new model prices. It will be a few weeks before I get something but yeah a second hand mbp or a referb is the way to go I think.

Same. This laptop (I'm writing from) is an ASUS i5 and it's been good for most things but the video output has always been terrible and windows is still buggy as fuck. I'm looking forward to windows 10, but honestly, I love the fact that most people I know who own a MB or MBP get 5 years out of them minimum.

I haven't got more than 3 years out of any PC laptop I've owned in the last 12 years. They either disintegrate or become too low powered over time to do what I need. In fairness I abuse laptops quite hard, but I have a feeling a MBP would hold up better.

2013 model seems like a deal right about now.....

quote:

Originally posted by Robotrance I would buy a PC unless you absolutely insist to plan on making music using Logic software which is mac only. For any other software I would use a PC for multiple reasons: 1) Steve Jobs is dead, 2) Price (at least in some countries), 3) Lack of upgrade possibilities (on newer models).

These reasons, maybe with exception to no.3 are not real considerations. So much hype about Jobs; you realize for every MBP there were over 1000 engineers working on it, and so many levels of management that Jobs really just gave overall picture direction. They also product planned 5 years in advance so it won't really be until 2017 that you start to see "non-jobs" products. Even then, Ives and Cook were the main design forces so even though as a company they may change, I'm not really sure how much will change in terms of design.

quote:

Originally posted by Robotrance But more importably I wouldnt try to make music on a laptop unless its very highly specked and connected to a docking with a one or two 24" HD monitors and a good mouse. Good workflow is number 1 when it comes producing and big screens and smooth running computer is the best for motivation. And get a proper desk + chair and headphones or monitors, dont do it on the sofa/bed/buss with earplugs.

You're right about workflow, but this is a thread about producing on a laptop so really, it's a moot point.

quote:

Originally posted by Robotrance I had a Macbook Pro and it was lagging when connected to full screen monitor, it made noise due to heating and the OSX mouse behaviour was not my cup of tea. PC is so much productive for me. Stationary that is. But thats just me. Get the latest Intel NUC i5 or i7.

The newer ones don't lag on external video and the mouse behavior can be adjusted any way you want. I have the bluetooth magic mouse and it is a fucking thing of joy to use.

My i5 pc laptop lags like fucking crazy when connected to an external monitor or tv. I even get lines for any motion etc. Make watch films on an external TV nearly unbearable.

I have a logitech M555b bluetooth mouse for my MBP and I think there is a little (almost imperceptible) lag in the responsiveness. I've never been able to fix it.

I've also noticed that mouse wheels don't work properly in OSX, again it's not something I've been able to fix.

Don't blow all your money on a laptop....

Go with a windows laptop. Acer, Asus, Toshiba are the ones you should consider. Today's bargain laptops were high end a year ago, all you have to be concerned about is nice screen and good keyboard and mouse. Weight and size should also matter. Don't worry about speed and memory if you're buying it new, most are more then sufficient for audio apps.

Save your money for decent monitors, headphones, sound card, midi controller(s) instead. In one year, your brand new laptop will be worth about 20-30% of it's value. For $300 you can find a really nice Toshiba with DVD rom and big screen, hdmi, etc.

For software, go with Fruity Loops, or u can download other demos of Live, cubase, Reason. Go on YouTube and do your research. There are more programs for windows then Mac, if you're just starting out, on PC you'll have more options to explore.

You can even buy an used Laptop, for $200 you can run almost anything, make sure you get at least 300 gigs of storage space. You should invest more in your desktop, laptops can easily brake or get stolen, get one on sale, just make sure the keyboard and touchpad is solid. The screen should be nice, too.

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