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Looking for new laptop for music production.. What should I buy?

I need to get my production-studio more portable, since I'll be studying sound-technology next autumn..

Obviously it has to be something powerful. Anybody got any good suggestions? PC, not Mac. Around 1800 - 2000$

Re: Looking for new laptop for music production.. What should I buy?

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Originally posted by lenieNt Force I need to get my production-studio more portable, since I'll be studying sound-technology next autumn.. Obviously it has to be something powerful. Anybody got any good suggestions? PC, not Mac. Around 1800 - 2000$

I would say just look at the specs. Something with 7200 rpm hard drive, 2-4 gigs of ram, plenty of hard drive space (couple hundred gigs ?), and nothing less than a decent dual core processor.

in my experience i have had 2 dell inspirons (not specifically for music production) with the only difference between them being RAM and processor speed. Honestly, these 2 specs have made the biggest difference for me. Also, this 2nd inspiron of mine is a dual core, which also made a HUGE difference. I would also suggest nothing less. As for hard drive space, well, that just depends on your sample library size as well as how frequently you bounce to audio and how much storage you need for it all. even then, there's always external hard drives!

Yea, Im not going for anythig less than dual core. But if anybody has got any experience with certain laptops I am very interested. U know.. when its a laptop its not just the specs that count.. It also has to be pretty durable and solid built right?

How about HP Pavilion HDX X7800? It surely has good enough specs but is it solid? I dont want to return the laptop to the manufacture for repair a month after its bought.. ^^

Sorry, I haven't kept up on laptop specs over the past year or so, so I can't be much help in recommending a model. However, I suggest that you figure out which DAW(s) you'll be using and ask questions on the respective forums as to which OS to go with. I'm a Sonar and Cubase user (on XP) and I've seen a lot of recent threads on their forums regarding peoples' nightmares with Vista. Of course, there are also those fortunate few who are having no problems and some even getting more performance with Vista. Regardless, if you decide to play it safe and stick with XP, you may want to start looking for a copy of it sooner rather than later.

Yeah, you'll want XP and not Dell or HP. They have bad firewire from what I hear and a fair bit of other strangeness going on. Toshiba and ASUS are supposed to be OK. Look for something with a core2duo processor, 2-4 gig of ram, 5400 RPM HD (7200 chews too much battery and isn't really feasible IMO). Make sure it has texas instruments firewire and 4 USB ports. Graphics which doesn't eat in to system memory are desirable, a more powerful graphics card often means less strain on the processor. Processor power and RAM are the most important, but make sure you don't get a 4200 RPM drive too

For $1000 you can get a very good laptop.

Dell & HP make good laptops. I have had an issue with the hinges on my 1 year old HP lappy, but I've learned to live with it. My Lenovo/IBM work laptop is solid and the hinges are much better.
Stick with an Intel Core 2 Duo processor (the core 2 quads are out but far more expensive right now). Go with a Core 2 Duo processor 2ghz or faster.
Dell usually has pretty good prices and are worth considering.
Asus laptops have a great track record. Compaq is owned by HP and are essentially the same. Toshiba had a great track record but I have no idea where they stand today.
I also hear very good things about Sony's laptops, and they're cool-looking too.

Don't waste your time with an AMD processor, they just can't compete right now.

I would recommend using Windows XP Pro but it may not be entirely necessary. Dell still sells XP laptops.
Windows XP will not recognize more than 3gb ram.

A 7200rpm HD is nice but not necessary.

If the laptop is going to be used for gigging, live shows and lugging around, I would recommend getting a 15.4" screen or less. If this is going to be your desktop replacement and it won't be leaving your place much a 17" screen is nice. Most 17" laptops have a slot for a 2nd onboard laptop which can come in very handy.

Does your school recommend PC over Mac?

With the leftover cash in your pocket buy a decent external sound card, studio monitors and external hard drive. With all that you'll be set. You should also consider buying a USB Midi controller or two.

Yea Im going with XP, since certain drivers I use doesn't support Vista.. but it doesnt matter if it comes with Vista installed. I'll format it as soon as it arrives anyway.

Ye Im also wanting a pretty decent graphic card, as Im having a feeling I'll be gaming quite a bit on it also :P

I will look more into Toshiba and ASUS..

Speaking of hdd's kitphilips, actually I'd want a SSD-drive for the OS, but problem is its so expensive still, at least here in Norway There's actually a fair chance I'll buy it off of Ebay, USA or UK.. What do u think?

Thnx for all the hints and advice thus far!

quote:

Originally posted by lenieNt Force Yea, Im not going for anythig less than dual core. But if anybody has got any experience with certain laptops I am very interested. U know.. when its a laptop its not just the specs that count.. It also has to be pretty durable and solid built right? How about HP Pavilion HDX X7800? It surely has good enough specs but is it solid? I dont want to return the laptop to the manufacture for repair a month after its bought.. ^^

That HP is probably not the best idea because it uses Vista 64 which may have program and driver compatibility. The other thing is a 20" laptop is not going to be very "portable".

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Originally posted by counterfeiter For $1000 you can get a very good laptop. Dell & HP make good laptops. I have had an issue with the hinges on my 1 year old HP lappy, but I've learned to live with it. My Lenovo/IBM work laptop is solid and the hinges are much better. Stick with an Intel Core 2 Duo processor (the core 2 quads are out but far more expensive right now). Go with a Core 2 Duo processor 2ghz or faster. Dell usually has pretty good prices and are worth considering. Asus laptops have a great track record. Compaq is owned by HP and are essentially the same. Toshiba had a great track record but I have no idea where they stand today. I also hear very good things about Sony's laptops, and they're cool-looking too. Don't waste your time with an AMD processor, they just can't compete right now. I would recommend using Windows XP Pro but it may not be entirely necessary. Dell still sells XP laptops. Windows XP will not recognize more than 3gb ram. A 7200rpm HD is nice but not necessary. If the laptop is going to be used for gigging, live shows and lugging around, I would recommend getting a 15.4" screen or less. If this is going to be your desktop replacement and it won't be leaving your place much a 17" screen is nice. Most 17" laptops have a slot for a 2nd onboard laptop which can come in very handy. Does your school recommend PC over Mac? With the leftover cash in your pocket buy a decent external sound card, studio monitors and external hard drive. With all that you'll be set. You should also consider buying a USB Midi controller or two.

Thank you! Thanx for pointing out the external sound card as well.. I will need that aswell. The PCI audio card I've got is pretty useless with a laptop so.. I'll need a new one. Already have monitors and enough HDD space, no prob :P Got over 4 tera of HDD space :P

I want a pretty big screen, actually 19" or 20", since I'm used to working with 2x 19" at home. I want the transition to be as little as possible :P

I'll look more into Sony's laptops as well.

with almost every laptop you can plug in a monitor to it (VGA output).
If you already have a 19" screen you setup a dual monitor display, which is what I'm doing right now with my laptop.

That will give you a larger screen while your working in your home studio and give you more portability (with a smaller laptop).

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Originally posted by counterfeiter with almost every laptop you can plug in a monitor to it (VGA output). If you already have a 19" screen you setup a dual monitor display, which is what I'm doing right now with my laptop. That will give you a larger screen while your working in your home studio and give you more portability (with a smaller laptop).

Yea.. Thats a great point.. I have two btw.. But the thing is that u cant bring that additional screen around with you everywhere.. on trains and airplanes and so forth.. and in those situations I still want a good working surface.. So to be honest I don't think I'll go for anything less than 19". I don't care if its going to be a bit heavier.. I'm used to bringing my bigtower around at different LAN-events and so forth.. so if it's just a little less heavy and smaller than that, I'm satisfied :P

quote:

Originally posted by lenieNt Force Yea.. Thats a great point.. I have two btw.. But the thing is that u cant bring that additional screen around with you everywhere.. on trains and airplanes and so forth.. and in those situations a still want a good working surface.. So to be honest I don't think I'll go for anything less than 19". I don't care if its going to be a bit heavier.. I'm used to bringing my bigtower around at different LAN-events and so forth.. so if it's just a little less heavy and smaller than that, I'm satisfied :P

FYI - A 19" laptop will suck on a plane. I travel constantly and much more than a 15" is a pain in the ass on commercial flights unless you are flying in first class. I used to have a 17" VAIO and considering how much of a pain in the ass that was while traveling, a 19" would be a nightmare flying. (Never been on a train, so maybe that's different, but just a heads up on the plane thing.)

quote:

Originally posted by lenieNt Force Yea.. Thats a great point.. I have two btw.. But the thing is that u cant bring that additional screen around with you everywhere.. on trains and airplanes and so forth.. and in those situations I still want a good working surface.. So to be honest I don't think I'll go for anything less than 19". I don't care if its going to be a bit heavier.. I'm used to bringing my bigtower around at different LAN-events and so forth.. so if it's just a little less heavy and smaller than that, I'm satisfied :P

Typically, you probably won't do the majority of your producing away from your home studio. But if you'll be bringing around with you smaller is probably better and you could buy 2 laptops for the price of the 20" HP you're looking at.

Using a 20" laptop on a plane probably won't happen.

I've seen a lot of producers and DJs use 13" macbooks on the road then hook them up to a 19" in the home studio.

Hmm youre probably right.. I think I've misunderstood the actual size of a 19" screen on a laptop.. for some strange reason I've been thinking it's smaller than a standalone 19" screen.. wth? please don't ask..

I see now 17" should be enough for a laptop.. A friend of mines laptop which I thought was 19" also appears to be 17".. and that one has exactly the size I am after, so..

Inch measurement is not what I'm best at I guess..

I'm not a big fan of imperial measurements either.

17" = 431.8mm
19" = 582.6mm
20" = 508mm

When in doubt http://www.worldwidemetric.com/metcal.htm

quote:

Originally posted by counterfeiter I'm not a big fan of imperial measurements either. 17" = 431.8mm 19" = 582.6mm 20" = 508mm When in doubt http://www.worldwidemetric.com/metcal.htm

Thnx for the headsup :P

quote:

Originally posted by counterfeiter I'm not a big fan of imperial measurements either. 17" = 431.8mm 19" = 582.6mm 20" = 508mm When in doubt http://www.worldwidemetric.com/metcal.htm

doesnt seem right that 19 is bigger than 20 ???

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Originally posted by palm doesnt seem right that 19 is bigger than 20 ???

Haha! Wth? Didn't recognize that..

Whats up with that?

whoopsie!

19" = 482mm (not 582mm)

Sorry to say I can't help you much in terms of SSD versus traditional HDs, since I don't have much experience. I guess I'd recommend you stay away for maybe another year or two because the technology is still slightly untested, but thats all I could really say. A 5400 RPM disk will work fine for most production in my opinion, if you need more power you can always grab an external and hook it up via firewire for those huge sample libraries, but its only really an issue with libraries like the vienna symphonic orchestra, Kontakt library (running several instances of the biggest instruments) and stuff like that. If your only doing 4 tracks of sampling you'll be just fine.

With the size thing, you should know that 13" is almost useless for all production, you just can't see anything. If you are going that small, check the maximum resolution you can display. I have a 13" laptop (as well as my main 17") and it won't output the full 1024x whatever resolution, so its really too small for anything but 6 track live sets (I'm using ableton). 17" is OK, but realistically, your not ever going to be producing on the train, you can't get the focus in a public place like that, I've tried. Your battery will also run out after about half an hour as well, and remember you'll be lugging your power adapter if this happens. So just go with something you'll be happy with in the studio, 17" is fine, and then if you come to doing stuff live, you'll be able to lug it easier than a desktop, but not so easily you'll be able to produce in transit.

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Originally posted by kitphillips Sorry to say I can't help you much in terms of SSD versus traditional HDs, since I don't have much experience. I guess I'd recommend you stay away for maybe another year or two because the technology is still slightly untested, but thats all I could really say. A 5400 RPM disk will work fine for most production in my opinion, if you need more power you can always grab an external and hook it up via firewire for those huge sample libraries, but its only really an issue with libraries like the vienna symphonic orchestra, Kontakt library (running several instances of the biggest instruments) and stuff like that. If your only doing 4 tracks of sampling you'll be just fine. With the size thing, you should know that 13" is almost useless for all production, you just can't see anything. If you are going that small, check the maximum resolution you can display. I have a 13" laptop (as well as my main 17") and it won't output the full 1024x whatever resolution, so its really too small for anything but 6 track live sets (I'm using ableton). 17" is OK, but realistically, your not ever going to be producing on the train, you can't get the focus in a public place like that, I've tried. Your battery will also run out after about half an hour as well, and remember you'll be lugging your power adapter if this happens. So just go with something you'll be happy with in the studio, 17" is fine, and then if you come to doing stuff live, you'll be able to lug it easier than a desktop, but not so easily you'll be able to produce in transit.

My understanding, and recent experience, is that using external drives is pretty much crap as it relates to performance. I noticed somewhere in the neighborhood of a 33% improvement when I was using samples stored on the internal drive vs. an external connected via firewire (after taking some suggestions from people here). I'm gauging that based off the performance meters. A 5400 is probably fine, but I'd recommend a 7200 if the option is available - there will be a difference. On the other deal, I've recently started producing on the road much more. It's just a hobby for me, but an addictive one and I've started taking advantage of my time on the plane and in hotels much more lately. Using a new MacBook Pro, my battery runs for well over 3 hours, close to 4 (Bluetooth and AirPort turned off). I don't know what the average is on other computers, but a second battery is always an option, too.

quote:

Originally posted by Ray_Chappell My understanding, and recent experience, is that using external drives is pretty much crap as it relates to performance. I noticed somewhere in the neighborhood of a 33% improvement when I was using samples stored on the internal drive vs. an external connected via firewire (after taking some suggestions from people here). I'm gauging that based off the performance meters. A 5400 is probably fine, but I'd recommend a 7200 if the option is available - there will be a difference. On the other deal, I've recently started producing on the road much more. It's just a hobby for me, but an addictive one and I've started taking advantage of my time on the plane and in hotels much more lately. Using a new MacBook Pro, my battery runs for well over 3 hours, close to 4 (Bluetooth and AirPort turned off). I don't know what the average is on other computers, but a second battery is always an option, too.

Yeah, running samples off an external disk isn't ideal, but it can sometimes be better than doing it off a similar speed internal drive if you only have one, because the system isn't accessing drive at the same time etc. The main problem with the 7200 RPM drives is that they lack a bit in space, I'm finding myself running really low with 500 gig, so with only 160, I think you'd struggle to fit all your samples and stuff on there.
I was looking at the Toshiba satelite series, some of them have TWO harddisks (up to 640 gig) I'd go one of them if you can afford it But its so heavy you'd only carry it if you had to...
Hotel rooms are probably an OK place to produce, but unless your flying business class a plane is not (in my experience), trains are worse!
Also, Macbooks have much better battery life than most PCs, its one of the reasons they're attractive.

Since most 17" laptops have a space for a second HD I wouldn't worry about buying an external. Just buy a 2nd internal HD, they're cheap enough and you won't have to carry around more equipment with you.

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Originally posted by kitphillips Hotel rooms are probably an OK place to produce, but unless your flying business class a plane is not (in my experience), trains are worse!

I'm probably going to take business class on the train so it wont be any problem I believe. I'm going to take the train to and from the school every day.. so I think I'll invest in monthly business class tickets.. But we'll see..

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