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Laptop Purchase
YDG
post Feb 22 2010, 09:15 PM
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My friend is looking for a laptop and his budget is 600 dollars. The primary use of the laptop is for recording/mixing and for live sets when he performs. He uses a lot of heavy-weight music programs. Any help?
 
heyo-captain-jac...
post Feb 22 2010, 09:26 PM
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If budget includes shipping: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx...N82E16834200028
If budget doesn't include shipping: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx...N82E16834146611
If budget can be expanded a little: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx...N82E16834114791
If budget can be expanded a lot: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx...N82E16834152178

Personally, I think the Toshiba would be most worth it. But if he can get the extra money for the MSI, then I'd say that's definitely the way to go.

If he's doing any gaming (except some really light gaming, like peggle light), then all of these are a no-go, due to the IGP instead of a dedicated graphics card.
 
Maccabee
post Feb 22 2010, 11:45 PM
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http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx...N82E16834146735

I'm a big thinkpad fan. It's only 2GB ram, but it's DDR3 and it's fast.
Also, for 50$ more, there is this.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx...N82E16834146628

Which isn't a huge improvement besides more ram.
Also, the first one runs windows xp professional, and the second one has windows 7. so if you kept the os that each one has, the first one would outperform the second.
 
Uronacid
post Feb 23 2010, 11:19 AM
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I used to do sound recording because I was in a band in high school. If he's going to be doing sound recording then he doesn't want a laptop. He wants a desktop. Here's why:
  1. Sound Cards: Laptop sound cards aren't built to handle high quality sound. He's going to have to purchase an external sound card from M-Audio or yamaha if he wants high quality sound. With a desktop he can utilize a sound card that's dedicated for sound recording, they also work better than an external sound card because they have more bandwidth and can usually handle more devices at once.
    Internal Recording Card with 10in/10out: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx...N82E16829121011
    Internal Recording Card with 4in/4out: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx...N82E16829121120
    External Recording Card with 4in/4out: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx...N82E16829121001
    On top of that, the one I mentioned is USB so there is going to be quite a bit of lag between when your sound is actually entering the microphone and hitting the computer. It's a really big pain in the ass. If you're going to go with an external solution you'll most likely want FireWire and that's significantly more expensive.

  2. Hard Drives: HDDs are another issue with laptops. You'll need a fast HDD to reduce the lag between sound hitting the mic and being recorded on the drive. Cheap laptops have 5400RPM HDDs built into them. This is too slow for quality sound recording. Slow HDDs result in less time recording and more time syncing sound clips. Also, when you record/edit sound, you don't use MP3s. RAW sound data is quite large. With a laptop he will need to purchase at least a 500GB external drive, but even that won't be a good solution as sound data is very valuable to an artist. You will need to backup this data. Laptops/External drives are far more vulnerable to being bumped and damaged. I would recommend purchaseing two 500GB drives, one for recording and one for backup. If this was a desktop then both drives could sit in the chassis and mirror each other. Also, if this was a desktop the money wouldn't need to be spent out-right as the drives would be less likely to be damaged and it would be an easy upgrade down the road if he couldn't afford it immdiately. This brings me to another issue.
  3. Upgrades: laptop solutions are more expensive outright. Desktops can be easily upgraded and it costs less to do so. You can't afford to mirror those drives and backup your data yet? That's fine throw an extra drive in later. You can't afford that 300+ dollar FireWire external sound card? That's fine, you have a desktop and that 300+ dollar problem just became a 100.00 solution.
  4. Money: 600 dollars is just not enough for a laptop recording solution. If your friend is going to get a cheap laptop then hes in for a low quality recording soltuion that he will have to replace after only a few months of aggrevation.
If he doesn't then he's going to spend a lot of time syncronizing the sounds in some recording program because his laptop isn't designed for this sort of thing. The fact that he's on a budget just gives me one more reason to recommend he purchase a desktop.

A bare minimum desktop solution would cost him about 600 dollars provided he had the recording software. Seeing as how he wants to be on a budget I recommend purchasing a prebuilt computer from a manufacturer. I recommend ASUS or Lenovo because they have quality hardware. I realize the processor isn't crazy powerful, but it's dual core so it's good enough. Partition the hard drive on the first drive and mirror that partition to the second.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx...N82E16883220032
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx...N82E16822136073
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx...N82E16829121120

He'd still have to upgrade a few things eventually. I would personally upgrade to at least a 400 watt powersupply. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx...N82E16817371029

Eventually I would put in a video card that supported dual monitors so I could work off of two screens and increase preformance. Make sure you utilize passive colling though. Less sound = better: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx...N82E16814127458

I'd probably purchase two of these since dell can make some really nice budget monitors: http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/product...jYAADHyNY4AAAFv

It's also important that he eventually purchases larger desktop speakers that can produce high quality sound... as an entry lv speaker I would suggest: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx...N82E16836127010
 
heyo-captain-jac...
post Feb 23 2010, 05:07 PM
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QUOTE(Uronacid @ Feb 23 2010, 10:19 AM) *
as an entry lv speaker I would suggest: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx...N82E16836127010

I would do this instead: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx...N82E16836196002

It's only a few bucks more, and the sound quality is beast. I've got a pair hooked up to my studio rig.
 
Uronacid
post Feb 23 2010, 05:09 PM
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QUOTE(itanium @ Feb 23 2010, 05:07 PM) *
I would do this instead: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx...N82E16836196002

It's only a few bucks more, and the sound quality is beast. I've got a pair hooked up to my studio rig.


Thats fine to, I was just suggesting an entry lv speaker. Either way, this guy is wasting his time if he's purchasing a laptop for studio recording. If he's that hungry for a laptop he should purchase a netbook afterwards.
 
heyo-captain-jac...
post Feb 23 2010, 05:54 PM
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QUOTE(Uronacid @ Feb 23 2010, 04:09 PM) *
Thats fine to, I was just suggesting an entry lv speaker. Either way, this guy is wasting his time if he's purchasing a laptop for studio recording. If he's that hungry for a laptop he should purchase a netbook afterwards.

I have to agree with you there. It's not like he's going to be moving the laptop around much while playing.
 
FUTUREtek
post Feb 24 2010, 09:30 PM
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QUOTE(Uronacid @ Feb 23 2010, 08:19 AM) *
I used to do sound recording because I was in a band in high school. If he's going to be doing sound recording then he doesn't want a laptop. He wants a desktop. Here's why:
  1. Sound Cards: Laptop sound cards aren't built to handle high quality sound. He's going to have to purchase an external sound card from M-Audio or yamaha if he wants high quality sound. With a desktop he can utilize a sound card that's dedicated for sound recording, they also work better than an external sound card because they have more bandwidth and can usually handle more devices at once.
    Internal Recording Card with 10in/10out: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx...N82E16829121011
    Internal Recording Card with 4in/4out: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx...N82E16829121120
    External Recording Card with 4in/4out: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx...N82E16829121001
    On top of that, the one I mentioned is USB so there is going to be quite a bit of lag between when your sound is actually entering the microphone and hitting the computer. It's a really big pain in the ass. If you're going to go with an external solution you'll most likely want FireWire and that's significantly more expensive.
  2. Hard Drives: HDDs are another issue with laptops. You'll need a fast HDD to reduce the lag between sound hitting the mic and being recorded on the drive. Cheap laptops have 5400RPM HDDs built into them. This is too slow for quality sound recording. Slow HDDs result in less time recording and more time syncing sound clips. Also, when you record/edit sound, you don't use MP3s. RAW sound data is quite large. With a laptop he will need to purchase at least a 500GB external drive, but even that won't be a good solution as sound data is very valuable to an artist. You will need to backup this data. Laptops/External drives are far more vulnerable to being bumped and damaged. I would recommend purchaseing two 500GB drives, one for recording and one for backup. If this was a desktop then both drives could sit in the chassis and mirror each other. Also, if this was a desktop the money wouldn't need to be spent out-right as the drives would be less likely to be damaged and it would be an easy upgrade down the road if he couldn't afford it immdiately. This brings me to another issue.
  3. Upgrades: laptop solutions are more expensive outright. Desktops can be easily upgraded and it costs less to do so. You can't afford to mirror those drives and backup your data yet? That's fine throw an extra drive in later. You can't afford that 300+ dollar FireWire external sound card? That's fine, you have a desktop and that 300+ dollar problem just became a 100.00 solution.
  4. Money: 600 dollars is just not enough for a laptop recording solution. If your friend is going to get a cheap laptop then hes in for a low quality recording soltuion that he will have to replace after only a few months of aggrevation.
If he doesn't then he's going to spend a lot of time syncronizing the sounds in some recording program because his laptop isn't designed for this sort of thing. The fact that he's on a budget just gives me one more reason to recommend he purchase a desktop.

A bare minimum desktop solution would cost him about 600 dollars provided he had the recording software. Seeing as how he wants to be on a budget I recommend purchasing a prebuilt computer from a manufacturer. I recommend ASUS or Lenovo because they have quality hardware. I realize the processor isn't crazy powerful, but it's dual core so it's good enough. Partition the hard drive on the first drive and mirror that partition to the second.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx...N82E16883220032
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx...N82E16822136073
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx...N82E16829121120

He'd still have to upgrade a few things eventually. I would personally upgrade to at least a 400 watt powersupply. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx...N82E16817371029

Eventually I would put in a video card that supported dual monitors so I could work off of two screens and increase preformance. Make sure you utilize passive colling though. Less sound = better: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx...N82E16814127458

I'd probably purchase two of these since dell can make some really nice budget monitors: http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/product...jYAADHyNY4AAAFv

It's also important that he eventually purchases larger desktop speakers that can produce high quality sound... as an entry lv speaker I would suggest: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx...N82E16836127010



QUOTE(Uronacid @ Feb 23 2010, 02:09 PM) *
Thats fine to, I was just suggesting an entry lv speaker. Either way, this guy is wasting his time if he's purchasing a laptop for studio recording. If he's that hungry for a laptop he should purchase a netbook afterwards.



QUOTE(itanium @ Feb 23 2010, 02:54 PM) *
I have to agree with you there. It's not like he's going to be moving the laptop around much while playing.


Hey, I'm his friend who's looking to purchase a laptop haha. Anyways...

All of you, thank you so much for your responses and help, I really appreciate the suggestions given.

However, there are a few things that I need to clear up.

I am looking for a "music" laptop, "studio", but not really for a studio that you may be thinking of. Most of my music is electronic based, dealing with plugins and midi. The other recordings I do of hardware instruments is not very intensive.

The laptop would not be for just a "studio", although I would use it there, this is why a desktop would be a problem: I am going to be using it a lot for gigs and performances. Thus, I need a laptop so I can be mobile, as I will be moving around a lot, which is why a desktop is out of the question. Any other intensive recording we do with a friend who has a good setup. This laptop is more for shows, etc.


Thanks again though everyone.
 
heyo-captain-jac...
post Feb 24 2010, 10:19 PM
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So what are you going to do? Pick up the laptop and dance around while you're mixing? You'll still have a better time with a lightweight desktop.
 
heyo-captain-jac...
post Feb 24 2010, 10:22 PM
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Also the biggest thing, you're going to need nice speakers no matter what. Laptop speakers are all really tinny. They push no bass. As I'm sure you're aware, electronic music needs bass.
 
FUTUREtek
post Feb 25 2010, 04:58 PM
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QUOTE(itanium @ Feb 24 2010, 07:19 PM) *
So what are you going to do? Pick up the laptop and dance around while you're mixing? You'll still have a better time with a lightweight desktop.


No. I am not going to be mixing with it live, it is going to be running backing tracks and a midi instrument.

I don't know if you've ever played gigs, but trust me, you'll look pretty weird if you're using a desktop on stage instead of a laptop. That, and that venue staff are pretty damn tight about getting your stuff on stage, having it set up and ready to go, and getting your stuff off stage, really fast. Setting up and lugging around a desktop setup up and down stairs/ramps is much more difficult than a laptop, especially when I already have to worry about lots of other gear.


QUOTE(itanium @ Feb 24 2010, 07:22 PM) *
Also the biggest thing, you're going to need nice speakers no matter what. Laptop speakers are all really tinny. They push no bass. As I'm sure you're aware, electronic music needs bass.


For live shows, we use the venues system, so I don't need any speakers. I have played shows with my current laptop, I'm just looking to upgrade.
And for at home, I already have large JBL studio control monitors. I'm all good on the speakers/interfaces/etc, all I'm looking for is a laptop...thanks _smile.gif

Once again though, thanks for your help, I appreciate it, really.
 
heyo-captain-jac...
post Feb 25 2010, 05:25 PM
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Where the f*ck are you playing? I've never played a show that supplied anything more than monitors. And I always get at least fifteen minutes to get my shit set up/put away.
 
Uronacid
post Feb 25 2010, 06:43 PM
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QUOTE(FUTUREtek @ Feb 24 2010, 09:30 PM) *
Hey, I'm his friend who's looking to purchase a laptop haha. Anyways...

All of you, thank you so much for your responses and help, I really appreciate the suggestions given.

However, there are a few things that I need to clear up.

I am looking for a "music" laptop, "studio", but not really for a studio that you may be thinking of. Most of my music is electronic based, dealing with plugins and midi. The other recordings I do of hardware instruments is not very intensive.

The laptop would not be for just a "studio", although I would use it there, this is why a desktop would be a problem: I am going to be using it a lot for gigs and performances. Thus, I need a laptop so I can be mobile, as I will be moving around a lot, which is why a desktop is out of the question. Any other intensive recording we do with a friend who has a good setup. This laptop is more for shows, etc.


You say this laptop wouldn't just be for "studio"... well that means you're going to do more with it. Which probably means you'll need it to be even more powerful. Which probably means you need to spend more than 600 dollars. What else do you want to do with it?

Dude, if you just want a laptop go purchase one. You have our recommendation. Purchasing a laptop for this stuff is just a big fat waste of money. Especially if you only have 600 dollars.

I love how you're suggesting you want to upgrade your current setup and we're telling you that you need to purchase a desktop so that you don't have to spend 600 dollars to upgrade your setup in the future. This is not enough for even an entry level studio setup based around a laptop. Chances are that a laptop that costs 600 dollars will be able to do just as much as the one you have. 600 dollars is not enough. Maybe you should wait until black friday.
 
FUTUREtek
post Feb 27 2010, 02:07 PM
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QUOTE(itanium @ Feb 25 2010, 02:25 PM) *
Where the f*ck are you playing? I've never played a show that supplied anything more than monitors. And I always get at least fifteen minutes to get my shit set up/put away.



Haha every venue I've ever been to has a PA system. What venue have you been to that doesn't have its own PA system with a sound guy and board? We use the venue's PA and mics. When have you seen a band bring their own PA system? And their own sound board and hook all that up, hanging PA speakers from the ceilings and what not? That makes no sense, the venue provides all of that.


QUOTE(Uronacid @ Feb 25 2010, 03:43 PM) *
You say this laptop wouldn't just be for "studio"... well that means you're going to do more with it. Which probably means you'll need it to be even more powerful. Which probably means you need to spend more than 600 dollars. What else do you want to do with it?

Dude, if you just want a laptop go purchase one. You have our recommendation. Purchasing a laptop for this stuff is just a big fat waste of money. Especially if you only have 600 dollars.

I love how you're suggesting you want to upgrade your current setup and we're telling you that you need to purchase a desktop so that you don't have to spend 600 dollars to upgrade your setup in the future. This is not enough for even an entry level studio setup based around a laptop. Chances are that a laptop that costs 600 dollars will be able to do just as much as the one you have. 600 dollars is not enough. Maybe you should wait until black friday.


Yeah, you're right. I've seen a few Dell's (laptops) for 599$ that are better than what I currently have though. And by more than studio, I mean I'm going to use it in live applications too.

Some of you guys have been suggesting other equipment, which I appreciate, or saying that with $600 and just buying a laptop, my "studio" is basically going to be terrible. Trust me when I say all I'm looking for is a laptop, and I have all my other necessary equipment that I want (mixers, monitors, audio interfaces, rack gear, instruments, etc.).


Thanks again all for your suggestions.
 
heyo-captain-jac...
post Feb 27 2010, 02:49 PM
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Everyplace around here makes you supply your own PA system. They'll usually have a sound board, but sound guy is rare.
 

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