Reording at home, laptop advice

[gemdids]

I'm considering buying a laptop, most probably second hand for the value. My budget is about £350 and I want to be able to use Cubase 5 on it, plugging instruments in via an interface and also using VSTs. I've considered a desktop but I'll be taking this to rehearsals so need something portable.

Can anyone recommend a decent laptop that would do all this? A bit of googling and the Dell XPS 1530 was mentioned a few times, I've seen them on eBay within my budget.

Gemma

[pantherairsoft]

It's the spec not the brand/make/model that becomes important. Make sure you check out the requirements of any stuff you want to run on it.

I'm a Mac user, and so I'd push you towards a MacBook... But if you're set on a Laptop, I'll let others chip in. Give 51m0n a shout - He's the man for home recording etc.

[lemmywinks]

You're probably looking at an i3 for that money. Some typically specced ones on Tesco clearances here:
[url="http://direct.tesco.com/q/N.1999724/Nr.99.aspx?Ns=P_HIDDEN_Stock_Available|1||P_SORT_Price&btnResultSort.x=15&btnResultSort.y=8"]http://direct.tesco....nResultSort.y=8[/url]


Also a quad core Acer here for around budget:
http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/5083400/c_1/1|category_root|Office%2C+PCs+and+phones|14418968/c_2/2|14418968|Clearance+Office%2C+PCs+and+phones|14520934/c_3/3|cat_14520934|Laptops+and+netbooks|25097307.htm#pdpFullProductInformation

Screens might be a bit inadequate if you have lots going on though, an external monitor to hook up to at home might be worthwhile. Also not many laptops around that price range have Firewire.

Edited September 25, 2011 by lemmywinks

[gemdids]

[quote name='pantherairsoft' timestamp='1316970156' post='1385005']
It's the spec not the brand/make/model that becomes important. Make sure you check out the requirements of any stuff you want to run on it.

I'm a Mac user, and so I'd push you towards a MacBook... But if you're set on a Laptop, I'll let others chip in. Give 51m0n a shout - He's the man for home recording etc.
[/quote]

Thanks for the advice, what spec MacBook are you using out of interest? I'll give 51m0n a shout and see what he recommends.

[gemdids]

[quote name='lemmywinks' timestamp='1316994372' post='1385350']
You're probably looking at an i3 for that money. Some typically specced ones on Tesco clearances here:
[url="http://direct.tesco.com/q/N.1999724/Nr.99.aspx?Ns=P_HIDDEN_Stock_Available|1||P_SORT_Price&btnResultSort.x=15&btnResultSort.y=8"]http://direct.tesco....nResultSort.y=8[/url]


Also a quad core Acer here for around budget:
[url="http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/5083400/c_1/1|category_root|Office%2C+PCs+and+phones|14418968/c_2/2|14418968|Clearance+Office%2C+PCs+and+phones|14520934/c_3/3|cat_14520934|Laptops+and+netbooks|25097307.htm#pdpFullProductInformation"]http://www.argos.co....ductInformation[/url]

Screens might be a bit inadequate if you have lots going on though, an external monitor to hook up to at home might be worthwhile. Also not many laptops around that price range have Firewire.
[/quote]

I'll have a look on those links tonight, never would have thought about Tesco for a laptop, maybe thats just me! I've had a look on t'ebay this morning and seen a Dell with specs that I think would be enough for what I'd be using it for. There's just so much choice, I'm wondering if someone could recommend a computer they use to point me in the right direction.

[51m0n]

With recording you need three things, fastest CPU you can afford, fastest hard drive you can afford, lots of RAM (Over about 3GB and you need a 64 bit OS to make the most of it). A big screen is a huge bonus too, and bizarely a dedicated number pad can really really help with a lot of recording software. So big fat widescreen laptops are a really good idea, failing that you get a lot more for your money with a desktop, performance wise IME (latest work machine was significantly less expensive than my lappie and is about twice as fast!).

In laptop terms £350 will get you something that can do basic recording (with an efficient interface), but you may well struggle if you multitrack a lot of stuff at once, or if you want to get clever at mixdown (unless you run off stems to save on CPU power).

My last lappie cost nearly a grand, and I managed to just about hit the limit on what it can manage (although I havent done anything to make it a truy audio machine yet, its pretty much shop spec in terms of setup of services etc).

If you can get an i5 then do it, if you can get over 3GB of RAM in there, then do it, if the hardrive is slowish now then if it has an eSata port you can always use a super fast external drive connected via eSata for your audio work (which I intend to do as soon as I have the money).

Have you budgeted for an interface at all though?

[gemdids]

[quote name='51m0n' timestamp='1317040915' post='1385780']
With recording you need three things, fastest CPU you can afford, fastest hard drive you can afford, lots of RAM (Over about 3GB and you need a 64 bit OS to make the most of it). A big screen is a huge bonus too, and bizarely a dedicated number pad can really really help with a lot of recording software. So big fat widescreen laptops are a really good idea, failing that you get a lot more for your money with a desktop, performance wise IME (latest work machine was significantly less expensive than my lappie and is about twice as fast!).

In laptop terms £350 will get you something that can do basic recording (with an efficient interface), but you may well struggle if you multitrack a lot of stuff at once, or if you want to get clever at mixdown (unless you run off stems to save on CPU power).

My last lappie cost nearly a grand, and I managed to just about hit the limit on what it can manage (although I havent done anything to make it a truy audio machine yet, its pretty much shop spec in terms of setup of services etc).

If you can get an i5 then do it, if you can get over 3GB of RAM in there, then do it, if the hardrive is slowish now then if it has an eSata port you can always use a super fast external drive connected via eSata for your audio work (which I intend to do as soon as I have the money).

Have you budgeted for an interface at all though?
[/quote]


Hi 51m0n,

Thanks for the advice, you've given me lots to think about. The ones that I've seen in my price range second hand have been i3 or i5 dual core (quad core models at a push). I'm only going to be using this laptop for music making so will probably take off all the unessesary guff and will at some point invest in an external hard drive for additional storage and backing up. The majority of the music that I want to record will be guitar/bass/vocals and a few VST's over the top unless I get really giddy. I've always used digital and tape 8 track recorders and like building songs up track by track and given that this is for my solo stuff, I don't anticipate multi tracking a lot of things at once.

Budget wise, the £350 is just for the laptop, I'll get an interface seperately. (I've seen that they range from next to nothing to hunderds of pounds.... this may start a whole new topic unless you can recommend a decent bog standard one)

Edited September 26, 2011 by gemdids

[51m0n]

[quote name='gemdids' timestamp='1317042085' post='1385806']


Hi 51m0n,

Thanks for the advice, you've given me lots to think about. The ones that I've seen in my price range second hand have been i3 or i5 dual core (quad core models at a push). I'm only going to be using this laptop for music making so will probably take off all the unessesary guff and will at some point invest in an external hard drive for additional storage and backing up. The majority of the music that I want to record will be guitar/bass/vocals and a few VST's over the top unless I get really giddy. I've always used digital and tape 8 track recorders and like building songs up track by track and given that this is for my solo stuff, I don't anticipate multi tracking a lot of things at once.

Budget wise, the £350 is just for the laptop, I'll get an interface seperately. (I've seen that they range from next to nothing to hunderds of pounds.... this may start a whole new topic unless you can recommend a decent bog standard one)
[/quote]


Definitely go for as many cores as you can afford, decent modern software (ie Reaper, yes pushing Reaper again, I am that boring!) will make the most of every one of them, older software may not, trouble is CPUs are now all going to be more and more multithreaded/multicored as its the only way to get the CPU cycle count up without needing hovercraft style cooling systems.

As for interface you really get what you pay for, its not just the hardware that counts, the drivers have to be rock solid and ultra efficient. The best of the best are RME IMO, best drivers, superb hardware. Not cheap I am afraid (more than your laptop budget for a babyface) but the hassle free nature of their kit makes them definitely worth looking in to IMO if ther is any way to stretch to it (who needs two kidneys anyway!).

M-Audio have been very good for some of my friends for small rigs at home, MOTU gear is also good.

USB2 is a perfectly good interface (fast enough for 16 trqacks oif audio, so fine for you), firewire less good, there are very very few (if any ) laptops with decent firewire chips in, you go that route at your peril these days....

Edited September 26, 2011 by 51m0n

[gemdids]

[quote name='51m0n' timestamp='1317042534' post='1385813']


Definitely go for as many cores as you can afford, decent modern software (ie Reaper, yes pushing Reaper again, I am that boring!) will make the most of every one of them, older software may not, trouble is CPUs are now all going to be more and more multithreaded/multicored as its the only way to get the CPU cycle count up without needing hovercraft style cooling systems.

As for interface you really get what you pay for, its not just the hardware that counts, the drivers have to be rock solid and ultra efficient. The best of the best are RME IMO, best drivers, superb hardware. Not cheap I am afraid (more than your laptop budget for a babyface) but the hassle free nature of their kit makes them definitely worth looking in to IMO if ther is any way to stretch to it (who needs two kidneys anyway!).

M-Audio have been very good for some of my friends for small rigs at home, MOTU gear is also good.

USB2 is a perfectly good interface (fast enough for 16 trqacks oif audio, so fine for you), firewire less good, there are very very few (if any ) laptops with decent firewire chips in, you go that route at your peril these days....
[/quote]

Thumbs up for the above. I'll be looking to buy a laptop at the back end of this week so in the meantime I'll do some research to effectivly get the most for my money. The M Audio interfaces are fairly cheap on ebay, I'll probably end up getting one although I did have a bit of a drool over the RME's. I do love having two kidneys though

I'm really taken with the idea of Reaper at the moment, a friend has been raving on about it for a while. I'm going to give the 30 day trial a whirl when I get set up and see what it's like, it'll either be that or Cubase 5. Does Reaper come with preloaded VSTs or are these an additional purchase?

Edited September 26, 2011 by gemdids

[51m0n]

[quote name='gemdids' timestamp='1317051509' post='1386002'] Thumbs up for the above. I'll be looking to buy a laptop at the back end of this week so in the meantime I'll do some research to effectivly get the most for my money. The M Audio interfaces are fairly cheap on ebay, I'll probably end up getting one although I did have a bit of a drool over the RME's. I do love having two kidneys though I'm really taken with the idea of Reaper at the moment, a friend has been raving on about it for a while. I'm going to give the 30 day trial a whirl when I get set up and see what it's like, it'll either be that or Cubase 5. Does Reaper come with preloaded VSTs or are these an additional purchase?[/quote]

Reaper comes with one some great vsts, and a bunch of other scripted effects (you can learn the programming and add more if you like).

They are superb, the EQ in there is exceptional, the compressor is too, there are a mass of other great tools that come with it.

On top of those I regularly use free VSTs from:-

Bootsy, Variety of Sound (the best free vsts on the net IMO, get them all!)
TAL series (assorted, great delays and a lovely plate reverb)
TLS series (lovely compressors)
Molot (a very tasty compressor)
SIR (a convolution reverb player - download the Bricasti Impulses that are free on the web, best reverbs you will get to use in the box)
Fishfillets (compressor, de-esser, noise-gate - the de-esser and compressor are superb)
G series (assorted, I use the brickwall limiter GMax for mastering)
PushTec and SonEQ (eqs)
Voxengo (Span for metering,. GEQ for a linear phase EQ)
Audio damage ROugh Rider compressor
Beta Bugs (Monsta Chorus, Phase Bug)
Jeroen Breebart (barricade, broadcast, ferox, PC2 etc)

Edited September 26, 2011 by 51m0n