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Forums - Music techology
Subject: laptop for sequencing and digital audio
Viewing all 7 messages - View by pages of 10: 1
Original Message 1/7 21-Apr-98 @ 05:00 AM - laptop for sequencing and digital audio
i'm looking for a laptop for sequencing and doing little bit of digital audio. what should i look for? do laptops come with full-duplex soundcards? are there decent third-party soundcards specifically for the laptop? a scsi port would be a must as well. i've heard that there are PCMCIA scsi adapter cards. opinions? oh, i'm definately looking for a laptop rather that desktop system.
Message 2/7 21-Apr-98 @ 11:58 AM - RE: laptop for sequencing and digital audio
I've used a Toshiba Tecra and it had duplex, I think full, but they're pretty expensive ie it wasn't mine. No opinion on the pcmcia scsi but yes they exist.
Message 3/7 28-Apr-98 @ 11:44 PM - RE: laptop for sequencing and digital audio
I would look at a Macintosh Powerbook. I run Protools 4.1 (w/ built in sound), Cubase VST and other stuff with no problem on my 3400. I saw Aphex Twin live use virtually teh same machine. Also, since SCSI and full duplex stereo audio is built in, you can have a modem or even buy a PCI expander bus PC card that will give you more than enough slots to run Protools|24 or whatever you want. I just love it... I can run Rebirth live with my acid jazz combo, or run live sequences into my K2000 and use my midi controller to run the filters... and (pushing against the current here, and with no anti PC sentiment) I really love to make music on the mac. Without any crazy driver configs I can do stereoin/out audio and MIDI, record everyting into ProTools, bounce to AIFF and burn to CD.
Also (trying not to sound like an Apple ad) the new Powerbooks coming out in a month are Wicked fast... I just tried one out a week ago... they are faster than 333 Mhz P2s and start (w/ a 800x600 active matrix screen and 4gig drive) at $2600. Very good deal for the machine you get.
check it out.
Also (trying not to sound like an Apple ad) the new Powerbooks coming out in a month are Wicked fast... I just tried one out a week ago... they are faster than 333 Mhz P2s and start (w/ a 800x600 active matrix screen and 4gig drive) at $2600. Very good deal for the machine you get.
check it out.
Message 4/7 29-Apr-98 @ 05:31 AM - RE: laptop for sequencing and digital audio
Right on ! I've been using a Powerbook 2400 w/ 80 meg live for 3 months and it's flawless. Logic Audio, Rebirth and Supercollider ALL AT ONCE!! Try that on a PC. I do wish someone would make a cheap pcmcia s/pdif card. 1/8" jacks suck.
Message 5/7 30-Apr-98 @ 12:39 AM - RE: laptop for sequencing and digital audio
I've been fairly successful on a clone notebook with P233MMX 64mb ram and an ESS1879 soundcard. I've been able to get 16 tracks with no fx and 8 tracks running 2 system fx and about 3 inserts (I didn't need any more). I record direct into the line in (or via Mackie 1202VLZ) and playback straight through the line out but it's very noisy on playback. When I unplug the mains though it's a hell of a lot better and I run on batteries for mixdown. Seems to record nice and quiet.
The Chip and Technologies PCI graphics runs really slow when I use VST though. There is a visual delay when copying parts on the arrange page of about 1 second. I've been through all the bits and pieces with Steinberg UK tech help but it didn't make any difference (256 colours, all graphics acceleration turned off etc.). Although Steinberg said I was the first person they had talked to who had VST running decently with a PC laptop. The only other problem with the soundcard is the fact that there are no MIDI drivers for the internal wavetable sounds. I use the 'book fairly often without any external MIDI devices and I'm forced to use either use the internal FM synthesis (we all know what that sounds like don't we!) or use Hammerhead for keeping tempo (I'm a music technology teacher) when I want to be using MIDI files with my students. It was a bit of an oversight on the part on the manufacturers to not write a driver for MIDI use of the wavetable.
sox
http://www.communitymusic.org
PS Emu does a PCMCIA card which gives you a SPDIF with the "breakout" box but I'm not sure what the're worth to buy.
The Chip and Technologies PCI graphics runs really slow when I use VST though. There is a visual delay when copying parts on the arrange page of about 1 second. I've been through all the bits and pieces with Steinberg UK tech help but it didn't make any difference (256 colours, all graphics acceleration turned off etc.). Although Steinberg said I was the first person they had talked to who had VST running decently with a PC laptop. The only other problem with the soundcard is the fact that there are no MIDI drivers for the internal wavetable sounds. I use the 'book fairly often without any external MIDI devices and I'm forced to use either use the internal FM synthesis (we all know what that sounds like don't we!) or use Hammerhead for keeping tempo (I'm a music technology teacher) when I want to be using MIDI files with my students. It was a bit of an oversight on the part on the manufacturers to not write a driver for MIDI use of the wavetable.
sox
http://www.communitymusic.org
PS Emu does a PCMCIA card which gives you a SPDIF with the "breakout" box but I'm not sure what the're worth to buy.
Message 6/7 02-May-98 @ 09:18 AM - RE: laptop for sequencing and digital audio
I just bought a powerbook G3 and would like to do digital recording, what do I need? A audio capture card obviously, but do they make them for PC slots or do I need a convertor to PCI, and where do I get it, and which brand is the best? Help!
Message 7/7 03-May-98 @ 02:43 AM - RE: laptop for sequencing and digital audio
Uh...Powerbooks have built-in audio ins and outs. Now, if you'd like pro-quality converters that's a different story. Currently there are no PCMCIA audio cards that are Mac compatible. This is going to change in the future.
The only two solutions at present are Kyma and the Magma and Bit3 PCI expansion chassis. I know very little of Kyma. In fact I recently ordered some paphlets and brochures from the website. I believe the address is symbolicsound.com. This looks to be a wicked piece of kit as it does real-time granular, disk recording and modular synthesis (actually ALOT more). It consists of a PCMCIA or PCI card and an outboard (looks to be 2-3 rackspaces) DSP box w/ d/a and a/d converters. Looks to be sort of a ultra-esoteric TDM system. It's both Mac and PC compatible.
Or the straight-laced solution: one of the aforementioned expansion chassis and your PCI & software suite of choice. PT 24-bit and Logic Audio...mmm-mmmm.
So there you go. Either way might be overkill for those oh-so simple dance patterns eh, Kilo ?
The only two solutions at present are Kyma and the Magma and Bit3 PCI expansion chassis. I know very little of Kyma. In fact I recently ordered some paphlets and brochures from the website. I believe the address is symbolicsound.com. This looks to be a wicked piece of kit as it does real-time granular, disk recording and modular synthesis (actually ALOT more). It consists of a PCMCIA or PCI card and an outboard (looks to be 2-3 rackspaces) DSP box w/ d/a and a/d converters. Looks to be sort of a ultra-esoteric TDM system. It's both Mac and PC compatible.
Or the straight-laced solution: one of the aforementioned expansion chassis and your PCI & software suite of choice. PT 24-bit and Logic Audio...mmm-mmmm.
So there you go. Either way might be overkill for those oh-so simple dance patterns eh, Kilo ?
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