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Subject: laptop - suggestions

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Original Message 1/11 22-Jan-02 @ 06:12 PM - laptop - suggestions

pppetrick

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goin' against the grain here, but got my reasons, mainly cause i'm movin' round so much and i need somethin portable for school.

i wanna buy a lappy and if possible convert my studio to use that only. i'm runnin logic, exs24, reason and premiere (for movie stuff, but i suppose no one here knows much on that front). i'm doin' midi with an amt8, using usb.

1. Is anyone runnin something similar and if so, do you have any wisdom to depart.

2. Soundcard - it'll have to be usb or pcmcia, any suggestions (i'm looking at the emagic emi 216). am i gonna be fighting with the lappy to run 2 soundcards?

3. OS - all runs smoothly on win98se at the moment. the vaio comes with xp. i'm assuming i should load 98 instead - any issues here?

4. anyone have a better suggestion for a lappy? (i need firewire for the video stuff)

thanks all,
-p.

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Message 2/11 22-Jan-02 @ 06:24 PM - RE: laptop - suggestions

influx

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I have a Dell Inspiron 3500..oops..no firewire

I dont think youll be able to run 2 soundcards...

the other thing is..slow drives. I think most laptop drives are maybe 5400? MIGHT be a problem

Ive had NO trouble with my Dell, so I would say go that direction. Fairly cheap secondhand. You could get the 7000 I think it has firewire...

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Message 3/11 22-Jan-02 @ 08:27 PM - RE: laptop - suggestions

toast

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Why do you need to run 2 soundcards? The emi 2/6 works pretty well. They just updated the drivers and there aren't any issues anymore. It'll even do 24/96 one way, not that I have any need for that. One bad thing about the emi, it needs to be connected to the computer's usb port not a hub or it'll start making ugly noises. I'm trying to get a hold of the emagic power adapter and see if that fixes everything. I don't know yet. If you got some extra money the RME multiface or the Echo cards look to be the lick and you won't have to think about pesky USB bandwith limitations.

If you're using a lot of tracks you will need to get an external harddrive. 7200RPM firewire drives aren't too expensive. If your laptop doesn't have firewire already you can buy PCMIA to firewire cards for about a bill.

As far as XP goes I'm not to big on new, untested OS's. 98se worked pretty well but 2000 actually ironed out some minor problems I was having and seems to be recomended for laptops. Check out out RME's site for some good basic info.

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Message 4/11 23-Jan-02 @ 04:40 PM - RE: laptop - suggestions

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RME do a connector for their outboard converter, you can connect it with a pcmcia type card on firewire I think (see link). The box itself has clock connectors if that's any use.... 'multiface' or 'digiface' device - http://www.rme-audio.com/english/hdsp/multifa.htm

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Message 5/11 26-Jan-02 @ 06:31 AM - RE: laptop - suggestions

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thanks all.
-p.

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Message 6/11 27-Jan-02 @ 11:37 PM - RE: laptop - suggestions

CK aka PENBOA

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Red Submarine make laptops specifically for music, which could save you a lot of problems.

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Message 7/11 28-Jan-02 @ 01:00 PM - RE: laptop - suggestions

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Red Sub use Maxdata laptops don't they ?..... prolly cos of the 3 year warranty.

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Message 8/11 29-Jan-02 @ 12:18 AM - RE: laptop - suggestions

sox

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All electronic goods sold in the UK are covered by a 3 year warranty (courtesy of HM government). The 1 year warranty bollocks is "in addition to" your consumer rights warranty.
If your video/tv/virus keyboard goes wrong after 2 years or more, take it back. The seller is responsible for the repair. Don't buy the crap "it's the manufacturers responsibility" that Dixon's and Curry's and their ilk try.

sox

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Message 9/11 29-Jan-02 @ 04:05 PM - RE: laptop - suggestions

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no no - in that situation you mention above one would PAY for the repair oneself surely? - these lappy's i think have a 3 year warranty which THEY cover the cost of repair for 3 years... like a standard first year warranty... innit?.. mebbe not... but if not, then that's to me NOt a 3 year warranty - to me that means if it breaks down in 3 years, THEY fix it and pay the costs... (?)

___________________________________

I had an idea for a script once. It's basically Jaws except when the guys in the boat are going after Jaws, they look around and there's an even bigger Jaws. The guys have to team up with Jaws to get Bigger Jaws.... I call it... Big Jaws!!!

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Message 10/11 29-Jan-02 @ 09:51 PM - RE: laptop - suggestions

99devils

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Dell Inspirons and Latitudes are the bomb. I've got a latitude now at work, and it's got Firewire standard. Nice and light, big screen, and no need to swap the floppy for the CD-ROM like on my Inspiron 5k..

-Craig

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Message 11/11 03-Feb-02 @ 08:49 PM - RE: laptop - suggestions

rhyze

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Laptops are a viable alternative to desktops. I can take it with me to the local alternacoffee shop and work on arrangements or loops then come home and hook it up to "The Mothership". I use a Toshiba Satellite (get it?) 2755 DVD lappy. I began using it on the road then decided to integrate it into my main workstation at home instead of upgrading my desktop.

I use a Tascam US428 on the USB port for audio, control, and send it's MIDI port one into a MIDI PC Express PC 6x6 interface hooked up to an old 486DX 100mHz PC for my MIDI FX. A Midisport 8x8 interface is hooked up to the serial port for my synths. It took awhile to tweak and troubleshoot but it works well.

At some point I may get a desktop again but with the new RME MultiFace PCMCIA cards, it's doubtful (unless Steinberg's new CPU sharing thingy works out). Since the MultiFace has word clock I/O you can use two in the same laptop for 16 channels of analog I/O and maintain sample accurate sync. Add a fast, external, firewire drive and you're loaded for bear. A serial interface would handle you MIDI fine and still leave you USB port unused. The DigiFace card would be a great solution if you have a digital mixer and you don't mind taking it with you should you go mobile. The coolest thing about the RME cards are that if you do want a desktop for your main studio all you need to do is purchase the PCI card and the PCMCIA card together, the MultiFace/DigiFace breakout box works with both. I really, really, hope these things work and I am waiting for feedback from users to start trickling onto the newsgroups. Hey K, work out a loaner from RME and I'll test it with my Satellite and "Mothership" for a Dancetech review (I can dream, can't I?).

I honestly think that for anything but commercial studios the desktop's days could be numbered especially as laptops become more powerful and I/O options more plentiful.

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