KVR Audio

mvkeinen · Post by **mvkeinen** » Wed Jan 04, 2017 1:03 pm

requirements:
- not too expensive
- maximal stability (no dropouts or crashes)
- realtively fast booting = SSD (doesn't have to be PCI)
- as few parts as possible (to reduce sources of errors)
- relatively light and small (although I'm not too hysteric about this)
- minimum full HD screen
- Good cooling (it will be used in very hot places = Clubs)

what do I want to do?
- use it for recording of my (hardware-only) live act max. 3-4 stereo channels in highest possible quality (I use RME UCX) in bitwig or cubase. No plugins needed for that.

(optinal, if not too expensive)
- basic videoediting of FullHD material

So I'm a little bit lost when it comes to laptops, have been using only desktops and all the ultra-, zen-. mega- and air gossip is too much for me.

Macbook isn't possible for me.

I dont want to do anything but the things I listed above, I have enough powerful PCs at home for productionwork. The Videoediting would be a nice plus but only if possible without a discrete videochip.

When I go into a salesshop they don't understand that I'm no gamer even when I tell them what I wrote above and want to sell me sth about 1200€, but I think I can go with far less money.

Suggestions?
thanks in advance

glokraw · Post by **glokraw** » Thu Jan 05, 2017 4:57 am

I'd put a desktop in a modified printer stand or similar
cabinet, mounted on a little handtruck, and some
clever brackets to secure a monitor. The odds of
a laptop not getting broken or stolen around a
variety of clubs? Get a couple of identical recycled i7 desktops,
duplicate the software setup, use goodwill-store monitors.

Laptops are portable cubicles for low-end office workers
where they don't need bouncers

glokraw · Post by **glokraw** » Thu Jan 05, 2017 5:05 am

You could also cable your hardware to a mackie, behringer
or other inexpensive mixer, and record it's outs to a Zoom
or competing portable recorder.
Cheers

Lejurai · Post by **Lejurai** » Thu Jan 05, 2017 6:02 am

Lenovo is usually good. OR if you know what you want, you can order a customized laptop with the specs you need/want.

thenoisesmith · Post by **thenoisesmith** » Fri Jan 13, 2017 2:09 pm

Just make sure you don't buy any of the i5 or i7 U Series. Those are not quad-core, despite the i5 and even i7 names. A quad-core processor is a must for audio and video editing, and it shouldn't be expensive. I would rather have the headroom of a better processor if recording live. 6-8GB of RAM is a good compromise between cost and performance. Just make sure you're not reading/writing any HDDs when recording. Install the system and software on an SSD if possible.

Stokely · Post by **Stokely** » Fri Jan 13, 2017 2:41 pm

Also something to check into--assuming this is still "a thing"--is DPC latency. From my meager understanding, it is a latency that is inherent in *some* pcs (laptops mostly I think) that is on a such a level that it can't be remedied (in hardware or close to it). So that latency would be added to with the normal latency that you get with audio.

Again I don't know if this is still a problem, but one brand's model x would be fine while model y would have a problem with it. Better-built machines (clevo, macs) tend not to have this issue, but some cheaper laptops have no issues either.

Kaine · Post by **Kaine** » Fri Jan 13, 2017 5:11 pm

DPC will always be a thing, it's just a question of it being a problem big enough to give you a headache whilst working.

Each piece of hardware and added driver raises DPC and each new system has more hardware in there that can make it worse. It can be solved on desktops by hardware swaps, updates and bios tweaks. The problem with laptops is that you have far, far fewer options to be able to do the tweaks to fix things (bios options on a laptop? .....).

The other problem with laptops is they churn the models so quickly which is why I can rarely point at something off the shelf and say "that''ll work". By the time we validate most ranges, they've already moved to a new model and we have to start again. It's why most builders stick with Clevo or other similar firm, as we can spec them as we wish, swap parts if we need too and sometimes with enough shouting they'll write you a BIOS fix to make life easier.

liquidsound · Post by **liquidsound** » Tue Jan 17, 2017 11:52 pm

I'm getting an ADK laptop by the next month.
Great machines and tech support.

Dasheesh · Post by **Dasheesh** » Wed Jan 18, 2017 2:43 am

I've been telling everyone the same lately, HP is making some nice PC's at very affordable prices. Worth the look.

incubus · Post by **incubus** » Wed Jan 18, 2017 4:49 am

(mini hijack, but OP related)

I really need a new one. Both of mine are so old and crusty. I love the look and feel of most of what they have a best buy for example. Almost all are SSD, have enough ram and enough HD room considering I back everything up anyways. Add touch screen and I'm golden. They seem to have come a very long way in quality recently.

But the cpus .....

I can't make heads or tails of them. As most know, they are woefully underpowered compared to a desktop so it's difficult for me to "reference" what I'm getting exactly.

In fact, the only reason I haven't bought a new one is because of this. I'd be so pissed if I got it home, loaded it up, got the stuff involved to have installed and the f**king cpu meter was at like 70% for something remedial

keyman_sam · Post by **keyman_sam** » Wed Jan 18, 2017 4:55 am

Why get a laptop just for recording when you could easily get one of these:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Roland-VS-1680- ... 2307118172

Spend the extra cash in upping your production machine to edit 4K videos (CPU/GPUs?).

Make yours a purely hardware rig with a dedicated multi-track recorder.

geqfreq · Post by **geqfreq** » Sun Aug 13, 2017 2:02 pm

I'm getting an ADK laptop by the next month.
Great machines and tech support.

honestly I contacted them - Since I have built some of my own, and asked them about what makes their build special - the answer I got was that it was a clevo shell.

After searching Clevo shell I found that they were simply ordering the same Sager Clevo that every other Clevo webstore had access to. They have a Soundblaster card built in - which I already have a better outboard card. And after further searching it was a matter of what webstore offered options for free, discounts and or good webstore customer reviews.

But definitely gonna change this year. I usually buy into Lenovo - my last top - a Lenovo w530 - my budget allowed for the mid grade power - sure Lenovo have been bullet proof - But these days my plugs are chugging and after reviewing several sites and forums looking to jump to Sager Clevo this year. That ability to crack the bottom open and fix is too good. Sure it's bigger but less heat more options and a price tag to boot. G

incubus · Post by **incubus** » Sun Aug 13, 2017 10:24 pm

Whatever happened with the OP?

I got a Dell and it's good. I think I paid 800 bucks, it's an i7, nicely built, shitty battery time though.

I can use wasapi with bitwig, I use the FL asio with, tada, FL. ASIO for all is pretty lame as you have to control the output of the daw for volume (unless you like bleeding ears)

I don't like having to use the RME with it because that isn't really portable, so no bass/guitar playing, strictly synths and such. CPU is great with wasapi, but the latency sucks and cannot be controlled.

Just make certain whoever reads this that you get one with an SSD. It's so f...ing fast, it boots in like 4 seconds

geqfreq · Post by **geqfreq** » Mon Aug 14, 2017 11:42 am

I got a Dell and it's good. I think I paid 800 bucks, it's an i7, nicely built, shitty battery time though

Yeah work on a Dell daliy. Decent but want extra omph when running Kontakt and say Falcon. The worktop is fairly mid grade starts up fast but pops, freezes crashes when going heavy into photoshop, daily marketing multi task stuff.

liquidsound · Post by **liquidsound** » Mon Aug 14, 2017 1:45 pm

geqfreq wrote:
I'm getting an ADK laptop by the next month.
Great machines and tech support.

honestly I contacted them - Since I have built some of my own, and asked them about what makes their build special - the answer I got was that it was a clevo shell.

After searching Clevo shell I found that they were simply ordering the same Sager Clevo that every other Clevo webstore had access to. They have a Soundblaster card built in - which I already have a better outboard card. And after further searching it was a matter of what webstore offered options for free, discounts and or good webstore customer reviews.

But definitely gonna change this year. I usually buy into Lenovo - my last top - a Lenovo w530 - my budget allowed for the mid grade power - sure Lenovo have been bullet proof - But these days my plugs are chugging and after reviewing several sites and forums looking to jump to Sager Clevo this year. That ability to crack the bottom open and fix is too good. Sure it's bigger but less heat more options and a price tag to boot. G

Guess what...
I ended up getting a 2015 MBP and then I returned for battery performance issues (I was getting 6 hours).
Instead of waiting for the next MBP generation I got the iMac and just use the Lenovo for CAD work.
Downloaded Logic X (first time user) and Ableton works flawlessly.
Extremely happy with the move!

what kind of laptop do I need?