Microsoft Surface Go discussion thread

[Mushy Mushy]

What do we think of the newly released Surface Go?

I have a Surface 4 and love it to bits and is easily my best purchase in recent memory.

It was purchased as a mobile DAW whilst travelling and it has absolutely excelled at that, however it has become a victim of its own success in that I use it when for work now also (only when travelling). This is ok when using web based programs such as Outlook and programs I use personally such as Excel and OneNote, however I also need to use SAP and I'm just not installing that on a DAW.

Therefore I have been considering a second Surface and lo and behold the Go appears.

Assuming I don't wish to spend more than £500 should I go for the Go or a second hand refurbished Surface 4?(I'd be pushing to get an i5 so the m3 is the likely candidate)

Thoughts? On both the Go and my predicament.

[digital plum]

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Not yet seen any infos how the CPU in the Surface Go handles real world DAW/VST workloads. Has it got enough power to drive small to medium DAW projects or to use as a mobile VST sound design tool?

Robin Vincent from Molten Music wants to review it, may be worth waiting to see his thoughts:
https://www.gearnews.com/surface-go-at- ... ad-killer/ (https://www.gearnews.com/surface-go-at-379-is-this-microsofts-ipad-killer/)

The Go is also inviting more direct comparison with iOS or Android tablets. An interesting comparison would be a Go running a DAW project versus an iPad running Cubasis. Similar number of tracks, plugins and effects.

[chk071]

In any case, it's a good move from Microsoft to offer a low cost device. All the Surface devices wree too expensive for me.

Regarding processing power, this is the integraded chip: https://www.notebookcheck.net/Intel-Pen ... 686.0.html

Wouldn't expect wonders really, but, it's always a performance/battery service life compromise in such devices.

@ Mushy Mushy: Which DAW are you using on your Surface? Does it work fine with touchscreen operation?

[Mushy Mushy]

Not yet seen any infos how the CPU in the Surface Go handles real world DAW/VST workloads. Has it got enough power to drive small to medium DAW projects or to use as a mobile VST sound design tool?

Robin Vincent from Molten Music wants to review it, may be worth waiting to see his thoughts:
https://www.gearnews.com/surface-go-at- ... ad-killer/

The Go is also inviting more direct comparison with iOS or Android tablets. An interesting comparison would be a Go running a DAW project versus an iPad running Cubasis. Similar number of tracks, plugins and effects.

Thanks for that. I follow Robin already so will keep an eye out for his review.

[Mushy Mushy]

In any case, it's a good move from Microsoft to offer a low cost device. All the Surface devices wree too expensive for me.

Regarding processing power, this is the integraded chip: https://www.notebookcheck.net/Intel-Pen ... 686.0.html

Wouldn't expect wonders really, but, it's always a performance/battery service life compromise in such devices.

@ Mushy Mushy: Which DAW are you using on your Surface? Does it work fine with touchscreen operation?

I use a combination of Cubase Elements (ie no dongle) and Ableton Live. The latter is what I use on the road and it’s brilliant. Touch works perfectly on it and I’ve also added a little toolbar for copy/paste/insert track, etc.

[chk071]

Nice. I'll be keeping an eye on the Surface Go. Definitely seems like an interesting device. Even though it has the typical small issues tablets have, like small disk space, low processing power, and small screen for desktop applications.

[Mushy Mushy]

Nice. I'll be keeping an eye on the Surface Go. Definitely seems like an interesting device. Even though it has the typical small issues tablets have, like small disk space, low processing power, and small screen for desktop applications.

My Surface is a beast. i7, 16GB, 256GB SSD. Runs loads of tracks and plugins before maxing out.

The Go is a little less powerful though obviously.

[chk071]

Yeah, i don't think you can compare them really. The Surface Go is rather entry level. For a quite high price... i think Microsoft want to market their devices in a "exclusive" Apple way.

[SLiC]

In any case, it's a good move from Microsoft to offer a low cost device. All the Surface devices wree too expensive for me.

Regarding processing power, this is the integraded chip: https://www.notebookcheck.net/Intel-Pen ... 686.0.html

Wouldn't expect wonders really, but, it's always a performance/battery service life compromise in such devices.

@ Mushy Mushy: Which DAW are you using on your Surface? Does it work fine with touchscreen operation?

I bougth my Surface (i5, pad $700 bucks from best buy for an open box one) specificaly to use with Bitwig as it has a special mode for tablets (developed I think on the MS Surface, they actulay showed it on the origonal surface ads)

It works realy well and has a great on screen keyboard giving good expression (optionl layouts)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oEBUIT4-2wQ

[chk071]

Yep. I read that Bitwig is supposed to be particularly good on tablet PC's. Good call i think, as especially 2 in 1 devices seem to be quite popular these days.

[SLiC]

Yes, I also have Cubase and Studioone 4 and they work on the surface but dont 'morph' in to a different user experience in the way Bitwig does (they are the same but with some touch control small on the surfaces hi-res screen).

Bitwig rescales so that everything can be easily read and touch controlled (press and a 'ring' appears that lets you just slide for fast access to functions)

It also switches to a different layout with a 'preform' page turning it to a highly playable and expressive instrument (that also records in to the DAW). You can have it running as slave to say a drum machine and it acts like a very advanced Octratrack!


It would be interesting to see if BWS runs OK on the new GO, if it does it may be a good companion for my modular (Plug in and Expert Sleepers ES-8 and you have a great sound care and total CV modulation control!)

[digidennis]

Don't think you should expect the surface Go to run a DAW though.

One thing almost every review agrees on is that the Go's processor is slow. The Pentium 4415Y is a 6W processor running at 1.6GHz (with no turbo boosting).

https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2018/08 ... the-place/

[chk071]

Well,i doubt it won't run a DAW, the question for me is rather how many voices of a synthesizer plugin you can play before you get crackles. Will probably work fine with one or two instances, but, you'll probably have to render a lot of stuff.

On the other hand, those mobile CPU's get quicker and quicker. I'll be damned if that thing isn't already quicker than my laptop's i3-4010U. And, if it is, then it will run a couple of instances of, say, Spire without hickups. And some more with Sylenth1.

Edit: OK, the i3-4010U seems to be lightly faster: https://www.cpubenchmark.net/cpu.php?cp ... Hz&id=3300

Surely will run a couple of instances of VSTi's then, though.

[digidennis]

Yeah i am sure it could render the newest Pixar movie as well given enough time, but..

[chk071]

Horses for courses. If you want processing power, a tablet PC is surely not the best choice, in general.