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tunnelrush
Advanced Member
United States
1,831 posts
Joined: Jun, 2004
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 Posted - 2008/12/04 : 19:27:37
Hi guys.
My PC took a crap on me, and as an early x-mas gift i've been given the opportunity to choose a new laptop as opposed to PC.
I use Traktor2 and record to my PC using my Mackie D.2 Mixer w/Firewire. I also installed an M-Audio 192 sound-card.
2 noob questions:
a) will/do laptops take sound cards and can i easily install my sound card myself?
b)having said what i use to record and my method for recording will just ANY laptop suffice? or are there some brands i should be specifically looking for?
Now that i can't record any of my mix's im kinda anxious to get a new laptop (hopefully) and get back on the horse and start recording.
At this point budget is kept in mind but i will do whatever it takes to at least find myself a reasonable laptop that can provide what i need it to do (live record)
Thanks for all that read this and for any that reply a big thanks!
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<Pioneer CDJ-1000 Mk3's
<Mackie D.2 w Firewire
<M-Audio BX8's/ Peavey 15" Neo
<Sennheiser HD25's/Technics RPDJ 1200
<Tracktion 2
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rosin007
Senior Member
Norway
409 posts
Joined: Oct, 2008
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 Posted - 2008/12/04 : 19:45:31
a) the sound card, you should order it and make the store install it as I think you will lose the warranty by opening the back cover if not may install it yourself. Also you gotta have some knowledge before installing a sound card, if you do, you sure can install it yourself.
I dunno about the programs you used, but if your old PC could run them, the new one sure will.
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"Last week I stated that this woman was the ugliest woman I had ever seen. I have since been visited by her sister and now wish to withdraw that statement." - Mark Twain.
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Edited by - rosin007 on 2008/12/04 19:50:03 |
bulby_g
Advanced Member
United Kingdom
7,205 posts
Joined: Apr, 2004
430 hardcore releases
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Posted - 2008/12/04 : 19:51:30
quote:
Originally posted by tunnelrush:
Hi guys.
My PC took a crap on me, and as an early x-mas gift i've been given the opportunity to choose a new laptop as opposed to PC.
I use Traktor2 and record to my PC using my Mackie D.2 Mixer w/Firewire. I also installed an M-Audio 192 sound-card.
2 noob questions:
a) will/do laptops take sound cards and can i easily install my sound card myself?
b)having said what i use to record and my method for recording will just ANY laptop suffice? or are there some brands i should be specifically looking for?
Now that i can't record any of my mix's im kinda anxious to get a new laptop (hopefully) and get back on the horse and start recording.
At this point budget is kept in mind but i will do whatever it takes to at least find myself a reasonable laptop that can provide what i need it to do (live record)
Thanks for all that read this and for any that reply a big thanks!
A laptop wont take your soundcard, no. My advice to anyone who ever buys a laptop is.. Do you NEED a laptop. It's always better to go for a desktop of you can, stupid amounts more bang for your buck.
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www.myspace.com/bulbyg
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Underloop
Advanced Member
United Kingdom
3,895 posts
Joined: Mar, 2002
91 hardcore releases
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Posted - 2008/12/04 : 20:29:26
A laptop will take a firewire / usb soundcard though! I use the NI Audio 8 DJ alongside Traktor. Fantastic bit of kit!
My laptop is a Toshiba and I love it. I wouldn't advise getting an Advent laptop - had a bad experience!
__________________________________
"We don't stop playing because we grow old;
we grow old because we stop playing."
- George Bernard Shaw
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tunnelrush
Advanced Member
United States
1,831 posts
Joined: Jun, 2004
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Posted - 2008/12/04 : 20:43:57
quote:
Originally posted by rosin007:
Also you gotta have some knowledge before installing a sound card, if you do, you sure can install it yourself.
I installed my M-Audio card myself but the reason i wanted to know if i could do the same was your aforementioned thought of me having to "crack" the laptop open as opposed the comparitevely easy time i had installing the card on my pc. Seems this may or may not pose a problem for me, but i've also never taken apart a laptop. :-/
quote:
Originally posted by bulby_g:
A laptop wont take your soundcard, no. My advice to anyone who ever buys a laptop is.. Do you NEED a laptop. It's always better to go for a desktop of you can, stupid amounts more bang for your buck.
not that i NEED a laptop but since the PC was for the whole family my mom offered to buy me a laptop. hence why im askin laptop questions lookin' like a total noob. hehehe
This however, won't stop my parents from getting a new PC anyways. But this is why im asking if a laptop 'for me' would be more effective (cost and time wise) as opposed to a PC. Anything you can add is appreciated. Nice to know you're still here Bulby. It's been awhile man 8)
quote:
[b]Originally posted by Underloop:
A laptop will take a firewire / usb soundcard though! I use the NI Audio 8 DJ alongside Traktor. Fantastic bit of kit!
My laptop is a Toshiba and I love it. I wouldn't advise getting an Advent laptop - had a bad experience!
I take it the N1 Audio 8 is similar to the M-Audio 192 card i have now? Im assuming if i go laptop i'll have to buy a 'different' sound card?
__________________________________
<Pioneer CDJ-1000 Mk3's
<Mackie D.2 w Firewire
<M-Audio BX8's/ Peavey 15" Neo
<Sennheiser HD25's/Technics RPDJ 1200
<Tracktion 2
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Underloop
Advanced Member
United Kingdom
3,895 posts
Joined: Mar, 2002
91 hardcore releases
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Posted - 2008/12/04 : 21:43:25
The Native Instruments Audio 8 is an 8 in/8out soundcard geared towards DJs using traktor
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"We don't stop playing because we grow old;
we grow old because we stop playing."
- George Bernard Shaw
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Shades
Advanced Member
United Kingdom
1,189 posts
Joined: Dec, 2006
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Posted - 2008/12/05 : 00:25:01
desktop pc all the way dude, why spend the same money for a lot less ????????
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http://soundcloud.com/shades
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l0fls
Starting Member
United States
16 posts
Joined: Dec, 2008
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Posted - 2008/12/05 : 01:40:18
Linux :) i use it LOVE IT!!!
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Ball till ya fall :)
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bulby_g
Advanced Member
United Kingdom
7,205 posts
Joined: Apr, 2004
430 hardcore releases
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Posted - 2008/12/05 : 09:54:11
quote:
Originally posted by tunnelrush:
not that i NEED a laptop but since the PC was for the whole family my mom offered to buy me a laptop. hence why im askin laptop questions lookin' like a total noob. hehehe
This however, won't stop my parents from getting a new PC anyways. But this is why im asking if a laptop 'for me' would be more effective (cost and time wise) as opposed to a PC. Anything you can add is appreciated. Nice to know you're still here Bulby. It's been awhile man 8)
Yep, still here mate. Has been a while. Good to see you on here again :)
Right, I see. If you're already going to have a desktop in the house you can use it might be a good route to go down. Provided you don't want to use it for any greedy software.
It wouldn't be more cost effective. Laptops cost more than a similar spec desktop. However... If you're short on space or need to move the computer about then a laptop will be ideal. You wont really need a very high spec laptop if all you're using it for is recording/web browsing etc so price shouldn't be too high. Thinking about it, by the time you've got a monitor, keyboard etc for a desktop (if you don't already have these), the price gap between a lower end desktop and equal laptop would be closed.
Watch out for how much ram the thing has. I've seen laptops shipping with 512mb of ram and vista loaded which isn't enough. Get 2 gig of ram and a core2duo and you'll be sorted ;). 512 would be fine with XP if you can get it anywhere or don't mind loading a it on yourself.
You will need a new soundcard aswell though :( Like Underloop says you can pick up an external one for a laptop that will do the job.
I still say get your own desktop though if you have the room. Slap ya soundcard in and your away. With the money you save you can upgrade a bit or just not have to spend as much!
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www.myspace.com/bulbyg
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Edited by - bulby_g on 2008/12/05 10:00:21 |
DJ-KC
Starting Member
United States
7 posts
Joined: Oct, 2008
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Posted - 2008/12/05 : 13:05:31
I'm using an old dell laptop and it had 512 MB of Ram. i added some more ram so it's now at somewhere around 700 MB It freezes up all the time and i can't do much with it. so make sure you get lots of Ram
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tunnelrush
Advanced Member
United States
1,831 posts
Joined: Jun, 2004
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Posted - 2008/12/05 : 15:56:03
quote:
Originally posted by Shades_of_Grey:
desktop pc all the way dude, why spend the same money for a lot less ????????
It's most definitely looking like i will in fact wait for the PC. This is my first time shopping around for new pc/laptops and from just about everyone, im hearing i might as well go PC. Thanks for the input
quote:
Originally posted by l0fls:
Linux :) i use it LOVE IT!!!
You're not the first to say they loved their Linux. If im in the market still i'll prolly end up looking at these first. thanks
quote:
Originally posted by bulby_g:
It wouldn't be more cost effective. Laptops cost more than a similar spec desktop. However... If you're short on space or need to move the computer about then a laptop will be ideal. You wont really need a very high spec laptop if all you're using it for is recording/web browsing etc so price shouldn't be too high. Thinking about it, by the time you've got a monitor, keyboard etc for a desktop (if you don't already have these), the price gap between a lower end desktop and equal laptop would be closed.
the more i read your post the more it seems to make sense to get another PC. This will be good too. I do have a huge library of Itunes songs. I bet i might end up killing my laptop or something. :p
Only the CPU is shit. THe keyboard and monitor are in tip-top shape. Thankfully.
__________________________________
<Pioneer CDJ-1000 Mk3's
<Mackie D.2 w Firewire
<M-Audio BX8's/ Peavey 15" Neo
<Sennheiser HD25's/Technics RPDJ 1200
<Tracktion 2
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whispering
Moderator
Finland
8,453 posts
Joined: Nov, 2002
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Posted - 2008/12/06 : 08:54:18
Long time no see :) You have mixes online?
Donno about recording, i recorded my vinyls to mp3 with the default soundcard on my crappy laptop :P
But laptops are made so that you can move them around. My stereos are in the living room, if i wanted to record my vinyls with my desktop, id need to use an hour just to move the thing around. Recording e.g. at a friends house would not be possible. Having said that, i only need my Laptop once or twice a month, and do pretty much most things on the desktop, cause its so much better :)
quote:
Originally posted by tunnelrush:
You're not the first to say they loved their Linux. If im in the market still i'll prolly end up looking at these first. thanks
Dont go there. Linux has come a long way to be able to work "out of the box", but you will need to be able to write in commands. E.g. i wanted the windows NTFS drives to show in Linux, i needed to write that:
sudo mkdir /media/windows
sudo cp -a /etc/fstab /etc/fstab_backup
sudo echo -e "/dev/hda1\t/media/windows\tntfs\tnls=utf8,umask=0222\t0 0" >>/etc/fstab
My point being, you need to be prepared to do stuff like that, if you're going to use Linux. There will always be something that the GUI cant do.
Though if you are going to get Linux, get Ubuntu. Its the most user friendly and has a great user community -> always someone there to help you out, when you have problems.
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Edited by - whispering on 2008/12/06 08:57:27 |
tunnelrush
Advanced Member
United States
1,831 posts
Joined: Jun, 2004
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Posted - 2008/12/08 : 16:08:38
Teemz!!!! what's up buddy?
Good to see you man.
Yea i have a website up. Way too shy to post my site here because the hardcore mix's here are typically the shit and i don't wanna go throwin' in my attempts here :p
Evolvebeats.com is my site. Only made 3 mix's so far.
And as far as Linux, if i have to do anymore 'work' then necessary than im skipping that product. lol
Now reading your post how you go back and forth between pc and laptop only seldomly, im thinking i should just wait for the pc and tell my mom to get me something else less expensive for xmas.
I was just thinking this would be easier and more manageable but it's not lookin' so. thanks for the honest input. :D
__________________________________
<Pioneer CDJ-1000 Mk3's
<Mackie D.2 w Firewire
<M-Audio BX8's/ Peavey 15" Neo
<Sennheiser HD25's/Technics RPDJ 1200
<Tracktion 2
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