laptop recording

[blackbeast250]

Hi Folks , im looking to buy a laptop for recording , I also need software and an interface , and a mic (for vocals ) .

My Budget is around 4000 euros , can anybody suggest what to go for , maby exact models , or just the type of spec, thanks in advance , Robin.

[Scouse Dave]

Well, it depends on what you're after, really.

 

If you just want to make recordings for demo and are goilg to do it one track at a time, a fairly basic setup would do.

 

Pick up a decent laptop (say 1500 Euro).

 

There are a number of software & interface options open to you.

 

You could get a Digidesign Mbox, together with the associated protools software. Alternatively, any reasonably priced USB mice pre / line in interface will do(do a Blue-room search - this will throw up various options...).

 

I have found Audacity to be a reasonable (and free) program for beginners to play around with, but you might want to spend the money and get more "professional" software.

 

Just because you've got 4000 Euro to spend, doesn't mean you have to spend it all on this.

 

Just a couple of quick thoughts.

 

Dave M

[The Magus]

An opportunity for me to sing the praises of my latest toy, a Focusrite Saffire Pro 26 I/O. This is a truly superb piece of kit for a bargain price! I've just bought one to parther my elderly P4 notebook. The Saffire is an 8-channel

Firewire interface, with a pretty reasonable mic preamp on every input, capable of running at sample rates of up to 192kHz, at a wordlength of 24 bits. As well as the firewire I/O, it has two sets of ADAT I/O (which means it can run 8 channels at 96k), and MIDI in and out connections. I would urge anyone looking for a cheap, good interface for a notebook computer to consider this

 

If you don't like the focusrite, Mark of the Unicorn have a variety of offerings: see here!

 

If you don't know what mic suits your purpose, I would urge you to try some out before you buy. If you say what sort of recording you're planning to do, I'll advise further.

 

As far as computers go.... If you're a Mac man, I'll say no more. I've always used PCs, and have an elderly P4 notebook, which runs Steinberg Nuendo and Sekd Samplitude 2496 (very old - I'm not sure whether that programme is even still supported). Computers often benefit from tweaking to get the best out of them for music and media use, and if you don't have the knowledge to do this your budget should stretch to buying one from a music computer specialist such as Carrilon. (Who advertise in Sound on Sound). If you buy the interface, software and notebook from the same company they should support is as a package, and may even set it all up for you. If you're not a computer boff this is well worth doing.

 

For information on 'hot deals' it's worth buying a copy of Sound on Sound magazine, to see what's on offer, and ringing round various dealers.

[Simon Lyall]

I use my M-audio 1814 for recording... with a macbookpro, expensive but worth it...

 

as far as mics goes...well it depends what you want out of it... sm58 are OK, though you might want something a bit more special. What kind of vocals are you aiming to mic? Mics I think are personal preference for example, I like my AKG D190 even if it looks (And is!) old!

 

Simon

[The Magus]

Simon Lyall

 

 

as far as mics goes...well it depends what you want out of it... sm58 are OK, though you might want something a bit more special. What kind of vocals are you aiming to mic? Mics I think are personal preference for example, I like my AKG D190 even if it looks (And is!) old!

 

Simon

 

Have you ever tried any other mics? The only positive attribute that the SM58 has is its near indestructibilityy! While it might suffice for amplifying male vocals, or a guitar cab at a pinch, it would never ever be my first choice for PA, and I have never, ever used it as a recording mic! Why is it taking people so long to realise that this hoary old mic (even in its Beta version) has had its day!

 

There are now so many good dynamic mics available from various manufacturers including AKG, Sennheiser, Audax... need I go on - as well as many good, robust electret condenser mics which will stand up to stage and hand-held use.

 

 

 

'

[dbuckley]

For vocal mic you may want to audition the Russian and/or Chinese U87 lookalikes; it's all a bit hit and miss, but I've heard a couple of examples that were simply stunning.

 

But really, I'm just curious if this thread (being as it's about computers) will attract more or less modatorial attention than the recent thread on cameras :)

[The Magus]

I've heard a couple of examples that were simply stunning.

 

 

Please don't keep us in suspense, Mr Buckley! tell us what they were, and what you liked particularly about them!

[dbuckley]

Cant remember both makes, one was a very popular Russian, name like octavia, and it was just brilliant and another example of the same mic was simply Ok. Thats the point of my note, whereas with a real U87 you know pretty much what it sounds like, the lookalikes are, in my experience, not as consistent. I should say this was before I left the UK, so a few years back.

 

By "brilliant" I mean in the sense of having "presence", I dont mean like Marhsalls have a presence knob, but the vocal was just "there", sitting perfectly, just waiting to fall into the mix. With a breathy girlie singer and decent studio monitors you just wanna fall out of your chair, you know, things that make you go "oooh" or "wow..."

[Simon Lyall]

Have you ever tried any other mics? The only positive attribute that the SM58 has is its near indestructibility! ....

 

ah yes, the great disadvantage of just speaking in text where is it difficulty to express! When I said OK, I meant they are OK , IE not great, not perfect, in-fact I don't tend to use them for doing recording, I almost always use my D190s because I like their sound; both close up and at a distance. As I went on to explain further in my post that it really is personal preference, and now much you want to spend. I'm sure people with a lot more experience with different mics will be able to advice further. hence the fact I posted so generally

 

ho-hum

 

Simon

[Bobbsy]

A few general thoughts on this:

 

First, it's difficult to recommend a specific laptop because manufacturers have a habit of changing specs so fast that something that was good last week make come up deficient next week. Lately I've been hearing good things about HP, Sony and IBM from a sound point of view and bad things about Dell...but don't take any of this as a specific endorsement. Frankly, with a few caveats, I think the laptop itself is not TOO important. However, those caveats are:

 

1. Some laptops have a pretty serious problem with causing hum because of the way the mains adaptor/earthing is handled. This can apply even with external USB/Firewire sound adaptors, so I'd pay a little more to deal with a company that will allow a "try before you buy".

 

2. Following on from the above, the internal sound cards on laptops are NEVER up to any serious recording or playback duties, so pay attention to the advice above for various brands of external adaptor.

 

3. One area where laptop manufacturers often skimp is on the speed of the hard disk drive...many laptops spin at 5400rpm or slower while desktops are generally 7200rpm or faster. For sound purposes, particularly if you want to to multitracking, go for at least 7200rpm.

 

4. Lots of RAM is a good thing for sound work...I'd go for at least 1gig of RAM. However, various bits of sound software have different recommendations and minimum equipment levels. I'd research the software side first then choose the hardware with the necessary spec in mind. As per my opening point, the hardware (within reason) is less of an issue than getting software you're comfortable with and that suits your needs.

 

On the software side, Audacity (as previously mentioned) is a nice bit of freeware for basic recording and editing. However, if you want to do more (for example, overlaying multiple tracks) it's not really powerful enough. For more complex music recording you'll probably need a paid-for solution (and you certainly have the budget). My personal preference is for Adobe Audition (current version is 2.0) and I'd certain suggest that you download the 28 day trial and have a play. However, the one thing Audition does NOT do well is MIDI. I don't know if you have need of a sequencer but, if so, Audition is not for you.

 

If MIDI is important, my choice there is Sonar Producer Edition...though I have to say I view this as a sequencer first, and Audio recorder/mixer second. I guess it's "horses for courses" and I'm sure there will be lots of other suggestions about software.

 

Microphones: I probably would NOT recommend an SM58 in a recording situation. The best thing the SM58 has going for it is being rugged...but a nice sound isn't where it's strengths lie! There's a big presence peak in the upper mid range that can help vocals stand out in a live situation, but can sound downright harsh when recording. If it was me, I'd be looking at one of the more reasonable large diaphram condesor mics on the market now. Personal favourites I'd suggest you listen to would be mics from: Studio Projects, SE Electronics and Rode. All three have several models worth listening to, depending on how much of your budget you allocate to the mic. To use a LDC, you'll need a mixer, mic pre-amp or sound card that provides a source of phantom power. Also, don't forget to put aside some money for a decent mic stand and a good (but NOT stupidly audiophile) cable.

 

Finally, a couple of things you haven't mentioned: First, put aside some money for some decent monitor speakers for your mixing. You can't get a real feel for your sound with headphones or cheap computer speakers. Second, depending on where you plan to record, you may wish to do some acoustic treatment...maybe buying some traps or maybe some home made tinkering. On acoustics, lately I've had a play with the SE "Reflexions" unit and have been very impressed with the way it makes even a pretty horrible room sound.

 

Hope this helps.

 

Bob

[sticks]

some good points above, personally I'd go for a macbook 2.0ghz (I don't feel the pro offers good value for money for recording) then assuming you only want to record vocals - an mbox2. This leaves about 2000 euros for a microphone, speakers or a nicer pre-amp depending on your requirements.

[blackbeast250]

Thanks for the advise folks, I have bought a macbook pro , it has 1g of ram with the option of upgrading to 2, the interface I need must have 4 XLR inputs and midi inputs for use with an axon 100sb midi guitar converter,any more ideas on this would be greatly appreciated, also the software,something that will be able to produce a good finished product. Robin.

 

 

ps. In the mean time I have ordered , logic pro for the mac, and the presonus firepod , does anyone use this combination?

[Ben Langfeld]

Thought I'd dig this one up instead of starting a new topic. I have just remembered that the MacBook I own supposedly has optical inputs and outputs. I was planning to combine this with an ADA8000 to use with GarageBand, although I'm not certain the MacBook supports ADAT through these optical connections. Could someone please enlighten me?

[niall]

try http://www.mac-forums.com/forums/ they might be able to help you!

 

edit: a quick google suggests it does!

[entersoundman]

Well, for my simple home recordings, I have a an AKG C1000, plugged into a Griffin iMic, which then goes into my Macbook 1.25GB RAM.

Software wise , I use anything really, depending on what I want to the with the recording - Garageband, Logic Express and Abelton Live.

 

For more complicated work in an under-equipped studio, I would usually use a RME FireFace 400, plugged into a Powermac G5. This has 36 channels, so it for more than just vocals though!