$3000.00 laptop budget.

[lost_audio_boy]

I am looking into possibly getting SAW I really like the demo. I use Nuendo for the most part right now. I am curious what the experts here would buy for around $3000 CDN if they were to get a laptop to run SAW with anRME cardbus and digiface. I have been reading alot on this forum and read about the Toshiba's and Prostar's. Prostar's seem nice but I am in Canada and with exchange rate and duty's I think it's a little out of my price range.

I am thinking a P4 3.0 or higher
min 1gig RAM max 2gig RAM
most HD for toshiba's seem to be 4200rpm, get a simple 40gig 4200rpm for OS. then use USB2.0 or firewire external to run 7200rpm for tracking?

Would a laptop choice vary that much on the software I choose to use with it? ie. SAW, Nuendo, Cubase?

Any help would be great, this community seems very cool. I dig it!

thanks in advance guys!

[Craig Allen]

I don't know what the current exchange rate is, so I can't really tell how much you've got to spend, but I'd look into the Toshiba's with an external USB2 or Firewire drive. That's what I currently use with an RME Multiface. You also might want to consider the Pentium M/Centrino stuff as well. I'm running a 1.6 GHz M and it screams.

[lost_audio_boy]

$2350 US .. somewhere around there.

I have heard mixed reviews on the speed of P4 3.0 and up, compared to the Centrino 1.x models. Are they roughly the same? I heard the M's are slower just with integrated satellite stuff. I dont know much about them really.

[tomasino]

Welcome home "Lost Audio Boy". Nothing like a happy ending!

Come on in, take a little rest, n' then get busy using SawStudio on whatever LapTop you end up with. It'll work better than anything you've ever imagined.
Soon, you'll forget about those other systems entirely.

Craig (n' Buck Shamus) have been using SawStudio in Live Mode on his lap top for a long time now. N' they're not the only ones... More to follow I'm sure.

[lost_audio_boy]

Thanks man

I have been looking at the Toshiba p30-RG4 with 1gig RAM P4 3.46 I think. This is just off the top of my head right now. 4200 rpm drive tho.

I am confused I dunno what to get.

[ffarrell]

the audio interface is what I would be looking into then the interface's fourm should help great on what works.

RME is my fav.
I have a firewire 410 and it works good.
I have a M box from the "one who's name shall not be spoken" and it works also.


If you don't need to record more then 2 or 4 channels at a time then go with a 410 like box and put you buck into a faster laptop.

I used the 410 box with my Sager laptop running Guitar rig with ASIO driver @ 64 and it was live feeling to both are guitar players.

hope this helps

thanks
fvf

[lost_audio_boy]

I'm going with 2 x ADA8000, I will need to record between 12 and 16 tracks at once, plus with the digiface I like the idea of having the option to upgrade to 24 tracks with another ADA8000. I am getting the cardbus, digiface and ADA converters. I just need a good laptop that will handle this without any problems. My budget is around $2350 US or $3000.00 CDN for the laptop. Give or take a few bucks. Was curious what some people would do in my shoes.

My overall mix won't have more than 30 tracks, at least I don't see it having that many. I don't think i have ever used that many. And this laptop will be just for audio, nothing else.

[Pedro Itriago]

Whenever this discussions come around, everybody talks about usb or firewire. Is there nobody that gives a shot at external SATA?

[ffarrell]

Well I can't speak to current models but my sager was 2700.00 a year ago and I recorded 24 tracks and punched in 24.

It's a 3.2 real p4 with 2 gig ram / dvd rw / holds 2 hard drives and get very hot to touch. also fan is to noisey for VO next to you.

look at Sager for Value. Thats what Bob uses.

thanks
fvf

[lost_audio_boy]

I checked out Sager and Prostar, only prob is I will have to order that from the States and I am in Canada, so taxes and duty's and exchange will add another $1000.00 to the bill at least. I saw a prostar for 2600 US that was nice, BUT that would be about 5000 CDN after all said and done. Too much.

This price tag is only $2399 CDN, so about $1700 US

The Toshiba p30-RG4 specs:

Mobile Intel® Pentium® 4 Processor 552 supporting Hyper-Threading Technology (3.46 GHz, 533MHz FSB, L1 Cache 12KB/8KB, L2 Cache 1MB)

Standard Memory: 1GB PC2700 DDR (512MB x 2)
Maximum Memory: 2GB PC2700 DDR
Expansion Modules: 128MB, 256MB, 512MB, or 1024MB PC2700 DDR

80.0 billion bytes, 9.7mm height, Enhanced IDE, 4200rpm.

Built-in DVD Super-Multi Drive functions:
Maximum speed:
Read: CD-ROM (24X), CD-R (16X), CD-RW (8X), DVD-ROM (8X), DVD-R (4X), DVD-RW (2X), DVD+R (2.4X), DVD+RW (2.4X), DVD-RAM (2X).
Write: CD-R (16X). CD-RW (8X), CD-RW (8X), DVD-R (4X). DVD-RW (2X), DVD+R (2.4x), DVD+RW (2.4x), DVD-RAM (2x).

Type: TFT Active Matrix colour LCD display
Size (diagonal): 17.0” Wide XGA TFT w/ TruBrite™
Native LCD Panel Resolution: 1,440x900 16.7 million
colours
External Support and Max. Colour Support (dependant
On CRT): Up to 2,048 x 1536 x 16.7 million colours
Simult. Display Support: 1024x768x16.7 million colours

ATI MOBILITY™ RADEON™ 9700 with 128MB DDR video memory.

Realtek ALC259 Software Sound
16-bit stereo; Built-in stereo speakers, Built-in microphone
3D Sound Support, Direct 3D Sound; DirectSound, MIDI
(playback), Direct Music

V.92 56K Data/Fax Modem
10/100 integrated Ethernet LAN,
Built-in Atheros Wireless LAN (802.11ag)

Two expansions slots total. Open slots, can be filled with 128MB, 256MB, 512MB, or 1GB PC2700 DDR SODIMM modules, for maximum of 2048MB use; (1024MB x 2).
1PC Card slot supports one Type II PC Cards; supports CardBus
Ports: 5-in-1 Multimedia port (SD, Memory Stick®, MMC, xD-Picture Card™, Memory Stick Pro®), 3 USB 2.0, RJ11, RJ45, IEEE1394, external microphone port, headphone port, RGB, S-Video Out.

Full sized 85 keys with 12 function keys
2.7mm keystroke, 6mm height
Dedicated Windows Keys.
CD Control Function: Play/Pause, Stop/Eject, Previous, Skip/Next, Mode

Dimensions: 420mm x 293mm x 39.9mm(Front)/47mm(Back) (H)
Weight: 4.3kg (9.49lbs)
AC Adapter
120W external Universal AC adaptor input voltage (100 –
240V 50/60Hz Frequency (Universal), output voltage
(19V, 6.3A).
Dimensions : (WxHxD) 150 x 65 x 36 mm
Weight: 650g

ACPI support, PnP support, VESA support, DPMS support,
DDC Support, SM BIOS support, PCI BIOS support.

Temperature: Operating 5° 35°C (41° 95°F);
Non Operating –20° 65°C (-4°149°F)
Thermal Gradient: Operating 15 C per hr. max;
Non Operating 20 C per hr. max
Relative Humidity: Operating 20% to 80% non-condensing; Non-Operating: 10% to 90% non-condensing
Altitude (relative to sea level): Operating: -60 to 3,000m.;
Non-Operating: -60 to 10,000m.
Shock: Operating: 10G; Non-Operating 60G
Vibration: Operating 0.5G; Non-Operating: 1G