Laptop for music production

[zo1]

Hello,

I am about to buy a laptop for music production. I want a laptop, mobile machine for travelling.
I am using East West Quantum Leap Complete Composer Collection and Adobe Premiere CS6 so the most important criterias to me are memory RAM and processor - 3rd Generation Intel® Core™ i7-3612QM and 16GB RAM [upgradable to 32 – Ivy Bridge technology]. It should cost in maximum around 2.000,00 -2.500,00 dollars.

Let me ask you for few questions please.

1. Do you have any recommendation tip to this?
2. If you use laptop for music production what model is it? Are you satisfied with it?

I have made a list of several tips:

A] Dell Mobile Precision M4700 16.0GB, DDR3-1866MHz SDRAM, 4 DIMMS 3rd Gen Intel® Core™ i7-3740QM Processor (2.7GHz, 6M cache, Upgradable to Intel® vPro™ technology) 128GB (SATA3) Solid State Mini-card Driv + 750GB 2.5" 7200rpm Hard Drive, 2nd $2,423.00
http://configure.us.dell.com/dellsto...en&s=bsd&cs=04

B] Dell Mobile Precision M4700 16.0GB, DDR3-1866MHz SDRAM, 4 DIMMS 3rd Gen Intel® Core™ i7-3740QM Processor (2.7GHz, 6M cache, Upgradable to Intel® vPro™ technology) 128GB (SATA3) Solid State Mini-card Driv + 750GB 2.5" 7200rpm Hard Drive, 2nd $2,418.00
http://configure.us.dell.com/dellsto...en&s=bsd&cs=04

C] Dell Mobile Precision M4700 16.0GB, DDR3-1866MHz SDRAM, 4 DIMMS 3rd Gen Intel® Core™ i7-3740QM Processor (2.7GHz, 6M cache, Upgradable to Intel® vPro™ technology) 128GB (SATA3) Solid State Mini-card Driv + 750GB 2.5" 7200rpm Hard Drive, 2nd $2,404.00
http://configure.us.dell.com/dellsto...en&s=bsd&cs=04

D] Dell XPS 15 16GB3 DDR3 SDRAM at 1600MHz 3rd Generation Intel® Core™ i7-3612QM processor (6M Cache, up to 3.1 GHz) 512GB SSD $2,299.00
http://www.dell.com/us/p/xps-15-l521x/pd


E] Alienware M17X 16GB (4 X 4GB) Dual Channel DDR3 at 1600MHz 3rd Generation Intel® Core™ i7-
3630QM (6MB Cache, up to 3.4GHz w/ Turbo Boost 2.0) 750GB 7,200 RPM + 32GB mSATA Caching SSD $1,899.00
http://www.dell.com/us/p/alienware-m17x-r4/pd

3. What do you think about my tips?

4. What other criteria should be considered [hard drive speed, kind and number of ports]

5. Do you have any experience with laptop-shipping from US to EU? I guess that Alienware [Dell] does not have any subsidiary in Europe.

Thank you for any shared advise.

KR, zo1

[jim_branning]

Hello,

I am about to buy a laptop for music production. I want a laptop, mobile machine for travelling.
I am using East West Quantum Leap Complete Composer Collection and Adobe Premiere CS6 so the most important criterias to me are memory RAM and processor - 3rd Generation Intel® Core™ i7-3612QM and 16GB RAM [upgradable to 32 – Ivy Bridge technology]. It should cost in maximum around 2.000,00 -2.500,00 dollars.

Let me ask you for few questions please.

1. Do you have any recommendation tip to this?
2. If you use laptop for music production what model is it? Are you satisfied with it?

I have made a list of several tips:

A] Dell Mobile Precision M4700 16.0GB, DDR3-1866MHz SDRAM, 4 DIMMS 3rd Gen Intel® Core™ i7-3740QM Processor (2.7GHz, 6M cache, Upgradable to Intel® vPro™ technology) 128GB (SATA3) Solid State Mini-card Driv + 750GB 2.5" 7200rpm Hard Drive, 2nd $2,423.00
http://configure.us.dell.com/dellsto...en&s=bsd&cs=04

B] Dell Mobile Precision M4700 16.0GB, DDR3-1866MHz SDRAM, 4 DIMMS 3rd Gen Intel® Core™ i7-3740QM Processor (2.7GHz, 6M cache, Upgradable to Intel® vPro™ technology) 128GB (SATA3) Solid State Mini-card Driv + 750GB 2.5" 7200rpm Hard Drive, 2nd $2,418.00
http://configure.us.dell.com/dellsto...en&s=bsd&cs=04

C] Dell Mobile Precision M4700 16.0GB, DDR3-1866MHz SDRAM, 4 DIMMS 3rd Gen Intel® Core™ i7-3740QM Processor (2.7GHz, 6M cache, Upgradable to Intel® vPro™ technology) 128GB (SATA3) Solid State Mini-card Driv + 750GB 2.5" 7200rpm Hard Drive, 2nd $2,404.00
http://configure.us.dell.com/dellsto...en&s=bsd&cs=04

D] Dell XPS 15 16GB3 DDR3 SDRAM at 1600MHz 3rd Generation Intel® Core™ i7-3612QM processor (6M Cache, up to 3.1 GHz) 512GB SSD $2,299.00
http://www.dell.com/us/p/xps-15-l521x/pd


E] Alienware M17X 16GB (4 X 4GB) Dual Channel DDR3 at 1600MHz 3rd Generation Intel® Core™ i7-
3630QM (6MB Cache, up to 3.4GHz w/ Turbo Boost 2.0) 750GB 7,200 RPM + 32GB mSATA Caching SSD $1,899.00
http://www.dell.com/us/p/alienware-m17x-r4/pd

3. What do you think about my tips?

4. What other criteria should be considered [hard drive speed, kind and number of ports]

5. Do you have any experience with laptop-shipping from US to EU? I guess that Alienware [Dell] does not have any subsidiary in Europe.

Thank you for any shared advise.



KR, zo1

if u spending that much youd be insane not to get a macbook pro with 3 years applecare, cos u get apple reliability in a laptop (many win lappys are murder to setup for music cos of power saving things), current quadcores mbp's will edit hd video, and do tons of tracks. also adobe work is so mac-centric.

[ecc83]

if u spending that much youd be insane not to get a macbook pro with 3 years applecare, cos u get apple reliability in a laptop (many win lappys are murder to setup for music cos of power saving things), current quadcores mbp's will edit hd video, and do tons of tracks. also adobe work is so mac-centric.

OR! (marnin' Jim) spend the wonga with a specialized music computer builder such as Scan.

As one who has just spent a day recording amp sounds into a laptop* I have to say that they are the inventions of the Devil for workflow! VERY fiddly to operate when setting up inputs etc and a reet PITA when it comes to the most basic of editing/file saving/exporting.

Of course you CAN plug in a conventional keyboard and mouse but that rather detracts form the portability?

*HP i3 W7/64 4G ram (<£400) Running my NI Ka6, FAULTLESSLY! Just an egonomic nightmare is all!

Tonight I shall run the re-amp sounds out of the lappy/Ka6 and record on my trusty P4/2496/ZED10 setup!

Dave.

[Danny1969]

What software are you going to use, if it's Protools then get a model that's certified for Protools, if Logic then one that's certified for Logic. Otherwise you may came across an issue that causes a lot of grieve. The fastest machines are one's that don't crash, don't get too hot etc .... it's not all about the amount of ram and processor power, most machines used for professional music making are pretty modest spec, but well made and reliable

I don't know anyone who's regretted getting a Mac Pro or Macbook Pro for music making. They are expensive but with Apple care the cost over 3 years is acceptable. I actually use a Dell laptop for professional multitrack recording but it's a carefully selected one. A Macbook Pro is a safer bet

[zo1]

Hello Jim, ecc83 and Danny,

Thank you for the messages.
I am thinking long time about McBPro but the price is still over my current financial limit and I cant postpone the buy forever. Thus, I am sending the request for an advice to this forum - an advice for a non-Mac laptop.

Still, I would like to know what are all these non-Mac and non-desktop guys using for music composing [composing requiring higher laptop standards]?
I am doing things in Cubase, eventually in ProTools [still newbie to it] but with RAM-taking VST instruments [as East West Quantum Leap definetly is] and with the interest in orchestral music [many VST instruments], I would appreciate if anyone can share any his/her relevant laptop-experience.

For now, Dell or MSI gaming laptops seem to me like the best choice. Lenovo is as expansive as McBPro [in my contry - Czech Rep.]. HP has also some interesting pieces.

And thanks Danny for pointing also on other criteria. How about Hard drive - SSD discs? Do you have experience with their performance while using really RAM/processor taking application? Is stil 5400 or 7200 fast Hard disc good enough?
And how about ports? I should have at least 2-3 USB 2.0 ports as two of them are eaten by dongles from Cubase and EWQL, and I may eventually need another one for connecting with other hard discs.

Thanks, z.

[Danny1969]

I wouldn't recommend a laptop designed for gaming, as they tend to have a hot running GPU so need extra cooling and draw more current, you don't need anything more than a basic integrated video chip for music applications

SSD drives are great, I have been using my 120Gb for 2 years now and have had no problems. Be aware though that you won't get full performance from one connected to a USB bus, at least till USB 3 is common. Most studios use firewire drives at the mo to handle big track count projects or internal \ external Sata

Laptops certified for Protools 10 are :

Officially qualified with Avid and M-Audio FireWire and USB audio interfaces or standalone with either eSATA or USB 2.0 external record/playback drives:

HP8540W/HP8440W Laptops Intel i7 Q820 1.7GHz
ASUS N71Jq Laptop Intel i7 720Q 1.6GHz


Officially qualified with Avid and M-Audio FireWire and USB audio interfaces or standalone with eSATA external record/playback drives only (USB 2.0 drives not supported with these models):

Dell M6500 Laptop Intel i7 Q920 2.0GHz
Dell M4400 Laptop Intel Core 2 Duo T9550 2.66GHz
Toshiba Qosmio X505 Laptop Intel i5 2.27GHz
Lenovo T61 Laptop Intel Core Duo 2.1GHz

But I still recommend a MacPro

[MRLEON83]

I don't see Macbook Pro anywhere on the list...

I would suggest a macbook pro

[ecc83]

I don't see Macbook Pro anywhere on the list...

I would suggest a macbook pro

I think it has been agreed (even by I!) that a MBPro is the best choice if laptop it must be (personally I would use a desktop if possible everytime) but the OP's budget will not stretch to one.

I do not know the cost of the other machines in that list but if they are all too pricey then I can say that I am very happy with my i3 HP laptop. As I have said, it partners my NI Ka6 perfectly and is quiet enough to allow acoustic guitar recording in the same room.

Dave.