The Best ComputersLaptops for Music Production 2. Nowadays that virtually all music recording has gone digitalThe first question on every musicians mind when first starting out with music production is Which computer should I getThough as Im sure you already know, there is no one size fits all answer. Because depending on factors such as budgetprocessing speedportability. Morgan Stanley Columbia University Texas AM University Churchill College, Cambridge. home C FAQ technical FAQ C11 FAQ publications WG21 papers. YOUR ideal option might be completely different from someone elses. Which is why for todays post, I end to show you everything you need to know to find the perfect computerlaptop for YOUR setup. So lets begin. First upLaptops vs. Desktops. More and more these days, as technology becomes increasingly mobileDesktop computers are slowly becoming a thing of the past. Yet for music recording, theyre still what all the pros continue to use. Heres why Theyre generally faster their larger housing offers room for maximum processing power to meet the high demands of todays DAWs and plugins. They have more INsOUTs which allow you to incorporate larger, more sophisticated routings to keep up with your ever growing setup. They offer greater customization which lets you add more RAM, extra hard drives, additional video cards, and moreas necessary. Hi TKCDAC, As you may noticed, great improvements have been made in Windows 7. Applications can realize Stream Routing via the new Core Audio APIs. They solve the noise problem by allowing you to keep the tower noisy in a separate room for your studio monitors and microphones. Despite all these advantages, the ONE thing that desktop computers lack isPORTABILITY. And in todays world of DJs and mobile studios, the portability of a laptop is a MUST. Plussince most of us use a laptop for schoolwork anyway, it eliminates the need for 2 separate purchases. Now at this point, Ill assume youve already decided whether a desktop or laptop computer is right for you. So lets move on. Up nextMac vs. PCWant to know the easiest way to piss off a recording geek Heres what you do If he uses a PC in his studio, tell him Macs are better. If he uses a Mac, tell him PCs are better. Because for some strange reason, this topic incites violent debatesthat last forever, and result in no real conclusions. In fact, I absolutely HATE giving my opinion on this topic. But here it is anyway Personally, I like Macs. Not just for recording, but for everything. And these days, most of the music world and the rest of the world agrees. If YOU agree as wellget a Mac. So why a PC then Its usually 1 of 3 reasons Price Macs are usually more expensive than PCs, and not everyone can afford them. Customization computer nerds typically prefer PCs, since they are much easier to modifysupercharge. Windows some people just like the Windows OS. If none of these 3 things apply to youget a Mac. But whichever side you choose, just know that tons of great music has been created on either one, and this topic isnt nearly as important as some might have you believe. Assuming youve made your decisionlets move on. Up nextMac Desktops. With Mac desktops, you have 3 options Mac Proi. Mac. Mac Mini. Now heres how they compare First, theres the Mac Pro. For studio recording, theres probably nothing better. Peek your head into any pro studioand odds are, thats what youll find. HoweverThe truth is for most of us, a Mac Pro would simply be overkill. So next upthe i. Mac. While not nearly as powerful, the i. Mac is much more practical for a typical beginners setup, as it combines the computer and monitor into a single device. If you can afford it, its quite likely the ideal choice for most home studios. If you CANT however, your final option is the Mac Mini. How many times have your heard someone say I want to get a Mac, but theyre too expensive Well the Mac Mini is proof that this is not entirely true. It may not have the speed or flexibility of the more expensive modelsbut it offers ALL the benefits of the Mac OSX, for a very modest price tag. Up nextPC Desktops. For those of you guys who build custom PCsI have no doubt you know far more about this subject than I doSoIf you can assemble something faster and better than a Mac Progo for it. I wouldnt dare try to convince you otherwise. If however, you DONT fall into this category, and you really dont know much about computers at allThen I suggest staying away from PC desktops altogether. And heres why If youre NOT a huge PC fan, the only reason to choose a PC for your studio would be if youre a beginner trying to save money. And since the main benefit of desktop computer is MORE PROCESSING POWER, it makes little sense to get any desktop that isnt blazing fast. So if you only have 5. Having said that, lets move onThe 4 KEY Laptop Specs. Since weve already established that laptops arein a wayless than ideal for music productionHere are 5 potential issues to look out for Mechanical Noise if youre a DJ in a loud club, this obviously doesnt matter. But in a bedroom studio, it matters a lot. One way to check for this read a ton of user reviews. Another way opt for a SSD solid state drive with no moving parts, over a traditional HDD hard disk drive. Backlit Keys in low light environments such as lounges and clubs, these are a MUST HAVE. Screen Size you may not think its important now, but once youve spent some time with any DAW, youll quickly see how valuable a bigger screen can be. Ports as laptops get increasingly smaller, the number of insouts gets smaller as well. So make sure you have enough to get by. Now lets check out some laptops alreadyMac Laptops. With Mac laptops you have 3 options Macbook Pro. Macbook Air. Macbook. First, theres the Macbook Pro. My best guess isMacbook Pros are the single most popular laptops for home recording. Theyre ultra fast. Theyve got lots of inputs. They have large screen with detailed display. If you can afford it, get it. If notThen the Macbook and Macbook Air come in TIED at a distant. Theyre not as fast, and they dont have nearly as many inputs, but theyre extremely thin and lightweightthe Macbook Air ESPECIALLY So there you go. Check them out Up nextPC Laptops. On one hand, PC laptops are GREATBecause you have a virtually unlimited number of options to choose from. On the other hand, PC laptops SUCKfor the exact same reason. And what I mean by that isWhile its nice to have options, but the more options you have, the harder it is to actually choose oneto be certain youve made the right choiceto be happy with your choice after youve made it. And unfortunately, for music production, there is no clear cut winner that stands out from all the others. But as most people agreethe best PC laptops for music tend to be the best PC laptops in general. So here are 5 of the most popular and well reviewed options Up nextDAW System Requirements. One important point worthy of mention that rarely gets discussedIs the system requirements for your DAW of choice. Even though these days, most computers are compatible with most DAWsIn some rare casestheyre NOT, so you should always double check just to make sure. If you dont have a preferred DAW yet, or dont even know what a DAW is, then dont worry about this part. However for those of you that DO, here are the links to the system requirements for each of todays top DAWs Up next3 Essential Computer Accessories. Once youve finally chosen a computer, next come the ACCESSORIES. For recording studios, the 3 accessories I recommend are a keyboarda mousea monitor. Now heres what you want from each one1. The Keyboard. While any old keyboard will doYour ideal keyboard should include 3 features DAW shortcut markers which help you memorize all those shortcuts WAY faster. A number pad which includes a TON of useful shortcuts for most DAWs. A wireless connection which allows you access to your transport controls from anywhere in the room. NOTE Even if you have a laptop, you may still find it worthwhile to buy an external keyboard. Thats how useful they are. Now here are my 2 favorites Logitech Wireless Solar Keyboard PCMacreviews besides having a number pad and a wireless connection, this keyboard has one unique feature that you almost never see solar power. That means no batteries or cables ever. Logic. Keyboard Custom DAW Keyboards website easily the most well known maker of software shortcut markers, Logic. Keyboard has both custom keyboards and skin layovers for virtually every DAWkeyboard combo imaginable. Up next2. The Mouse.
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