Dumping Q6600 Tower in favor of Notebook.........IF

Hey Guys,

Cakewalk user since version 1 on 5/1/2 floppy. Been building my own Workstations soon after that.

Since I am retired,  My projects anymore consist of music beds, for website developers , iphone games, restaurant ambiance loops ( apparently these guys don't like paying ASCAP/BMI/SESAC for music not one is really listening to. 

My last build was years ago..(Q6600) and has served me well. I don't use a whole lot of samples or soft synths except for Superior Drummer. The Tyros/Motif combo has excellent voices for my purposes. 
What I want to do is ditch the desktop, the Presonus Firebox/Motif X8  Firewire and use a notebook, 
I though about this since i am ready to get a new notebook to replace my MX11R2 and build a new Studio DAW. I though if i could stand a 15" screen I could kill two birds with one stone so to speak. 

My wife is doing tracks for her gigs pn an old Inspiron 1501 ( Athaln X2 UA25 interface) with no issues. Her track counts are less than 8 . she creates the project on the Tyros or Motif then runs the stereo file into the Notebook and adds tracks and any vocals there

I belive I can do the same on a much more pwoerful notebook that may eclipse my desktop. I don't spend a whole lot of time on  projects.. I mean  $500 for an iPhone game means using the Tyros 4 for the base Rhythm section arrangement and not spending more than a few hours to finished project which is upload to a sharing site. For that kind of money I am not spending a week sequencing individual tracks or getting live players.  This is not brain surgery nor it require Hans Zimmer quality requirements. Few laymen would guess the projects were done within hours.  But an larger projects which I don' take much any more, and my own material  I do use the Motif and some live stuff but still rarely use more than 16 tracks. KISS is my way of working.  

I know i can do this on a Sager/Clevo (many of which the pro builders use)  I want to dump the Tower and use the notebook as a replacement IF 

1. The note book allows two external monitors (VGA ok) natively using the HDMI and VGA outputs. 
2. I can  use the Hybrid Seagate and external 3.0 7200 RPM drives for project Storage
3 Since I will be using this a portable set up as well I prefer a smaller screen The Sagars amd MSI have 15" that seem to fit the bill. 
4. I won't be using the Presonus Firebox as the mouse generated "zipper noise" is prevalent unless it is powered separately. Going to buy a new interface.  Probably the Roland Quad 4 

Possibe? 

My idea is go with an I7 because Sonar is optimized for them...I also used Cubase but don't care for the work flow and always return to Sonar. 


 

IK Obi


What kind of budget are you setting aside for this machine? An i7 tower will be far cheaper than an i7 laptop, but there are a ton of options for what your needs are.

I am looking at building a tower for around a $1000 Already have the case ,PS SATA drives etc. 
My thought is becasue I really don;t do a lot of tracks or use VSTI synths I could ditch the desktop and get a Quad notebook (ala sager 9120 or even their 11"  ) and attach it to use two of the the monitors. Then I can take my work anywhere and also replace my 11" Alienware I use in the living room. The tower is loud and I could keep it intact and use it as qn office machine to replace an aging Dell Optiplex

Years ago I could run all the tracks I needed on a P III surely a notebook can handle Sonar X1 with a Roland Quad Capture or Yamaha Audiogram until USB 3 Interfaces go mainstream..  

Most of my PC tracking is stereo tracks from the Tyros ot motif already mixed. i add vocals and a few more over dubs. I want to get away from the Presonus and FW in general. 

know i can do this on a Sager/Clevo (many of which the pro builders use)  I want to dump the Tower and use the notebook as a replacement IF 

If you're talking in lieu of a tower/desktop, I'd make sure the laptop is a beast.
You're looking at $3000+ for a laptop that's anywhere close to the equal of a fast tower.

If you choose an off-the-shelf laptop, be aware that DPC latency won't be nearly as low as a well configured tower. This is primarily important if you're wish to work at ultra low latency settings.

Unless you really need the portability, I'd opt for the tower option.
Offers a lot more performance for the buck... and it can be upgraded (not possible with the laptop)

None of the limitations of a laptop...

IK Obi


That sounds like a plan and a realistic budget for what you want. Though I would double check on the double monitors. I learned quickly with my last 2 laptops that only 2 can be used unless you have a high end graphics card installed. So you may be able to use 2 monitors at once, but may not be able to use the laptop monitor at the same time, if that makes sense.

I only need two external. Won't need the internal in the studio. 



Looking at this: $1559 ASUS  Also Sager and MSI  Don;t want a cumber some 17" display. rather use the 15 or carry a 19" if needed off site.

 15.6” FHD 16:9 LED Backlit Wide screen (1920x1080) Super Clear Matte Type Screen (SKU - X1R354) 
- ASUS Zero Bright Dot (ZBD) 30 Day Pixel Guarantee - (Included on ASUS Standard NON-Upgraded Displays) - 3rd Generation Intel® Ivy Bridge Core™ i7-3610QM (2.3GHz - 3.3GHz, 6MB Intel® Smart          Cache, 45W Max TDP) 
 - nVidia GeForce GTX 660M 2,048MB PCI-Express GDDR5 DX11
- 8GB DDR3 1600MHz Dual Channel Memory (2x4GB SODIMMS) 
– - Standard Finish - Standard White Backlit Keyboard - 80GB Intel Solid State mSATA II (Primary Drive w/ O.S. Installed)
- Remove Hard Drive - 500gb (w / 4GB SSD Memory) Seagate XT 7200RPM NCQ Hybrid 32MB Cache (Serial-ATA II 3GB/s) in ODD Bay - Internal 3-in-1 Card Reader (SD/MMC/MS)
-- Intel® Advanced-N 6235 - 802.11A/B/G/N Wireless LAN Module + Bluetooth 4.0+HS Combo Card (Dual Band) 
 Built in 2.0 Megapixel Camera -- Sound Blaster Compatible 3D Audio - Included e Boost -
 Windows 7 Home Premium 64-Bit Pre-Installed + Drivers & Utilities Disk - [ Upgrade to Windows 8 Pro for $14.99 (Directly through Microsoft) ] -
 Keep factory installed operating system -
 1 Year ASUS GLOBAL OEM Warranty 24/7 Support / 1 Year North America (N.A.) Accidental Coverage (Accidental Requires Registration


- FREE!! UPS GROUND SHIPPING (Use Coupon Code "FREESHIP" in Checkout - U.S. Only, Not Available to Alaska and Hawaii) 

post edited by TomBO77 - 2012/07/18 00:47:28

Good idea Scott but I have found (as indicated above) the  latest components are not neccesarily found in the in the custom DAW machines but the prices are the same or in some case even more. Plus I will use this as a n all around PC as well.  I am keeping my Q6600 system until I am sure I can get what I need done using the notebook. Prices are a consideration as well.  If I was building a desktop i would be more inclined to use a DAW builder ofr the noise vs power issue as well. My home built PC is louder than you guys would make and run cooler as well. 

With the limited amount of tracks and VSTi's  I use I don't need  completely  "optimized for audio" hardware.  I have found I can eliminate  many useless Windows 7  processes I don't need or use them on demand. Firstly I am looking for  the most up to date components for the money at this point. I know I will have a lot of overhead but I do some video editing as well. Maybe even some gaming.  

My biggest concern is dual monitor support as can be seen from my home set up. The third monitor is a VGA  feed from the Tyros 4.  Only using two for Sonar. 

 My wife has been tracking great glitch free tracks on an old Dell with an AMD and I thought I should be able to do the same and more on something with a 3rd gen quad and the  new  GTX video card is a bonus. Another solution I am looking at is the   sager 11" with the same specs. That could in effect replace my M11X I use on the end table in my living room for Internet use.  I have too many PCs to keep up with.

3  notebooks and three desktops. LOL I could eliminate 2 notebooks and a desktop with a new powerful notebook IF I can get the video support.   I think I prefer the Seagate XT hybrid over the SSD at this point after reading and seeing some benchmarks. Seagate is pretty good.  

This has come to pass because I am putting an add on to the studio and  have decided to abandon FW and look forward to USB 3 interfaces as well as not have to be in the studio to tweak material and send it off to clients. I can do it from the comfort of my couch LOL!  

If I can hook up few connectors (USB, Video, and use BT keyboard and mouse)   and throw the notebook in a  rack slot drawer and run my studio that would be great. 

Just deciding between 15 and 11"  I think what i should do is use the M11X and see what kind of  issues I run into. This thing is a gen 2 with a i5ULV


Another choice I am looking at is this  11" bad boy $1074

Sager NP6110 / Clevo W110ER  - FREE!! Continental (U.S. Lower 48 - UPS Ground Only) Ground Shipping on ALL Sager Laptops (Enter Coupon Code: "SAGERFREESHIP" during order process) -
 11.6" HD "Glare Type" Super Clear Bright Glossy Screen (1366x768)S1R204) -
  - Sager - 3rd Generation Intel® Ivy Bridge Core™ i7-3610QM (2.3GHz - 3.3GHz, 6MB Intel® Smart Cache, 45W Max TDP) 
 nVidia GT 650M 2048MB PCI-Express GDDR3 DX11 with Optimus™ Technology
- 8GB - DDR3 1600MHz Dual Channel Memory (2 SODIMMS)
500gb (w/ 4GB SSD Memory) Seagate XT 7200RPM NCQ Hybrid (Serial-ATA II 300 - 32MB Cache) 
 Internal 9-in-1 Card Reader (MMC/RSMMC/SD/Mini SD/SDHC/SDXC/MS/MS Pro/MS Duo) - 
- Sager - Intel® Advanced-N 6235 - 802.11A/B/G/N Wireless LAN Module + Bluetooth™ 4.0
- Built in 1.3Megapixel Camera - 
Sound Blaster Compatible 3D Audio -
 Included - Smart Li-ion Battery (6-Cell) - -
 Sager 90W AC Adapter with Intel 2nd Gen. i5-2450 / Sager 120W AC Adapter with Intel 3rd Gen. i7-3610 - ~Windows 7 Home Premium 64-Bit (64&32-Bit CD Included) + MS Office Starter 2010 -[ Upgrade to Windows 8 Pro for $14.99 (Directly through Microsoft) ] -
 LIFETIME Ltd Labor* 1 Year Parts Warranty Lifetime 24/7 DOMESTIC Toll Free Telephone Support (Labor through XPC) 
Includes FREE Shipping Both Ways for Parts Warranty Repairs (SKU - X9R009)

post edited by TomBO77 - 2012/07/18 14:58:14

Scott makes some of the best DAW machine builds for audio professionals. Checck his site out: http://www.adkproaudio.com/

the XT drives are marketing Hype.. we took them off the site.. they did nothing for performance or even boot time. (of course if you really insisted we can offer)
3610 costs $14 less than the 3720 so no point to offering it..

ughh hate to toot my own horn (thanks Obi)
my point is if you are so close to my prices with what you are looking at, then why not know it will work for audio and have support for audio..

you may be buying 3-4 laptops (or more) before you find one without DPC issues.. (yes even with a USB interface)
and you will still have many tweaks to do to get it tamed..
now if you were trying to get a $600 laptop well thats another story..

sorry alex none at all..
considering the other offering out there (Crucial and Intel) we never bothered with them.

Yes he knows. I have researched the Seagate drives but my bigger issue is the price differnce is huge on the SAME BASE a Sager NP3260  




ADK
 7600 IVB 17" 1920 x 1080 LED backlit, up to 16Gig DDR3,
 Geforce 650M 1G GDD
Processor Intel - i7-3720QM 2.6GHz 6M cache Quad core with HT (turbo to 3.6GHz)
Memory4Gig (2x2Gig) DDR3 1600 Sodimm Samsung chips
Operating SystemMicrosoft - Windows 7 Home Premium 64 bit. 16 gig ram max
Recovery SoftwareParagon Backup & Recovery 11 Suite with ADK recovery DVD
.OS/Programs 
DriveWestern Digital - 500GB 7200RPM 16MB SATA II/300 5 yr warranty
DVD-RW/BDRIncluded CD-RW/DVD read/write
InternetIncluded Wired 1GB and Wireless Lan 802.11 b/g/n and Blue Tooth
WarrantyStandard 1 yr Parts and Labor Lifetime Tech Support
$1,647.00  

 SAGER NP3260 Display15.6" Full HD LED-Backlit Display featuring"95% NTSC Color Gamutin Matte Finished Surface (1920 x 1080) [$125.00]
Video & Graphics Card1GB GDDR3 Nvidia GeForce GT 630M GPU with"]Optimus Technology / Embedded Intel HD GraphicsCPU\
 Processor 3rd Generation Intel® Core™ i7-3720QM Processor ( 6MB L3 Cache, 2.60GHz) [$230.00]
Thermal Compound IC Diamond Thermal Compound - CPU + GPU [$25.00]
Operating System Genuine MS Windows® 7 Home Premium 32/64-Bit Edition( 64-Bit Preloaded )Memory4GB DDR3 SDRAM at 1600MHz - 1 X 4GB
Primary Hard Disk Drive500GB 7200rpm SATA Hybrid Hard Drive with 4GB SSD [$50.00]
Optical Drive Bay — Optical Drive or Hard Disk Drive in Optical Drive Bay with Caddy case 8X DVD±R/RW/4X +DL Super-Multi Drive & Software
Wireless Network Card Internal 802.11 B+G+N Wireless LAN + Bluetooth Combo ModulePrimary BatterySmart Li-ION Battery PackMicrosoft OfficeMicrosoft Office Starter 2010 -
 Included in PriceWarrantySager 1 Year Limited Parts and Labor Warranty



$1,229.00 


SAME system. of course not "optimized" for audio but that process is not all that difficult. especially on systems that will not be used to their entire capabilities. I think there is a need for Audio DAW builders for those who cannot build their own or do not understand the processes that can be stopped or eliminated to reduce DPC latency.



An example of the hardware and  costs I am looking at


Backlit Keyboard Option: Choose Keyboard Style Here-SteelSeries Backlit Or Standard Gaming Non-Backlit Display-FHD LED: 15.6" FHD LED 1920 x 1080 16:9 Non-Glare Matte Display Battery-9 Cell: MSI 9 Cell Primary Battery (7800mAh)-Included VGA Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 670M 1.5GB DDR5 VRAM - With NVIDIA Optimus Technology Optical-DVD Or Blu-ray: Integrated DVD Super-Multi-Dual Layer Drive Core i7 Processor: Intel Core™ i7-3820QM Processor-2.70Ghz-3.70Ghz Turbo 8MB Compound-Heat Sink: IC Diamond Premium Performance Thermal Compound (CPU/GPU) Hard Drive-1: 500GB SATA II 7200 RPM 3Gbs 16MB Cache Hard Drive Hard Drive-2: No Hard Drive-Click Here To Add Raid Options: Hard Drive 2 Must Be Selected To Enable Raid Memory-DDR3: 8GB Dual Channel DDR3 1333MHz PC3-10600 - 2 X 4GB Wireless & Bluetooth: Intel Centrino Wireless-N 2230 802.11 b/g/n 2x2 MIMO + Bluetooth 4.0 Killer Gaming LAN: Integrated Bigfoot Killer™ Gaming LAN E2200 - With Game Detect™ Technology HD Webcam: Integrated 720p-30fps HD Webcam NoteBook Cooler: No Cooler-Click Here To Add Spare Main Battery: No Spare Battery-Click Here To Add Spare A/C Adapter: No Spare A/C Adapter-Click Here To Add Car Adapter: No Car Adapter-Click Here To Add Carry Bag: No Carry Bag-Click Here To Add Operating System: Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit DVD + Get Windows 8 Pro @ $14.99 By Microsoft Offer* Driver Disk: RKC Custom MSI Qualified Enhanced Driver And Utility Disk-Included Microsoft Office: No Office Software-Click Here To Add
\Price $1506


I have never had issues with latency because my projects are small. I don't need a lot of consultation. 
beyond user experience. Would rather put my money in the Hardware and pay for consulting separately if needed. The technology moves to fast to pay a premium for less.

alexoosthoek

jcschild


the XT drives are marketing Hype.. we took them off the site.. they did nothing for performance or even boot time. (of course if you really insisted we can offer)
3610 costs $14 less than the 3720 so no point to offering it..

ughh hate to toot my own horn (thanks Obi)
my point is if you are so close to my prices with what you are looking at, then why not know it will work for audio and have support for audio..

you may be buying 3-4 laptops (or more) before you find one without DPC issues.. (yes even with a USB interface)
and you will still have many tweaks to do to get it tamed..
now if you were trying to get a $600 laptop well thats another story..

Listen to Scott, he knows :)
 
 
@Scott: do you have any experience with the Samsung 830 SSD?

jcschild


lol 17" vs 15"? not the same system.. nor do they have optimized bios.. windows tweaks etc..
no support, etc..

our 15" is $1547.. but yes they are cheaper.. by $248
good luck..

Fair enough.