Going round the world ! Live on a 'super' netbook ?

[projoosa]

Ive jacked in my job and decided to dial in a round the world ticket and go travelling (Gulp!). Im now considering what I can take with me to do some tunes on long plane trips and in exotic place !

Acer seem to have bought out some netbooks with higher spec processors than the Atom...

http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2009/11/27 ... re_1810tz/

This little badboy has a 1.3Ghz dual-core Pentium SU4100 (rather than the underpowered Atom in most netbooks) so Im wondering how it will deal with Live ? Ive *briefly* seen the predecessor 1410 (Celeron M processor) running live with the swayzak AbleTEN set okay but Im wondering if the 1810TZ can handle running a synth ?

Is anyone running with one of these or have any experience with these processors ? I figure there are quite a few people interested in this kind of thing.... My other option is maybe a second hand macbook air off ebay but I hear the batt life aint so great on those and its maybe a little austentatious-looking to be pulling out a rucksack in certain areas. The Acer looks a bit more 'stealth' and also claims 8-9 hrs of batt.

Any thoughts would be appreciated ! I am also tempted to get a blog going on my exploits using Live on a round-the-world trip armed with a nanokey, iPhone Mikey recorder (and maybe launchpad if it fits in!) ... do you think this would be of interest / worthwhile ?

[4.33]

i have no idea mate
but i salute you
let me know if you're coming to moscow, i'll get you trashed and steal your macbook))

[davepermen]

i'm unsure. i had a core2duo ulv, 1.2ghz (so 2x1.2ghz at best). and it could not really run live well.

[simpleton]

...Ive *briefly* seen the predecessor 1410 (Celeron M processor) running live with the swayzak AbleTEN set okay but Im wondering if the 1810TZ can handle running a synth ?

Is anyone running with one of these ...The Acer looks a bit more 'stealth' and also claims 8-9 hrs of batt.

I bought the Acer 1410 for my wife a couple months ago. I had some extra DDR2 memory laying around so I jacked it up to 4 GB running Win 7(64-bit). Bottom line... I'm impressed with this little beast. The Celeron M is what affords it a very long battery life (6 to 8 hrs.) because of the low power drain. I haven't actually done it yet but I'm sure it will handle Live just fine.

[dum]

Ive jacked in my job and decided to dial in a round the world ticket and go travelling (Gulp!). Im now considering what I can take with me to do some tunes on long plane trips and in exotic place !

Acer seem to have bought out some netbooks with higher spec processors than the Atom...

http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2009/11/27 ... re_1810tz/

This little badboy has a 1.3Ghz dual-core Pentium SU4100 (rather than the underpowered Atom in most netbooks) so Im wondering how it will deal with Live ? Ive *briefly* seen the predecessor 1410 (Celeron M processor) running live with the swayzak AbleTEN set okay but Im wondering if the 1810TZ can handle running a synth ?

Is anyone running with one of these or have any experience with these processors ? I figure there are quite a few people interested in this kind of thing.... My other option is maybe a second hand macbook air off ebay but I hear the batt life aint so great on those and its maybe a little austentatious-looking to be pulling out a rucksack in certain areas. The Acer looks a bit more 'stealth' and also claims 8-9 hrs of batt.

Any thoughts would be appreciated ! I am also tempted to get a blog going on my exploits using Live on a round-the-world trip armed with a nanokey, iPhone Mikey recorder (and maybe launchpad if it fits in!) ... do you think this would be of interest / worthwhile ?

when did you start using Live ? I'm licensed from 4 up. So when I got my samsung N110, I wasn't thinking about installing live on it - I didn't buy it with production or dj tasks in mind. Only other netbooks I used had crummy specs and linux, so I had no real frame of reference regarding XP. I was suitably impressed with the performance, and decided to install ableton 5. It's super sweet, and 5 has the 'freeze track' function for that oh-so-important practically limitless extra cpu headroom. Out of curiosity I should really try the procedures in that performance-test-thread that's floating around the forum somewhere. I've also tweeked XP to remove any cancerous background processes etc.

it's now become a really invaluable audio tool for me seeing as I have it everywhere, but I've not installed any paid-for synths or FX that I use in the studio, other than ableton's OPERATOR. I have authorised some hosts I use though: plogue bidule, audiomulch, ableton, renoise (demo for now) - and they're running more efficient than I had hoped. I'm rockin lots of freebies and open source stuff too.

I did some travelling for 2 yrs a while back, with a vaio - and it was a major drag for the most part. It was a nuisance always having to look after it and lug it around, I would definitely have loved the opportunity to take a netbook of this spec instead. it's permanently in my backpack, it's easy to stash, it's very light, very silent, looks verrrrry inconspicuous etc - and if it's stolen I'm not going to cry myself to sleep.

I'd stay well away from the nanokey man, you'd be as well off using a qwerty keyboard. I've been using the akai lpk 25 for super portability. It's the same size as a melodica, and it's got proper velocity sensitivity. in terms of bang-for-buck it's probably one of the best midi controllers I ever bought. I also use a Faderfox which is super portable, but pricey. a nanokontrol would be cheaper and less likely to make you rage if it's broken or stolen. You talk about a launchpad, so that's like ableton 7 or 8 ? .... Dunno how they'd fair out on a netbook. Definitely go to a store and talk them into letting you run the demos on a netbook. If I was going travelling, and had a little cash to spoil myself, and considering I would probably be using Live 5 - I'd be more inclined to take a monome 64 along. although it's a bit thicker and more expensive, it's still got a smaller footprint and has more immediate uses IMO.

I'll try and post back with some meaningful performance results, but on the whole I'm very, very happy with my netbook. I've been emailing a couple of developers about whether they see a distinction between netbooks and laptops with regarding authorisations and licensing - and the feedback has been positive. I consider this a quality 'sketch' machine, and look at it like: studio computer - performance laptop - sketch netbook. obviously you use one at a time etc, but I think devs should consider netbooks when they're setting authorisation limits/policies nowadays.

all that being said, if there's a better spec laptop that's also small, affordable, and inconspicuous, I'd go with it (especially since you seem to be hinting at using live8 ?). when travelling: light & stealthy is definitely the way to go.

if you do go the netbook route, get the best spec you can afford. the samsungs are dope.

[projoosa]

when did you start using Live ? I'm licensed from 4 up.

Im licensed from 6 thru to 8 Suite ... ideally id obviously like to run 8 but I guess I could go back a version if it meant better performance. Freeze definitely sounds like the key as you say !!

Synth-wise I mainly use Massive which is a bit of a cpu beast unfortunately. If I could run one instance though and freeze/resample that would be enough. Effects wise I use the Uhbik pack, camelphat and camelspace. The camels seems pretty low cpu but not sure about Uhbik - suspect theyre hungry little buggers...

I'd stay well away from the nanokey man, you'd be as well off using a qwerty keyboard. I've been using the akai lpk 25 for super portability.

Hah unfortunately I already own one - and it lost 2 keys within the first month I had it !! The akai does look good - pretty tempted to look into one of those. I already have a launchpad too already - just a case of deciding if its really worth lugging around or not.

when travelling: light & stealthy is definitely the way to go.

Yeah I think that might be wise advise ! Thanks for your thoughts

@Davepermen - which machine were you using and what version of Live ? I would presume a dual core 1.2 would outperform a centrino ? :S

[rikhyray]

I wanted to get netbook, something cheap to use all around (specially club gigs) without worrying about it much. However realised that these are too weak, even for Traktor. My solution was getting Vaio SZ. Few years back these carbon chassis 13`` were Sonys flagship priced from 2000 Euro up, now on Ebay from 400- 1000 Euro (the latest of the series). You can find Core2Duo 2.0- 2.2 for under 500 Euro. They are exceptionally light 1.8 kg, very bright LED display and over 5 h battery life. Just note that there are also non carbon SZ with not so good display, heavier and with weaker CPU. The other second hand candidate could be 12` Thinkpad, bit more difficult to find at good price. There are also Vaio TZ and TT but they are not so powerful and Z series but these are still very expensive even second hand. Like anything used you have to find a unit that was little in use, meaning reading between the lines.
That Acer you want (which is the best netbook Ive seen to date) could probably work OK with simple DJ software like Serato or Traktor but you would be very limited with Live on it.

[Grappadura]

i have no idea mate
but i salute you
let me know if you're coming to moscow, i'll get you trashed and steal your macbook))

now thats hospitality hehe

[dum]

That Acer you want (which is the best netbook Ive seen to date) could probably work OK with simple DJ software like Serato or Traktor but you would be very limited with Live on it.

I emphatically disagree. I'm using a less spec'd netbook and Live runs fine, with a comfortable amount of resources for track count, fx and synths. Coupled with the freeze function I've yet to reach a creative block due to resource limitations.

besides, you'd have to be some kind of mutant slug/retard hybrid to buy a netbook specifically for gigging with, although it would be doable with a modest live rig and absolutely fine if it would be all audio and a handful of vsts.

but what do I know, I only own and use a netbook for such tasks. Maybe it's better the op should listen to folks who dont!

[projoosa]

i have no idea mate
but i salute you
let me know if you're coming to moscow, i'll get you trashed and steal your macbook))

No worries - I'll swap for some of your women

I emphatically disagree. I'm using a less spec'd netbook and Live runs fine, with a comfortable amount of resources for track count, fx and synths. Coupled with the freeze function I've yet to reach a creative block due to resource limitations.

cool ! I think you're on the money - I got another go on a mates 1410 acer today and managed to run an instance of Massive in live with quite a few voices and reverb fine without it eati g too much CPU. I figure with freeze this should probably be fine! Pretty awesome to finally see ableton-happy machines u can sling in a bag. And take on the road

[starving student]

...Ive *briefly* seen the predecessor 1410 (Celeron M processor) running live with the swayzak AbleTEN set okay but Im wondering if the 1810TZ can handle running a synth ?

Is anyone running with one of these ...The Acer looks a bit more 'stealth' and also claims 8-9 hrs of batt.

I bought the Acer 1410 for my wife a couple months ago. I had some extra DDR2 memory laying around so I jacked it up to 4 GB running Win 7(64-bit). Bottom line... I'm impressed with this little beast. The Celeron M is what affords it a very long battery life (6 to 8 hrs.) because of the low power drain. I haven't actually done it yet but I'm sure it will handle Live just fine.

imposter, when John Gordon gets back he will slay your dragon.