I may be beating a dead horse but..... Here goes

balance_productions · Post by **balance_productions** » Tue Dec 14, 2010 10:40 pm

Im thinking about buying a MacBook pro 13 or 15" and plan to produce a perform exclusively with it. Is there any words of wisdom from users. Should a pc laptop be a viable long term investment. (not trying to start a macV.pc battle please, just a suggestion of topics)I plan to use live 7 or 8, full midi keyboard with an edirol sound card for production and a 25 midi key with an apc40 for live performance. Has anyone ran into any snags and wish they could have done something different in hindsight or is something like this a rock solid setup with no regrets. I will now scour the forums for a similar thread.

mojofunk · Post by **mojofunk** » Tue Dec 14, 2010 10:44 pm

13" screen might get a bit crowded . . .

Tone Deft · Post by **Tone Deft** » Tue Dec 14, 2010 10:50 pm

doesn't really matter. check the Live Performance Test thread to see how people are getting along. IMO it more comes down to the user itself. if you know an OS you know how to make it work, or you know it well enough to not screw it up. people with identical boxes can have wholly different experiences.

I'm a PC user with an Edirol sound card, it's been a great card.

APC40 - freaking love mine.

Live 7 - great

Live 8 - use the latest version and if you open a set that was made in a previous version save it off as a new Live 8 set. IOW if a set was done in Live 7 and you save it in Live 8 you cannot open it again in Live 7, avoid that. Live 8 has been a rocky release, you'll come across lots of that if you read other threads. it's been fine for me, for others, it's been hell, Mac and PC alike.

Geissler · Post by **Geissler** » Wed Dec 15, 2010 1:14 am

If you get a windows laptop make sure it isn't a piece of shit. A good laptop will cost around the same regardless of whether it's a mac or something else.

Dalski · Post by **Dalski** » Wed Dec 15, 2010 9:53 am

mojofunk wrote:13" screen might get a bit crowded . . .

I agree totally. I would say opt for the 15" and if money allows hook it up to a big monitor when in the studio.

pepezabala · Post by **pepezabala** » Wed Dec 15, 2010 10:03 am

on the other hand you don't want to stare at the screen during live gigs anyways, so a 13" machine might be easier to set up at lots of places - I have played at many places where space is an issue. DJ-booths, sharing a desk with other peoples equipment etc. I have been fighting for centimeters, literally, so I can put up a macbook, a nanokontrol, a launchpad and an ultralite.

And at home you can get a secondary big screen for production work.

necho · Post by **necho** » Wed Dec 15, 2010 10:28 am

I have the 15inch i5 MacBookPro. I definitely need the 15 inch screen - 13 wouldn't be enough.

My setup is: MacBookPro, Live, Presonus Firebox, Akai LPD8, Adam A7s. Its really solid, no issues at all. After having owned a stupid amount of gear over the years, this minimal set up is the best I've had.

I'd recommend it to anyone.

Radio Arcade · Post by **Radio Arcade** » Wed Dec 15, 2010 5:28 pm

I use my 13" mac for live performace/production. I think 13 & 15 are both too small for production but I like the smaller for gigging/on the road as all I need is session with 10 channels.

I took the few hundred I saved on the smaller mac and bought a 24" monitor to compliment it when at home producing ; )

glitchrock-buddha · Post by **glitchrock-buddha** » Wed Dec 15, 2010 5:58 pm

Go with the 15 man. High res. You'll be glad for the extra room.

blakjesus · Post by **blakjesus** » Thu Dec 16, 2010 9:32 pm

glitchrock-buddha wrote:Go with the 15 man. High res. You'll be glad for the extra room.

+1

Thats what i just got and don't regret it at all!

swishniak · Post by **swishniak** » Thu Dec 16, 2010 10:31 pm

not sure what edirol you have, but i had an FA101 for a while that was less than a perfect partner for any macs i plugged it into. . not that crashy, but sluggish, the drivers have NEVER been updated by roland. EVER.

I may be beating a dead horse but..... Here goes

I may be beating a dead horse but..... Here goes

Re: I may be beating a dead horse but..... Here goes

Re: I may be beating a dead horse but..... Here goes

Re: I may be beating a dead horse but..... Here goes

Re: I may be beating a dead horse but..... Here goes

Re: I may be beating a dead horse but..... Here goes

Re: I may be beating a dead horse but..... Here goes

Re: I may be beating a dead horse but..... Here goes

Re: I may be beating a dead horse but..... Here goes

Re: I may be beating a dead horse but..... Here goes

Re: I may be beating a dead horse but..... Here goes