How to get the best computer equipment for ableton Live ???

apa · Post by **apa** » Tue Dec 05, 2006 5:18 pm

I had problems finding info abt this subject.
Is there any Laptop made for professional music work?
Any tip is a great tip.

Funkstar De Luxe · Post by **Funkstar De Luxe** » Tue Dec 05, 2006 5:21 pm

Usually, any 'music production' computer gear is a huge rip off. Any reasonable PC will run Ableton well.
If you need specific qualities (ie, noiseless, fanless) it's much easy and cheaper to modify an 'regular' PC.
In my experience there is no real benefit to these music production computers, at least none I have seen.

pev · Post by **pev** » Tue Dec 05, 2006 5:45 pm

Funkstar De Luxe wrote:In my experience there is no real benefit to these music production computers, at least none I have seen.

- Using higher quality build components (as opposed to cheap no-name generics) give a longer machine life.
- Using good quality branded memory is less likely to fail (major cause of obscure crashes)
- Better acoustic insulation in some specially made machines. Very significant issue if you record in the same room, spend a lot of time near the machine or don't mix at high volumes.
- Motherboards that are chosen for compatibility and stability with audio kit are sensible. Some motherboards cause glitching in audio via USB/Firewire or PCI interfaces.
- If you have specific problems in the studio with operation with audio equipment a company that specialises in 'audio computers' is more likely to be able to help solve your problem when you call tech support.

Most of the above won't be an issue if you have experience and are carefully researching / specifying or building your own machine. But I've found that's generally not the case for most musicians in my experience....

~Pev

mikemc · Post by **mikemc** » Tue Dec 05, 2006 6:02 pm

Re laptop made for professional work... I've seen some described but they seem to fall behind the curve in processor speed.

you want the fastest multicore processor (64bit capable) with a dedicated graphics card w/256MB ram, 2GB of fastest RAM, at least a 7200rpm HD with at least 100GB of storage, an internal soundcard capable of 96K/24bit (not that you'll use this necessarily live, but it is good for general messing around), a Texas instruments IEEE 1394 FW port and a nice sized, crisp monitor, in a sturdy case and supported by a reputable brand.

[edit] all of this constrained by what you can afford, i guess, but there it is.
[edit edit] someone will be along in a bit to say "a mac"

Contra · Post by **Contra** » Tue Dec 05, 2006 6:31 pm

mikemc wrote:[edit edit] someone will be along in a bit to say "a mac"

make mine a mac book pro!

cheers!