Ableton Forum

Hi guys...needing a bit of guidance with this one.....about to purchase a new machine and i am getting a couple of offers to play in clubs so need something portable.....i dont know enough about Apple so i am dismissing that to begin with ...i know this might upset some people but i am used to using windows and am not to keen on learning a new OS when i couldbe learning more on Live....so now i come to my crux ..do i shell out on a good laptop ...but once i buy it that's it ...or do i go down the Shuttle route...i can update when i want but loose out on the complete portablilty of a laptop..i am swaying towards a shuttle but would be interested in hearing from shuttle users if they recommend a shuttle or a laptop.....thanks
Baxter P Sunbather

baxter park sunbather wrote:Hi guys...needing a bit of guidance with this one.....about to purchase a new machine and i am getting a couple of offers to play in clubs so need something portable.....i dont know enough about Apple so i am dismissing that to begin with ...i know this might upset some people but i am used to using windows and am not to keen on learning a new OS when i couldbe learning more on Live....so now i come to my crux ..do i shell out on a good laptop ...but once i buy it that's it ...or do i go down the Shuttle route...i can update when i want but loose out on the complete portablilty of a laptop..i am swaying towards a shuttle but would be interested in hearing from shuttle users if they recommend a shuttle or a laptop.....thanks
Baxter P Sunbather

Honestly, it depends on three things.

1. How often do you gig?

2. How hard do you push your system (CPU, RAM, etc)?

3. How much money do you want to spend on something that you can't really upgrade (beyond a new HD or some more RAM)?

Personally, I run my system friggin HARD and I haven't bothered to dredge up a gig since last Halloween, so I'm looking to buy a shuttle system. It's easier on the pocketbook, it's upgradeable as you say, and it's less noisy; laptop fans are obnoxious. With an XPC, you can plant it under a desk too, so even if it does make noise (and it will make much less noise than a lappie) you don't have to have it blowing hot air at max fan speed two feet from your ears.

If I were gigging every week though, then I would get a laptop.

You may want to consider a 1u rack PC.... Check out this site here...

I'll probably be giggin once a month or so...i do push it hard ...but mainly in the prep work when i'm running multiple vst's...i will be getting a mid range Shuttle /laptop and i should be able to upgrade when i need to...hopefully....still not convinced about a laptop though ...like you say ...makes a lotta noise and not upgradeable.....cheers for the input though...

that rack looks good......but can i get them in the UK.....??

baxter park sunbather wrote:that rack looks good......but can i get them in the UK.....??

No idea dude... Is it not listed on the site... You may have to source it from a UK or EU electronics wholesaler... In the US Canada we usually use Mouser...

Here I just googled 1u PC rack and got this..

http://www.superlogics.com/industrial-c ... er/265.htm

For me, the portability of a laptop is more valuable than the benefits of a shuttle. I love my shuttle xpc, and its definitely easier to lug around than a tower, but there's still the monitor issue, plus the excess cabling...the overall footprint with the shuttle is still quite a bit larger than a laptop.

If you go shuttle, you have to have some sort of protection for the shuttle, the monitor, keyboard, mouse, etc....does that mean building a case for the monitor? Where do you put the keyboard? Do you build a case that has everything all ready to go inside?

I find it much easier to just buy a sufficiently powerful laptop...the only upgrades I'd want would be RAM or hard drive, and both upgrades can be accomplished with a laptop.

I do miss PCI audio cards though...

1u rackmounts are extremely noisy. i have one. good luck finding a cpu fan thats quieter than 30dba... average is 49. the ps fan is quite noisy too. the hum would drive you crazy after 30 minutes.

ethios4 wrote:For me, the portability of a laptop is more valuable than the benefits of a shuttle. I love my shuttle xpc, and its definitely easier to lug around than a tower, but there's still the monitor issue, plus the excess cabling...the overall footprint with the shuttle is still quite a bit larger than a laptop.

If you go shuttle, you have to have some sort of protection for the shuttle, the monitor, keyboard, mouse, etc....does that mean building a case for the monitor? Where do you put the keyboard? Do you build a case that has everything all ready to go inside?

I find it much easier to just buy a sufficiently powerful laptop...the only upgrades I'd want would be RAM or hard drive, and both upgrades can be accomplished with a laptop.

I do miss PCI audio cards though...

+1

Im even considering geting a 10" or a 12", just to get it as small as possible. At stage I dont like to look at a monitor anyway. You can still conect a large screen when you need it. In the studio, at home or whatever.

Flash HD laptops are just around the bend! Say bye-bye to fan noice! (I hope )

Yeah, as far as noise goes...my shuttle is, and always has been, louder than any other machine I've had....including my laptop. YMMV.

after my latest bout with laptop issues, I've decided my production machine will always be a desktop/shuttle, with a reliable lappie as a performance machine.

SWEET I was just about to post a question about this, i'm looking around at either a shuttle pc or a rackmount system when i upgrade my pc. i like the idea of a more portable pc, especially since no one gives a crap about tons of PCI slots anymore, i dont see a good reason not to get a smaller system.

If you are looking at gigging with a pc like this what do you use for display? a regular flat panel or are there better options? IMHO a pc thats set up like a desktop on stage looks sortof dumb, i'd want the thing to look more like my other equipment, as opposed to a set up that looks like a midi controller hooked up to an accountant's office system.

are there any bad ass fans or other quietness tricks/products out there??

JEB wrote:SWEET I was just about to post a question about this, i'm looking around at either a shuttle pc or a rackmount system when i upgrade my pc. i like the idea of a more portable pc, especially since no one gives a crap about tons of PCI slots anymore, i dont see a good reason not to get a smaller system.

If you are looking at gigging with a pc like this what do you use for display? a regular flat panel or are there better options? IMHO a pc thats set up like a desktop on stage looks sortof dumb, i'd want the thing to look more like my other equipment, as opposed to a set up that looks like a midi controller hooked up to an accountant's office system.

are there any bad ass fans or other quietness tricks/products out there??

two bones to pick:

1. PCI is still the lowest latency and most stable option for audio. The RME or the Echo cards are fantastic, and 1ms or below are entirely possible.

2. If you get a cool looking LCD monitor, on stage, it doesn't look too bad at all, especially if it's off to the side, and you've rehearsed your set so that you don't have to look at the screen. (You should be checking your email later anyway.)

Cheers guys...thanks for the info...i think i'll go for a shuttle...mibee further down the line i may splash out on a perfomance laptop...but as the finances are a bit tight just now i'll stick with a Shuttle....

as far as learning a new OS, OSX is really basic and easy to learn. i am a former desktop support / network technician and it took me about 3 hours to get the nitty gritty down on my new macbook.

i hope to never have to resort to a windows based machine for my personal laptop ever again.