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| Laptop audio [message #79503] |
Mon, 05 February 2007 10:24  |
TCB
Messages: 1261
Registered: July 2007
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Senior Member |
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OK, so here's the story on the laptop I've mentioned a few times. I decided
a few months back I wanted to add a basic, two turntable DJ setup to my studio.
Partially it was for me, just because I enjoy spinning vinyl more than I
enjoy most things. Partially it's because for the kind of music I do a pair
of battered up Technics 1200s gives the kind of instant cred for a visitor
that a rack full of Crane Songs will for most of you guys.
Now then, my actual vinyl collection is pretty weak, and I'd been seeing
a lot of my DJ friends switching over to timecode based systems, either CD
or vinyl based timecode triggering digital source files--MP3, OGG, or WAV
mostly. One friend in particular liked a simple (and cheap) shareware app
called djdecks (www.djdecks.be) that could be controlled using either Final
Scratch or Serato Scratch Live vinyl. I also decided it would be nice for
the system to be self contained and possibly portable so I could spin live
at some point.
Having seen my work laptop crash off a stand (with my code and everything
on it) I decided to try a cheap laptop. So I bought the crappiest, cheapest,
most 'couldn't care less if someone spills a mojito into it laptop' I could
find. An ACER Sempron 3400 based piece o' crap that was $550 from Newegg.
ATI 1100 integrated chipset, shared video memory, basically everything you
don't want in a laptop. Out of the box it was a SHOCKINGLY awful computer,
even I figured initially I had made a mistake. Yeah, all new machines come
loaded with crap, but this seemed to be beyond that by far. Nevertheless,
I did a quick image of it to save the drivers (unnecessary, actually, the
ACER site has the drivers when the site is up) and installed a vanilla XP
SP2 setup. Patched it, did all of the usual stuff.
Massive difference right then. Seemed like a laptop again, felt like a 2
Ghz machine or so. Stuffed 2 GB of memory into it, replaced the drive with
a 120 GB Seagate. Then, finally, the real test. Installed an RME Cardbus
card and an RPM and started working with it. Rock effin solid for DAYS of
use. And as far as I'm concerned live timecode vinyl manipulation (with the
buffers set to the lowest possible in the RME config) is pretty demanding
real time usage.
So, I now use and endorse crappy ACER laptops for audio use, especially if
the cost of the added on hardware double the cost of the portable.
BTW - FLAC kicks serious amounts of ass as well.
TCB
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| Re: Laptop audio [message #79517 is a reply to message #79503] |
Mon, 05 February 2007 10:41  |
Tom Bruhl
Messages: 1368
Registered: June 2007
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Senior Member |
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This is a multi-part message in MIME format.
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Thad,
I just replaced my Toshiba with an ACER. I cloned the Toshiba C drive
and reloaded Acer drivers. Works like a charm. It's a 1.6 Cor Duo and
smokes the Toshiba P4 2.4.
Have fun with your tables!
Tom
"TCB" <nobody@ishere.com> wrote in message news:45c76845$1@linux...
OK, so here's the story on the laptop I've mentioned a few times. I =
decided
a few months back I wanted to add a basic, two turntable DJ setup to =
my studio.
Partially it was for me, just because I enjoy spinning vinyl more than =
I
enjoy most things. Partially it's because for the kind of music I do a =
pair
of battered up Technics 1200s gives the kind of instant cred for a =
visitor
that a rack full of Crane Songs will for most of you guys.=20
Now then, my actual vinyl collection is pretty weak, and I'd been =
seeing
a lot of my DJ friends switching over to timecode based systems, =
either CD
or vinyl based timecode triggering digital source files--MP3, OGG, or =
WAV
mostly. One friend in particular liked a simple (and cheap) shareware =
app
called djdecks (www.djdecks.be) that could be controlled using either =
Final
Scratch or Serato Scratch Live vinyl. I also decided it would be nice =
for
the system to be self contained and possibly portable so I could spin =
live
at some point.=20
Having seen my work laptop crash off a stand (with my code and =
everything
on it) I decided to try a cheap laptop. So I bought the crappiest, =
cheapest,
most 'couldn't care less if someone spills a mojito into it laptop' I =
could
find. An ACER Sempron 3400 based piece o' crap that was $550 from =
Newegg.
ATI 1100 integrated chipset, shared video memory, basically everything =
you
don't want in a laptop. Out of the box it was a SHOCKINGLY awful =
computer,
even I figured initially I had made a mistake. Yeah, all new machines =
come
loaded with crap, but this seemed to be beyond that by far. =
Nevertheless,
I did a quick image of it to save the drivers (unnecessary, actually, =
the
ACER site has the drivers when the site is up) and installed a vanilla =
XP
SP2 setup. Patched it, did all of the usual stuff.=20
Massive difference right then. Seemed like a laptop again, felt like a =
2
Ghz machine or so. Stuffed 2 GB of memory into it, replaced the drive =
with
a 120 GB Seagate. Then, finally, the real test. Installed an RME =
Cardbus
card and an RPM and started working with it. Rock effin solid for DAYS =
of
use. And as far as I'm concerned live timecode vinyl manipulation =
(with the
buffers set to the lowest possible in the RME config) is pretty =
demanding
real time usage.=20
So, I now use and endorse crappy ACER laptops for audio use, =
especially if
the cost of the added on hardware double the cost of the portable.=20
BTW - FLAC kicks serious amounts of ass as well.=20
TCB
I choose Polesoft Lockspam to fight spam, and you?
http://www.polesoft.com/refer.html
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<BODY bgColor=3D#ffffff>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Thad,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>I just replaced my Toshiba with an =
ACER. I=20
cloned the Toshiba C drive</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>and reloaded =
Acer drivers. Works=20
like a charm. It's a 1.6 Cor Duo and</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>smokes the Toshiba P4 2.4.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Have fun with your tables!</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Tom</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE=20
style=3D"PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; =
BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV>"TCB" <<A =
href=3D"mailto:nobody@ishere.com">nobody@ishere.com</A>>=20
wrote in message <A=20
=
href=3D"news:45c76845$1@linux">news:45c76845$1@linux</A>...</DIV><BR>OK, =
so=20
here's the story on the laptop I've mentioned a few times. I =
decided<BR>a few=20
months back I wanted to add a basic, two turntable DJ setup to my=20
studio.<BR>Partially it was for me, just because I enjoy spinning =
vinyl more=20
than I<BR>enjoy most things. Partially it's because for the kind of =
music I do=20
a pair<BR>of battered up Technics 1200s gives the kind of instant cred =
for a=20
visitor<BR>that a rack full of Crane Songs will for most of you guys.=20
<BR><BR>Now then, my actual vinyl collection is pretty weak, and I'd =
been=20
seeing<BR>a lot of my DJ friends switching over to timecode based =
systems,=20
either CD<BR>or vinyl based timecode triggering digital source =
files--MP3,=20
OGG, or WAV<BR>mostly. One friend in particular liked a simple (and =
cheap)=20
shareware app<BR>called djdecks (<A=20
href=3D"http://www.djdecks.be">www.djdecks.be</A>) that could be =
controlled=20
using either Final<BR>Scratch or Serato Scratch Live vinyl. I also =
decided it=20
would be nice for<BR>the system to be self contained and possibly =
portable so=20
I could spin live<BR>at some point. <BR><BR>Having seen my work laptop =
crash=20
off a stand (with my code and everything<BR>on it) I decided to try a =
cheap=20
laptop. So I bought the crappiest, cheapest,<BR>most 'couldn't care =
less if=20
someone spills a mojito into it laptop' I could<BR>find. An ACER =
Sempron 3400=20
based piece o' crap that was $550 from Newegg.<BR>ATI 1100 integrated =
chipset,=20
shared video memory, basically everything you<BR>don't want in a =
laptop. Out=20
of the box it was a SHOCKINGLY awful computer,<BR>even I figured =
initially I=20
had made a mistake. Yeah, all new machines come<BR>loaded with crap, =
but this=20
seemed to be beyond that by far. Nevertheless,<BR>I did a quick image =
of it to=20
save the drivers (unnecessary, actually, the<BR>ACER site has the =
drivers when=20
the site is up) and installed a vanilla XP<BR>SP2 setup. Patched it, =
did all=20
of the usual stuff. <BR><BR>Massive difference right then. Seemed like =
a=20
laptop again, felt like a 2<BR>Ghz machine or so. Stuffed 2 GB of =
memory into=20
it, replaced the drive with<BR>a 120 GB Seagate. Then, finally, the =
real test.=20
Installed an RME Cardbus<BR>card and an RPM and started working with =
it. Rock=20
effin solid for DAYS of<BR>use. And as far as I'm concerned live =
timecode=20
vinyl manipulation (with the<BR>buffers set to the lowest possible in =
the RME=20
config) is pretty demanding<BR>real time usage. <BR><BR>So, I now use =
and=20
endorse crappy ACER laptops for audio use, especially if<BR>the cost =
of the=20
added on hardware double the cost of the portable. <BR><BR>BTW - FLAC =
kicks=20
serious amounts of ass as well. <BR><BR>TCB<BR></BLOCKQUOTE>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2><BR><BR>I choose Polesoft Lockspam to fight spam, =
and=20
you?<BR><A=20
href=3D"http://www.polesoft.com/refer.html">http://www.polesoft.com/refer=
..html</A> </FONT></DIV></BODY ></HTML>
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