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aphextriplet
from your mothers bedroom (United Kingdom) on 2004-03-24 05:34 [#01115902]
Points: 4731 Status: Lurker
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So i need a laptop. Was thinking of the apple g4 powerbook.
Here are my options:
$2,599.00 15.2-inch TFT Display 1280x854 resolution 1.25GHz PowerPC G4 512K L2 cache 512MB DDR333 SDRAM 80GB Ultra ATA/100 ATI Mobility Radeon 9600 (64MB DDR) Backlit keyboard Gigabit Ethernet FireWire 400 & 800 AirPort Extreme built-in DVI & S-Video out
$1,999.00 15.2-inch TFT Display 1280x854 resolution 1GHz PowerPC G4 512K L2 cache 256MB DDR333 SDRAM 60GB Ultra ATA/100 ATI Mobility Radeon 9600 (64MB DDR) Full size keyboard Gigabit Ethernet FireWire 400 & 800 AirPort Extreme Ready DVI & S-Video out $1,799.00 12.1-inch TFT Display 1024x768 resolution 1GHz PowerPC G4 512K L2 cache 256MB DDR266 SDRAM 40GB Ultra ATA/100 NVIDIA GeForce FX Go 5200 (32MB DDR) Full size keyboard 10/100BASE-T Ethernet FireWire 400 AirPort Extreme Ready Mini-DVI out
Now, i know the most expensive one is the best one, but my question is this :
what spec do i NEED to play live successfully and safely. Do i need 512MB DDR333 SDRAM or will i be ok with 256Mb?
The way im going to be playing live is basically, a laptop streaming a few audio parts (no more than 3-5 audio files simultaneously), and a few live instruments/players. Was going to use Ableton v2.0 to stream the audio, and i have 2 outputs for the laptop, one goes into pa system, the other is a click track for the live players. Please help or offer advice
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Drunken Mastah
from OPPERKLASSESVIN!!! (Norway) on 2004-03-24 05:38 [#01115904]
Points: 35867 Status: Lurker | Show recordbag
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eh. I only know that Ralph Myerz uses a dell laptop which I think he's had for quite some time... I think most new laptops will do if you can keep them "clean." If you only install the music-programs and keep samples on it (not too much, as that will make it a bit slower...).
I've never figured out how you "play" live with a laptop, though... is it linked to some equipment which controls it (an oxygen or something..?), or does it just play some loop?
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aphextriplet
from your mothers bedroom (United Kingdom) on 2004-03-24 05:42 [#01115906]
Points: 4731 Status: Lurker
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well, im pretty much using the laptop to provide a backing track essentially. I'll be able to tweak bits and bobs here and there, but nothing much. Most of the tweaking/improvising etc will be done using the live instruments
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aphextriplet
from your mothers bedroom (United Kingdom) on 2004-03-24 05:43 [#01115907]
Points: 4731 Status: Lurker
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In summary, will the 'worst' spec [below] be sufficient?
$1,799.00
12.1-inch TFT Display 1024x768 resolution 1GHz PowerPC G4 512K L2 cache 256MB DDR266 SDRAM 40GB Ultra ATA/100 NVIDIA GeForce FX Go 5200 (32MB DDR) Full size keyboard 10/100BASE-T Ethernet FireWire 400 AirPort Extreme Ready Mini-DVI out
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Drunken Mastah
from OPPERKLASSESVIN!!! (Norway) on 2004-03-24 05:45 [#01115908]
Points: 35867 Status: Lurker | Show recordbag
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I guess so.. although... I don't see USB posted, and USB will be a important part of a bigger setup, I think...
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aphextriplet
from your mothers bedroom (United Kingdom) on 2004-03-24 05:48 [#01115909]
Points: 4731 Status: Lurker
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'FireWire and USB 2.0 The PowerBook G4 features FireWire for connecting external hard drives and DV cameras, and USB 2.0 for connecting graphics tablets, digital cameras, printers and scanners.'
12 inch powerbook
It does. I dont want to write music on the laptop, i have a home PC for that.
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Drunken Mastah
from OPPERKLASSESVIN!!! (Norway) on 2004-03-24 05:52 [#01115910]
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yeah, but USB for possibly connecting a oxygen to it...
when Xploding Plastix play live, they have a laptop connected to a oxygen.
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aphextriplet
from your mothers bedroom (United Kingdom) on 2004-03-24 05:53 [#01115912]
Points: 4731 Status: Lurker
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well either way it has usb
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rudster
from the glasgow on 2004-03-24 06:01 [#01115917]
Points: 3169 Status: Lurker
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i'm intending on playin live at some point, dont really know how, but i would need to use my desktop PC with 15inch flatscrren
it is a powerful system with 512mb ram 120gb harddrive,
now when i connect my radium controller keyboard to vst synths outwith cubase, i have superb latency.
But when i connect to vst within cubase i can get 20ms latency, but as more tracks are added the computer starts struggling with this, so i change to 40ms.
Another thing that worries me is that the PC crashes occasionaly, when keyboard is synced with cubase.
My set up onstage would be the PC, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, radium controller keyboard and also Evolution UC-16 midi control panel.
I will also have a stand in bass player too.
It might be ambitious but i'm confident it will work.
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REFLEX
from Edmonton, Alberta (Canada) on 2004-03-24 06:23 [#01115937]
Points: 8864 Status: Regular
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playing live as a electronic artist is not as rewarding as other types of music, unless you are a big name in your field no one will come see for some reason.
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REFLEX
from Edmonton, Alberta (Canada) on 2004-03-24 06:24 [#01115939]
Points: 8864 Status: Regular
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around here anyway the scene for that stuff is little to none.
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mc_303_beatz
from Glasgow, Scotland on 2004-03-24 06:26 [#01115940]
Points: 3386 Status: Regular | Followup to aphextriplet: #01115902
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why did you convert the prices to dollars? please don't compromise for yank members.
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aphextriplet
from your mothers bedroom (United Kingdom) on 2004-03-24 06:28 [#01115942]
Points: 4731 Status: Lurker | Followup to REFLEX: #01115937
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mine is drum and bass, and theres plenty of venues who'll take us. Theres a lot of live playing too, so its not just sitting in front of a computer.
to MC_303: im buying the laptop from the states because its about 600 quid cheaper than over here.
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Drunken Mastah
from OPPERKLASSESVIN!!! (Norway) on 2004-03-24 06:29 [#01115943]
Points: 35867 Status: Lurker | Show recordbag
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there are lots of electronica concerts with smaller artists here in Bergen... I think it may be connected to Tellé, or all the students or something...
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mc_303_beatz
from Glasgow, Scotland on 2004-03-24 06:32 [#01115944]
Points: 3386 Status: Regular | Followup to aphextriplet: #01115942
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really? interesting.. :)
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aphextriplet
from your mothers bedroom (United Kingdom) on 2004-03-24 06:36 [#01115947]
Points: 4731 Status: Lurker
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no-ones answering my question :(
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Drunken Mastah
from OPPERKLASSESVIN!!! (Norway) on 2004-03-24 06:38 [#01115950]
Points: 35867 Status: Lurker | Show recordbag
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it will probably work fine. just remember that if you aren't using a mac already, transfering the songs won't be as easy as 1-2-3.
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aphextriplet
from your mothers bedroom (United Kingdom) on 2004-03-24 06:40 [#01115951]
Points: 4731 Status: Lurker
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It'll be ok, im only transferring the final files, so it's just like transferring mp3s. The mixable seperate parts etc will be on my pc in cubase format.
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Drunken Mastah
from OPPERKLASSESVIN!!! (Norway) on 2004-03-24 06:42 [#01115955]
Points: 35867 Status: Lurker | Show recordbag
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ok.
although.. reason is available for both platforms, so... but if you know how, I'll trust you on this.
And that mac will probably be very stable.. unless you put too much shit into it.
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aphextriplet
from your mothers bedroom (United Kingdom) on 2004-03-24 06:43 [#01115956]
Points: 4731 Status: Lurker
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i wont be putting much on it. Im buying it specifically to play live. I have a seperate laptop through school for all my other laptop needs.
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ChildrenTalking
from United States on 2004-03-24 07:12 [#01115975]
Points: 2712 Status: Addict
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you want to play (with yourself) live?
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aphextriplet
from your mothers bedroom (United Kingdom) on 2004-03-24 10:02 [#01116156]
Points: 4731 Status: Lurker
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bump, more help please
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REFLEX
from Edmonton, Alberta (Canada) on 2004-03-24 10:03 [#01116158]
Points: 8864 Status: Regular
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ok.. whew atleast your not a fuckin DJ.... woah what a crazy musician (SUCH A GODDAMN JOKE).
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DJ Xammax
from not America on 2004-03-24 10:04 [#01116159]
Points: 11512 Status: Lurker | Followup to REFLEX: #01116158
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:(
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REFLEX
from Edmonton, Alberta (Canada) on 2004-03-24 10:05 [#01116163]
Points: 8864 Status: Regular
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whatever, not like its not cool, yeah being a dj is fine, but if you just play other people music back and forth and none that you yourself actually programmed then your not a musician.not by any means.
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princo
from Shitty City (Geelong) (Australia) on 2004-03-24 10:06 [#01116164]
Points: 13411 Status: Lurker
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If you were in Melbourne you never have to ask to play live, they beg you to play! Even if your music is just shitty boring noise!
I love Melbourne!
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euphonicfilter
from illadelphia (United States) on 2004-03-24 10:10 [#01116172]
Points: 2443 Status: Addict
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go for the fastest processor you can
forget ram as it can be added later and only compliments a good processor
if your processor is shite...ram wont do shizzle
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AphexTwin11
from OOOOOO (United States) on 2004-03-24 10:33 [#01116209]
Points: 905 Status: Lurker
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Dont do laptop shit, stick with analogue machine , much better
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oscillik
from the fires of orc on 2004-03-24 10:39 [#01116221]
Points: 7746 Status: Regular
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I have an iBook 900MHz G3, that has been fully upgraded to 640MB RAM
to be honest, 256MB really wouldn't work in a live situation....I wouldn't recommend just running a machine with OS X on under 384MB RAM.
For live stuff, I'd take no less than 512MB RAM.....get the fastest and largest amount or RAM you can. If you're gonna be using Ableton Live for doing stuff, make sure you've got a decent sized FAST hard drive for all those samples.
also i'm gonna second euphonicfilter by saying get the fastest CPU you can - you can't upgrade a laptop CPU, so go for the best you can afford....i regret getting my iBook, because i'm running into speed problems rewiring Cubase SX and Reason 2.5 - i should have saved and got a 17" 1.33Ghz G4 :(
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Portland
from San Diego (United States) on 2004-03-24 12:53 [#01116453]
Points: 695 Status: Regular
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i play using a g3 800 ibook. anyone of those options you mentioned would work.
i also use a dell laptop sometimes as well.
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aphextriplet
from your mothers bedroom (United Kingdom) on 2004-03-25 03:25 [#01117365]
Points: 4731 Status: Lurker
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i reckon the 12" spec will be fine too. People might be misunderstanding how im going to use the laptop. Im not writing music on it, so i dont need to use hundreds of tracks on a sequencer or anything, im just going to be using it to play two 30 minute tracks simultaneously
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KADO
from The Belafonte (United Kingdom) on 2004-03-25 03:29 [#01117374]
Points: 1484 Status: Regular
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You should buy a spec that is going to meet your needs in future, incase you wanted to expand your show to more than multi-tracked audio playback.
Pay for it now and you wont have to pay for upgrades in a few years.
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aphextriplet
from your mothers bedroom (United Kingdom) on 2004-03-25 03:31 [#01117379]
Points: 4731 Status: Lurker
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true. I'll get the best i can afford, which is probably the 12" but slightly upgraded.
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map
from mülligen (Switzerland) on 2004-03-25 03:34 [#01117382]
Points: 3408 Status: Lurker
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1024x768 resolution is less.
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Drunken Mastah
from OPPERKLASSESVIN!!! (Norway) on 2004-03-25 03:42 [#01117389]
Points: 35867 Status: Lurker | Show recordbag
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if you are using effects, dont' have them workin realtime on the computer. either pre-render or use effect-processors...
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aphextriplet
from your mothers bedroom (United Kingdom) on 2004-03-25 03:48 [#01117392]
Points: 4731 Status: Lurker
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yeah, the effects will be done on hardware for the live instruments. Ive decided to go with the 12" but upgrade the ram to 512
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