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Looper's Delight
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Here's what I'm leaning towards right now for realtime audio processing (AudioMulch, soft samplers, soft synths, etc.): Desktop PC in a rack-mount server chassis, with a rack-mount pull-out drawer containing a keyboard, and a wireless optical mouse, and a flat-screen monitor on the side. The only setup would be plugging in the monitor and power cables. Pros: 1. Desktop CPU power. 2. Desktop hardware prices. 3. More choices for audio interfaces, since you can choose PCI bus based ones (e.g. Aardvark Direct Pro series). 4. Completely modular and upgradable (provided you build it yourself or have it custom built, and don't just buy some proprietary box from Gateway or something). Cons: 1. Flatscreen monitors are expensive (but if you are hardcore [i.e. poor like me] then you could substitute a regular monitor). 2. Another six-space rack to lug (probably 30 lbs). I have not been reading intently lately, but I sense that the PCI bus is on its way out, to be replaced by Firewire. USB2 and whatever else comes along, but for some reason I still trust a desktop machine more than a laptop. Maybe that's folly, since a laptop should be designed to be moved around and jostled, and a desktop (even in a server case) is designed to sit in a rack in a machine room. Although, there are shock-mount kits you can get for rack-mount chassis. -J P.S. I am also thinking about using a laptop for less CPU intensive stuff like running my sequencer, and generating clock. > On another standpoint in the price/vs portability topic, I'm still > unclear as to why a laptop is the best way to go. Sure, you can run a > cool VST synth and maybe a few effects, but there's usually a latency > hit after you get too many VST instruments begging for clock cycles. > Every time I've looked into doing laptop music, I come away thinking, > "For the same money I could buy a KILLER workstation and a looper, but > that perform much better. > > Mark Sottilaro