RE: Laptop Looping

["Dean, Hal " <HDean@wcupa.edu>]

Incredibly helpful write-up, indeed.  The advice to select the apps and
then get a computer to suit is something I never would have thought of,
but seems so obvious once said.

I've been an Echo user for many years and am still happy with a Layla24
laptop that connects via a PCIcard. As my Vaio nears 6 years old and I
envision replacing it, I have been pondering whether to get a new
interface. The University where I work has an agreement with Lenovo that
makes them available at great reduced prices, but I think Kris has noted
they don't come with Firewire... and I don't see it in a quick scan this
morning of the Lenovo web site.

I intend to run Bidule with Mobius, Halion, Absynth 3, Garritan Jazz,
and  maybe Guitar Rig as VSTs. I have taken inspiration from Per's Audio
Switcher/ multiple VST chains concept and so also run a batch of more
modest VSTs along with these major applications. I have pretty much this
setup running on a desktop now, though it taxes the system and pops and
crackles start to happen if I try to use too much at one time. This
desktop computer is essentially a big MIDI device that I connect to my
Vaio running Cubase SX3.  This machine also has an Other World Computing
Firewire-connected hard drive that hosts the Halion and Garritan banks.

My intention is to switch this around when I replace the Vaio - run
Cubase on the desktop and make the laptop the Bidule/Mobius beast -
other than the desire to run more software synths and samplers, the
laptop setup would be very similar to Per's. One reason to do so is that
the laptop then becomes a part of a slimmed-down live setup.

The smallest cash outlay would assume a Thinkpad with the greatest RAM
and processor speed possible and continued use of the Layla 24. Some
folks have mentioned that the PCIcard connection is actually faster, all
else being equal, that Firewire. On the other hand, maybe PCIcard
connectors are fading away. Than there is the issue of the outboard
hard-drive - which seems essential for using Halion, etc.

As I write this I'm beginning to think the absence of Firewire makes
even a great deal on a Lenovo a lousy investment for a music computer.

Any thoughts on this would be most appreciated. I want to research this
thoroughly before leaping.

Hal Dean


-----Original Message-----
From: Per Boysen [mailto:perboysen@gmail.com] 
Sent: Saturday, August 25, 2007 5:21 AM
To: Loopers-Delight@loopers-delight.com
Subject: Re: Laptop Looping


On 25 aug 2007, at 04.44, kkissinger@kevinkissinger.com wrote:
> This email is about my battle with CRACK, BUZZ, and SNAP and what I
> am doing to win the battle!  Hope this isn't too long-winded -- I  
> hope this saves someone some frustration.  Here is my tale:


Excellent write-up, Kevin! We need people, now and then, taking the  
time to put the pieces together and give us the big picture.

> Live looping is an application where you are both monitoring the
> output data and playing in sync with the computer.  So, the latency  
> that is unnoticable in a recording situation becomes a big factor  
> for live looping.

Just one comment on the above: Some software loopers do compensate  
well for latency. Myself I have only done deep testing of Mobius in  
this regard and I can truly say that this Windows looper does it  
perfectly well. When looping on Mac I tend to make  a different kind  
music that doesn't need the timing that typically gets ruined by  
latency.

Greetings from Sweden

Per Boysen
www.boysen.se (Swedish)
www.looproom.com (international)