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Gear / Technical Help => Post-Processing, Computer / Streaming / Internet Devices & Related Activity => Topic started by: aberg on November 08, 2006, 08:13:09 PM
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Does anybody use a macbook for taping? If so, what can you say about it... good battery life? Easy to use in the field?
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I used a power book and it worked fine but as far as battery life it sucks. I was you I would keep the Oade ACM Marantz PMD660c and do all post with the laptop. If you tape a lot in places that you are in a small place iy is not good.
-Brian
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I used a power book and it worked fine but as far as battery life it sucks. I was you I would keep the Oade ACM Marantz PMD660c and do all post with the laptop. If you tape a lot in places that you are in a small place iy is not good.
-Brian
Yeah, let me echo that sentiment at well. I've taped with quite a few rigs, ranging from minidisc all the way up to my laptop with a Presonus Firepod (eight mic/line inputs). Now I'm pretty well down to two solutions: for stealth I use MD + battery box + AT853. For open I use an R4, with either mics only or with SBD + mics. Basically when it comes to showtime I want the simplest possible rig, since anything can go wrong!
You *really* do not want to bring a laptop into a club. In addition to power, you'll worry about it crashing, going into powersave mode and not coming out, or someone pouring beer on it. No need to go there. The *only* reason I could see is if you want to record eight or more tracks, in which case you should get a rugged road case, rackmount gear, and put your stuff on a bench beside the soundboard.
Richard
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Yeah, I'm not considering it as a primary taping recorder.. just in the offchance I'd wanna do 24/96 for a recording. I'm working out a fairly substantial rig change/upgrade... planning for the future, and 24bit is friendly!
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As far as I know there is no way to attach an external battery at the moment due to the funky magnetic connector. Part of the reason I traded mine out for a Powerbook, actually.
Plus it's kind of big (wide). Nice machine though, and way powerful.
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As far as I know there is no way to attach an external battery at the moment due to the funky magnetic connector. Part of the reason I traded mine out for a Powerbook, actually.
Plus it's kind of big (wide). Nice machine though, and way powerful.
I'm not looking at the macbook pro, but rather the 13.3" macbooks that were just released yesterday with core 2 duo intel chips. I wouldn't use it for festivals so the internal battery should get me through the odd 2-3 hour show that I'd want to run 24/96.
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I use an iBook at almost every show I record, with a MOTU traveler...It stays very protected in my Gator Studio 2 Go. But I can't stress this enough when using a laptop as your primary recorder.....always run backup. Also, partition your drive, and install your OS on each. Keep one only for taping, and only startup from it when you are. I also always have a HiMD rolling backup just in case.
Battery is a top concern. I always power the traveler off an SLA to reduce drain on the lappy. Running 4 preamps with 48v phantom can run it's toll pretty quickly. I get about 50% more usage when powering off (not on) the bus. About 3 hours. Plus I managed to get 2 additional internal batteries for the iBook pretty cheap...I believe this is the best cost/time/size ratio ... external batteries are scary and I won't use them. All of them risk running at low voltage and putting the iBook into a lowpower mode, which cuts off power and communication to the USB and Firewire port, and shuts off the screen backlight, and is a pain to restart from. It would be nice if it switched right to internal battery, but this will only happen if using a DC to AC inverter. The iGo DC to DC converter (and I presume others like it), that takes 12volts from an external battery and converts it to the 24 needed by the iBook, has caused me tons of problems by triggering the low power mode (a 7ahr sla, only lasted about 1.5 hours before causing the lowpower shutdown). So I just run off the internals and I have about 9 hours with my 3. If I need to change internal batteries quickly, I just hook the computer up to an external using the inverter which is safer, and I have time to change. That rarely happens anyway. I have been known to lug my RV's deep cycle with me on a long festival run, so as not to bother myself with the worries of battery life (ehem10KLFehem). Sometimes wheels are a taper's best friend :)
Most of this doesn't apply to you yet due to current lack of external powering options for the macbook. Although iGo has announced they're coming out with the proper connector soon, so be warned. Plus I compared battery life between the converter and inverter and the inverter actually lasted slightly longer, and that with no worry of lowpower shutdown.
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I don't know why everyone goes with Mac, though.
One problem is lack of PCMCIA. Needed for stuff like the VXpocket and RME type cards.
Another problem is software. Can you get things like Cubase and Wavelab on the Mac? Or do you use other software?
Richard
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I only intend to use the firewire or usb ports and the new macbooks with intel chips can dual boot xp and os x..... in fact, I have read that the macbooks run xp faster than equivalent pcs. I'm sick on winblows and spyware and all the bullshit.... mac here i come -- buying one on monday.
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I only intend to use the firewire or usb ports and the new macbooks with intel chips can dual boot xp and os x..... in fact, I have read that the macbooks run xp faster than equivalent pcs. I'm sick on winblows and spyware and all the bullshit.... mac here i come -- buying one on monday.
I'm not saying Windows is better. I run Linux when I want to get real work done. Just that the macs lack some things I need for taping.
Richard
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I only intend to use the firewire or usb ports and the new macbooks with intel chips can dual boot xp and os x..... in fact, I have read that the macbooks run xp faster than equivalent pcs. I'm sick on winblows and spyware and all the bullshit.... mac here i come -- buying one on monday.
I'm not saying Windows is better. I run Linux when I want to get real work done. Just that the macs lack some things I need for taping.
Richard
Yeah, I don't know whether multichannel audio progs are available for mac, but I only ever do 2 channel stuff.... I'm not really buying this thing for taping anywyas... just nice to know that I can use it if I want.
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I've used mine once. I ran my UA5 into the optical cable. I don't know if the cable was loose, but the recording was full of static. I've since run line in and had much better results.
The ONLY time I would run it in the field is at one club where they let me do whatever I want, so I keep the MacBook under the SBD (away from the beer).
Someday it would be fun to get a multi-track interface, but I don't think that will happen anytime soon (since I don't go to enough gigs at that venue).
Other than taping the MacBook RULES! I will NEVER buy a product that uses a Microsoft OS ever again.
-MIKE B
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I've used mine once. I ran my UA5 into the optical cable. I don't know if the cable was loose, but the recording was full of static. I've since run line in and had much better results.
The ONLY time I would run it in the field is at one club where they let me do whatever I want, so I keep the MacBook under the SBD (away from the beer).
Someday it would be fun to get a multi-track interface, but I don't think that will happen anytime soon (since I don't go to enough gigs at that venue).
Other than taping the MacBook RULES! I will NEVER buy a product that uses a Microsoft OS ever again.
-MIKE B
Why didn't you run it USB in and keep the recording digital??
I like how the macbook can dual boot and run XP faster than an equivalent PC right out of the box....
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Another problem is software. Can you get things like Cubase and Wavelab on the Mac? Or do you use other software?
I have Cubase on my iBook. I used the same disc to put it on the PC that I use at work. Wavelab is PC only as far as I know.
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I've used mine once. I ran my UA5 into the optical cable. I don't know if the cable was loose, but the recording was full of static. I've since run line in and had much better results.
The ONLY time I would run it in the field is at one club where they let me do whatever I want, so I keep the MacBook under the SBD (away from the beer).
Someday it would be fun to get a multi-track interface, but I don't think that will happen anytime soon (since I don't go to enough gigs at that venue).
Other than taping the MacBook RULES! I will NEVER buy a product that uses a Microsoft OS ever again.
-MIKE B
Why didn't you run it USB in and keep the recording digital??
I like how the macbook can dual boot and run XP faster than an equivalent PC right out of the box....
I haven't had much luck running 24 bit out of the UA5. I might try it with the MacBook. The last time was with a Windoze laptop and I got a lot of pops and clicks. Maybe the MacBook is better.
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I'm going to give it a shot with the macbook and let the iriver optical out act as a backup at truncated 24>16bit...
Probably 24/48... 24/96 isn't important to me.
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Are you planning on selling your 660 anytime in the future? I'm trying to get an Oade mod 660 into Canada without paying ridiculous duties in the next month or two..
Also congrats on the Mac switch, I just bought my second (upgraded from a PowerPC to an Intel MacMini)
You won't regret it, I lost all my photos on my old PCs 3 times before I said fk it and bought a Mac..OSX is a much easier on the head than Windows.
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Oops, just saw the yard sale...
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I have used my Macbook to tape several festivals as well as some local gigs. My rig is fairly basic, a pair of MBHO's, a M-Audio Fast Track Pro and Sound Studio software. I haven't had any problems at all and have to say this is the best computer I have had. Eventually I plan on picking up a DigiDesign 002.
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I have used my Macbook to tape several festivals as well as some local gigs. My rig is fairly basic, a pair of MBHO's, a M-Audio Fast Track Pro and Sound Studio software. I haven't had any problems at all and have to say this is the best computer I have had. Eventually I plan on picking up a DigiDesign 002.
That's good to hear definitely. I will use mine in more relaxed shows for sure. Maybe the occasional outdoor show on a nice day too.
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there are lots of multitrack software for Mac.
I use Cubase and Digital Performer regularly for 24 channel sessions.
while the iBook and the newer MacBook/Pro don't have PCMCIA, they do have the newer technology of Express Cards.
all Powerbooks (except the 12") have PCMCIA sockets