Field Recording Minimum Requirements

[gblentz]

Hi all.

I'm working on a cash-strapped start-up business which will require me to do occasional on-location multitrack recording. The plan is to use all of the Line-Ins of my Digi 003 Rack+ to sniff up to 8 of the post-gain channel inserts off the FOH board, and just tracking them for later editing/mixdown on my workstation PC. I'd very much appreciate some input, from you guys that live and breathe Pro Tools 10 daily, of the minimum (notebook) system specs I could expect to get away with for such a record-only sytem.

Thanks!

Gregg

[albee1952]

Laptops are sort of a crapshoot with Pro Tools. Even though I am a PC fan, for a laptop, I would get a MBP i7. Since that's not exactly cheap(about $1400 used), you could also just build a solid PC in a rackmount chassis, or grab a used Anvil-style work box and pack stuff for safe travel(what I did when I was out doing live remote stuff). I would also consider a decent UPS to safeguard both your equipment, AND to save your ***** if the power gets funky(it happens).

[Dism]

Originally Posted by albee1952

Laptops are sort of a crapshoot with Pro Tools. Even though I am a PC fan, for a laptop, I would get a MBP i7. Since that's not exactly cheap(about $1400 used), you could also just build a solid PC in a rackmount chassis, or grab a used Anvil-style work box and pack stuff for safe travel(what I did when I was out doing live remote stuff). I would also consider a decent UPS to safeguard both your equipment, AND to save your ***** if the power gets funky(it happens).

While I am partial to OSX myself, I'd still recommend a Macbook Pro to a Windows user as well. While they are expensive, they are streamlined and generally well built for audio production/recording. Plus, you get the benefit of full compatibility with both of the most popular operating systems in the industry. Won't be a piece of software you can't run.

Otherwise, laptops can indeed be a "crapshoot" as Albee so eloquently put.

Out of all of the existing chipsets, manufacturers, varying build qualities... with a Macbook, you always know what you're getting. It's the next best thing to building a PC yourself.

[gblentz]

Thanks for the replies.

$$$ constraints alone makes the Macbook idea a non-starter, plus my desktop rig will be Windows anyway, so I'd rather not have to deal with the paradigm shift.

I've actually thought about the rackmount idea. I'm making plans to build a new socket 2011 i7-based PC for HD video editing anyway, which would also serve as my Pro Tools desktop machine. Was thinking maybe I could just repurpose my old AMD Phenom II quad-core machine for a 2U rackmount location platform, but....?

Again I'm just looking at a 8-channel-simultaneous, no plug-ins (OK, maybe compression), bare-bones record-only system. Where do the high performance requirements come in--CPU? Memory? Disk I/O?

I don't mean to sound like I'm ranting, and I'm certainly not questioning anyone's expertise who works with these systems. I'm just really trying to understand how, back in the day, I could flawlessly record at least four simultaneously tracks (as well as play back all eight with full concurrent Cakewalk MIDI automation) to a completely UN-Digidesign-qualified Syquest 270MB removable SCSI drive(!) with Session 8 on a 386 running at 33MHz, but just twice that number of tracks requires a high-end i7 today?

Is Pro Tools really that heavy?

[groundcontrol]

I've done a bunch of location recording gigs.

From full-on, remote truck with support crew live to air broadcast gigs to (more and more) budget commando "let's hijack the foh direct outs/inserts" ones and everything in between.

I don't use laptops or daws for that matter (unless that 's what's installed in the truck which is rare). I much prefer the reliability of (some) standalone recorders. When there's only one chance to do it right... The price/reliability/input ratio is also generally better. You might want to take a look some boxes like JoeCo's BlackBox or Tascam's X-48.

I personally have a couple typical setups and rent depending on the gig's needs.

[gblentz]

@groundcontrol:

Oh, I absolutely concur--a bulletproof standalone recorder would be far and away my first choice. But unfortunately I'm just starting out in this, and simply don't yet have the resources available for something like a BBR (though that IS one sweet looking box! ). I know too there are relative toys like the Zoom R16 out there that, truth be told, would probably do what I need at this point. But even that's a budget issue, as I don't want to throw away cash that could be better spent down the road.

So, with the NLE system that I pretty much HAVE to have to continue in this venture, I'm left in the position of trying to build a functional digital multitrack location recorder out of largely recycled and borrowed components.

Wish me luck.

[CME]

If you're just recording it won't take much. I don't know how well the amd's run pro tools. i-series intels seem to be the most favored. But my guess is, unless there's a chipset issue the amd will be more than enough.

However you mention you might use some plug-in compressors??? What for? They're post A/D and won't help anything.

All that said if the amd rig and pro tools won't work try reaper. It's much lighter. I use it to track up to 64-channels into a C2D Mac mini. Works great. I then transfer the files into pro tools for mixing.

Whichever way you go, make sure to have two drives. One for the OS and one for the audio files.

[EGS]

Originally Posted by gblentz

...8-channel-simultaneous ...

The below HP laptop rig (see sig) is working great, and can reliably record 8 tracks at buffer 64.