Is Macbook Air and Pro Tools possible?

[dream5695]

I'm thinking about getting a Macbook Air so I can take ProTools away with me when I have to travel but it's only got 2 USB ports.

If I need one for the Dongle, one for Mbox and one for the external hard drive - can it be possible. Will any 2 of the above work in one USB hub with a USB multi adapter? I really need to find this out before I shed out a load of cash. Thanks Mike

[The Dougfather]

Don't the macbook airs have thunderbolt?

To be fair, the added cost you incur with a thunderbolt drive you could probably use to up to a MBP.

[RegenerationMix]

i would also vote for Macbook pro. I use the thunderbolt out for my external monitor, the firewire out for my 003r and the 2 usbs.

with Air you get 2 USBs and thunderbolt, no firewire out, no ethernet out if you are turning off wifi and still using pro tools etc etc etc . if you use thunderbolt for your recording device or external storage, then youre hogging the external monitor out.

macbook pro gives alot more output options.


Chris

[dream5695]

I only want this for travelling - just to take a few files with me when I'm away - so I can continue to work on projects - anything major would have to wait till I got back to my full blown setup, like mastering for example. I have hauled laptops around before and want something really light and small, I'm not worried about the 11" or 13" display....as for the Thunderbolt, there's not much for it currently except from Apple and the external drive for this port is very expensive, so I'd use a USB port for the external drive. That leaves the Dongle in the other USB port....so could I put an audio interface with either of those? Would the USB port cope?

[RegenerationMix]

pro tools on a mac does not recommend using a USB external drive. Only on windows.

I use the thunderbolt out with adapter to run my external monitor.

I have two internal drives, one for the system ( SSD drive) and one for recording (7200 rpm) .

Pro tools does not recommend to record to the system drive.

My macbook pro is super portable. My friend has the 13 inch macbook air, and i would not use it for pro tools.

Chris

[huzzam]

I suspect you'd be fine recording to the internal SSD drive, and this would give you one USB port for the iLok and one for your audio interface.

I know it's not recommended to record to internal system drives, but I've been doing just that with my Macbook Pro (with SSD, quad i7) since September, with no problems. SSDs seem to be fast enough to handle the audio data & whatever else all at once.

Of course I can't guarantee anything, but I bet you'd be fine. And of course you can always copy sessions to/from an external drive when your interface or iLok isn't connected.

~peter in oakland

Originally Posted by dream5695

I only want this for travelling - just to take a few files with me when I'm away - so I can continue to work on projects - anything major would have to wait till I got back to my full blown setup, like mastering for example. I have hauled laptops around before and want something really light and small, I'm not worried about the 11" or 13" display....as for the Thunderbolt, there's not much for it currently except from Apple and the external drive for this port is very expensive, so I'd use a USB port for the external drive. That leaves the Dongle in the other USB port....so could I put an audio interface with either of those? Would the USB port cope?

[dream5695]

Thanks guys - I guess I wouldn't actually be recording that much but more editing the recorded regions already in the mix....but if I did record, then recording to an SSD should be possible.....I've looked at the Pro but its twice the size and weight if not more....I have an Acer notebook but that would just be too slow and the screen just too small....maybe the Ilock would still be recognized by the Air if it were coupled with the Audio interface or the external hard drive.....i will try it on my notebook....if it works there, it must work on an Air......like I said before, this is only a stop-gap, just a means to keep working on my projects....

[o1music]

I have an 11" Air with 256 ssd & 4gig ram i7 1.8 intel... pro tools runs great on it... using latest lion and pt10. usb drive for main audio ssd and 7200 direct connected to laptop... (bus powered)... thunderbolt interface to 002/apogee rosetta 800. rock solid... did max it out at the end of the record I was producing... started having a few glitches but finished everything jut fine. recorded great,,, and did the entire record on the road... edits, printing stems, writing with mini controller... recording backing vocals with an apogee one at times that went final. half the time i don't even know it's in the bag when traveling...
stuff is pretty killer and next month another apple laptop update inevitable...

[nst7]

Dream5695, if you can wait a little bit, there are credible rumors that very soon we will have new Macbook Pros that will be much thinner, similar to the design of the Air. So it may be the best of both worlds in that case.

[huzzam]

Originally Posted by o1music

thunderbolt interface to 002/apogee rosetta 800.

o1music: What's the Thunderbolt interface you're using? I'd love to be able to use my firewire Duet with an Air...

thanks!
~peter in oakland