iBook and Live Audio Recording

[AtHomeBoy_2000]

I am working on a “Wish List” for the church I work for. (I am the Multi-Media coordinator) As part of my list, I want to include a mobile recording system. Basically, a laptop that can record live audio. Being that it would only be recording what is coming out of a mixer or just a single mic, I don’t need anything top notch. I was thinking of an iBook with an Mbox with Pro Tools LE 6.1 attached. What do you guys think? Would the iBook be able to handle that? I know at school we have old 884hz PowerPC G4’s (not sure on the hz part, but the are sub 1.0) and they work just fine with ProTools.

I would also use the iBook for a mobile projection setup from time to time. I would probably just pick up a copy of iWork (Keynotes 2 to be specific). I hear that Keynotes is compatible with PowerPoint which is probably what most of the presentations would be made on.

For $1,249.00, I can pick up an iBook with 512MB RAM and 80GB hard drive. Tack on about $500 for the Mbox and it would top out sub 2,000.

Any Thoughts?

 

[eleveneastgate]

If you're getting a new iBook, I believe it's got iLife 05.

In iLife '05, you get GarageBand 2. This version of GB multitracks, so you don't need ProTools.

You do have to get an audio interface, I've been using Griffin's PowerWave .

Read my thread here

Hope this helps... 😀

 

[zimv20]

the ibook can certainly handle a good bit of incoming audio if you're recording to an external firewire drive (min 7200 rpm, 8 mb cache).

i did a test w/ the following gear:
- ibook g3/800
- digi 002r
- PTLE 6.x
- external 7200 rpm 8mb cache firewire drive

at 96kHz sampling rate w/ 24-bit wordlength, i could record 8 tracks of audio while playing back 16. note that there were no plug-ins involved, just straight audio.

i don't think you'll have any trouble w/ your setup.

btw - if you want stellar recording results, check out the metric halo uln-2. it's a 2-channel firewire device w/ built-in pre's and conversion. i don't have one, but it's a favorite over at http://www.osxaudio.com (a site you should have a look at).

i _have_ heard stuff recorded w/ it, and if i get much more mobile work, i may buy one myself.

 

[AtHomeBoy_2000]

You do have to get an audio interface, I've been using Griffin's PowerWave .
Hope this helps... 😀

I saw that too. but the reason i didnt like it is because it only has RCA inputs. Most of the equipment I have only has XLR or 1/4" outputs. I would prefer to not have to adapt down to RCA. The MBox has XLR and 1/4" inputs. I would probably use GarageBand instead of ProTools, but ProTools comes withthe MBox.


Question on GarageBand. Does it allow you to export a clip of audio faster than real time? I know in ProTools to "Bounce to Disk" you have to listen to the whole thing. I would rather just say: "Export this part" and 15 seconds later it is its own little file.

 

[AtHomeBoy_2000]

the ibook can certainly handle a good bit of incoming audio if you're recording to an external firewire drive (min 7200 rpm, 8 mb cache).

For starters, i would only be recording 2 tracks at a time, so I would just use the hard drive that came with the computer. I am trying to keep this as cheap as possible. If in the future i need to do multiple tracks, then I'll grab an external drive and a Digi002 that has 8 inputs.

 

[zimv20]

For starters, i would only be recording 2 tracks at a time, so I would just use the hard drive that came with the computer.

i suspect that will work, especially if you're not playing back any tracks while recording. but i've not tried it.

 

[AtHomeBoy_2000]

i suspect that will work, especially if you're not playing back any tracks while recording. but i've not tried it.

Would you by chance have an answer on my exporting question?
I want to be able to record a whole Church service, but then select just the sermon and export it to put it on our webpage. If I have to listen to the whole thing like i do with ProTools, that isnt a very attractive option.

 

[zimv20]

ProTools bounces in real time only. i find that useful, because i usually do hardware inserts on mixdown and fast than real time would screw it up 🙂

 

[AtHomeBoy_2000]

ProTools bounces in real time only. i find that useful, because i usually do hardware inserts on mixdown and fast than real time would screw it up 🙂

I know that much. I use it at school all the time. I was refering to GarageBand. Since I would probably be using that just to record then export without effects, I woult be great to just have a quick export option. Does GarageBand have that?

 

[zimv20]

I was refering to GarageBand. [...] Does GarageBand have that?

ah, sorry, misread your question. about GB, i don't know.

 

[AtHomeBoy_2000]

ah, sorry, misread your question. about GB, i don't know.

That's cool. no big deal. I was just curious. It's really a luxury more than anything else. Thanks for the insight. It's greatly appreciated.