Logic Express on Macbook Pro and External Hard Drive Options/Time Machine

[dimdemure]

I would like to buy a maxed out Macbook Pro with Logic Express to record and edit electronic music, and also to compose classical pieces on the go. I am looking at the fastest processors and greatest memory with 7200rpm accessing.

I like to have a lot of tracks and a lot of effects, so I have been advised to have an external hard drive to store finished projects, or anything I am not working on at the time. I also like to have and edit a lot of pictures, and would like to be able to eventually get other editing programs (for videos, etc.) without overloading the computer. I have even been told to get an extra external hard drive, just to back up the first.

So do you think that a macbook pro would be ok to have songs with lots of complex tracks on Logic Express and also have basic functions like internet and office work? Am I asking too much of this little computer?

And also, what is the best external HD that I can get for music composition and photo storage? Is this what the 'time machine' is for? What would I need to take with me on the go to back up everything when not at home? Like for example, external hd, cables, etc...I don't know the first thing about this.

I will also look into the Apogee Duet for plugging in guitar, mics, and keyboard, etc. What do you think of this?

I know that this is not the best possible bet for professional audio, but also know that it can work if I make the most of what this thing is capable of. This is mostly for pre-production purposes anyhow, but hey, I wouldn't be dissappointed if something recorded on the Macbook was good enough to publish!

Thanks

 

[chrono1081]

I use logic express on my macbook and I love it. I have my virtual instrument packs loaded onto an external eSata drive and connected through an eSata express card. Others have posted that firewire 800 is just as fast but unfortunatly my results were different : / (I really wanted to use firewire cause its neater then the express card setup but from my tests it was only pushing 1.5 gigs in a minute verses the eSata 1.5 gigs in 30 seconds.)

You said youd be afraid of pushing your macbook pro...dont be. Here is what is on mine:

Adobe Master Collection ... All of it
Maya Ultimate 2008
Logic Express
Painter X
Netbeans IDE
Adobe Lightroom

And thats just the Mac side. I have a windows side full of games.

I can have em all open and not get any lag. Seriously this machine is amazing. I still can't believe how well I can multitask on it.

 

[dimdemure]

Thanks! That's great to hear. When you say you have your virtual instruments on an external drive, what does that mean exactly? I'm sorry to say I am just a beginner but I want to learn.

Are the virtual instruments also something that is part of the Logic program or are they something you purchase separately, like Absynthe for example?

The way I understand it is that Logic is for making the mix, kind of like protools. And then the virtual instruments are all of the effects and sounds that I want to import into logic as the meat of my tracks. Is this the right way of looking at it?

If so, are you saying that you travel with your external HD and the computer, and that you can access the external HD instruments to import into the Logic tracks immediately? How does that work if you don't have two screens? Do you just work with the instruments in one window and then sort of copy/paste the sounds you make into Logic in a new window?

Also, is everything that you store in an external HD immediately accesible the same as what is stored on the internal (like as far as having external and internal drive info running in different screens at the same time)?

I know--lots of questions!
Thanks a million though