What Type of Laptop to Record With

Another Email question came in. I've decided to post all of the questions I get...hopefully some of the answers will help others that are wondering the same thing.

Question:

Recording
Hey Stephen
I am beginning to look into staring my own recording setup and i pretty much found everything i need but a computer. Do you know of any other laptops that are good for recording, other than mac (to save money)?
Thanks,
Aaron

My Reply:

What's up Aaron...

That's awesome that you're thinking about getting a recording rig up and running...I can tell you from my own experience, it's the best! The amount you learn in the process, the ability to just walk in and record yourself, and the decision making power you will have over your playing and songwriting is priceless.

Here's the deal about a Mac...who cares. I use one, but you don't have to. Here in Nashville, if you walk into the top of the tops studio, they'll have Macs. That doesn't mean they're any better than a PC. It just means that they've become popular. I would check out Dell...they make some great products. On top of that, I would check out the Dell refurbished department (gasps of disbelief!). You'll save a little money and get a computer that's just as good as the others. The Mac I currently run my recordings off of was bought refurbished. Whatever type you decide on, there are just a few things to look out for:

1. Make sure that whatever recording program you're using will run on a PC or Mac (whichever you choose to use). Also, make sure your hardware (interface, etc) is compatible with the system you'll be running.

2. Make sure it's powerful enough to run all of your programs. This is really your biggest concern when picking a computer.

In the end, it doesn't matter what you use. I was choosing between a Dell and Mac...just so happened that I was going to use iMovie (a program that comes free on a Mac). The savings from not having to buy a video editor justified it in my mind.

I hope this helps...let me know if you need to know anything else. That's why I'm here! I'll let you know anything that I know...and tell you when I don't know the answer. Let me know what you decide!

-Stephen T.