Portable Recording, WHICH POWERBOOK TO GET Options

[azkid]

Hi and HAPPY NEW YEAR!

It's me again. (formerly jce44 - I STILL can't change my email address to my new yahoo email, because I can't receive the validation email when I try to log in as my former self. The web site won't let me change it because it's "Pending Validation", and the validation (when I try to resend it, will only go to my old self... I'm stuck in that loop.)

I've got my home recording studio up and running. My trusty Power Mac G4, new Sonnet 1.8 CPU upgrade, maxed RAM and OSX 10.3.9

I love the Mackie Onyx 1220 with firewire, still learning the Tracktion 2 software, but, I need to take it this mixer on the road.

I've been looking at refurbished or used Mac laptops, (my budget is limited) but have some questions? And I'd like to use the same OSX 10.3.9, I think?? because that's what I'm using on the G4?

I know that slow HD speeds can be problematic, and that Powerbook HD's are usually 4200 RPM.

1. Do I need to get an external, faster HD as well as a laptop?
2. With Firewire?

If so, most of the Powerbooks only have 1 firewire port.

3. How do I hook up my firewire Onyx and the external firewire HD at the same time?
4. Do they make firewire hubs for this and will they work well? (Will the Powerbook "see" both?)

I only need to record 4 to 6 channels/tracks at one time.

5. How fast should the processor on the Powerbook be?

My budget is poor, but I'm silling to save up. I'd like to keep the expense under $600.00?

6. Is there any other, better way to use my Mackie Onyx to record portably, and still load the tracks into my G4 desktop for editing and CD burning once I get home?

Thanks much,

Judy

[arvidtp]

Yo

Yes - the computer will see the HD fine through the interface. I think you can do up to 63 devices in a chain, though i dont recommend it.

just to warn: even powerbooks with 2 firewire ports have only one firewire bus, unless apple has changed things in the last line of macbooks. So if you have a FW 400 device plugged in, the FW 800 port slows to 400 speeds. I've tested it. I have a FW 800 OWC harddrive with the Oxford 912 chipset and a Presonus Firebox. If i attach the FW 800 drive and the Firebox to the computer on separate firewire plugs, or if I daisy chain them with the HD closest to the computer, I get dropouts in audio with heavy disk usage. It may just be the firebox, and apple's FW audio driver, but my advisor had similar problems with a motu ultralite and his FW hard drive... Wish the powerbooks has two separate FW busses like the desktops... maybe its a power or space saving feature.

Anyhow the only way I ca get it to always work reliably is when the chain goes Powerbook <==> Firebox <==> Hard Drive, all using FW 400 cables.

Oh and i also wanted to note that I have successfully recorded 8 channels (@ 44.1, 24bit) to my powerbook internal drive no problem. Its and 80GB 5400rpm I think. Playing back like 18 channels is where I've gotten into troubles.

This post has been edited by arvidtp: Sun 7 Jan 2007, 16:26