'Serious' Audio on iBook 700? Options

[Tim]

I am switching to Mac and generally want a laptop. I actually have already bought an MBox from digidesign. Initially, I intend to use ProTools LE, Absynth. I envision myself running mostly MIDI, with half of a dozen audio tracks. I intend to also get a glyph drive in the future.

So, knowing that, will the iBook 700 suffice. The debate of course between it and the PB (maybe 550). It seems like the iBook will be fine, especially when packed with 640 of RAM, but I've read comments here and there on the net about how it isn't for the 'Serious' audio production. No, I'm not recording the next Puff Daddy album, but I want something that I won't outgrow for 2-3 years.

Any opinions are great, especially from current iBook owners...

Thanks,
Tim.

[rickenbacker]

I agree with Synthetic. I test equipment for magazine reviews and just this week I've had an Mbox (and Pro Tools LE 5.1.2) running alongside the Glyph Companion 80Gb FireWire drive, all connected to my iBook 600MHz. No problems. 24 tracks in PT LE? No problems. No glitches, nothing. You can worry too much about power and getting the very best computer for your needs, but you know as soon as you walk out of the shop that your brand-new machine is already growing out-dated and will be superceded within 6 months. I bought my iBook in December 2001: within 4 months there's a 14.1' screen/700MHz version available. C'est la vie!

The only concerns for me were with PT LE, because although it's a cool program, getting new plugs and VSTis are breathtakingly expensive. The whole VST scene is definitely geared to Cubase/Logic. You can use the Mbox with these sequencers, too, so it's not a big issue. The DigiRack plug-ins that comes with PT LE sound good, though, so if you're happy to resist the hard-sell that surounds every new 'must-have' VST plug, PT LE and an iBook will serve you well. Sure, new plug-ins are fun and make great sounds, but they won't write better songs for you.

Aphex Twin has all his sounds in a low-power G3 PowerBook, FatBoy Slim doesn't even have a Mac, The KLF recorded everything on an Atari etc etc. A 700MHz G3 would have been awesome even a year ago, so don't worry about being underpowered - unless you want to record 48 channels of the London Philharmonic Orchestra :-).