'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]

Hello again,

According to the 224 manual, it weighs 0.85kg (1.9lbs) and its dimensions are 12"x8.3"x2.4" (30.4x21.1x6.2cm). It's almost exactly the same size as a closed iBook (12" screen model), slightly smaller, and it probably weighs slightly less than the Mbox, going by my memory of handling the Mbox. Totally portable and USB bus-powered, like the Mbox.

I think it's a great little tool. Having used it for a couple of days now, I don't want to send it back and might buy it myself. Having the control surface - even just using the "tape recorder" controls - saves so much time when playing/recording/rewinding etc in the mix. You just spend much less time carefully selecting and clicking things with the mouse.

It doesn't have phantom power, which the Mbox does, but I've already got a Joe Meek Pro Channel for my mics so this isn't such a big deal for me. It depends what equipment you've already got. The Mbox is very nice, though, and sounds great. However, the 224 seems to work in every single application I've tried it in, including OS X apps like Melodyne and Bias Peak. The control surface doesn't always work, but the recording features always do, so in that sense it's in a league of its own at the moment.

Obviously, the ideal state would be to have all these machines lined up on the desk and test them all one after the other, comparing the sonic results of each. Nice dream!