I am about to buy a MacBook Pro, and I will be running Logic 7.2 on it - recording audio, using lots of reverb, compression, software instruments, etc.

I like the 15" 2.33 GHz for portability, but it doesn't come with a 7200 rpm hard drive option. Only the 17" does.

I have been working on a G4 Ibook (1.33 GHz, 700-someting RAM) until now, which has forced me to use an external 7200 drive -- which is a pain. And I'm always having to freeze tracks, shut all nonessential tasks down, etc. to make eight to twelve tracks actually play back while recording. I would like to be able to mix down 24 tracks while also running Reason through ReWire.

Will the 15" MBP C2D 2.33 GHz with a 5400 rpm internal drive (with 2 GB of RAM) still be screaming fast enough, or will I need to opt for the 17" at 7200? Do I need to sacrifice a bit of portability (extra 1.2 pounds and wider and longer) for drive speed? Or are the improvements in chipset, processor speed, and RAM enough, so that the difference between 5400 and 7200 rpm drives is only going to be noticed by some guy working with 120 simultaneous tracks of audio?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

The trouble is, you'll never be able to run 120 tracks from an internal laptop drive.

You can buy the Hitashi 160 Go which screams elsewhere and fit it yourself (easy job) (will run hotter and use a bit more batteries). But straining a hard drive with OS X calls to the drive, virtual memory, apps call and recording/playback, that's the reason you'll never get as much simultaneous tracks from the internal drive as from an external.

Hello. Thanks for your response. Actually, I don't WANT to run 120 tracks. Just 24 or so at the very most - usually less as I work mostly with standard rock band arrangements. That's why I'm asking - is the 7200 speed necessary for someone like me? I do run other processor-intensive programs simultaneously with Logic (such as Reason 3.0 via ReWire, or Guitar Rig 2.0, or GearBox). And I use many effects (reverb, compression, phasers, etc.).

With my previous IBook (1.33 GHz, 768MB RAM, 4200 rpm drive), it was difficult to record a guitar part through GearBox onto Logic once I started getting a few software instruments going and effects-laden tracks down, and definitely while having drums play through Reason Drum Kits 2.0. I don't want to have to spend three-quarters of my time freezing tracks, closing programs, and trying to minimize processor drain. Will the switch to a MacBook Pro Core 2 Duo 2.33 GHz, 2GB RAM, and 5400 rpm HD handle all of this with no trouble?

I'm trying to avoid having to use an external HD, as it makes everything that much less portable. I have one and will use it sometimes, but the option not to is something I would like to have. Also, I plan on performing with the laptop, running my electric guitar through it, via Guitar Rig and GearBox. So the 15" would be preferable to the 17", and I don't want to have to install the 7200 rpm if it is just overkill for my needs.

What do you think? Thanks in advance.

You can get a bus powered firewire pocket drive, I suggest not recording to your system drive, a recording error could corrupt your system drive. (voice of experience)

A faster drive will run hotter and cause the fan to engage sooner.



This post has been edited by gdoubleyou: Wed 22 Nov 2006, 22:40

Thanks for all your help guys. I think I'm going to go with the 15" with the 5400 rpm drive and see where it takes me. I'll likely be recording everything to a faster external FW800 drive -- though I'll try at first to see what the limits of the machine are for my simultaneous applications, just so I know.

Thanks again!