Re: Building a rackmount looping computer as an alternative to the Receptor for Mobius

[Travis Hartnett <travishartnett@gmail.com>]

On 10/15/05, Kris Hartung <khartung@cableone.net> wrote:
>The key is to refresh every once in a while.  I
> find people all of the time with PCs that are 8+ years old....crazy. No
> wonder the have problems and can't run some software...they are behind 
>about
> 5 operating systems. No shit! That could be a problem, and then they try 
>to
> load a new OS on an old computer, which is a huge can of worms and 
>generates
> hardware/software performance and compatibility issues.  People wait too
> long before they refresh is the point.

No, the key is to never refresh unless absolutely necessary!  Updating
the system software means that you'll have to update the audio
software, which means forking out more money and eventually running
into a terminal incompatibility.  One of the downsides of
computer-based music making is the amount of tinkering that needs to
be done to keep everything running.

>
> Why would you two not consider a laptop roadworthy? Roadworthy in what
> respect?  My laptop is my only computer for work. I use it at home, drag 
>it
> around the house with wi-fi, take it on the road for business trips, etc,
> etc.  I don't stick it in a bag and check it in on my flight (well, I did
> for Y2K5 wit no problems), but I don't know anyone who does this on a
> regular basis.  It is more roadworthy than some gear I have, such as the 
>EDP
> controller with those fragile buttons. What are we expecting of a laptop 
>to
> be roadworthy? Treat it as any other piece of high end floor gear, and 
>we'll
> be fine.

Yeah, but I control all my high-end floor gear with my feet, while
wearing shoes, while it's sitting on grotty cafe and club floors, and
it all still works.  I don't see a lot of laptops on the floor at
shows being stepped on.

To me, roadworthy stuff has thick metal cases, and sturdy jacks, and
the option for mounting it inside an armored carrying unit (i.e. a
rack).  Think about it--which would you rather have knocked off a
table onto a concrete floor--a laptop running some VST emulator, or a
rack unit in a rack?  Hands up for everyone whose had to foot the bill
for a laptop display that took a tumble at a gig?  Ouch.

>
> Maybe consumer laptops are relatively "disposable) but not high end
> commercial models, which most of you don't buy, btw. My work laptop ran 
>for
> about $4000 +. Commercial boxes are much, much more reliable, sturdy, and
> higher performance than most consumer boxes. This is why fortune 100
> companies buy them for their employees...not some cheap "on sale" 
>consumer
> box, where the manufacture only makes $15 on them after the retail sale.
> These days, I can say for a fact, most of my peers at Hewlett-Packard use
> laptops as their primary computers, and they use them for years with no
> major problems.  These commerical laptops are build to last and perform 
>very
> efficiently.

But, as you said, musicians aren't buying those.  One of the major
appeals of computer-based solutions is that you can either use the
computer you already have, or buy another one cheaply.  $4K+ boxes
aren't on the shopping list for most musicians.