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

[Travis Hartnett <travishartnett@gmail.com>]

On 10/15/05, Ken Higgins <khl2004@topic.net> wrote:
>
> My $0.02
>
> One advantage the computer-based approach offers is immediate
> replacement of dead or lost hardware.
>
> Let's say the airline loses your rack.  Now you're in trouble.  Where
> do you find a PCM-42, a Vortex, and a Bitrman in 4 hours or less in
> Eugene, Oregon?  You don't.
>
> But if you're computer-host-based, any CompUSA or Costco (or...
> or...) can replace your <insert favorite XYZ-effect here>.  Better
> yet, a buddy or fellow LD'er in the region could loan you their
> laptop for the gig.

As long as you're using a readily available, consumer-level box, and
not some particular chipset/hard-drive configuration, which seems to
be a not-uncommon occurrence for pc-based musicians.  Hell, Kris
advocates buying commercial grade hardware only...

>
> If you are carrying a Firewire/USB audio interface in your carry-on,
> along with your dongles (if any) and a backup DVD or CD with all your
> audio apps you are pretty well set to recover from major loss.
>
> Of course you should have your setup dialed, and saved as a an
> appropriate disk image, along with any installers that you might
> need.  And you should practice 'recovering' to 'other hardware' at
> least once.  "Luck favors the prepared",... ask any recording
> engineer or support tech.
>

Hands up everyone who, right at this moment, has the necessary backup
materials to restore their audio computer from the ground-up in under
four hours, with all the tweaks and preferences intact?  Put your hand
down if you just think you could do this and never actually done it.

TravisH