I need a recommendation (for a friend) for a laptop/soundcard combination that can run Cubase and easily record 8 concurrent tracks. That friend of mine (livelooping guitarist Michael Frank, some of you might know him) needs to buy a laptop for music lessons and recording at school (he is a music teacher) and wonders what he should get. He has a budget of 2500 Euros which is plenty I think, but what should he buy (laptop hardware, sound card, software)?
He is familiar with Windows and because Windows is generally cheaper than Macs, we thought a Windows laptop (Windows7 64bit) is the way to go, but if there is good reason to buy a Mac, maybe he would consider that too.
The laptop/soundcard should be able to easily record at least 8 tracks concurrently. Which soundcard is best suited (somebody suggested a Focusrite 8 channel card)? Is that something all current laptops can do, speed-wise, or does it already require a very fast harddisk? USB or Firewire?
The package would also include a version of Cubase (which one?), a DVD burner, and a beamer.
thanks bunches -Michael
