Asus Rog Strix Gl702vs
Featuring high-end components and a thin, sleek exterior, this ASUS model is something that is sure to take your breath away. Music producing has never felt any better than it does with this 17-inch laptop for music production and recording. The build quality is in par to many other upmarket pieces, but the price point is significantly lower than other music production computers. Some have even stated its the best PC for music production, and were definitely not disagreeing.
Its well-made and relatively low maintenance . When compared to rivals, it storms everything out of the water! It has an Intel Core i7 processor and 2002 MHz memory which means its one of the fastest laptops around. Yet, its quite heavy and might add a little more weight to your backpack if youre carrying it around. The unit also features an aluminum finished lid with the rest brushed with faux metal making it resistant to fingerprints and oil.
Pros: + Clear and Crisp Display Quality + Sleek Metal Finish + A Huge 17 Inch Screen Display + Solid and Reliable Structure
Why We Liked It – This model has a perfect finish and looks the part as well is the ability to play it. Music producers love laptops like this as it has a fast processor and isnt too expensive that is breaks your bank account. Its well worth every cent you pay simply because youre going to be able to produce some great tunes.
Apple Mac Mini 30ghz 6
Pros
Price @ or Sweetwater
The Mac mini has become something of a mainstay over the past few years, and for good reason. With a winning blend of power, portability, and affordability, it offers a handful of useful features for studio musicians and producers looking for a stable and reliable music production machine.
Basic specs and useful features
This particular model comes with a 6-core i5 processor clocked at 3.0GHz. Not the most powerful processors on the market by any means, but you would be surprised at how many plug-ins you can load up before running out of processing power.
Onboard is a meager 8GB of RAM, which you should probably bump up to 32GB if you want to work with large orchestral libraries and the like. The Mac mini 3.0GHz also comes with a 256GB SSD, which you will definitely want to augment with a 1TB or 2TB HDD.
To its credit, the Mac mini 3.0GHz does have four USB-C ports, which covers you for future upgrades and add-ons. As more and more Thunderbolt devices are introduced to the music production market, the Mac mini 3.0GHz will continue to be a viable studio machine long after other computers have become obsolete.
Bottom-line
The Mac mini 3.0GHz is quite a capable unit with a good degree of future-proofing built-in. Bump up the RAM and spend a bit more on a large HDD, and you could get a lot of use out of this model for years to come.
Q: What Makes A Laptop Good For Music Production
The best laptops for music production are ready to be hammered with heavy use since they have a fast CPU, plus a lot of RAM and storage. Since digital music production is also a heavily visual craft, a large screen with high display resolution also helps to make a laptop good for music production. At the minimum, a laptop shouldnt be cluttered with too many applications or too much mediaif its full of files, dont be surprised when hiccups and delays arise. And while USB-C ports have the versatility of supporting breakout boxes that offer access to multiple inputs and outputs , youre going to want more than one to offer up ease of configuration and reduce theoretical bottlenecks.
You May Like: Fix My Hp Laptop
High Processing Power And Core
You might have heard the terms CPU and core before. CPU stands for core processing unit. You can think of the CPU as how fast the computer can process information. As you might guess, the faster the CPU is, the better it is to run a digital audio workstation .
When talking about a computer CPU, you will also hear numbers like 2.2 GHz or 2.7 GHz. A higher number means the computer processes the information more frequently, which is better. A minimum of 2.2 GHz is recommended for a good music production experience.
The second term that appears a lot is core. You probably heard of dual-core or quad-core before. Traditionally, computers used to have a single-core, which is why if you had multiple software open at the same time, the computer would crash immediately. Nowadays, with multiple cores, computers are able to multitask. You can have a digital audio workstation running while you are video editing on another software, or rendering your album artwork on another.
The more core you have, the better multitasking your computer will be able to do. This is important for music production and we tend to be using multiple DAWs at the same time. For a good music production experience, a minimum of i5 core is recommended.
Envy 795qd Premium Desktop Workstation Pc
Pros
Price @
The Envy series is one of the flagship lines of HP, and its easy to see why. Boasting of premium components, excellent build quality, and reliable performance, Envy computers are well-equipped to fill the needs of industry professionals. With the HP Envy 795qd Premium Desktop Workstation PC, musicians and producers can expect more of the same qualities that have made the series so popular.
Basic specs and useful features
One of the best things about the Envy 795qd is that there are so many different configurations available. If you are the type who likes to specify every little thing about your work machine down to the last component, this series is for you.
There certainly isnt anything wrong with the standard configuration. With an Intel 8th Generation Coffee Lake core i7-8700 processor, the Envy 795qd has more than enough horsepower to handle the most demanding studio projects. It also has 32GB of DDR4 memory, a 1TB SDD, and a huge 3TB HDD that you can use as your data drive. All of this comes in a handsome brushed silver aluminum case that will look awesome in any studio.
Bottom-line
The Envy 795qd for music production is admittedly pretty pricey, but you do get a whole lot of computer for the money. If you do take the plunge, you can expect your investment to pay off for a long time to come.
Also Check: Good Priced Gaming Laptops
Onboard Storage Hard Disk Drive Or Solid
Your computers hard disk drive or solid-state drive is where youll store your applications and system software. For music production, video editing, graphic design, or anything else media-related, its fairly standard to use external hard drives for your data and also for system backups and many media professionals will advise you that if your data isnt backed up in at least two locations, it doesnt really exist. All that is to say that your computers onboard storage is important, but you dont necessarily need multiple terabytes of onboard storage you should be using external drives for your media and for backups.
A much more importantconsideration for onboard storage, if given the choice, is whether to choose anold-school hard disk drive or a solid-state drive. Solid-state drives are muchfaster when it comes to accessing files your system will boot up quicker,applications will launch faster, and file-management tasks will take less time.And, because solid-state drives have no moving parts, theyre more tolerant ofbumps and drops than hard disk drives are. While hard disk drives arerelatively less expensive and support larger drive capacities, most mediaprofessionals will agree that the performance benefits of solid-state drivesleave hard disk drives in the dust.
Internal hard disk drive.
Top 10 Best Laptops For Music Production
Weve curated the best laptops for music production this year. Go forth and make music!
Choosing a good laptop for music production shouldnt be too hard but it is a critical decision to make.
What you want is a laptop powerful enough for recording and music production. On top of that, it will last you many years to come, eventually making sense of your investment.
You possibly travel a lot as well and want a laptop to produce music, that isnt bulky or heavy.
I totally understand. In fact, in my years of producing music, I owned over 5 laptops, Macs & PCs in the past 10 years of producing music.
You May Like: Connect Airpods Pro To Laptop
Best Pc For Music Production: Product Guide
Dell has built up a lot of credibility as a result of its Macbook Pro-challenging XPS line-up of performance laptops. It figures, therefore, that its XPS desktop range will offer a solid alternative for anybody who doesnt side with Apple, or isnt up for going down the gaming PC route.
Sitting above its Inspiron tier of everyman desktops, the Dell XPS 8940 might look fairly unassuming but under the hood is a very nicely specd desktop PC which will excel at music production. We particularly like the high number of connectivity options, with four USB 3 slots on the front of the machine, meaning theres less reliance on dongles and hubs than you might normally encounter.
If youre looking for a flashy machine you can show off in your YouTube videos, this isnt it. But if its a powerful, trustworthy beast of a desktop PC that will devour renders, plugins and other processes, then the Dell XPS 8940 is a very safe bet indeed.
Apples famous all-in-one series has history in the colour stakes, with the old iMac G3 range introducing the idea that computers didnt have to be black or beige. With the new Apple iMac M1 line-up, its gone back to that playful attitude, only this time there have been some serious changes under the hood. This is down to the new M1 architecture employed by Apple, which is both good and not so good news for music production.
Should I Buy A Window
When it comes to choosing between Mac or Windows-based laptop, the choice is entirely up to you.
While Macs are usually seen as better suited for music production, Windows-based laptops can also do everything that a MacBook does.
Some producers prefer buying a window-based laptop because theyre often cheaper and sometimes come with more storage space.
Its all up to you when choosing the right laptop for your needs.
Also Check: How To Screen Record On Hp Spectre
Apple Imac 27 Retina 5k Display 30ghz 6
Pros
Cons
Price @ or Sweetwater
If you want the power and performance of an iMac but you dont necessarily want to shell out for the biggest and baddest model, the iMac 27 3.0GHz might be right up your alley. Running a 6-core i5, the 3.0GHz provides a good balance between power and affordability, giving you pretty much the same experience as a higher-end model at a slightly lower cost.
Basic specs and useful features
Like the other 27 iMacs in this series, the 3.0GHz features a stunning Retina 5K display that is absolutely captivating to stare at. If you regularly work on projects for hours and hours at a time, your eyes will thank you for investing in such a great-looking display.
The rest of the specs are pretty decent, if not exactly earthshattering. The 3.0GHz 6-core i5 processor is more than sufficient for most studio tasks, although you will probably want to beef up the 8GB of RAM at some point. Keep in mind that this particular model takes only a maximum of 32GB, so there is a ceiling to how much memory you can add.
Bottom-line
The Apple iMac 27 3.0GHz 6-Core i5 isnt exactly cheap, but it is priced pretty reasonably for everything that you get. If you absolutely must have an iMac in your studio but dont have the cash for the higher specd model, this could be the one for you.
Is Ssd Or Hdd Better For Music Production
With virtual instruments and sample libraries taking up so much hard drive space, storage is an important factor to consider.
The SSD is also quieter and due to its faster properties, can reduce recording latency .
HDDs still have their place though. While they are noisier, they benefit from their storage capacity and price point. This means they are perfect for storing massive sample libraries and projects.
Its not the end of the world if you end up with a laptop that has low hard drive space, though. Many offer you the ability to swap out the hard drives for bigger ones, and you can also always purchase an external HD on the cheap.
Read Also: Where To Sell Broken Laptops
Hp 460 Desktop Computer
Cons
Price @
Even with so many state-of-the-art music production computers on the market today, we cant help but be impressed by the HP 460 Desktop Computer. From its speedy processor to its dual drives, almost everything about the 460 points to its capability to deliver the performance needed for modern music projects.
Basic Specs and useful features
At the heart of the HP 460 is a 7th Generation Intel Core i7-7700T processor with a base frequency of 2.9 GHz. Able to go up to 3.8 GHz via Intels Turbo Boost technology, the four-core processor has an 8MB cache that ensures responsiveness and speedy performance.
The 460 is a well-appointed unit, with 32GB of DDR4 RAM right out of the box. It also comes with 1TB SSD and a 1TB SDD that spins at 7200RPM. Not only does this give you plenty of space for your project files, sound libraries, and completed songs, but it also ensures that multiple tracks stream flawlessly without a hiccup.
Bottom-line
The HP 460 for music production is by no means perfect. It only has four USB ports for one thing and it doesnt have a Thunderbolt port. But it is a pretty sweet machine for the price and could easily serve as the brain of your project studio.
Should You Go With A Desktop Pc Or A Laptop To Produce Music
Many beginners are probably asking themselves this question, but the answer is straightforward. It does not matter!
The sound quality is the same on both computers. If you care about the computers raw power, choose the PC, as they are usually much faster and cheaper than laptops. Multitasking is also easier when you use a stationary computer.
If you travel a lot and like the mobility of laptops, absolutely choose them. There is no clear disadvantage in any of them, except for your personal preference.
Recommended Reading: How To Factory Reset Windows Vista Without Password
Best Pcs For Music Production 202: Apple Macs And Desktop Computers For Your Home Studio
Explore our pick of 9 powerful desktop PCs for producing music at home
Included in this guide:
Aurora R9
In the not too distant past, getting a great computer for your home studio setup meant basing your entire room around a heavyweight beast of a desktop machine. These enormous things would sit and happily power through your workload, chewing through renders, bounces and processes without a care in the world. In this day and age, it’s more than possible to run your whole studio from a slim, lightweight laptop – but that doesn’t mean that the best PCs for music production are redundant. Theres still room for a dedicated desktop PC in any studio. Allow us to elaborate.
Using a laptop for music production is great, don’t get us wrong. They’re convenient, easy to transport, and don’t take up much space – and for some, a simple sub-£/$500 laptop will be enough to start crafting beats and producing basic tunes. For many of us that have dedicated studio spaces, however, there isnt the requirement to take their rig everywhere. We want our rig to be the nerve centre of our studio our creative hub. We don’t need something compact – we need something powerful. This is where desktop PCs come into their own, with their superior pound-for-pound performance and upgradability. With that in mind, allow us to shine a light on some of the best PCs for music production.
Dell Xps 15 9560 4k Uhd
Dell has raised the bar with this cutting edge Dell XPS 15 model with the latest technological advances. This includes a 4K resolution, a Core Intel i7 processor and windows 10. Its somewhat comparable to the Apple MacBook but its price point is lower, and you get a good quality product. For all those music producers who like to own a quality laptop that will last a long time and be your ultimate reliable partner in crime, this laptop is the investment you need to make.
The Dell XPS has 32 GB of RAM and a battery life of 5 hours, so thats a little downside. Yet, this battery life doesnt tend to deteriorate over time. Unlike other laptop models, the battery life is sustainable and wont decrease rapidly even when youve had it for over a year or two. Its an unspoken law that good music production laptops are always designed to be good for gaming too. ThisDell XPS is exactly an example of this.
Pros: + Also Good for Gaming + Lower Price Point
Why We Liked It – Purchasing a laptop like this lightweight, and sleek one will mean youre getting something that is good quality but for a fraction of the price of an Apple or other Windows PC. Its a great choice because youll save money but also be able to produce some of the best music around.
Also Check: How To Connect My Phone Screen To My Laptop