1 Topic by rporetti (edited by rporetti 2011-08-22 22:19:29)

  • From: Oakville, Canada
  • Registered: 2011-02-15
  • Posts: 20

Topic: Laptop recommendations

Have a Fireface 800 that's been hooked up in my studio desktop machine for years and I'm about to do some mobile work and I am shopping for a laptop...

Not many out there with FW!  But I found this Lenovo W520:
http://shop.lenovo.com/ca/en/products/l … index.html

Comments?

Any other suggestions for laptops with FW compatibility>  (BTW: Lenovo could NOT tell me what 1394 chip-set they use!)

Appreciate any feedback...

Cheers!

Rob

Rob Poretti
Poretti Productions
(I am *not* an ADAT user.)

rporetti's Website

  • Registered: 2009-03-03
  • Posts: 35

Re: Laptop recommendations

You either need firewire -or- an ExpressCard slot. Since so few laptops have firewire anymore, I've found it to be a good idea to widen my search to those that include the card slot. I currently use an E-series Sony Vaio that works well with a 1394 ExpressCard and the FF800.

  • Registered: 2010-09-10
  • Posts: 60

Re: Laptop recommendations

Maybe you're not interested for Macs, but at least their Macbook Pro's do have a Firewireport, even 1394b, 800MBit, not the bad mini 4pin connector - and it even powers the 1 ampere what I like a lot and have not seen on any other laptop. I do have cables from fw800 to fw400 and fw800 to fw800. No problems in any situation until now.
This all is onboard, not with an extension card... - But maybe you don't want to go the mac route...

Regards,
Hermann

  • From: Connecticut, USA
  • Registered: 2011-08-01
  • Posts: 376

Re: Laptop recommendations

HI Rob,
If you are looking for a new model laptop you are better off looking for one with an express slot rather than built in FW. Most likely if it is a current model it will use either a JMicron, Ricoh or Agere all of which do not perform well if at all with Pro Audio interfaces from any company. At least with an express slot you can add a Texas Instruments or Via card to hopefully get around the incompatibility of the  on board  FW chip.  Laptop model with a express slot will tend to only be available on the mid to high priced range of current models.

Thanks Chris

Chris Ludwig
North East USA Sales | Synthax/RME
www.facebook.com/RMEAmericas
Twitter @RMEAmericas

ChrisLudwig's Website

  • Registered: 2008-04-23
  • Posts: 32

Re: Laptop recommendations

Hi Rob,

I have been using "Sager" for many years, which is essentially "Clevo", but it has performed flawlessly, and the latest version will take 3 HD, and 16 GB ram with built in FW.
Just FYI

cheers
Bryan

Sager Laptop Intel quad 2.8
Win 7 Ult 64 bt
32 gb ram FF800, Reaper
Texture Dosbox 74
  • From: Oakville, Canada
  • Registered: 2011-02-15
  • Posts: 20

Re: Laptop recommendations

Thanks so much everyone for chiming in appreciate it!

The Lenovo W520 also has a available an ExpressCard/34 slot so... looks like I'm going that route.

I looked at Macs... They Lenovo W520 is on sale right now - literally half the price of a comparable Mac.

At this point, I'll take any advice on ExpressCard/34 FW800 cards! :-)

Thanks again...

Cheers!

Rob Poretti
Poretti Productions
(I am *not* an ADAT user.)

rporetti's Website

  • Registered: 2008-01-01
  • Posts: 3,025

Re: Laptop recommendations

ChrisLudwig wrote:

Most likely if it is a current model it will use either a JMicron, Ricoh or Agere all of which do not perform well if at all with Pro Audio interfaces from any company.

I have to somewhat disagree with the "Agere" statement here. tongue

Unless PC laptop builders implement the FW chipset different compared to how Apple does it Agere/LSI should be fine. I'm using these since the 2008 Macbook Pro, starting from revision 6 that needed a repeater/hub in between, over revision 7 to revision 8. All of these performed good on Windows and OS X when compared to TI based ExpressCard Firewire and USB or ExpressCard HDSPe.

  • From: Germany
  • Registered: 2007-04-10
  • Posts: 9,551

Re: Laptop recommendations

True - performance was never really the issue with the LSI chips to the best of my knowledge. The problem was the connection breaking up as soon as audio transfer started, as observed on Macbooks an iMacs, also some PC mainboards e.g. by Asus.


Regards
Daniel Fuchs
RME

Regards
Daniel Fuchs
RME

RME Support's Website

9 Reply by MC

  • MC
  • MC
  • Administrator
  • Offline
  • From: Germany/Thailand
  • Registered: 2007-04-06
  • Posts: 24,847

Re: Laptop recommendations

> The problem was the connection breaking up as soon as audio transfer started

> all of which do not perform well if at all with Pro Audio

Exactly what Chris said.

Regards
Matthias Carstens
RME

MC's Website

  • Registered: 2009-03-03
  • Posts: 35

Re: Laptop recommendations

I'd also add that I used an HP dv6000 notebook for years with my FW800, and the onboard Ricoh firewire chipset worked perfectly.

  • From: Connecticut, USA
  • Registered: 2011-08-01
  • Posts: 376

Re: Laptop recommendations

Timur wrote:
ChrisLudwig wrote:

Most likely if it is a current model it will use either a JMicron, Ricoh or Agere all of which do not perform well if at all with Pro Audio interfaces from any company.

I have to somewhat disagree with the "Agere" statement here. tongue

Unless PC laptop builders implement the FW chipset different compared to how Apple does it Agere/LSI should be fine. I'm using these since the 2008 Macbook Pro, starting from revision 6 that needed a repeater/hub in between, over revision 7 to revision 8. All of these performed good on Windows and OS X when compared to TI based ExpressCard Firewire and USB or ExpressCard HDSPe.

Hi Timur,
Yes they probably do implement them differently and I haven't been able to find out if any of them are using the newer more functional revision or the older problematic ones that MAC's had been using.

There needs to an international treaty that only allows TI chips to be used... tongue

Thanks Chris

Chris Ludwig
North East USA Sales | Synthax/RME
www.facebook.com/RMEAmericas
Twitter @RMEAmericas

ChrisLudwig's Website