1: Apple MAC BOOK PRO (Best Laptop For Pro Tools) Apple has a brand name in all manufacturing products. Through which they beat many competitors, and the rest of companies are trying to reach that level. Apple MAC BOOK PRO Display.
ASUS ZenBook Pro UX501VW
After 40-plus hours of research, user feedback, and hands-on testing we were blown away by the ASUS Zenbook Pro. In addition to three regular USB 3.0 ports, the ZenBook Pro now features a superfast USB-C connection with support for Thunderbolt 3.
The ZenBook Pro has the fastest processor currently available (i7 Skylake), Thunderbolt, USB, HDMI for external monitors, 4K display, 512GB SSD, and an all-aluminum chassis 0.8 inches thin, for around 1500 bucks. You won't find any other music laptop this powerful for this price.
The Best Windows Recording LaptopASUS ZenBook Pro UX501VWImportant Specs
Synopsis:
The ZenBook Pro has the fastest processor currently available (i7 Skylake), Thunderbolt, USB, HDMI for external monitors, 4K display, 512GB SSD, and an all-aluminum chassis 0.8 inches thin, for around 1500 bucks. You won't find any other music laptop this powerful for this price.
Where To Buy:
The ASUS ZenBook Pro UX501VW is a great laptop for recording and mixing audio. It’s all aluminum body definitely takes cues from the MacBook Pro, at a fraction of the cost. It’s only peer in the field of Windows-based laptops is the Dell XPS 15 Touch (9550), but those are about $500 more.
While we have some minor quibbles about a couple things on the ZenBook Pro, they are hardly deal breakers. Framer 70 download free.
What’s great about it
You get one of the fastest processors currently available Intel Quad-Core i7-6700HQ CPU), three regular USB 3.0 ports, a super fast USB-C connection with support for Thunderbolt 3. Also included: the requisite combo microphone/headphone jack, as well as HDMI 2.0 (to plug in an additional display) and an SD card reader.
The Zenbook Pro ships with 16GB RAM – which is double the minimum recommendations for most DAWs, including Pro Tools (8GB minimum recommended).
A 512 GB Solid State Drive (SSD) with no pre-installed partitions is also included. This gives you near-instantaneous read-write speed of the whole 512GB drive.
The SSD drive also generates much less heat, since there are no moving parts. This also means less fan noise. In fact, this machine is almost silent.
You get all this for around 1500 bucks.
Minor Quibbles
Many users have said the screen is too reflective, which makes it difficult to use in areas of high daylight. So if you are mixing your next album on the sidewalk in front of a Starbucks, you may have issues. In our hands-on testing of the ZenBook Pro, we did notice it was more reflective than each of our respective laptops. Something to keep in mind. If it is a real problem for your particular environment, a great second screen for your laptop works wonders.
Also, there is only one SSD bay, so you can’t put in a second. This doesn’t bother me, personally. Right now there are a lot of unrealistic expectations regarding laptop thinness and lightness, and if you want a laptop this thin, and this powerful, there are going to be some concessions. This can be remedied with a great external hard drive.
Reviews
Reviewer Sam Rutherford at Laptop Mag noted:
“The ZenBook Pro is so good it feels like there should be a catch or secret hidden beneath its sturdy aluminum unibody frame, but aside from a few minor nitpicks, Asus’ 15-inch multimedia machine is almost flawless … I’m still trying to find the source of Asus’ black magic that permitted the creation of a $1,499 machine that rivals the best from Dell and Apple but at a fraction of the cost and with nearly zero compromises.”
User Reviews
On Amazon, it maintains a very respectable 4-star rating, with over 130 reviews. (May 2016)
One Amazon reviewer noted:
“This laptop is by far the best performing laptop that I ever owned. First laptop with SSD, and it is really fast, boot time of under 10 seconds. Windows 10 seems fairly good and stable on this laptop. 512 GB of space is more than sufficient. I had a laptop with 750 GB of magnetic hard drive, and I hardly filled it half way through. Your mileage may vary. The fact that it is a single partition is an added bonus!”
Another said:
“Best laptop I’ve ever had. Spec for this laptop is amazing, yet the profile of the case is so slim. No cooling issues so far, laptop running cool and quiet. Never had window signature edition but love it….no bloatware everything on the laptop is clean. Overall this laptop looks amazing, construction is like a phone than a laptop. Moving from a plastic casing laptop this thing feels like it is a big high end phone. Screen is awesome too, clear and sharp.”
Who Should Buy This?![]()
Musicians, songwriters, and producers shopping for a dedicated laptop to record that won’t stutter, pause or crash from a large audio workload should use this. If that is you, the ASUS UX501VW is the one to get.
Pro Tools Recommended ComputerWhat Makes A Great Recording Laptop?
A good laptop for recording will be powerful enough to run the latest version of any digital audio workstation. The three biggest things you should keep in mind are processor, RAM, and hard drive disk speed. It should also be quiet. Loud fan motors or line noise from a cheap power adapter can cause a lot of problems when trying to record audio.
You have probably seen or heard people say “SSD is a must”, or “get as much RAM as possible”. While you do want a fast hard drive, and a lot of RAM to handle plugins and such, those things are all fairly easily replaceable and upgrade-able.
But the CPU is not. In pretty much all instances, your CPU fits in a specific slot on a specific motherboard which is a huge pain in the ass – if not impossible – to change on a laptop for the average person.
Your strategy should be to find the machine with the fastest clock speed you can afford, and simply make sure you have a reliable solid state drive and enough RAM to do the job.
But, of course, if you can afford to also get the most RAM and the largest SSD, then more power to you! Do it!
Mybrushes 2 1 6 kg. The audio card doesn’t really matter, as you will be using the sound drivers that come with your audio interface.
Choosing Which Laptops To Test
As you can imagine, the list of contenders for best windows-based recording laptop could end up being pretty long. So we narrowed down the field using the following criteria:
How Did We Choose?
One of the first places we stopped was DAW companies. We wanted to make sure the models we review have some manufacturer support.
Avid, the maker of Pro Tools has a list of recommended laptops from May 2016, which are compatible with the new Pro Tools 12. Problem is, they’re almost all generally unavailable. But we think those specs are a good place to start, as Pro Tools – especially version 12 – is one of the most resource intensive DAWs on the market.
Next, I hit the online forums for recommendations and tales of real world experience. There are numerous music gear forums and groups online, and even more dedicated solely to professional and home recording. While there are plenty of recommendations, there is a often plenty of contradictory information and anecdotal evidence. This can make getting definitive answers a bit challenging.
After that, I gathered various reviews from CNET, Engadget, Gizmodo, Laptop Magazine, and most importantly, some of the premiere recording forums like HomeRecording.com and Recording Review. Then I looked at the major DAW manufacturers to see if there were any known incompatibilities with our finalists. Finally I looked at general availability, and found plenty in stock at Amazon and Best Buy.
Future models: What to expect
Solid state drives are rapidly growing in capacity while shrinking in price, to the point that we can expect SSDs in every high end (and soon the low end) Windows laptop for audio production. Thanks to reasonably priced disc cloning tools, you can easily upgrade this laptop to a 750GB or 1TB drive in the near future.
Conclusion
We like gear that gives you more than your money’s worth. The ZenBook Pro is everything you need to make music right now, with specs that match or exceed it’s nearest competition at a fraction of the price. If I needed to get a new music production laptop running Windows, it’s what I would get.
The Intel Skylake i7 quad-core processor will provide plenty of power, the 16GB RAM and 512 GB SSD and Thunderbolt connection will give you the speed and flexibility to throw anything at your next great song.
There are a few others which make great choices, but we didn’t want to just turn this Guide into a big long list of links.
If you would like to see other laptops which match our criteria, and may have a feature unique to your needs, here is a customized Amazon search based on processor speed, RAM, HDD/SSD, and 4 or 5 star reviews.
Some Other Guides You Might LikeTell Me If There's A Deal For ThisThe Best Windows Recording LaptopASUS ZenBook Pro UX501VWImportant Specs
Synopsis:
The ZenBook Pro has the fastest processor currently available (i7 Skylake), Thunderbolt, USB, HDMI for external monitors, 4K display, 512GB SSD, and an all-aluminum chassis 0.8 inches thin, for around 1500 bucks. You won't find any other music laptop this powerful for this price.
Where To Buy:Another Windows Thunderbolt OptionDell XPS 15 (9550)
This would have been our main pick, but it costs $500 more. Build quality is fantastic, and there are some Adobe color calibration tools which make it a great buy if you also do any graphic design. Thunderbolt 3.0 on board, as well.
Also GreatSamsung ATIV Book 9 Pro
Samsung made a great machine to compete with the Dell XPS and Zenbook Pro. The graphics card isn't as great. The battery life - around 6 hours - isn't either. But this makes it cost a bit less than either of our picks. Other than that the reviews are pretty stellar. While the Samsung has a USB-C connector, it does not have Thunderbolt 3.
Best Computer For Pro Tools 12 free. download full Version MacIf you don't need ThunderboltASUS K501UW-AB78
This ASUS doesn't have Thunderbolt, but it has the latest Skylake processor from Intel. It also ships with 8GB RAM and a 512GB Solid State Drive. It's 0.8 inches thick and has stellar reviews from critics and users alike. If you don't need Thunderbolt, but want a strong machine, get the ASUS K501-UW.
Sources
Guest post by Nadav Biran, co-founder of catzaudio.com
You’re in the zone. Ideas are flowing out of you. Beats, melodies, FX, it’s all coming together. Suddenly, your PC totally freezes. Nothing’s working. You’re going to have to restart. I hope you saved your work?
Windows 10 has revolutionized the music-making process on the PC. Improvements in stability, updating and compatibility, not to mention its anti-latency safeguards, have made the PC a great instrument. A Windows 10 PC is a serious option for every type of musician. However, to get the best out of it, you need to make sure it’s functioning at optimal efficiency.
Here are 20 easy tweaks you can make to help avoid the frozen screen of death, and carry on making terrific music.
1. Disable system sounds
You don’t want the computer's sound effects interrupting your recordings. Here’s how to turn them off.
2. Adjust your processor scheduling to Background Services
This will enhance the operation of your PC’s audio drivers.
3. Adjust your PC’s power options to high performance
There are times you might want your computer to conserve energy. When you’re making music isn’t one of those times. Make sure your PC is always functioning at full speed to preserve your audio performance.
4. Make sure your PC doesn’t suspend your USB devices
You don’t want your USB keyboard being disabled if you leave your computer for too long.
Best Computer For Pro Tools 12 5
5. Disable Windows Background Apps
Make your PC concentrate only on your music. Make it stop doing other things in the background.
6. Disable Windows Updates
While Windows 10 runs scheduled updates, you still don’t want it updating when you’re in the middle of a track. The same is true for your third-party apps.
7. Turn off Windows Firewall and anti-virus apps
These programs can interfere with your audio recordings, for optimal efficiency make sure they’re turned off. To safeguard against viruses while your Firewall is turned off, disconnect your PC from the internet.
The advantage to this is you won’t be distracted by emails or funny cat videos while you’re supposed to be making music!
8. Switch off animated windows
Windows 10’s visual effects, such as animated windows, use extra power from your PC which could be used to improve its audio performance. Do you really need them? If not, switch them off.
9. Switch off your screensaver
If your DAW is running, it can cause glitches if your PC switches to its screensaver. Turn it off.
10. Update your PC’s graphics driver
Make sure everything on your computer is up to date. Obsolete drivers can slow your PC down. Here's how to update your graphics driver.
11. Update your PC’s network adapter driver
Again, outdated drivers can slow down your PC. Here’s how to update the network adapter driver
Computer For Pro Tools12. Install latest device drivers
Make sure you keep your hardware, such as synths or groove boxes, updated with the latest drivers. Visit your manufacturer’s websites for the latest downloads.
13. Turn off USB power management
Free up space on your USB bus, helping your PC to recognize devices and install drivers correctly.
14. Optimize hard diskBest Computer For Pro Tools 12
Improve playback of audio files by optimizing your PC’s hard disk
15. Disable user account control
User account control can cause problems with read/write permissions. It’s better for audio curation to have it disabled.
16. Disable Fast Boot
It may take a little longer, but your computer will reboot in a more optimal state if you disable the Fast Boot option.
17. Close all programs you’re not using
Free up your PC’s resources by quitting all programs you’re not using, not just minimizing.
18. Disconnect any USB devices you’re not using
If you’re not using a piece of hardware, safely disconnect it from your PC. Scrutiny 8 0 9 – suite of web optimization tools. It will save PC resources.
19. Try not to use USB hubs
USB hubs are useful but inefficient. If possible, make sure your music making hardware is plugged directly into your PC
20. Run your DAW as an Administrator
Finally, running your DAW with Admin privileges helps solve problems with MIDI.
We hope our tips will make frozen screens a thing of the past, and your music is as great as it can possibly be.
Good luck!
Nadav Biran is a music producer/Audio engineer and the co-founder of catzaudio.com a pro audio magazine focused on providing music producers with the latest pro audio news, reviews, interviews, and guides.
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