Hi,

Just looking for some suggestions for which laptop to buy to use with Motif XF, FW16E and Cubase 6.5. I’m currently using Win 7 with Motif XF, FW16E and Cubase 6.5. Wanted to get a laptop to use with my rig. I’m just a home studio hobbyist. I’ve heard that people who buy a Win laptop have problems, so I was considering a Macbook Pro, but I don’t really care, just as long as what I get actually doesn’t give me any grief.

Even if I get a Macbook Pro, it doesn’t come with Firewire port. So what to do?

Can anyone give me any recommendations?

Thanks,

P

MACs have Thunderbolt. You can get a Fw 400.to.Fw 800 cable that connects to a Fw800 to Thunderbolt Adaptor.

If you want to work - get a Windows computer.  If you want to do art or music - get a Mac.

I can’t tell you how much less of a nightmare I’ve had using a Mac over a PC when it comes to interfacing musical instruments and associated toys to the computer.

Just my personal experience…

Mac.

janesmith230 - 01 March 2015 12:29 AM

Hi,

Just looking for some suggestions for which laptop to buy to use with Motif XF, FW16E and Cubase 6.5. I’m currently using Win 7 with Motif XF, FW16E and Cubase 6.5. Wanted to get a laptop to use with my rig.
P

Mac.

stoneb3 - 01 March 2015 03:04 PM

janesmith230 - 01 March 2015 12:29 AM

Hi,

Just looking for some suggestions for which laptop to buy to use with Motif XF, FW16E and Cubase 6.5. I’m currently using Win 7 with Motif XF, FW16E and Cubase 6.5. Wanted to get a laptop to use with my rig.
P

Mac.

I think that depends your favourite DAW.
Logic only runs on Mac.
sonar only runs on windows.
But Mac can be more stable without much effort but windows can definitely up to par with some geeky work.
So based on that choose your OS.

Linux is also becoming popular with few new DAWs , which can run on Mac hardware or intel.

Thanks for the replies: Seems like most people say Mac for problemless existence.

So, next question: FW16E (Firewire 400) to Thunderbolt cable or adapter.

I don’t see any Firewire 400 to Thunderbolt adapters online. Most seem to go Firewire 800 to Thunderbolt.

So, just find Firewire 400 to 800 adapter, and then Firewire 800 to thunderbolt cable--is that what I should be looking for?

Or, is there a better way to go FW16E to thunderbolt. I don’t think there’s one cable that does it. Or, is there?

Thanks,

P.

The best and only way is fw400 to fw800 cable to fw800 to Thunderbolt adaptor.
Works great

Mac is fantastic for.music and a breeze to setup
If you can dont waste money.on a Windows PC

Try this Macbook Pro, it does not have a retina display, but does have a direct firewire port.
http://www.apple.com/macbook-pro/specs/

I use this with my XF, Cubase, and Motif XF editor without any problems.
I also purchased the following cable:

Belkin 9-Pin to 6-Pin FireWire 800/400 Cable -6 feet
Electronics
Sold by Amazon.com LLC
$14.23

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Added:
A point rarely a discussion topic is a portable’s ‘fan’ noise.
Using phantom-powered mics, hot, quiet, and live,
we found out there just wasn’t enough studio foam
when it needed to cool down.  :)
Apple offers a fair desktop usually near a portable price.
We got the fusion drive upgrade from the standard hard drive which proved out as it is thE most quiet and efficient yet.
....depends only on what you gotta get. :)

janesmith230 - 01 March 2015 06:27 PM

Thanks for the replies: Seems like most people say Mac for problemless existence.

I love my Mac, but “problemless” would be a quite a stretch.

Different kinds of problems, that’s all.  No computer is problem free, I design them for a living and could rattle on for days about the reasons.

Having used both Mac and Windows for music with the Motif ES (and Mac only with the XF), there is no question the Windows machine was more troublesome overall even though it was used only for music (other apps erased from the hard drive) and never connected to a network.