Hobbyist Hardware advice?

[epichouse]

Hi all.

I haven't made music for over a decade, but I thought I'd try and get back into it.

I last used Reason 3, but I recently got Reason 10 when it was on offer.

However, my current system may not be up to the task, as it bombs out all the time, even with just a couple of VST's and a re-drum running.

I mostly play vinyl on my turntables and Numark DXM03 mixer, but I also have a Pioneer DDJ Ergo controller and a Quasimidi Sirius synth/keyboard, which quite tragically ended up being used more as a controller keyboard in the end.

(Three of the keys on the Sirius have stopped functioning in the time its been sat doing nothing, which is quite annoying).

This the list of stuff I have:

HP Envy DV7, 17".
Pioneer DDJ Ergo
Stanton STR8-100 turntables (x2)
Numark DXM03 mixer
Quasimidi Sirius keyboard.
Midi to USB adaptor
Reason 10, various VSTi's
Traktor 2.0 DJ software
Adobe Audition

(I also do 3d CAD/CAM design work on the laptop, for work, but the laptop is starting to lag with this too).

This is the laptop spec:

Operating System Microsoft Windows 10 Pro
Central Processor Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-3610QM CPU @ 2.30GHz
Memory 16GB DDR3 PC3
Video Adapter Intel(R) HD Graphics 4000 and Nvidia GeForce GT635M


Is this now too out of date to cope with music production? Or is it just a case of reformatting my system and trying an upgrade of RAM (if possible)?

Also, I don't know whether I should get an "audio interface" instead of just hooking everything up through the DJ mixer channels.

I used to have an Omega Lexicon, but they were rubbish at providing new drivers and it didn't work right with Windows 8 or 10.

I hear they help reduce latency and computer strain nowadays. I also hear that 'Thunderbolt' is some new kind of connection that is quickly replacing USB - and that to future-proof myself I should get a laptop and interface that has 'thunderbolt'.

I don't know whether to get a controller keyboard more suited to Reason and how reason now works, or take my Quasimidi to some kind of repair shop. Maybe both!

I would like to have something that links all my gear together at the same time, gives good quality audio, low latency and a laptop good enough to run Reason 10 and my CAD software.

Budget wise, I have already spent on Reason 10 and some VSTi's. For hardware, possibly another £1500, maybe a little more if it is the right thing to do, most of which I suspect would be a laptop.

What do folk reckon is best way ahead?

[jam-s]

First thing I would check is the power saving settings of your laptop. Make sure those are set to high performance. Then there are some good tutorials on optimising windows for audio production.

[VariableX]

First thing I would check is the power saving settings of your laptop. Make sure those are set to high performance. Then there are some good tutorials on optimising windows for audio production.

Make sure the laptop is plugged in to power also as a quick way to 'normally' ensure power settings are optimal.

That spec should have no issues whatsoever. Reason will run like a dream.

[epichouse]

Thanks for the replies. I have just checked the power settings and they were already at high performance. I wouldn't have known to do this otherwise though. The laptop is always powered off the mains, too. I only use a laptop because it is small, slim and quiet. I use a 32" monitor as the screen, with the laptop closed out of the way.

As I am new here, this post has taken a fair while to appear. I spent all day and evening yesterday investigating new hardware that may be suitable for CAD/CAM work primarily and audio too. I mostly looked at laptops for the above reasons, but I think I am smitten with the HP Z2 Mini G4. This small machine suits my space requirements, can hook to the monitor, will run my CAD and seems to have plenty of juice for audio work.

It is possible, I believe, to add a Thunderbolt 3 to this if needed later via a "Flex I/O" port and also upgrade the graphics later via this port if needed. However, looking at the price of Thunderbolt audio interfaces, I think I will be leaving that one alone for a fair while!

There's some Nektar Impact 61 keys at the moment for about £115 on sale, and if I need an audio interface, which I'd be sticking to USB 3, they look to be about £100 or so. In theory, I could get the new machine, the controller and the interface within budget.

However, now that the advice is that my current laptop should run things like a dream....maybe it is best to just back everything up, reformat, reinstall windows and read through some optimisation articles first! At the moment, it seriously cannot cope at all. I have defragged the drives, cleaned things up, turned off some of the windows gadgets already, so maybe it needs something more drastic.

[diminished]

Also, I don't know whether I should get an "audio interface" instead of just hooking everything up through the DJ mixer channels.

I used to have an Omega Lexicon, but they were rubbish at providing new drivers and it didn't work right with Windows 8 or 10.

I've got zero experience with any of the devices you listed, but I promise you that you'll want and need an interface with proper ASIO drivers. That's true for every DAW since almost 20 years now. Your system is capable enough to handle complex projects.

That'll be $100-$200. Please don't throw money at anything until you've solved the latency issues for good.

Reason also wants 40 GB of free space on your HDD (which is in SSD preferrably).

[epichouse]

Thanks. Is the current lack of an interface why my system is struggling with audio? Do they somehow take the strain and latency away from the soundcard on my laptop? I always thought of my last one as a kind of mixer port to just stick everything into and have one cable into the laptop, but maybe it was doing more than this, or, perhaps the ones in the last 10 years or so do give something extra for performance.

Naturally, that would be great and save a lot of cash. It is currently creaking a bit with the latest 3d design softwares, but perhaps the whole thing just needs refreshing and it will help that also. It is taking about 3 or 4 minutes to fully boot up into windows and open a browser.

Edit: Here are the current options in Reason preferences:

reason.jpg (177.39 KiB) Viewed 465 times

[sot]

if you don't have an asio soundcard yet you could try FL Studio Asio Drivers v1.03 (search the web) with your current sound chipset, it works ok for me when i don't use external sound card on my laptop for example (usually with 512 buffer size)

[epichouse]

Cheers. I have searched and it is downloading now. I will try and instal it later today and see if it helps any.


Edit: I had to try it, so I added the driver and rebooted. Cranked up Reason 10, chose the FL driver and the latency on a piano instrument is much, much better!

I have yet to load up a serious track and see how things perform, but yeah, that driver has helped the delay on the instruments without a doubt.

I think I will look into making some kind of backup image of my drive and reformat/refresh windows. Its a real ballache because it takes me forever to get the pioneer working correctly, get all the passwords for everything sorted out, the CAD/CAM stuff installed and validated, all the programs back on....but it sounds like it could be worth it.