wishface

all my apps are windows apps though, not sure I want to re purchase my DAW and all of that again. Also it's a private seller so i'm reluctant as there will be no cover if I have a problem (I assume). I'm not comfortabel taking that chance

I'm not bothered about cosmetic damage, within reason. But I am concerned about whether it comes with a guarantee or warranty of some kind. I will have to think on it, otherwise sems like a good deal and, from what i can tell, the memory can be upgraded

Thanks, but I'm very uncomfortable buying something like that used. If there's a problem I'm screwed.

From what I read on some cpu comparison sites, the currys i5 outperforms the Ryzen. Or does it, the ryzen has more cores fwiw? I am absolutely no expert. I can't speak to what HP put on their laptops, but I don't want extraneous guff installed, obviously. I don't dspeately need 512. I have 1tb right now and have used 260gb so far. That includes OS and all the stuff I have, which I don't all need. But 512 would be better. Plus the curry's one is new, while the Amazon one is "used, acceptable". It's all a bit confusing tbh.

This https://www.currys.co.uk/products/hp-14sdq2512na-14-laptop-intel-core-i5-256-gb-ssd-silver-10222231.html for the same price from currys seems better, according to cpu benchmakr, but i can't find a specific listong on crucial as to whether it can accomodate more RAM. But this seems pretty good and I can have it tomorrow if I order by whenever o clock probably not a good idea to just spam this thread with endless listings though EDIT, just noticed it has no ethernet which means no wired connection. That's a problem for uploading because my wifi isn't good

Is it powerful enough though? Only dual core?

Someone suggested this on another site https://www.amazon.co.uk/ASUS-Vivobook-5-5500U-Backlit-Keyboard/dp/B09GKK4RTH/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3G7RXDPY8QHKJ&keywords=ASUS+Vivobook+OLED+15+M513UA&m=A2OAJ7377F756P&qid=1657916208&s=warehouse-deals&sprefix=asus+vivobook+oled+15+m513ua%2Cwarehouse-deals%2C440&sr=8-1 Seems pretty good?

No, but I don't have a monitor. I'm sure I have a usb keyboard somwhere though.

Thanks. Currently my machine is around 80 degrees as I'm composing. Partly the weather I think, as it runs cooler in winter a bit. I have a fan angled right over (but not blocking) the vent. It's age I think. Unfortunately I can't open it up so I've no idea how dusty it really is, I do use compressed air to do what I can. I've no idea if that temperature is geninely an issue, but I can't help thinking that, at least, in the long term it contributes to wear and tear. It runs fine otherwise though. I have it on a desk so the underside is covered. I've tried a cooling pad, they do nothing except raise it off the surface. Even that made no difference. I think it's just age. I'd hate to have it break down on me though

Thanks, that's encouraging. I have an i5 3210m and it handles a lot as well, but I do have to render some files. I use softsynths (uhe and arturia stuff) which can be taxing if a lot of tracls are running simultaneously. That is not an issue per se though it would be nice to minimise. However this machine runs hot these days (heatwave doesn't help). However that first machine on the list is a dual core and you said yours was quad core. Wouldn't that be better? EDIT: your soundcloud certainly shows great results! very nice. here's mine :

Thanks, is that model good for music? I've been discussing this on other forums, I'm completely ignorant of computer tech, and the vibe was you need really powerful gear (at least 4 cores with 3ghtz cpu). So I'm a bit confused.

Though I can't really afford more than about £400. Currently I have a Sony Vaio i53210 which does surprisingly well. That cost me £250 8 years ago. Obviously I'd like to get the best I can afford. If that's not possible I'd rather not buy anything. No point wasting money. I don't need the bestest and the brightest. In fact eh main reason for upgrading is that this machine is getting hot and bothered these days (the weather ain't helping). I feel it's only a matter of time before it goes to computer heaven. Any thoughts? Thanks

Do you want to hear an electronic/synthy/proggy/psychedelic imaginary fantasy soundtrack? If so: https://automatedhero.bandcamp.com/album/the-sigil Thanks for listening PS: there is no actual bass guitar on this, which is a bit of a weird thing to admit on a bass forum. But that's just how the piece came out, even though some of the melodies were inspired by me playing, and, properly, I'm a bass player (not a keyboardist). Cheers

I love a bit of bleepy bloop synthwave as well as playing a real bass guitar. I know there are quite a few freebie vst instruments out there, but are there any good ones that aren't free but aren't as horrifically expensive as most music software seems to be. (not looking for a bunfight, but three hundred quid for something like Serum is way out of my price range). Thanks

Thanks again. Now I'm wondering: is there a way to do this during a sequence where the part that's producing the effect (eg, kick) isn't playing but the compressed part is?

I think I've got it thanks

Ok, could someone explain how to sidechain because I cannot get this to work at all and al the videos seem to be from an older build of Reaper (or perhaps the mac version who knows). I can't figure this out at all and i'm watching lots of videos that all seem simple enough. I'm trying to do a bog standard effect of having the synth duck under the kick drum but I cannot get the effect to work and I can't see what I'm doing wrong. THanks

It was, but the problem seems to have sorted itself out now, which is good, thanks

Good advice thanks

I just got one of those. Seems to work fine but for one minor wrinkle (bearing in mind im' no Reaper expert), if I have the audio setup so i can record into Reaper through the interface I can't hear anything when i play my midi controller, but I can hear the parts already written. If i change back to the driver i was using before installing the interface I can't then record using it. I'm sure there's a simple solution

Thanks, there's nothing wrong with simple music at all. Zappa is just one musician I like and if everything music was all like that it would be very boring. I like all kinds of stuff from Tangerine Dream early eighties synth stuff to Dream Theater to the Iron Maiden to the Aphex Twin. That's not to show off :d because I think most people are like this today, but it does make collating a variety of influences into a coherent expression quite difficult. I ike anbalog synth music, like Synthwave stuff (a guilty pleasure), but I don't just want to do that,.. If i ever get to writ music as complex as zappa it would be very rewarding I think intellectually, whether i'll ever be capable is another matter entirely. I mentioned Bjork because she manages to be simple music (relatively speaking) but it's also quirky and accessible. But that's just one example. Just imagine that but wiht Chris Squire bass licks. Heaven! It's not just a question of gluing bits together. I'm going to have (so to speak) to learn all the weird tricks electronic musicians use to lecture transitions: all the tricks you can do with this software i've never learned. Programming filter sweeps, pitch bends, modulation etc. All the quirky sound effects that disguise the fact your song is just a sequencer loop running round and round (hello Tangerine Dream)

Thanks I downloaded that.

Thanks I did already download those. I think I have enough old school analog synths right now. There doesnt seem any shortage of such things.

There are no easy answers to those questions. I want to compose music I enjoy. Probably more rhythm based and perhaps more ambient. Im a huge prog rock fan but I don't think i'm up to writing the next Close to the Edge on my own in my bedroom! The stuff I've written before (years ago) was very limited due to not even having a keyboard to work with and so it became more abient based, which is fin since I also like ambient music. I've been listening to some bjork recently and I really like the soundscapes she works with, they are very quirky, heavily produced but compositionally simple, and very accessible. The problem I've always had when writing tunes is that I can come up with a basic idea but composing that out into a full piece is very difficult. I woudl love to be able to write pieces as complex as Zappa but that's a loooooooooong way off in the future (if ever!). So it's a case of coming up with riffs or ideas and gluing them together and hoping they fit organically. But when you listen to 'proper' composes, people that understand what they are doing, you hear ideas develop and expand throughout the piece. For rock musicians it's often just gluing riffs from each band member together, or jamming a bunch of ideas. So far much of what I've found, in terms of free vst content, is kinda limited. It's cool people make free stuff but most of it seems to be various analog synth patches all of which are very obvious sounding and a bit hokey. II'd like something more subtle to work with, more atmospheric. I'm not into sound synthesis or spending hours programming a synth. That's not for me at all really. I found a load of great ENS files, but that requires Reaktor it seems. I guess the best stuff (YMMV) is inevitably going to cost money. That's fine but I dont have two hundred quid for a piece of software unfortunately. There are some patches out there, i found a good hang drum pad. But some of the ethnic vst patches are...not good. You can always tell when you hear somethng like an Oud played on a keyboard

Sure, but I guess it depends on what you want to compose