How many of you laptop users record live with it?

Still considering the ins and outs of a laptop vs the Music Pad Pro. I think when the Chinese build a Music Pad for about $399 is when I might start getting interested in that scenario.

So I am off and on considering a laptop for sheet music. I'm still not really clear how would be the best way to use it. I'm still thinking tipping the laptop sideways and possibly using that Pivot Pro if I would actually need that, would be the better way. I am not fond of the idea of having to scroll down a page of music. It seems scanning music or using Power Tracks to get a lead sheet would be the way I would prefer entering the song data rather than picking around note by note on some of these other programs. I just don't see myself having the patience to do that. However,I admire anyone that does have that kind of patience. I suppose I'll just need to experiment around with it a little when I get the time and notion.

If I do choose to go this route and tip the laptop sideways, I still need to figure out the easiest way to scroll sideways to page 2 or 3, and back and forth if necessary.

I also realize a lot of you use a laptop for mp3's, midi and whatnot.

However, unless I missed it, I never noticed anyone talking about recording live using a good recording software like Sound Forge, Cool Edit or the like.

Does anyone do this?? To me, at least right now, it seems to make the laptop a much more usable piece of equipment compared to the expensive Music Pad.

I can see where someone like ScottY might go for a gadget like that, but, still mighty pricy for what if does for my purposes.


Best
Scott Langholff

[This message has been edited by Scott Langholff (edited 05-06-2005).]

Scott recording is a great idea, but I'm using my laptop to run midi files and some mp3's. I don't know if it could handle recording and playing at the same time.

I have a small minidisk (MZ707N) that records decently, although I've had little success with it - a friend of mine has used one and gotten great results.

Scott,

If you were not using the laptop for midi files or mp3s, then live recording will using Acid Pro, or any of the other programs would involve nothing more than a one button push to record.

As for scrolling the music, it's not really necessary to scroll at all. If you wished, you could scan the music into the computer in page format, then just select the next page with the touch of the laptop's page down buttom. You can also scan single pages of the same song into MS Word to screen size, then name them sequentially-- On Broadway1, On Broadway2, On Broadway3, etc. There are lots of options, all of which make more sense than lugging books around and trying to remember what song is in a particular book, then turning to the page, then setting up the keyboard, all of which takes lots of valuable time.

Good Luck,

Gary

I always record with the laptop and Acid Pro3..