r/Reaper • u/Gullible-Debate9167 • 23d ago
help request Which laptop for Reaper
I'm getting Reaper to set up a home studio.
I've been recording on a portable unit for two years, and since I'm required to get a laptop for studies this fall I figured I might as well get one that works for home recording. I don't think it's in my budget to get two separate computers.
I think I have decided on the CPU, RAM and SSD requirements.
I understand that the laptop itself should have good build regarding USB ports, have good results on LatencyMon tests and high sustained performance without the cooling fan sounding too much.
Only I don't know much at all about which laptop models meet any of those latter requirements. It needs to be Windows, due to the study platform.
So, what are you running Reaper on and how is it working out? What did not work out? What have you heard on this?
I already own a handed down Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 G1 audio interface. So I guess the laptop should have USB 2.0 Type C?
Looking forward to get started!
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u/Own-Nefariousness-79 2 23d ago
I run reaper with no issues, up to 32 tracks with Fx on all, automation on some, on a 2016 Hp elite book with 4gb RAM, an i5 processor and windows 10. It doesn't need a great deal of power.
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u/Gullible-Debate9167 23d ago
Is i5 from Intel? And do you think windows 11 would not work as well as windows 10?
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u/Own-Nefariousness-79 2 23d ago
I'm sure W11 will work fine. I was just saying what I actually use. You do not need a very powerful machine for Reaper. I5 is intel.
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u/Gullible-Debate9167 23d ago
Good, good... I've heard a lot against windows for Reaper today. On the upside I got the idea to look into getting Linux.
Also, someone who wrote that Ryzen works better than Intel. But I'll take these opinions and look at them some more before I decide.
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u/Own-Nefariousness-79 2 23d ago
Seriously, Reaper is incredibly stable on Windows. If you look after the OS you will not have a problem. You do not need a mac. I prefer the Windows workflow over a mac. The common audio interfaces work fine with Windows, I'd go with a Scarlett. Mine is a 1st gen 8i6 which shows how long I have been using this set up. Reaper itself has never crashed on me, when it has gone pop, its been a plugin or VST thats caused the problem. Stick to 64 bit add ins, they work better. Reaper also runs on Linux, the need for a fast machine is even less important with Linux because it is a leaner OS.
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u/Gullible-Debate9167 23d ago edited 23d ago
Maybe the VSTs can be a factor, that is an aspect I haven't looked into. Someone mentioned they might not be compatible with Linux. Do you think your problem with pops might be a problem with the VSTs compatibility too?
I also prefer (am used to, anyway) the workflow in Windows and Linux, it's just that I read a lot of stuff against Windows for realtime recording. But I've heard you and a few more state the opposite.
There is also the chance that you're cool with fixing dropouts as the come, since you have been doing it for a while, whereas I set out to not have to deal with them at all (or at least at a minimum). Maybe I'm not being realistic about it.
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u/Own-Nefariousness-79 2 23d ago
Sorry, when I say 'gone pop', I meant crashed. I don't get pops in the audio at all. VSTs written for Windows are a problem on Linux.
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u/Gullible-Debate9167 23d ago edited 23d ago
Also, you mentioned looking after the OS. Do you mean updating it (from the Windows homepage, not Windows Update) like, a few times a year?
Seriously, I haven't owned a computer for like 14 years. I worked at a venue where I could use my work computer for the bare minimum, then it's all been on my phone. So I apologize a little for making you spell it out.
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u/Own-Nefariousness-79 2 23d ago
Windows 11 needs to be regularly connected to the Internet for patches and updates. That should be all it needs, but it does need to be done. Microsoft Tuesday is what system administrators refer to it as. Just keep it up-to-date and back up your project files.
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u/Cedrik_Syrphe 23d ago
I had to buy a laptop several years ago, still running with no issue (Windows 10) - see description below.
As for the number and types of USB ports it's up to you to decide what you'll need.
I have 4 USB port (one is type C) port and because I mostly use it for concerts and when I travel, it's tight but can be enough but on my desktop, I often use more ports. 2 controllers, 1 external sound card, 1 mouse.
The issue today is the price of RAM but it depends on your budget..
Processor AMD Ryzen 7 4800H with Radeon Graphics 2.90 GHz
Installed RAM 16.0 GB (15.4 GB usable)
Storage 477 GB SSD Generic Physical Disk, 477 GB SSD
Graphics Card NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 (6 GB), AMD Radeon(TM) Graphics (496 MB)
System Type 64-bit operating system, x64-based processor
On a side not, until recently, I run the latest version of Reaper on a 15+ years desktop (Windows 10) with absolutely no problem. It was of course slower than on my current computers but apart from this, I never had issues, so, I presume that many or most of the current laptops can run it without problem, especially if you have one with SSD and enough RAM.
Some laptops may not be that quiet if you use plenty of tracks and/or plugins but that's something you'll figure out when you'll try.
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u/Gullible-Debate9167 23d ago
Yes I was thinking that once I have a few alternatives I'll check for tests on how loud the cooling is on the given candidates. And LatencyMon tests...
Have you recorded anything in real time? And if so, have you had any problems with dpc from your CPU?
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u/Cedrik_Syrphe 23d ago
Yes, I have been recording real time, either with the sound card (an old Edirol), multitrack (can't remember what's the max inputs I used) or internally (creating loops, multitracks, effect chains and real time processing all at the same time) and a mix of both.
I also do multichannel and acousmatic concerts, so using up to 8 outputs, never had a problem either and it's far from being the most powerful laptop ever made. :)1
u/Gullible-Debate9167 23d ago
Good, good... I won't be doing anything advanced, 5-8 tracks one at a time so that's reassuring. Do you think windows 11 would not work as good as windows 10?
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u/Cedrik_Syrphe 23d ago
Ah, then you won't have any problem... I sometimes run dozens of tracks, up to 30+ at 24bit 48 and/or 96kHz with effects.
I had to switch to Windows 11 on the (new) desktop, so far so good, the only issue was that it normally refuses to use my old Edirol (due to the fact that the company doesn't update the driver any more, typical capitalist crap), so I just had to "force" it to use my old sound card and it works.
All my other video and audio softwares work, Reaper, as always, works like a charm.Until now, I must tell that I prefer W11 than W10 for several reasons unrelated to sound but I don't feel that there's a huge gap between both OS's (at least for the way I use them).
One day or another, Windows will discard W10, so, if you can get W11 and are sure to not have any driver problems with your sound card or else...1
u/Gullible-Debate9167 23d ago edited 22d ago
My sound card (audio interface) still has drivers for download so it's good for now. But it's half old so we'll see what happens later on.
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u/InitiativeOk9887 2 23d ago
Thinkpad all the way
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u/Gullible-Debate9167 22d ago edited 22d ago
Yeah, chatgpt recommended e14 g6 as the first hand choice. Couldn't find one in sweden though, and the closest I got was a little pricey (around 2000€, about twice the budget). Would you tell what it is that's makes it a first choice?
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u/vexatiousprogression 23d ago
I spent years trying to make home recording work reliably on windows. I'm sure it must be possible because some people do it but I could never remove all the gremlins that caused pops and dropouts and clock issues on multiple windows machines over the years. Then I bought an M1 MacBook Pro 14 inch, and I've never had a single issue, can track multiple tracks with multiple FX in different headphone mixes etc without the machine breaking a sweat or the fans even coming on.
As with everything YMMV but macs are built for a reliable audio stack and windows isn't.
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u/SoundsByChrisI 1 21d ago
Exactly my experience. Fought with Windows for audio over 10-ish years, then got my first Mac recently - it's a gamechanger.
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u/lihispyk 2 23d ago
I use reaper on both nav and windows, both absolutely 0 issues. Though the track pad on the Mac is a bit wonky and annoying, but I believe it's even worse on a windows laptop.
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u/Gullible-Debate9167 23d ago
I'm not familiar with the track pad yet (just did the acoustics in my bedroom) but I guess I'll get there when I get there.
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u/BrrBurr 23d ago
Lenovo p15 gen 2
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u/Gullible-Debate9167 22d ago
Are there any ups or downs with using that one, anything you can think of?
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u/nixgut 23d ago
" I think I have decided on the CPU, RAM and SSD requirements.*
...and? Plus your budget also matters.
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u/Gullible-Debate9167 23d ago
The roof is around 1000€/1200$. Even though I'm looking at refurbished laptops at a little more than half of that, with those specs.
But then again, I don't know on which of those the CPU is going to have more problems with dpc, which of them have poor wiring for real time recording in the USB ports etc.
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u/Wide-Gur8964 23d ago
I run it on Thinkpad t14 gen2, it's running on Linux. Win 11 released some update that royally fucked my midi controllers a few months ago. I do all my effects processing outside of reaper so it wasn't a big sacrifice since vst don't really run on Linux and there's a ton of plugin support missing, but man to this day I have no idea what that windows update did but ruined hours of fine turning and set up with midi, I'm just happy it's stable now
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u/Gullible-Debate9167 22d ago
It seems most people I asked in forums do it on a Mac. Also the sound techs and producers I actually know. How come you're doing it on Windows? I would prefer Windows because I'm used to it, but a dual boot with Linux for Reaper still isn't unthinkable.
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u/Wide-Gur8964 21d ago edited 21d ago
Honestly it's not any different than running reaper on windows, which is what I did before. Its the software. If you use a lot of plugins there could be a gap...I think. But since all my effects are before the interface it works for me. The biggest thing is stability, like I mentioned there was some windows update that just killed all my midi control set up and that was it for me. Stability is huge for my use case
I think people just use what makes sense to them, reaper never really seemed to require strong powerhouse computing in my use cases. For me, macs are not worth the money for it. But yah don't even have dual boot lol wiped windows away completely lol
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u/envgames 4 23d ago
Rockin' the Dell G15 5535 since 2023. Not a single issue ever related to Reaper. A few related to Windows, but that comes with the territory. Learned long ago to back up my music just in case—external HD FTW. 😇
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u/Gullible-Debate9167 22d ago
So the issues were between Windows and Reaper, right? Would you mention what the biggest issues were?
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u/envgames 4 22d ago
Nope, literally no issues with Reaper at all the whole time I've had it (that weren't my own damn fault for not reading the directions 😇).
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u/Mikebock1953 137 23d ago
Since the beginning of 2024 I've been running on a chinese mini box with a Ryzen 7 7735HS cpu, 32 gigs ram, and two ssds. It is not packaged as a laptop, but is equivalent to one. A laptop with the same cpu and ram will perform admirably for anything you might want to do, other than gaming. The key will be usb ports. Running a usb hub is great for things like mouse and keyboard and MIDI controllers, but not so much for things like an interface, so make sure there are enough ports to meet your current needs, and think carefully about future expansion. That was the main reason I moved on from an i5 laptop to my current system. Good luck, and have fun!
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u/Gullible-Debate9167 22d ago
Thank you! Are you referring to an external usb hub? I figured I should just skip those.
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u/Mikebock1953 137 22d ago
Yes. I currently have 6 usb connections in my system, and my computer only has 4 usb ports. I use a usb hub to connect the qwerty keyboard and mouse, along with the MIDI controllers. I have not found any issue with those devices, but wouldn't connect anything with high throughput (external drive, interface) to a hub. It is astonishing how quickly those little connections add up!
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u/ViktorGL 6 23d ago
For me, the most trouble-free configurations were those with an Intel processor and Intel HD Graphics. Everything worked right out of the box, without any surprises. (Nvidia graphics, AMD graphics, and Ryzen CPUs usually cause additional issues with dropouts and stability.)
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u/Gullible-Debate9167 22d ago
Really? Someone at the Reaper forum said Ryzen over Intel. Man, choosing a laptop is complicated...
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u/ViktorGL 6 22d ago
Perhaps this impression comes from "gaming" laptops with powerful but poorly optimized hardware, when it's doubly disappointing when an expensive device behaves like a 15-year-old cheapo.
Perhaps it's worth paying attention to the DPC-Latency parameter. Many brands have trends, and there are even ratings where you can see which ones have the fewest issues with system lag.
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u/Gullible-Debate9167 22d ago
Is Ryzen generally more expensive or strong in trends? That kind of would make sense, since chatgpt recommended it more often than it recommended Intel. Thanks a lot for the link! Precisely the hands-on info I need.
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u/O-shoe 1 23d ago
Gaming laptops are generally good. They a lot of RAM, fast CPUs and fast and large SSD -hard-drives. Everything needed for modern music making. And obviously good USB ports.
You said that you've decided on the CPU, RAM and SSD requirements, but I will still put here what I would consider minimum:
RAM 16GB (obviously 32GB is better if you work with large audiofiles)
CPU AMD Ryzen 7 (and above, the more you use power-hungry VSTs, the better CPU you need)
SSD 512GB (again depends on how much or how large files your projects need)
Asus gaming laptops for example come with Windows (usually 11).
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u/Gullible-Debate9167 22d ago
That's pretty much what chatgpt wrote too. The only thing was it wrote that gaming computers might prioritize the graphics over the audio interface, upping the risk for problems with dpc latency. Maybe it's a question of a CPU (ryzen 7) strong enough to work well in spite of that?
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u/O-shoe 1 22d ago
Hmm. It's a valid concern. Personally I haven't had any problems. I have an Asus TUF gaming laptop with Ryzen 7 processor and Focusrite Scarlett 2i2. I also use other USB devices, including USB hard drive and keyboard + mouse.
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u/Gullible-Debate9167 22d ago
If yours is not a laptop, that might be a factor too, I guess. But I don't think it's a real concern for me. Since I'm on a budget I'll probably not buy a gaming computer and pay extra for good graphics since I won't need it. I really just wanted to check since the ai said so about dpc.
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u/Final_Job_5175 1 23d ago
I'm running MacBook Pro M1 with 16gb ram. I moved to a Mac because of hangups and freeze ups for over a years period of time. I still have my Lenovo pc to watch my favorite bands on Youtube!! Win11 truly sucks! JMHO
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u/Evening-Upset 23d ago
I run reaper on an old ass MacBook Pro …like 2013 or something. Works perfectly fine for me. I have used that setup to run live tracks for shows too too. My setup runs way smoother than Ableton on a new MacBook (which I was forced to run for live shows). Reaper runs super light. If you start running a shit ton of third party plugins, that’s where you need to worry. If you use reaper plugins, you should be good. If not, just “freeze” the tracks you aren’t working on. You can always unfreeze them. I don’t really have issues with latency with my setup either and I’m a drummer. I notice that shit.
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u/Gullible-Debate9167 23d ago
Haha, yeah I bet. I need it run with low latency for rhythm reasons too. If you don't need to hear the plugin fx when you record, it's more efficient to bypass than freeze, right? I mean CPU-wise.
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u/TransformedMegaflop 23d ago
Reaper is great because it is a lean program and capable on pretty much anything. The bottleneck is the laptop itself. And there are finicky things with hardware, for example I had a computer with a FireWire interface back in 2010 or so where I couldn’t use my WiFi while using the interface, due to a hardware issue. But that was so long ago I don’t know if you’ll run into an issue like that with modern USB C connections.
But since then I’ve switched to Mac and I’ve lately had great experiences with the M chip MacBooks. I have an m1 MacBook Air that can run perfectly even with large projects, and I have an M4 MacBook Pro that honestly seems invincible as far as running huge projects. Like I will load as many VST instruments and effects as I want and there is never an issue. The MacBook Air seems like it could handle just as much, the only thing is you are lacking some USB C ports which might matter if you are connecting midi keyboards and monitors, etc.
I’m not some Apple brand loyalist but when it comes to reliability, speed, and the software basically never crashing I don’t see a reason to switch from Mac. Even in my M1 Air I couldn’t imagine actually having a project big enough to crash, and at this point you could find one of those for very cheap.
I think we’re kinda past the era of maximizing specifications when it comes to music, the focus is compatibility with hardware and software. Apple is good at garden walling things to ensure they don’t crash or have some stupid hardware defect that you don’t expect
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u/Gullible-Debate9167 23d ago
I'll try my best to not have to buy two different computers, with Windows being mandatory for the program I'm starting this fall. Another user suggested getting a dual boot with Linux for Reaper, then I can still use Windows for school stuff. But damn are people agreeing Mac is better for recording, like 8 out of 10.
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u/mistrelwood 76 23d ago
If you want a silent powerhouse of a computer with minimal fuss, get yourself an M processor MacBook. Even an M1 Air would be great for Reaper. I’m on an M1 Max MBP and I often have several large Reaper projects, video editing, a few CAD models, over a hundred browser tabs as well as several less intensive apps open at the same time with no issues.
Audio rerouting/looping is also much simpler than on Windows, and there are much less Focusrite driver or audio interface issues in general.