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Thanks so much for the input! Ordered dumby battery for AC Power for the M50 and picked up an Elgato H60s. We're very happy with our softboxes for lighting. Thank you again!!!

Hi everyone, I have a question about a live stream setup for music performances. As a full-time musician, all of my gigs have been wiped out for 6 weeks now and the performance landscape continues to be murky at best for the next few months. As a result, I just did my first virtual concert via FB Live and it was far more successful than I could’ve imagined. My setup was a Logitech C920 for video & good condenser mics for audio (connected via my Audiobox 96 interface). The audio was fantastic, but the C920 was serviceable at best…it really wasn’t made for a wider shot like I was doing. As a result, I’m looking to invest into a better video setup for future live performances. Here’s all the pertinent details I can think of: -Streaming from my HP Omen laptop w/i7 8750H, Windows 10, 16gb RAM, GTX 1060 6gb -We currently own a Canon M50, Canon T5i, & Canon Vixia HG20 camcorder (much older), as well as the aforementioned C920 webcam. -This is for video capture only via OBS streaming to Facebook Live. -We tried connecting the T5i directly via Sparkocam, but weren’t happy with the performance. -I understand that obtaining a capture card would facilitate the T5i or M50 usage, but since the purpose is to do a 90-150 minute continous livestream music performance, we’re also concerned about battery life longevity for either camera. -Worst case scenario, I can use my Logitech C920, but we’re pursuing a higher quality option and I don’t mind investing in order to get there. -I looked into the iOS OBS app which would allow me to use my iPhone XR as a video capture device, but there are so many negative reviews about it’s stability that have me weary about pursuing that route. Thank you so much for any and all input!!

Update: I returned the Matebook X Pro. It is a great laptop, but to my surprise, I realized that I do NOT prefer thin & light laptops. I prefer a bulkier, more sturdy build. Also, it's amazing how big of an effect a 14" compared to 15.6" screen can have on your workflow. That extra space was badly missed during music production. So, I went into Micro Center looking at ASUS laptops, but left with an HP Omen 15-dc0051nr (i7 8750h 6-core, 256gb SSD, 1tb HDD, 16gb DDR4 Ram, GTX 1060 6gb), as it was on sale for $999. I'll soon upgrade the SSD. Looking forward to getting deep into workflow on this in the next 2 weeks, so that if I don't like it during that time, I can return it in full. Looking forward to it!

I bought the 2018 Matebook X Pro for $1,300 USD, i7/512gb/16gb. So far, love it.

I hope you did NOT get the XPS 15! There are widespread DPC audio latency issues with this line of laptops. It's probably the LAST i5/i7-based laptop you'd want for music production.

After digging some more, I have a Lenovo Legion Y740: i7 8750H, 15.6" FHD GSync 144hz, 16GB DDR4, 1TB 7200rpm + 256SSD, GeForce 2070, Three Year PremiumCare, 3Y accidental damage protection all for $1,580. This is easily the best deal I've come across.

Yes, but the Matebook has many issues, too. And I feel more comfortable w/Dell's customer support in the event of any issues. I also got my hands on both the Matebook & XPS yesterday and the XPS felt far better & more pleasant to use. A gaming laptop is an interesting choice, but I do want a very comfortable feel, and the XPS felt great. I haven't tried any gaming laptops, though, so will perhaps explore that route. I don't do any actual gaming on a laptop, but could be worth looking into. Any suggestions 15"?

I'm leaning in the direction of the Dell XPS 15, mostly due to it's proven quality customer service (a concern with the Matebook) & reputation of lasting many years (an unknown with the Matebook).

5-6 hours, I suppose. Battery life isn't a huge deal-breaker.

Preferably lighter than my current MBP (5.6 pounds) and average-at-worst battery life.

Ok, thanks for clarifying! I'll get my hands on a Matebook at a Microsoft store (I believe they have them in stock at the one near me). It does seem like performance-wise, it'd be just fine for my needs.

Hey everyone, Greetings from Chicago, where I mowed my lawn in beautiful sunny weather yesterday and watching a ton of snowfall coming down today. I'm currently in the market for a new daily driver laptop. This will be part of my shifting workflow from Mac to PC. Budget: Around $1,500ish. Heavily considering Matebook X Pro (2018, i7 8550u quad-core 16gb ddr3 ram, mx150) & Dell XPS 15 (2018, i7 8750h 6-core, 16gb ddr4 ram, 1080p screen). Use case: Daily every-day normal laptop use, but some workload use as well. This includes: Running PreSonus Studio One Professional for mobile audio production, and Da Vinci Resolve for 1080p video editing and maybe light 4k video editing (although, I do have a desktop w/i7-8700 & 1080ti for major video editing use). Here are my concerns: -I'm upgrading from a mid-2012 Macbook Pro 9,1 (i7-3720qm 2.6ghz, 4-core 8-thread, 16gb ddr3 RAM, 1TB SSD). I'm concerned that the i7-8550u on the Matebook isn't THAT much of an upgrade. -I think a quad-core i7 should still be fine given that my workflow isn't super-intensive, but I do have concerns that it'll be too long in the tooth in a couple years. This concern may be artificial, though. -The Matebook X Pro ships w/ddr3 ram. Weird to see this on a 2018 model, but...does it really matter? I'm not sure I'd notice this in real-world use. If there's any further info I can provide, please let me know & I'd be happy to do so. Thanks for reading and for any input!

Honestly, I think you're right. It'll limit options and I've been surprised with how much I've enjoyed iOS, but in my specific use-case scenario, I think I really do need it.

Good point! I guess the last thing I wonder is, do the headphone dongles mean you can plug into the AUX jack in the car? And if so, are there dongles that allow plugging into the car as well as simultaneously charging the phone?

Hmmm ok, interesting. Thank you so much for taking the time to write this post. So, maybe the issue is actually the Bluetooth in my 2017 Honda Fit...