Yeah you raise good points. Like I say it 'is' a limited system.
The reason I curently use a computer is for prep only.
* So basically I get a load of stems. (usually via net so I need a computer for that alone) One lot of stems will have the FX included. If I am lucky I may get the same again but dry but this is rare.
* I oftern get 36 to 50 stems whats ludicrous. So ITB I sum then down. Often I get rid of what I hate. Sometimes the opposite to stem overload happens!! Ive been asked to work magic on a stereo master a few times
.
* You can gaurentee, half the stems dont line up with each other and hence out of time with each other.
* Some stems are stereo (KISS, mono rules unless it HAS to be stereo, not talking about panning, talking less to go wrong with phase and such Fine if it needs to be stereo but stereo lead vocal is just asking for trouble!)
* Normalising. Not such a big deal but handy. Esspecially as I mix OTB and I dont want to overdrive the mixer.
* And last is increasing BPM. Recently working on a pop song thats only 111 BPM. I need to shift that up 10 BPM.
I use soundforge for all of these tasks. It has a batch command where you can just tell it to do all the above, throw a folder full of the above stems and I come back in 30 mins and job done. Oftern I still have to tweak stem start times by hand though. But most the donkey works done. If im snowed under I out source this job to Giant Wafer (Studio I use)
Then I dump my new stems onto my HD24 via the excellent and free HD Tools.
The the computer gets turned off and I start to do the acctual creative process.
I guess a big huge and massive validiation to not needing a computer is the fact so much brilliant music exsisted before DAWs took over. Yes big name studios had Fairlights that cost the same price as 15 terraced houses in London when released (Acctually) and Protools what was far from cheap in 1992. So most of my old school techno and such was all done without a screen (other than an ST)
I like the lure of a G4 mac and VST/32 as it can only do so much or it will choke. This will force me to referain fromdoing everything music on a laptop what would make me feel more like an accountant and realy messs with my creative mojo.
Of course of course, and this is most important,. each to their own. I accept I am last man standing.