I think this is more of a computer question than a home recording question.

"Now, here's my plan. . . ."
             —Shel Silverstein

Setting up a home recording studio on a budget.

My current plan, if I can make it work, is to buy a Lexicon Omego Desktop Recording Studio as a USB interface to my Hewlett-Packard laptop. The Lexicon Omega will take a couple of condenser mics through XLR connectors (with phantom power), and can record directly onto my laptop's hard drive. That's what it's designed to do. Once it's on the hard drive, one can then do the usually tidying, editing, etc.

Problem:   The computer system requirements for the Lexicon Omega include "EIDE/Ultra DMA 7200RPM hard disk type or better."

I'm pretty certain the hard disk in my laptop is more like 5400RPM.

I have been intending to buy an external USB hard drive for my laptop anyway. So if I make sure that the drive I buy is, indeed, an "EIDE/Ultra DMA 7200RPM hard disk type or better," can I bypass the laptop's hard disk and use the external drive instead? And if so, how would I go about doing this?

This little Lexicon Omega unit appears to be exactly what I'm looking for—good quality recording on a tight budget—if I can make it work. Or, to use it, would I have to get a computer with a hotter hard drive?

I'll appreciate anything anyone can tell me.

Don Firth