It is possible the M3 Series Mac mini will not be released
Apple Mac mini M4 $999.00 ?? minimum as recommended below Apple Mac mini M4 Pro $1299.00 ?? minimum as recommended below
Do not buy a computer with 8GB memory and a 256GB SSD! Why any musician or creator would buy a new system constrained like this in 2024 is beyond me. If properly configured Apple silicon is too expensive for you, buy used or refurbished.
I’m not going to play with you here, or hem and haw like many YouTubers do. 8GB of memory and a 256GB SSD are not enough for musicians and creators. Some software will not run. It’s tight now and has a negative future-proofing factor. A 16GB memory upgrade for $200 and a 512GB SSD upgrade for $200 are seriously the minimum of what you need.
My minimum Apple computer recommendation for musicians and creators is 16GB memory and 512GB SSD or more. Any less than this does not make performance or economic sense. You will regret buying an Apple M Series system with 8GB memory and a 256GB SSD.
It is starting to look like the Mac mini will be passing over the M3 Series. Mark Gurman says there will be a “A Mac mini in both M4 and M4 Pro configurations, coming between the end of 2024 and early 2025.”
When the Mac mini M3 Series didn’t materialize in March, it still seemed logical it would be announced before or at the WWDC24 Developers Conference. Now with Mark Gurman’s information, it seems less likely that Apple would release a product with less than a year’s lifespan. It has happened before so it’s not entirely out of the question, so we’ll see…
Mac mini computers are amazing machines with one caveat. Do not upgrade them too much. If you upgrade them too much, the next higher model will make more sense.
Mac mini M4
There are no expected changes to the Mac mini M4, except the M4 processor itself.
Mac mini M4 Pro
There are no expected changes to the Mac mini M4 Pro, except the M4 Pro processor itself.
I would generally advise to not get too tied up in the minutiae of benchmarks, but they are useful for relative comparisons of processors. It is worth noting that no M Series processors are slouches. Some more than others, but all of them are a noticeable improvement over the Intel processors in previous generation Macs.
That said, the Mac mini M4/M4 Pro is not out yet, we do not know exactly how it will perform.
It should go without saying, but I’m gonna say it anyway. M Series has been out since November 2020. I think it’s crazy that any DAW or plugin should have issues or still be running on Rosetta emulation, but not everyone listens to me. Do your homework!
Furthermore, in my opinion any major software company that markets to Apple users and hasn’t updated their software to include Apple silicon compatibility deserves to lose your business. It’s been over 3 years, and at this point it’s a real screw you. They obviously don’t care about their customers and should be replaced by a company that cares more about their customers.
My personal experience with Sonoma has been very good. Everything I use runs natively on M Series and is compatible with Sonoma. But don’t listen to me, do your homework!
Ports are important for musicians & content creators
The 2 Thunderbolt 4/USB-C ports on the Mac mini M4 are a bit tight for musicians and creators, but can also be easily expanded with a hub if you need more. The 4 Thunderbolt 4/USB-C ports on the Mac mini M4 Pro are better for musicians and creators. Also an external monitor like the Apple Studio Display has 3 more USB-C ports in addition to the Thunderbolt 3 connection port.
You will want to plug your interface directly into USB-C and find the 2 legacy USB-A ports good for USB hard drives, flash drives, cables to synths, cable to printer etc.
Obviously wise future purchases will be solidly Thunderbolt or USB-C. The HDMI will be very useful for TV, and occasionally most musicians like to plug headphones directly into the system, though most of the time it’s either through an interface or Bluetooth. You can also buy the Apple USB-C VGA Multiport Adapter for an older existing monitor if you need it. This adapter also has a USB-C and a USB-A.
Mac mini hardware upgrades
Remember no internal hardware upgrades can be performed. This is especially true with Apple silicon. SoC or System on Chip as you probably already know, cannot be upgraded. The advantages are more than worth it, but push yourself to adequately configure memory and storage for the future or get the appropriate system.
External storage alternatives
I recommend backing up all data to the cloud, and supplementing the internal Apple SSD with an external USB-C or Thunderbolt SSD/HD.
SSD speed needs for music production are similar to photography and video. This video will help you choose external SSD solutions (also in YouTube playlist below).
See Apple M Series External USB-C SSD Options for a more extensive discussion and specific product recommendations.
This page is subject to content updates/additions. If you think any content should be updated or added, please leave a private comment on Mastodon – TurtleIsland.social/@Yehuda.
The Mac Pro M4 Ultra & M4 Extreme will set all new performance levels for music & video recording studios
Apple Mac Pro M4 Ultra Tower – $??? Apple Mac Pro M4 Ultra Rack – $??? Apple Mac Pro M4 Extreme Tower – $??? Apple Mac Pro M4 Extreme Rack – $???
If you’re a serious pro or amateur musician, you really want the Apple Mac Studio M2 Max & M2 Ultra or the Apple MacBook Pro M3 Pro & M3 Max. A large music and/or video recording studio without budget restraints or someone who must have PCIe slot expansion may want to consider the Apple Mac Pro M2 Ultra. These are the three best computers for creatives you can buy today.
If you absolutely must spend less than $1999.00, consider buying used, refurbished or consumer level Macs like the Macbook Air, iMac or Mac mini. To suggest buying less than an Apple M Series system is bad advice. Also see notes below in the Unified Memory section.
This page is subject to content updates/additions. If you think any content should be updated or added, please leave a private comment on Mastodon – TurtleIsland.social/@Yehuda.
The Mac Studio M4 Max/M4 Ultra will be the best choice for an Apple 2025 desktop for majority of musicians and creators
Apple Mac Studio M4 Max $1999.00 ??? – M4 Ultra $3999.00 ??? minimum per processor type
If you’re a serious pro or amateur musician, you really want the Apple Mac Studio M2 Max & M2 Ultra or the Apple MacBook Pro M3 Pro & M3 Max. A large music and/or video recording studio without budget restraints or someone who must have PCIe slot expansion may want to consider the Apple Mac Pro M2 Ultra. These are the three best computers for creatives you can buy today.
If you absolutely must spend less than $1999.00, consider buying used, refurbished or consumer level Macs like the Macbook Air, iMac or Mac mini. To suggest buying less than an Apple M Series system is bad advice. Also see notes below in the Unified Memory section.
4th Generation Mac Studio likely to be announced by June 2025
It does appear that Apple is keeping up an annual upgrade cadence for its M Series processors and systems. According to Mark Gurman, Apple’s 2023/2024 M3 Series rollouts will be roughly duplicated a year later as 2024/2025 M4 Series rollouts. Specifically about the Mac Studio he said there will be “A Mac Studio with a high-end M4 chip, coming around the middle of 2025.”
In other words, the M4 Series Mac Studio should be announced by June 2025.
Information will be posted as it becomes available
This page is subject to content updates/additions. If you think any content should be updated or added, please leave a private comment on Mastodon – TurtleIsland.social/@Yehuda.
If you’re a serious pro or amateur musician, you really want the Apple Mac Studio M2 Max & M2 Ultra or the Apple MacBook Pro M3 Pro & M3 Max. A large music and/or video recording studio without budget restraints or someone who must have PCIe slot expansion may want to consider the Apple Mac Pro M2 Ultra. These are the three best computers for creatives you can buy today.
If you absolutely must spend less than $1999.00, consider buying used, refurbished or consumer level Macs like the Macbook Air, iMac or Mac mini. To suggest buying less than an Apple M Series system is bad advice. Also see notes below in the Unified Memory section.
This page is subject to content updates/additions. If you think any content should be updated or added, please leave a private comment on Mastodon – TurtleIsland.social/@Yehuda.
In January 2023, I purchased a 14″ MacBook Pro M2 Pro with 12 core CPU, 19 core GPU, 16GB of memory and 1TB storage. At that time, I decided then that for my portability needs, it didn’t make sense to bump the memory or processor/GPU cores up. As a secondary system, I found the M2 Pro with 16GB to be very adequate for my needs, but as I expanded uses of the laptop, I yearned for more memory.
In January of 2024, one of my granddaughters needed a laptop for college and I was able to rationalize an upgrade. I gifted her the M2 Pro and upgraded to a 14″ MacBook Pro M3 Max with 14 core CPU, 30 core GPU, 36GB of memory and 1TB storage.
I regularly use most of the 64GB on my primary system, a desktop Mac Studio M1 Ultra. If this M3 Max were my primary system, it would have been tempting to go with 96GB. I never would have guessed it a few years ago, but I am really getting used to having large amounts of memory.
90% of my workstation needs are met by my primary system, but this MacBook Pro compliments it well. In Geekbench, the M3 Max 14 core CPU, 30 core GPU is faster in single and multi core CPU benchmarks and slower in GPU benchmarks than my M1 Ultra 20 core CPU, 48 core GPU. From my perception, both machines seem about the same which is totally wild to me.
It is possible the M3 Series Mac mini will not be released
Apple Mac mini M3 $999.00 ?? minimum as recommended below Apple Mac mini M3 Pro $1299.00 ?? minimum as recommended below
Do not buy a computer with 8GB memory and a 256GB SSD! Why any musician or creator would buy a new system constrained like this in 2024 is beyond me. If properly configured Apple silicon is too expensive for you, buy used or refurbished.
I’m not going to play with you here, or hem and haw like many YouTubers do. 8GB of memory and a 256GB SSD are not enough for musicians and creators. Some software will not run. It’s tight now and has a negative future-proofing factor. A 16GB memory upgrade for $200 and a 512GB SSD upgrade for $200 are seriously the minimum of what you need.
My minimum Apple computer recommendation for musicians and creators is 16GB memory and 512GB SSD or more. Any less than this does not make performance or economic sense. You will regret buying an Apple M Series system with 8GB memory and a 256GB SSD.
It is starting to look like the Mac mini will be passing over the M3 Series. Mark Gurman says there will be a “A Mac mini in both M4 and M4 Pro configurations, coming between the end of 2024 and early 2025.”
When the Mac mini M3 Series didn’t materialize in March, it still seemed logical it would be announced before or at the WWDC24 Developers Conference. Now with Mark Gurman’s information, it seems less likely that Apple would release a product with less than a year’s lifespan. It has happened before so it’s not entirely out of the question, so we’ll see…
Mac mini computers are amazing machines with one caveat. Do not upgrade them too much. If you upgrade them too much, the next higher model will make more sense.
Mac mini M3
There are no expected changes to the Mac mini M3, except the M3 processor itself. The M3 processor is out already, so we know exactly what to expect.
Mac mini M3 Pro
There are no expected changes to the Mac mini M3 Pro, except the M3 Pro processor itself. The M3 Pro processor is out already, so we know exactly what to expect.
I would generally advise to not get too tied up in the minutiae of benchmarks, but they are useful for relative comparisons of processors. It is worth noting that no M Series processors are slouches. Some more than others, but all of them are a noticeable improvement over the Intel processors in previous generation Macs.
That said, even though the Mac mini M3/M3 Pro is not out yet, we know exactly how it will perform.
M3 DAW performance has improved decently over the M2. M3 Pro DAW performance is pretty much a wash over the M2 Pro. The M3 Pro 11 core CPU is actually a slight downgrade in DAW performance compared to the M2 Pro 10 core CPU. The M3 Pro 12 core CPU is improved compared to the M2 Pro CPU, but only very slightly.
The M3 Pro is a great system for DAWs, I highly recommend it. However, I would not upgrade an M2 Pro for DAW performance alone. Maybe if you wanted more cores, memory or SSD capacity, but also be mindful of the price point it makes more sense to upgrade to the Mac Studio M3 Max, which is a serious DAW performance upgrade.
Of course, realistically the mass majority of musicians are going to use less than 100 tracks. If you need more, I’d wait for the Mac Studio M3 Max to come out which you can see makes quite a jump up in DAW performance.
Check software compatibilities
It should go without saying, but I’m gonna say it anyway. M Series has been out since November 2020. I think it’s crazy that any DAW or plugin should have issues or still be running on Rosetta emulation, but not everyone listens to me. Do your homework!
Furthermore, in my opinion any major software company that markets to Apple users and hasn’t updated their software to include Apple silicon compatibility deserves to lose your business. It’s been over 3 years, and at this point it’s a real screw you. They obviously don’t care about their customers and should be replaced by a company that cares more about their customers.
My personal experience with Sonoma has been very good. Everything I use runs natively on M Series and is compatible with Sonoma. But don’t listen to me, do your homework!
Ports are important for musicians & content creators
The 2 Thunderbolt 4/USB-C ports on the Mac mini M3 are a bit tight for musicians and creators, but can also be easily expanded with a hub if you need more. The 4 Thunderbolt 4/USB-C ports on the Mac mini M3 Pro are better for musicians and creators. Also an external monitor like the Apple Studio Display has 3 more USB-C ports in addition to the Thunderbolt 3 connection port.
You will want to plug your interface directly into USB-C and find the 2 legacy USB-A ports good for USB hard drives, flash drives, cables to synths, cable to printer etc.
Obviously wise future purchases will be solidly Thunderbolt or USB-C. The HDMI will be very useful for TV, and occasionally most musicians like to plug headphones directly into the system, though most of the time it’s either through an interface or Bluetooth. You can also buy the Apple USB-C VGA Multiport Adapter for an older existing monitor if you need it. This adapter also has a USB-C and a USB-A.
Mac mini hardware upgrades
Remember no internal hardware upgrades can be performed. This is especially true with Apple silicon. SoC or System on Chip as you probably already know, cannot be upgraded. The advantages are more than worth it, but push yourself to adequately configure memory and storage for the future or get the appropriate system.
External storage alternatives
I recommend backing up all data to the cloud, and supplementing the internal Apple SSD with an external USB-C or Thunderbolt SSD/HD.
SSD speed needs for music production are similar to photography and video. This video will help you choose external SSD solutions (also in YouTube playlist below).
See Apple M Series External USB-C SSD Options for a more extensive discussion and specific product recommendations.
This page is subject to content updates/additions. If you think any content should be updated or added, please leave a private comment on Mastodon – TurtleIsland.social/@Yehuda.
If you’re a serious pro or amateur musician, you really want the Apple Mac Studio M2 Max & M2 Ultra or the Apple MacBook Pro M3 Pro & M3 Max. A large music and/or video recording studio without budget restraints or someone who must have PCIe slot expansion may want to consider the Apple Mac Pro M2 Ultra. These are the three best computers for creatives you can buy today.
If you absolutely must spend less than $1999.00, consider buying used, refurbished or consumer level Macs like the Macbook Air, iMac or Mac mini. To suggest buying less than an Apple M Series system is bad advice. Also see notes below in the Unified Memory section.
The MacBook Pro M3 Series are the most powerful 2023 Q4 Apple laptops you can get and elegantly suited for creatives
Kudos to Apple for ditching the 13″ MacBook Pro with touch bar, and replacing it with an M3 version of the 14″ MacBook Pro. However, I’m not going to cover it on this page or recommend it.
I really don’t think it’s a good deal. No musician/creator should buy a system with 8GB memory, and when you upgrade it to 18GB, you might as well have an M3 Pro with an extra fan and Thunderbolt port. A lot of Apple apologists try to rationalize Apple’s 8GB entry level choices, but putting 8GB in any $1000+ non-upgradeble machine in 2020+ is just plain bogus. Enough said.
The MacBook Pro M3 Pro & M3 Max laptops are very similar to the MacBook Pro M2 Pro & M2 Max versions except for the new processors with different CPU/GPU core counts and unified memory limits. There is also the new Space Black color and for the first time, the 14″ MacBook Pro M3 Max has a high power mode that maximizes performance in intensive sustained workloads, just like the 16″ M1/M2/M3 Max MacBook Pros do.
Various builds have 11-16 CPU cores, 10-40 GPU cores, 16 Neural Engine cores, 8GB-128GB RAM, media engine enhancements, memory bandwidth of 150GB/sec to 400GB/sec, 3 Thunderbolt 4 (USB-C) ports, HDMI, internal display 3024×1964/3456×2234, external display to 8k.
Apple has re-balanced the M3 Pro and M3 Max with a larger performance gap between them. The M3 Pro is a clear performance improvement over the M2 Pro, but has more emphasis on power efficiency than performance improvement, which is probably a good thing. The M2 Pro already screams and power efficiency is always a good thing in a laptop. Don’t be mislead by YouTube influencers, in some ways the M3 Pro is a technical specification side-grade from the M2 Pro but the M3 Pro is clearly a performance and efficiency improvement.
I bought two of the 14″ 12‑core CPU, 18‑core GPU M3 Pros for the Turtle Island moderators which I thought were well worth the $200 CPU/GPU and the $400 36GB upticks. However, I would have still bought the 11‑core CPU, 14‑core GPU, 18GB M3 Pros if that were the only option or we were financially constrained.
The MacBook Pro M3 Pro and M3 Max are the best laptops to date Apple has produced, and will remain so until the M4 Pro and M4 Max versions are released. If you want a laptop for creative pursuits, the MacBook M3 Pro and M3 Max are the best money can buy. Apple has continued to improve these machines. The design and performance of these machines builds on exquisite.
There are many ways to configure these laptops and everyone’s needs are different. First you need to decide if you want a 14″ or 16″ form factor.
The 16″ MacBook Pro is more of a hybrid laptop/desktop
If you prioritize larger screen size, minor sustained heavy load performance/thermal gains, and/or peak battery life over portability, the 16″ may be for you. Generally, I would characterize the 16″ as more of a hybrid laptop/desktop. It is a bit much for lugging around with you on the go. If you don’t move it a lot though, the screen is very attractive and the form factor/cooling is most appropriate for M3 Max sustained heavy load performance.
Keep in mind though, that realistically for a performing musician, any laptop DAW’s size/weight are going to be nothing next to guitars, synthesizers, amplifiers, and other gear, and the 16″ screen would be a lot easier to see on stage. But if you are on the move a lot, back and forth from work, customers, clients, coffee shops, or whatever, the 14″ may be more for you.
The 14″ MacBook Pro fits my portability needs
In January 2023, I purchased a 14″ MacBook Pro M2 Pro, with 12 core CPU, 19 core GPU, 16GB of memory and 1TB storage. At that time, I decided then that for my portability needs, it didn’t make sense to bump the memory or processor/GPU cores up. As a secondary system, I found the M2 Pro with 16GB to be very adequate for my needs, but as I expanded uses of the laptop, I yearned for more memory. For reference sake, note that I have a Mac Studio M1 Ultra for my primary system.
In January of 2024, one of my granddaughters needed a laptop for college and I was able to rationalize an upgrade. I gifted her the M2 Pro and upgraded to a 14″ MacBook Pro M3 Max, with 14 core CPU, 30 core GPU, 36GB of memory and 1TB storage.
I regularly use most of the 64GB on my primary system. If this M3 Max were my primary system, it would have been tempting to go with 96GB. I never would have guessed it a few years ago, but I am really getting used to having large amounts of memory.
Most of my workstation needs are met by my desktop Mac Studio M1 Ultra, but this MacBook Pro compliments it well. In Geekbench, the M3 Max 14 core CPU, 30 core GPU is faster in single and multi core CPU benchmarks and slower in GPU benchmarks than my M1 Ultra 20 core CPU, 48 core GPU. From my perception, both machines seem about the same which is totally wild to me.
The 14″/16″ MacBook Pros are almost exactly the same
Other than system/screen size/weight, minor sustained heavy load performance/thermal differences, minor peak battery life differences and very minimal speaker quality differences, the 14″ and 16″ MacBook Pros are exactly the same.
The M3 Pro has 150GB/s memory bandwidth and the M3 Max 14 CPU core has 300GB/s memory bandwidth. Both are (misleading) 25% specification downgrades from 200GB/s M2 Pro and 400GB/s M2 Max specifications that I wouldn’t concern yourself with. The M3 Max 16 CPU core has 400GB/s memory bandwidth. The M3 Pro/Max efficiency cores clock at 2.75 GHz and the performance cores at 4.05 GHz.
The M3 Pro has one video encoder, one video decoder, one ProRes encoder/decoder and either 18GB or 36GB memory. The M3 Max has two video encoders, one video decoder and two ProRes encoder/decoders. The M3 Max 14 CPU core can be configured with 36GB or 96GB of memory. The M3 Max 16 CPU core can be configured with 48GB, 64GB or 128GB of memory.
In my opinion the M3 Pro/M3 Max MacBooks are equal or improved in almost all ways to the M1 Pro/M1 Max and M2 Pro/M2 Max versions. The one exception is the 512GB SSD. It is not slow, but it is a single 512GB storage chip, rather than two chips and half the performance of a 1TB+ SSD in many cases.
Upgrading from an M1/M2 Pro or M1/M2 Max to the exact same model/configuration M3 Pro or M3 Max is probably not something many would do. M1/M2 Series computers still work great with plenty of power. There may not be enough to make the jump for, but the power gap is widening. If you need a different screen size, memory or storage, that could change the equation. If you have a Windows or Intel based Mac don’t hesitate to grab one of these. You will not regret it.
In the most basic uses, you would be hard pressed to tell the difference between M3 Pro/M3 Max MacBooks and the equivalent M1/M2 versions. And this is a good thing, the M1 Processor Series and the M2 Processor Series are great machines. Beyond basic uses though, the M3 Processor Series are noticeably and measurably better. In both CPU and GPU intensive applications, you will see gains, often significant, over the M1/M2 Series.
It is also worth stressing that the M3 Max outperforms or comes close to M1/M2 Ultra performance. In single and multi core CPU benchmarks, the 14/16 CPU core M3 Max is faster than the M1 Ultra, and darn close to the M2 Ultra. This is what matters with a DAW.
Unified Memory
One of the beautiful things about M series processors is the memory in the processor chip. The performance and efficiency results of this design are significant and unmistakable. Because of this design, you cannot upgrade the memory later. It is important to get a sufficient amount of memory.
Going backwards for a second, I stress getting any M Series with 8GB memory is a mistake for DAW users. People with simple needs do it, but they are not maximizing their performance potential. An M1/M2/M3 or M1 Pro/M2 Pro/M3 Pro with 16GB+ memory is the minimum to me. For many DAW users 16GB is too low as well. An M3 Pro with 18GB-36GB or M3 Max with 36GB will prove quite sufficient for most electronic or rock musicians.
However, if your projects include a lot of sampled instruments, orchestral arrangements or soundtrack work, you really should consider the 64GB, 96GB or 128GB M3 Max. I would venture very few will need more than 128GB, but if you do, you need a desktop Mac Studio M2 Ultra to go to 192GB. If you need that much memory, you probably already know it.
Desktop vs. Laptop
My bias or transparent needs: Prior to using the Mac Studio M1 Ultra, I had been computing with laptops only (except servers) for over a decade, but at this point in my retired life, I have very little need for major horsepower portability. For me a powerful desktop is more useful than a laptop. My recording studio doesn’t move and I don’t gig either. The Mac Studio makes much more sense for me than a MacBook Pro as a primary computing device. 10% of the time when I do need portable computing, I don’t need the super performance horses, or the weight/bulk of lugging around a 16″ laptop. A 14″ MacBook Pro/Max suits my backpack and travel needs best. I could easily live with nothing but any 16GB+ 14″ MacBook Pro M Series and a 27″ external monitor if I needed to though.
My needs or any opinionated influencer’s needs are meaningless for you though. Pick what you need. If you need or prefer a laptop, then that is the best choice. If you need or prefer a desktop, then that is the best choice. There is no such thing as one all around best computer.
I would generally advise to not get too tied up in the minutiae of benchmarks, but they are useful for relative comparisons of processors. It is worth noting that no M Series processors are slouches. Some more than others, but all of them are a noticeable improvement over the Intel processors in previous generation Macs.
CPU single-core performance of all M3 Series processors are very similar, because of course they all share the same CPU single-core.
CPU and GPU multi-core performance is where the differences become more apparent because of the different number of cores.
I can’t personally speak to all capacities, but the 1TB SSD is a blazing fast SSD as benchmarked by the Black Magic Disk Speed Test. WRITE and READ results are consistently over 5000 MB/s, often significantly so. This is my MacBook Pro M3 Max 1TB SSD. M3 Pro/Max SSDs are the same. 512GB could be half this, and 2TB+ capacities are equal or faster.
Battery
To me, M Series battery life is pretty much a non-issue. Capacities are similar (a lot!) and within a few hours of each other, though generally improved through the generations. More important than Apple estimates, you can turn on low power mode or turn down the screen brightness to increase your already great battery time if you need to. No other laptops have better or even equal battery life.
I recently went on a 5 day trip with my 14c M3 Max. With sporadic use every day and night, I did not have to charge the battery once though I did bring the charger. Back at home, I regularly go a couple days without a charge and I never bring the charger with me when I’m on the move.
DAW Performance Benchmarks
The M3 Pro/Max can handle at least similar tracks/load to the equivalent M1/M2 Pro/Max. MacBook Pros with the same processors will have roughly the same DAW performance in the 14″ or 16″ form factor.
Personally, I see the 14 CPU core, 30 GPU core M3 Max as the most bang for the buck sweet spot for a DAW, which is why I bought one.
There is no need to push your DAW to 1 track short of a crash. The maximum tracks I would load a MacBook up with would be 60%-70% of the maximum. No need to completely dog out the CPU, ha! These numbers would be comparable for Ableton Live or other DAWs as well.
FYI – DAWs are heavy on CPU use, with very little GPU load. Higher track count abilities are achieved by faster/more CPU cores and/or more memory. GPU cores will not benefit a DAW.
I would strongly recommend the M3 Pro/Max as the perfect processors for the majority of musicians. Your DAW is gonna hum like never before, and you will experience great video and graphics processing.
If you need the greatest possible CPU horsepower for a DAW, choose the 14 or 16 CPU core M3 Max or even a desktop M2/M3 Ultra. Extra GPU cores won’t help a DAW. Video and graphics processing are different issues of course.
Check software compatibilities
It should go without saying, but I’m gonna say it anyway. M Series has been out since November 2020. I think it’s crazy that any DAW or plugin should have issues or still be running on Rosetta emulation, but not everyone listens to me. Do your homework!
Furthermore, in my opinion any major software company that markets to Apple users and hasn’t updated their software to include Apple silicon compatibility deserves to lose your business. It’s been over 3 years, and at this point it’s a real screw you. They obviously don’t care about their customers and should be replaced by a company that cares more about their customers.
My personal experience with Sonoma has been very good. Everything I use runs natively on M Series and is compatible with Sonoma. But don’t listen to me, do your homework!
Ports are important for musicians & content creators
The 3 Thunderbolt/USB-C ports on the MacBook Pro are likely adequate for most, and can also be easily expanded with a hub if you need more. Also an external monitor like the Apple Studio Display has 3 more USB-C ports in addition to the Thunderbolt 3 connection port. I would theorize that in portable mode you will not need more ports than are built in the MacBook, but in the studio you may.
You may want a USB-C to Ethernet RJ-45 adapter. You will want to plug your interface directly into USB-C or if you can’t do that, get a hub or adapter also for legacy USB-A hard drives, flash drives, cables to synths, cable to printer etc.
Obviously wise future purchases will be solidly Thunderbolt or USB-C. The HDMI will be very useful for TV, and occasionally most musicians like to plug headphones directly into the system, though most of the time it’s either through an interface or Bluetooth. You can also buy the Apple USB-C VGA Multiport Adapter for an older existing monitor if you need it. This adapter also has a USB-C and a USB-A.
MacBook hardware upgrades
Remember no internal hardware upgrades can be performed. This is especially true with Apple silicon. SoC or System on Chip as you probably already know, cannot be upgraded. The advantages are more than worth it, but push yourself to adequately configure memory and storage for the future.
External storage alternatives
I recommend backing up all data to the cloud, and supplementing the internal Apple SSD with an external USB-C or Thunderbolt SSD/HD.
SSD speed needs for music production are similar to photography and video. This video will help you choose external SSD solutions (also in YouTube playlist below).
See Apple M Series External USB-C SSD Options for a more extensive discussion and specific product recommendations.
The MacBook Pro M3 Pro & M3 Max have what it takes to get through the next 5+ years of your music & video productions
This is why you buy Apple. Realistically with the cost of computers these days, a 1-3 year refresh cycle is not practical for many people. Unlike the majority if not all PC systems, Apple computers are built to last and Apple silicon is state of the art enough to start you at the head of the pack.
This page is subject to content updates/additions. If you think any content should be updated or added, please leave a private comment on Mastodon – TurtleIsland.social/@Yehuda.
USB-C Hub with SSD storage bays for Mac mini or Mac Studio Several brands for less than $99.00 + SSD on Amazon
External storage for any Apple M Series computer
I recommend backing up all data to the cloud, and supplementing the internal Apple SSD with external USB-C, Thunderbolt, or Network Attached Storage. The ultimate would be some sort of fault tolerant RAID storage. Your data or content can never be too safe.
External storage needs for music production are similar to photography and video. This video will help you understand your actual needs and choose external solutions.
USB-C external storage
There are many many external storage options, far too many to list. I will say that for the majority of us that just need backup and archival storage, the best option is the external USB-C Samsung 1TB T7 SSD for $99.99. There are also 512GB and 2TB versions, as well as color options at the same link. These are quite compact and great for portability. There are also fingerprint scanner versions for extra security.
If you need more than 2TB or faster than USB-C, move up to Thunderbolt.
Thunderbolt external storage
If you actually need to run applications, process data, or even boot from external storage, I agree with Macworld, the Thunderbolt OWC Envoy Pro FX makes a lot of sense. The 2TB at $349.99 is really the sweet spot.
Final Storage Thoughts
A lot of file storage is archival and plain does not need the blazing internal SSD performance of the M series Mac Studio or MacBook Pro. If it is within your budget to increase the internal storage at the time of your initial purchase, by all means do it. It was not within my budget or performance needs, so I sought alternatives.
Finally, in my opinion you’d be crazy not to backup to the cloud unless you have your own offsite fault tolerant disk system. I’m going to guess most of us spend way too much time producing our creative output to risk losing it to fire or natural disasters. Be real, shit happens.
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Not only has old age infused experience and wisdom in me, but since retirement I can speak to reality, unhindered by corporate or capitalist concerns. If someone wants to help me defray server costs fine, but it’s not likely you could afford to bribe me to alter my honest advice. I don’t monetize any of my digital properties, it’s all on me folks! Break my resolve, I dare you, ha!
So I watch a lot of YouTube videos…
Music Production
Videos linked are also in the embedded Apple Mac M Series Music Production YouTube Playlist below
My favorite Apple musician technology YouTube video
1. The NEW Mac Studio with M1 Ultra. My thoughts. by creator Mary Spender (screenshot above). Why my favorite? It’s produced by a woman and so unique! It’s just crazy how male dominated Apple technology videos are. She’s a musician and again this is rare. She connects the dots, what she says has relevance to this web site, which is trafficked 90% by musicians. She’s calm and doesn’t speak like she just had a toot or is racing to beat a timer. Most of all, she’s a very good creator, knows what she is talking about and puts together a quality video. Also bonus points to Mary for not making 10 videos rehashing 2 videos worth of information. Still, I’d like to see more technology videos from her. I recommend subscribing to all her videos.
Honorable mention
2. Is the Mac Studio right for a music studio? By creator David Das. This guy reads my mind, an extremely good review with good advice and respectful to other perspectives. He has several other Apple silicon music production videos as well (also in playlist). I recommend subscribing to all his videos.
The following creators make way too many videos to recommend just one, but there are playlists on the Apple related pages near the end of this page.
Photography
Honorable mention
ArtIsRight – This guy is great, highly recommended – even if you are not a photographer. If Art is compromised by YouTube metrics, you wouldn’t know it by his videos. He is very good at presentation with great advice driven by facts. No hysterics.
Programming
Honorable mention
Alex Ziskind – This is good, highly recommended – even if you are not a programmer. Great advice driven by facts. No hysterics.
Technology
The majority of the top technology creators are very much commercial enterprises. Very focused on clicks, subs and affiliate link click through. Some of these are full blown on the common mistakes below. There is a lot of useful information but stay alert, don’t get swept away.
Max Tech – Definitely good information, worth watching. Too many videos rehashing same info. Click baity, manipulative titles and content. Speed buzzed, are these guys high?
Common mistakes
Click bait titles that are a preposterous conclusion or not reflective of the actual video content. Throwing in exaggerated, alarmist, faux scam or conspiracy discovery attitudes.
Too many videos rehashing previously done videos with a slight twist over and over. There can be too much of a good thing.
Speaking too quickly and with little to no pauses in the video. Flashing text too quick to read. Creators, come on, stop acting like a timer is going to take your candy away, your video is not a race! Take a chill pill!
Bias and preference presented as technical fact rather than what it is. Example being Laptop vs. Desktop. Give it up, not everyone needs or wants a laptop. Laptops are not better than desktops or visa versa. Different people have different needs. This is bad product promotion, pushing a particular solution without knowing or respecting your audience’s needs.
Obsession on exactly scaled results is just not completely technically correct. It’s a fact that doubling a resource doesn’t always result in performance doubling; this is not necessarily a bad thing.
More than a 30 seconds of front loading ads or sponsorships. Everyone has to make a living but people need to stash the ads at the end of the video, not the beginning. I am much more likely to respond to the ads if they are at the end. If it’s more than an acknowledgement in the beginning definitely not.
Videos
Yehuda Rothschild Apple Mac M Series Music Production YouTube Playlist
For more computer specific non-music production videos, see those pages (listed below)
P.S. I’m sure I’ve only scratched the surface of Apple Technology YouTube creators. If you have any creator suggestions please do leave a comment here or any of my social media.
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The Mac Studio M2 Max/M2 Ultra is the best choice for an Apple 2023 desktop for majority of musicians and creators
Apple Mac Studio M2 Max $1999.00 – M2 Ultra $3999.00 minimum per processor type
If you’re a serious pro or amateur musician, you really want the Apple Mac Studio M2 Max & M2 Ultra or the Apple MacBook Pro M3 Pro & M3 Max. A large music and/or video recording studio without budget restraints or someone who must have PCIe slot expansion may want to consider the Apple Mac Pro M2 Ultra. These are the three best computers for creatives you can buy today.
If you absolutely must spend less than $1999.00, consider buying used, refurbished or consumer level Macs like the Macbook Air, iMac or Mac mini. To suggest buying less than an Apple M Series system is bad advice. Also see notes below in the Unified Memory section.
Mac Studio M2 Max/M2 Ultra was announced June 5, 2023
After months of bogus rumors, Apple did the smart thing and announced the 2nd generation Mac Studio with M2 Max and M2 Ultra at the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference on June 5, 2023.
Personally, I have no intention of upgrading my M1 Ultra until M3 or M4 Ultra, but if I didn’t have an M1 Ultra, I would jump at the M2 Max or M2 Ultra. It makes me very happy to see Apple is still upgrading this machine with both the Max and Ultra processors.
Also, like the M2 Series 14″ and 16″ MacBook Pros there are upgrades to HDMI 2.1, Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3. The prices remain the same as well. Fortunately, in many ways Apple chose to not fix what isn’t broken, amen.
If you want more details about the Mac Studio, read the Mac Studio M1 Max & M1 Ultra page. Beyond that, everything in the M2 Series is exactly the same as the M1 Series, except the M2 Max/Ultra processor, HDMI 2.1, Wi-Fi 6E, and Bluetooth 5.3 upgrades.
I would generally advise to not get too tied up in the minutiae of benchmarks, but they are useful for relative comparisons of processors. It is worth noting that no M Series processors are slouches. Some more than others, but all of them are a noticeable improvement over the Intel processors in previous generation Macs.
CPU single-core performance of the M2 Max and M2 Ultra processors in the Mac Studio is very similar to all other M2 Series processors, because of course they all share the same CPU single-core.
CPU multi-core and GPU multi-core performance is where the differences become more apparent because of the different number of cores.
I think it’s safe to say Apple now has a trend of using a single NAND chip for its 512GB SSDs. So smart money says stay away from 512GB SSDs. Otherwise you can expect Mac Studio M2 Max & M2 Ultra 1TB and larger SSDs to have the same stellar performance M1 Series have now.
DAW Performance Benchmarks
You can expect Mac Studio M2 Series DAW performance to be improved over the Mac Studio M1 Series. Keep in mind that Mac Studio M1 Series DAW performance was already way beyond what nearly every musician can even dream of using.
Check software compatibilities
The Mac Studio M2 Max & M2 Ultra has macOS Sonoma on it.
It should go without saying, but I’m gonna say it anyway. M Series has been out since November 2020. I think it’s crazy that any DAW or plugin should have issues or still be running on Rosetta emulation, but not everyone listens to me. Do your homework!
Furthermore, in my opinion any major software company that markets to Apple users and hasn’t updated their software to include Apple silicon compatibility deserves to lose your business. It’s been over 3 years, and at this point it’s a real screw you. They obviously don’t care about their customers and should be replaced by a company that cares more about their customers.
My personal experience with Ventura and Sonoma has been very good. Everything I use runs natively on M Series and is compatible with those. But don’t listen to me, do your homework!
The Mac Studio has what it takes to get through the next 5+ years of your music & video productions
This is why you buy Apple. Realistically with the cost of computers these days, a 1-3 year refresh cycle is not practical for most people. Unlike the majority if not all PC systems, Apple computers are built to last and Apple silicon is state of the art enough to start you at the head of the pack.
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