24″ iMac M3 $1699.00? 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 2023 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. 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.
There is a great deal of 24″ iMac M3 rumor activity. Enough that I think it is important to properly inform 2023 purchase choices.
We do know Apple is trying to move M Series processor upgrades to an annual rhythm like the A Series processors for iPhones etc. We also know that Apple supplier TSMC’s 3-nanometer process is in production and that Apple has purchased 100% of that capacity.
I think it’s also safe to say that there will be no significant design changes.
I think it is also safe to say the performance and efficiency of the M3 will be improved over M1 and M2. However M1/M2 Pro/Max/Ultra systems will still be better choices for higher performance. I wouldn’t delay purchasing M1/M2 higher end iterations for the base processor M3.
M3 Pro/Max/Ultra systems might be a different issue, but those will likely not be available for at least a year, sometime in 2024
Other than these things, there is not much to say for the moment. I will certainly update this page as more information 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.
13″ & 15″ MacBook Air M3 could be released in 2024
Apple 13″ MacBook Air M3 $1599.00? minimum as recommended below Apple 15″ MacBook Air M3 $1899.00? 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 2023 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. 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.
There has been a great deal of MacBook Air M3 rumor activity. I think it is safe to say it will not be released in 2023 Q2 or Q3. The earliest possible scenario would be 2023 Q4 but most likely in 2024.
We do know Apple is trying to move M Series processor upgrades to an annual rhythm like the A Series processors for iPhones etc. We also know that Apple supplier TSMC’s 3-nanometer process is in production and that Apple has purchased 100% of that capacity.
I think it’s also safe to say there will be 13″ and 15″ models, and that there will be no significant design changes from M2 models.
I think it is also safe to say the performance and efficiency of the M3 will be improved over M1 and M2. However M1/M2 Pro/Max/Ultra systems will still be better choices for higher performance. I wouldn’t delay purchasing M1/M2 higher end iterations for the base processor M3.
M3 Pro/Max/Ultra systems might be a different issue, but those will likely not be available until 2024 as well
Other than these things, there is not much to say for the moment. I will certainly update this page as more information 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 2023 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. 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.
With the above caveats, the 24″ iMac M1 and its siblings, the Mac mini M2, the Mac mini M1, the MacBook Air M2, and the MacBook Air M1 make amazing low cost options for musicians and creators. For some the 13″ MacBook Pro M1/M2 would also be a viable option, but I personally hate the touch bar and find the design/features dated, so they are not for me (or the majority of others).
CPU & GPU Performance Benchmarks
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 M1 processors in the 24″ iMac are very similar to all other M1 Series processors, 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.
To give you a rough idea of DAW performance, these Logic Pro benchmarks come from the ‘TBD’ video located in the YouTube section farther down this page. These are base models. The 24″ iMac M1 8GB has 8 CPU cores and 7 GPU cores.
Note the tracks in this benchmark are not necessarily real world loaded but I think you can see both of these systems will satisfy average DAW performance needs. Real world loaded I would feel very comfortable throwing 60 tracks at the 24″ iMac M1 8GB model. No need to completely dog out the CPU, ha! The numbers would be comparable for Ableton Live or other DAWs as well.
DAWs will run on an 8GB 24″ iMac M1 but you will hit the memory ceiling and feel it. Your call but I recommend 16GB. 256GB is a pointless SSD capacity as well. You will be on external storage very quickly.
Check software compatibilities
It should go without saying, but I’m gonna say it anyway. M1 series has been out since November 2020 and macOS Monterey since October 2021. 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 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 a year and a half, 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.
Ports are important for musicians & content creators
Rather than the minimum recommended configuration, I would move up from the 7 GPU core up to the 8 core GPU model. For $200 you get not only 1 more GPU core, but more color options, Touch ID, Ethernet RJ-45, 2 Thunderbolt/USB-C ports and 2 USB-C ports instead of only 2 Thunderbolt/USB-C ports. These ports 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 ‘semi-portable’ mode for a gig you might not need more ports than are built into the 24″ iMac M1, but in the studio you may.
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. 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.
24″ iMac M1 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.
See Apple M Series External USB-C SSD Options for a more extensive discussion and specific product recommendations.
The 24″ iMac M1 has what it takes to last 5 years
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.
Keep coming back
What will be different about this site compared to many Apple sites is over time we will be sharing configuration and electronic music/video recording pertinent information. More soon.
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 M2 Max/M2 Ultra is the best choice for an Apple desktop in 2023 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 M2 Pro & M2 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.
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. Everything in the M1 Series is exactly the same as the M2 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 Ventura 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 2 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 has been very good. Everything I use runs natively on M Series and is compatible with Ventura. 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.
Keep coming back
What I am going to do over time is share configuration and electronic music/video recording pertinent information. More soon.
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 lieu of a 2nd Apple Studio Display (for a moment) I picked up a 14″ MacBook Pro M2 Pro with 12 CPU cores, 19 GPU cores, 16GB memory, and 1TB storage. I wanted macOS, application, and storage redundancy, as well as portability.
Most of my workstation needs are met by the desktop Mac Studio M1 Ultra, but the MacBook Pro will compliment it well.
This MacBook Pro generally has 50%-75% of the performance of the desktop and obviously is much easier to move. Not only will it expand my on the go computing, but it is the perfect portable DAW, should I ever need that.
The data itself is shared by iCloud Drive and Dropbox.
Amazing low cost laptop option for musicians and creators
Apple 13″ MacBook Air M1 $1399.00 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 2023 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. 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.
With the above caveats, the MacBook Air M1 and its siblings, the MacBook Air M2, the Mac mini M2, the Mac mini M1 and the 24″ iMac M1 make amazing low cost options for musicians and creators. For some the 13″ MacBook Pro M2 or M1 would also be a viable option, but I personally hate the touch bar, so they are not for me (or the majority of others).
CPU & GPU Performance Benchmarks
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 M1 processors in the MacBook Air are very similar to all other M1 Series processors, 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.
To give you a rough idea of DAW performance, these Logic Pro benchmarks come from the ‘14″ MacBook Pro vs M1 MacBook Air – Worth $1,000 MORE?’ video located in the YouTube section farther down this page. These are base models. The MacBook Air M1 8GB has 8 CPU cores and 7 GPU cores. The MacBook M1 Pro 16GB has 8 CPU cores and 14 GPU cores.
Note the tracks in this benchmark are not necessarily real world loaded but I think you can see both of these systems will satisfy average DAW performance needs. Real world loaded I would feel very comfortable throwing 58 tracks at the MacBook Air M1 8GB model or 76 tracks at the MacBook Pro M1 Pro 16GB model. No need to completely dog out the CPU, ha! The numbers would be comparable for Ableton Live or other DAWs as well.
DAWs will run on an 8GB MacBook Air but you will hit the memory ceiling and feel it. Your call but I recommend 16GB. 256GB is a pointless SSD capacity as well. You will be on external storage very quickly.
Check software compatibilities
It should go without saying, but I’m gonna say it anyway. M Series has been out since November 2020. macOS Monterey has been out since October 2021. I think it’s crazy that any DAW or plugin should have issues or still require 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 a year and a half, 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.
All that said, my personal experience has been very good. Everything I use runs natively on M Series and is compatible with Monterey. But don’t listen to me, do your homework!
My personal experience with Ventura has also been very good. Everything I use runs natively on M Series and is compatible with Ventura. But don’t listen to me, do your homework!
Ports are important for musicians & content creators
I do wish these MacBook Airs had an Ethernet RJ-45 and a couple of legacy USB-A ports, but that will be probably never. The 2 Thunderbolt/USB-C ports on the MacBook Air 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 might not need more ports than are built into the MacBook Air, 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. 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 Air 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.
See Apple M Series External USB-C SSD Options for a more extensive discussion and specific product recommendations.
The MacBook Air M1 has what it takes to last 5+ years
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.
Keep coming back
What will be different about this site compared to many Apple sites is over time we will be sharing configuration and electronic music/video recording pertinent information. More soon.
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.
Amazing low cost laptop option for musicians and creators
Apple 13″ MacBook Air M2 $1499.00 minimum as recommended below Apple 15″ MacBook Air M2 $1699.00 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 2023 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. 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.
With the above caveats, the MacBook Air M2 and its siblings, the MacBook Air M1, the Mac mini M2, the Mac mini M1 and the 24″ iMac M1 make amazing low cost options for musicians and creators. For some the 13″ MacBook Pro M2 would also be a viable option, but I personally hate the touch bar and find the design/features dated, so they are not for me (or the majority of others). In almost all ways, the newly refreshed MacBook Air M2 is a better computer than the older design 13″ MacBook Pro M2.
The MacBook Air M2 is a very cool laptop. Also keep in mind, when you configure above the minimum suggested above, you get closer to the cost of a 14″ MacBook Pro M1 Pro, a much better laptop. Even at the minimum recommended configuration, there is only a $400 uptick to this system with fans, larger and better display, more ports… but if you get GPU core, memory and/or storage upgrades the difference will be even less.
The above said, if you prioritize portability above sustained performance and pro features, a properly configured MacBook Air M2 may be perfect for you. There is nothing in Apple’s current lineup that is smaller or weighs less.
Equally, let’s keep all the above information in proper perspective. The MacBook Air M2 is a fan-less design entry level system with the fully expected limitations of a machine in its class. It is the MacBook suited best for the majority of basic computer users out there. MacBook Airs are Apple’s best sellers, and for very good reasons.
Memory and SSD Performance Benchmarks
I’ll be the first to admit there is a lot of sensationalism and overreaction in tech videos with benchmarking. Max Tech can be among the most flagrant and I do not always agree with their benchmark analysis. Still the core of what they and others do with benchmarks is valuable. Their video M2 MacBook Air 8GB vs 16GB RAM – How BAD is base model? is straight and to the point. If you’re still questioning my insistence that musicians and creatives would be meshuganah to get less than 16GB of memory and a 512GB SSD, watch that video (also in playlist near end of this page). Here’s some basic measurements.
In 2022, I feel no one is served well by buying a computer meant to last at least 5 years with 8GB of memory and a 256GB SSD. Musicians and creators especially would be poorly served by Apple’s MacBook Air M2’s base models. 16GB of memory and a 512GB SSD should be Apple’s base on their entry level models.
CPU & GPU Performance Benchmarks
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 processors in the MacBook Air are very similar to all other M2 Series processors, 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.
$1599.00 MacBook Air M2, 8 core CPU, 8 core GPU, 16GB memory, 512GB SSD vs $1999.00 MacBook Pro M1 Pro, 8 core CPU, 14 core GPU, 16GB memory, 512GB SSD.
Lightly loaded DAWs will run on an 8GB MacBook Air but you will hit the memory ceiling and feel it. Your call but I recommend 16GB. 256GB is a pointless SSD capacity as well. You will be on external storage very quickly.
Check software compatibilities
It should go without saying, but I’m gonna say it anyway. M Series has been out since November 2020. macOS Monterey has been out since October 2021. I think it’s crazy that any DAW or plugin should have issues or still require 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 a year and a half, 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.
All that said, my personal experience has been very good. Everything I use runs natively on M Series and is compatible with Monterey. But don’t listen to me, do your homework!
My personal experience with Ventura has also been very good. Everything I use runs natively on M Series and is compatible with Ventura. But don’t listen to me, do your homework!
Ports are important for musicians & content creators
I do wish these MacBook Air M2s had an Ethernet RJ-45 and a legacy USB-A port, but that will be probably never. The 2 Thunderbolt/USB-C ports on the MacBook Air 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 might not need more ports than are built into the MacBook Air, 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. 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 Air 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.
See Apple M Series External USB-C SSD Options for a more extensive discussion and specific product recommendations.
The MacBook Air M2 has what it takes to last 5+ years*
*Configuration caveats heeded. 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.
Keep coming back
What will be different about this site compared to many Apple sites is over time we will be sharing configuration and electronic music/video recording pertinent information. More soon.
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.
Apple M1 The M1, Apple’s first system on a chip designed for use in Macs, is manufactured using TSMC’s 5 nm process. Announced on November 10, 2020, it is used in the MacBook Air (M1, 2020), Mac mini (M1, 2020), MacBook Pro (13-inch, M1, 2020), iMac (24-inch, M1, 2021), iPad Pro (5th generation) and iPad Air (5th generation). It comes with 4 performance cores and 4 efficiency cores, for a total of 8 CPU cores. It comes with up to 8 GPU cores, with the entry level MacBook Air having only 7 GPU cores. The M1 has 16 billion transistors.
Apple M1 Pro The M1 Pro is a more powerful version of the M1, with six to eight performance cores, two efficiency cores, 14 to 16 GPU cores, 16 Neural Engine cores, up to 32 GB unified RAM with up to 200 GB/s memory bandwidth, and more than double the transistors. It was announced on October 18, 2021, and is used in the 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pro. Apple said the CPU performance is about 70% faster than the M1, and that its GPU performance is about double. Apple claims the M1 Pro can deliver up to 20 streams of 4K or 7 streams of 8K ProRes video playback (up from 6 offered by Afterburner card for 2019 Mac Pro).
Apple M1 Max The M1 Max is a larger version of the M1 Pro chip, with eight performance cores, two efficiency cores, 24 to 32 GPU cores, 16 Neural Engine cores, up to 64 GB unified RAM with up to 400 GB/s memory bandwidth, and more than double the number of transistors. It was announced on October 18, 2021, and is used in the 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pro, as well as the Mac Studio. Apple says it has 57 billion transistors. Apple claims the M1 Max can deliver up to 30 streams of 4K (up from 23 offered by Afterburner card for 2019 Mac Pro) or 7 streams of 8K ProRes video playback.
Apple M1 Ultra The M1 Ultra consists of two M1 Max dies connected together by a silicon interposer through Apple’s UltraFusion technology. It has 114 billion transistors, 16 performance cores, 4 efficiency cores, 48 to 64 GPU cores and 32 Neural Engine cores; it can be configured with up to 128 GB unified RAM of 800 GB/s memory bandwidth. It was announced on March 8, 2022, as an optional upgrade for the Mac Studio. Apple claims the M1 Ultra can deliver up to 18 streams of 8K ProRes video playback. Wikipedia
The brilliance of Apple silicon is the components of each one are the same. There are just more or less of them in each type.
* Exception is the M1 does not have the ProRes Encoder/Decoders that the M1 Pro, M1 Max and M1 Ultra have.
The Apple M1 Processor Series are truly game changing processors. By the end of 2023 all Intel based Macs should be history and replaced by M Series processors. As of Q1 2023, the only Apple system with Intel processors still is the Mac Pro.
The M1 processors are Apple custom ARMv8 processors and based on the TSMC 5nm process.
** If you are browsing this page from a phone, you may want to view the following chart in landscape mode.
Component
M1
M1 Pro
M1 Max
M1 Ultra
Efficiency CPU Cores
4
2
2
4
Efficiency Clock
2.1GHz
2.1GHz
2.1GHz
2.1GHz
Performance CPU Cores
4
6 or 8
8
16
Performance Clock
3.2GHz
3.2GHz
3.2GHz
3.2GHz
Neural Engine Cores
16
16
16
32
GPU Cores
7 or 8
14 or 16
24 or 32
48 or 64
Unified Memory
8GB or 16GB
16GB or 32GB
32GB or 64GB
64GB or 128GB
Memory Bandwidth
68.25GB/s
200GB/s
400GB/s
800GB/s
Video Decode Engines
1
1
1
2
Video Encode Engines
1
1
2
4
ProRes Encode-Decode Engines
0
1
2
4
Assuming a 2 year processor upgrade cycle, by the end of 2023 the M1 Series should be history and fully replaced by the Apple M2 Processor Series in newly released products.
Any Apple M1 Series computer will be a joyful experience compared to music and video production on Intel hardware. If you are a musician or creator, it is highly recommended to get at least 16GB of memory and 512GB storage if you select an M1 system. At the other end of the scale, 64 GPU cores and 128GB of memory will probably not make an appreciable difference for the average musician or creator if you select an M1 Ultra system.
There are 7 basic form factors of Apple macOS systems with M1 Series processors, 3 desktops and 4 laptops.
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.
