#492

I was very much on the fence for this but had to psotpone it until spring due to finances. I am saying to myself that this might be good thing because I find it hard to predict where the lack of active colling sets boundaries for audio work. Like how many and wich plugins can I use compared to my my 2013 MacBook Pro.

The other thing is that I might have to also replace my whole audio interface setup which is still centered around a Focusrite Saffire that is no longer supported by the manufacturer and connects via firewire. Generally at least a dock is needed with the modern MacBooks and confidence about Apple constantly changing their main (and today: only) connector type.

Apart from that my impression is that the new Air should work pretty good for audio - they do for ages now and audio is not that hard to process compared to video. Might depend on the software you want to use and how excessive it relies on modern computing power. A full rack of Waves virtual analogue recreations might be too much, but a decent Logic project with some stock plugins should work good.

Though I am still pondering if I should invest the 300 € for the fan…

#493

I’ve been using my base m1 for Max/MSP and Logic work for a couple weeks now with no issues at all. Things are speedy and smooth.

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#494

I’ve been enjoying the hell out of my macbook air m1. Only scratching the surface with ableton atm but have zero problems and the lil sucker is quick and portable. USB dock absolutely necessary but w/e.

Initially bought a chromebook and took that back 2 weeks later after zero success connecting it to Crow.

Go M1 or wait for the next gen, probably right over the horizon.

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#495

I have been using MacBook Pro mid 2014, and so far, works great with Ableton, NI stuff and more! Bought it when my wife was still at the uni so unded up saving a bit on the purchase :slight_smile:

#496

Is 8GB of ram enough in the M1 machines? Working daily in Live and Premiere Pro for the most part. Current iMac has 16GB, but is ancient.

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#497

@mattlowery 8GB isn’t a lot for a modern computer, especially when working with samples and considering the fact that you can never upgrade. then again, I suppose the speed of SSD-drives renders the overhead of paging to disk much less significant than it used to be.

also: leak about new 2021 macbook pro.

#498

Maybe mostly/partly true, but this far out from manufacturing and regulatory approval, these prognostications are seldom actual leaks and usually not the whole truth.

#499

Really hoping for mostly true on that one - I was planning on buying either an Air or MBP in the next couple months. I know waiting for the best new Apple product is perpetually chasing the dragon but those are the changes I’ve been hoping for in a MBP for years.

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#500

I’d upgrade to 16gb if you’re doing any video work. I picked up a M1 mini with 16gb and so far I’m quite happy. I’m not totally sure the argument folks are making about smaller RAM going further with the ARM chips really tracks for me.

My reasoning for not waiting for the chips to come was that when they launch the higher tiers of the ARM later this year or early 2022, that that’ll likely distinguish their higher end machines. I don’t need that much power for a music studio (not loading symphonic libraries or anything) and I don’t want to pay more than I did for the Mini.

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#501

hello ////er;s i’m considering getting a new 2020 16" 2.3 GHz/ 32GB/ 1TB mbp.

this is predominantly for making music…ableton, vst’s, supercollider, max, puredata some photoshop and whatever else that comes along.

i’ve had a 2011/ i7, 4 core processors/ 16GB/ 500GB SSD for the last few years - it’s served me well but has finally met it’s day.

i’m torn between this new razor sharp mbp which cost’s a pretty penny or getting a mid 2012 15" 2.7 GHz/ i7 4 core processors/ 16GB/ with two 500GB SSD’s (one in the optical drive) for around $350.

it feels like one might be a bandaid solution to the eventual reality of having to upgrade in the future. the M1 ARM side of things is intriguing, esp given what folks are saying about it above but I worry that a bunch of stuff that I like using, VST’s etc, aren’t going to be compatible for some time.

any thoughts would be appreciated:)

#502

I’m typing this on a mid-2012 MBP that I’ve upgraded over the years with more memory and SSD. It works pretty well for Ableton and Max, although I don’t really use it for anything really heavy so can’t say how it would do on some kind of massive Ableton project or something like that. I’m holding out upgrading until the next round of ARM MBPs. I figure by then most software will be ported to the new architecture. The performance improvements with the ARM chips are so big that I personally wouldn’t buy an Intel Mac
right now.

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#503

yeah i might just grab that cheap mid 2012 which should get me through the next 16 months and see what the developments are by then.

the intel mbp’s will still be available then if all else fails

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#504

i was getting really tired of my fans blasting a few minutes into any ableton session (even just recording some stereo audio!) so i gave Turbo Boost Switcher a shot. happy to share it works wonderfully for me. my laptop is running a lot cooler and the fans are staying nice and quiet. sheesh what a relief!

i’m running an 8 core i9 16" mbp, so the performance hit hasn’t been an issue thus far. that said, i tend to keep my ableton sessions as modest as possible - freezing tracks, bouncing, etc.

it’s easy enough to toggle turbo boost back on when i need the extra juice. it’s pretty wild to see the temps immediately start crawling up after i re-enable it - even if the cpu workload is minimal.

5 Likes
#505

yeah that’s really troubling given my mbp 2012 4 core i7 is petty much silent and cool when doing basic/modest work in ableton. considering the contrast in price, this only accelerates my apprehension:/ are you on a 2019?

#506

oh sorry i wasn’t responding to your question - just reposting the info about turbo boost switcher because i think it’s a very useful tool in managing the processor behavior in these intel macs. wish i had tried it sooner.

2019 indeed. totally happy with the computer. i upgraded from a 2014 mbp and the performance increase has been extremely useful in my work.

i think i was exaggerating the situation a bit when i said “fans blasting”. it was that they were getting audibly loud to the point of irritating me - but not to the max level they reach when i’ve got 3D animation rendering. i’m also running a 4k external display, which uses the dedicated gpu, which generates more heat. the cooling system seems to work really well - i’m just looking to minimize noise sometimes.

apparently turbo boost has been intel’s scheme to maintain the appearance of cpu performance progress, by way of overclocking without concern for power consumption or heat generation. it’s activated by small tasks, such as launching apps. sometimes these increases only speed up tasks by a second or two. from what i’ve read, disabling turbo boost isn’t going to make a significant impact on performance most of the time. it also extends battery capacity significantly.

1 Like
#507

guys i need help

…during christmas my macbook gone drunk (i spilled a bottle of wine over it)
now i need to “obviously” change it

Suggestion? was looking to the new m1 MBP or Air
budget between 1000 and 1500€, need 16gb RAM
working as “covid forced retired” UI/UX designer (adobe suite and web develop)

#508

Just wanted to give another happy report on turbo boost switcher. super, super nice to be able to check a mix and not have the fans going wild!

2 Likes
#509

Yep same here. Great tip!

#510

YES, OMG, my studio/work space is so much more peaceful and quiet. The fan used to kick in the moment i plugged in an external monitor. I was seriously pondering trading the thing in for a mac mini.

#511

I too installed it and am breathing a sigh of relief. I have an HP Z27n monitor connected via Thunderbolt (and a USB hub plugged into the monitor) and the fan was on nearly constantly.

But just based on the first day of use, it feels like at the point where the Turbo Boost might kick in, the monitor drops out. And because my audio interface is plugged into the monitor, it loses its connection to Pro Tools and PT quits.

Is anyone else experiencing this kind of thing? It could be unrelated other issues with my setup, but wanted to check if anyone is using it while specifically connecting to a monitor via Thunderbolt.