2019 MacBook Pro hardware options - best for Pro Tools?
 

Hi!

We need to buy a MacBook Pro for a Sound Technician's Course and Pro Tools will be the software used. Been doing some reading and wondering about the configuration options...It'll be the 15 inch 8-core i9 unit:

What options would you rank from most to least likely to affect performance?

Processor
2.3 GHz. boost to 4.8 vs 2.4 GHz, boost to 5.0

Memory
16 GB vs 32 GB

GPU
Radeon Pro 560X vs Radeon Pro Vega 16 vs Radeon Pro Vega 20

I'm thinking of maxing out the processor and the RAM and keeping the base GPU.

Does that sound reasonable?

Thanks!

Re: 2019 MacBook Pro hardware options - best for Pro Tools?
 

I think the maximum benefit would be achieved by maxing the RAM to 32GB. This is mostly because the i9 processor is already a beast. Of course, this depends on your workflow, the number of tracks, and how you use VI's and plugins.

Next, I would look to bump up the processor. Protools has always been processor hungry so the more processing power you have the better. The speed bump is only marginal but every little bit helps in Protools. Once again it depends on your workflow, the number of tracks, and how you use VI's and plugins.

So you got the two top options correct.

As for the GPU, neither will offer much of a performance improvement for Protools, but if you are driving multiple monitors via USB-C/Thunderbolt to Display Port at high resolutions and refresh rates, the better GPU will run more effortlessly. I doubt you will notice much a difference, however.

One final word. The SSD in the MPB is not replaceable so get the size you need. You can use external Thunderbolt drives but that internal PCI-E SSD is blazing fast. For most projects, it can handle the full load.

Re: 2019 MacBook Pro hardware options - best for Pro Tools?
 

32Gb memory and upgrade the internal ssd drive to 1T or more if you can afford it. PT isn't graphic intensive so whatever it comes with.

Also include a backup external drive incased the system farts....

Re: 2019 MacBook Pro hardware options - best for Pro Tools?
 

^^^ Good advice. Small CPU speed increase you will never notice. Absolutely get 32 Gb... you can use with disk cache etc and that's ensuring a long life, as software always keeps eating memory.

How much storage do you need? remembering all sessions, Vi samples etc. can be run from the internal super-fast PCIe SSD. Hence it's a good idea to max that our within reason... even at the idiot tax that apple charges for their SSD.

Re: 2019 MacBook Pro hardware options - best for Pro Tools?
 

Thanks for all the responses...great to get advice from experienced folks. Will definitely get 32MB RAM.

So I'm thinking of keeping the base 8-core i9 processor and instead of spending on the upgrade for that, just spend the $480 to get to 1TB SSD instead of 512GB. 2TB is $1200 and I think that's getting silly price-wise.

What would be a typical Pro Tools audio file size? I'm sure there's a ton of factors to look at but are we talking of a scale from hundreds of MB to some GB?

Thanks again!

Re: 2019 MacBook Pro hardware options - best for Pro Tools?
 

24bits * 48000 samples/sec = 1152000 bits/sec = 144000 bytes/sec (about 141kB/sec)

Multiply with the number of your tracks and length of your song

Re: 2019 MacBook Pro hardware options - best for Pro Tools?
 

I think you'll find a 1TB ssd will be more than enough with some future proofing. especially if you are not intending to install large libraries of plugins and virtual instruments and or sound loops/effects and such that want to run on the same ssd. Unless maybe you doing some 3.5 hr full feature film score..... but then you would have a budget for bigger better system. just make sure you have a backup drive which doesn't need to be an expensive large size ssd...

Re: 2019 MacBook Pro hardware options - best for Pro Tools?
 

Having an external backup drive that is only connected & powered on when actually backing up is probably the cheapest insurance one can have next to ZDT coverage on your iLok. Having such a backup has saved my bacon more than once.