Low budget yet good quality PT11 system

[VRW]

Hi everybody!
This is nothing new I know but as there are still people on tight budgets frequently asking
for a well working PT11 system for less money I thought I could post a still affordable yet
good quality variant once again here.

Before I start I want to say that if it might be possible, you should just get one of those
new MacBooks Pro with those tremendously fast new PCie Flash drives, you won´t regret it.
You will be happy for years for sure with one of those, in combination with a modern, fast
audio interface (preferably with a Thunderbolt connection).

If this however is simply out one´s the accessible range as to money, the following parts will
provide one a still affordable yet powerful, Pro Tools 11 ready system anyway.

1. Mac Mini 2012 i7 Quad Core
http://www.amazon.com/Apple-Mini-MD3.../dp/B007477COO
$795.-

or

Mac Mini 2012 i7 Quad Core Server (which only means that there are originally 2 HDDs built in
instead of only 1 and because of that it will be more expensive...as long as the price stays
below 1k it is worth buying it anyway if one can´t get the standard version anymore...at least
the user doesn´t need to buy the ifixit Data Doubler as this will be built in originally and can be
used for SSDs as well)
http://www.amazon.com/Apple-Mini-MD3...ore+server#Ask
starts at $895.-

2. 16GB Ram Crucial (Mac compatible)
http://www.amazon.com/Crucial-PC3-12...00MHz+DDR3+Mac
$130.-

3. ifixit Mac Mini Data Doubler
https://www.ifixit.com/Store/Mac/Mac...-Kit/IF171-005
$30.-

4. Samsung 850 Evo 256GB SSD (for the OS drive)
http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-2-5-In...amsung+850+Evo
$133.-

5. Samsung 850 Pro 512GB SSD (for the 2nd internal audio drive)
http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-512GB-...ds=Samsung+850
$350.-

6. Focusrite Saffire Pro 26 FW/Thunderbolt audio interface
http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/SaffPro26
$350.-

or

7. Focusrite Saffire Pro 40 FW/Thunderbolt audio interface
http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/SaffPro40
$500.-

Will be $1788.- with the Focusrite Saffire Pro 26 which offers all the Digi 002/003 series used to have.
Will be $1938.- with the Focusrite Saffire Pro 40 which offers even more mic pres, In and Outs.

Both variants meet all requirements of PT11, are Mac OS X Yosemite ready and all are definitely good
quality components.

The Mini comes with an i7 Quad Core processor, offers 4x USB 3, 1x Firewire 800, 1x Thunderbolt, HDMI etc...
will have 16GB Ram...
the OS drive will be a Samsung 850 Evo 256GB SSD (the successor of the 840 Evo and the latest release from Samsung)...
the (built in) audio drive will be a Samsung 850 Pro 512GB SSD (the best and most reliable SATA SSD you can get...can handle massive writing perfectly)...
together with the Focusrite Saffire Pro Series which is of really decent quality for the price and widely used and proven with Pro Tools 11...

If this particular i7 Quad Mini model (2,3GHz or 2,6GHz) will be too hard to find someday and one may
be just on a tight budget, IMO it would be the better idea to rather get any used i7 Quad Core Macbook
Pro from Ebay etc. than to buy one of the new Mac Minis.

The new Mac Minis are for sure nice little machines but not really appropriate for the use with Pro Tools
as they provide no good multicore performance which is crucial for Pro Tools.
http://www.macrumors.com/2014/10/19/...014-benchmark/

Hence even a used, older i7 Quad Core MacBook will be more usable for Pro Tools than the new Mac Minis.
Just avoid getting older, used i5 processor machines, only get any i7 Quad Core Mac from 2011 up to today.
Even 2011 MacBooks Pro are powerful enough and already offer a Thunderbolt port which may come in handy
more and more in the future.

Anyway if you still can get one 2012 i7 Quad Core Mini, grab it. There´s no better bet on the lower price range
for the use with Pro Tools 11 and later.

You just need to take yourself a little time to replace all those parts of the Mini carefully. If you get the
right tools and you will be careful and patient you will be able to do it by the help of this video alone even if
you are no technician at all (like myself and I finally got it done with both of my Minis).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=63WL3Q7UujI

So hopefully this may help and inspire ones out there looking for a decent PT11 budget solution.



All the best,


VRW



PS: If using those Samsung SSDs listed above you should use this little app too to enable Trim support.
There´s a free and a $10.- Pro version, both will do the job. It´s important to keep your SSDs fast and healthy.
http://www.cindori.org/software/trimenabler/

As an alternative to those Samsung SSDs listed above you also could use OWC SSDs as these need no extra
Trim support (and no 3rd party app) because they use a special processor type.
Some people use it successfully with Pro Tools, other quite knowledgable guys as to SSDs did not recommend it
for the use with PT because of this particular processor type. So finally it´s just up to you, guys, of course.
Me personally would rather recommend those Samsung 850 series as these are really working great with
Pro Tools 11+Yosemite from my personal experience.

For the OS drive
OWC Mercury Electra 240GB SSD $144.-
http://eshop.macsales.com/item/OWC/SSD7E6G240/
For the audio drive
OWC Mercury Extreme Pro 480GB SSD $368.-
http://eshop.macsales.com/item/OWC/SSD7P6G480/




Mac Mini i7Quad, 16GB Ram, MBP Mid 2012 2,5GHz i5, 16GB Ram, Mac OSX 10.10.1 Yosemite, Apogee Quartet+Duet 2
Genelec Active, Yamaha NS10, Pro Tools 11.3, Logic 10.0.7, Waves, MCDSP, Duende Native, HOFA, IK Multimedia, NI etc.

[Fezzler]

I have done a lot of reading and research lately on this topic and concur with the advice in this post. I'm printing it for review.

One question, can the i7 quad core Mac Mini that is a "server" also be used?

[JFreak]

Originally Posted by Fezzler

One question, can the i7 quad core Mac Mini that is a "server" also be used?

Why not? AFAIK, the only difference is server having two drives vs. regular mini having only one.

[VRW]

Originally Posted by Fezzler

One question, can the i7 quad core Mac Mini that is a "server" also be used?

Originally Posted by JFreak

Why not? AFAIK, the only difference is server having two drives vs. regular mini having only one.

Good point! Thanks a lot. I didn´t think of it actually.

As JF has mentioned already the only difference is that the Server originally comes
with 2 built in HDDs instead of 1. That´s why it will be more expensive.
Anyway as long as the price doesn´t exceed 1k a lot IMO it is still worth buying it if
there should be no standard model available anymore.

I have updated my post as there are still units available on Amazon. So if the standard
models would be sold out, this might be another chance to get one.

Cheers.

[John_Toolbox]

Great post, VRW, thanks for taking the time to put this up. I don't have much to add to it, other than to reinforce the fact that the 2012 quad core mac mini is better than the more recent dual core offering. These will get harder to find as time goes on since they are no longer made, but I think they are powerful enough that they will be "current" for quite some time.

[Obsidian Dragon]

I've always thought those 2012 Mc Mini servers wight he quad core i7 would be perfect for Protools. Just a hick question: Do you leave the OS with the server extensions in place or do you reformat the drive(s) and install the regular non-server OS. I haven't used the server version so I don't know if it is a completely separate thing. Can the server components be uninstalled?

[JFreak]

Originally Posted by Obsidian Dragon

Do you leave the OS with the server extensions in place or do you reformat the drive(s) and install the regular non-server OS.

Always a complete clean re-install of the desktop OSX to an empty system drive. That is the Avid recommended and supported way. While the desktop parts of a desktop and server OSX are identical, you never know what the server daemons are doing while you have PT open, no matter if they are supposed to do nothing.

[VRW]

Originally Posted by JFreak

Always a complete clean re-install of the desktop OSX to an empty system drive. That is the Avid recommended and supported way. While the desktop parts of a desktop and server OSX are identical, you never know what the server daemons are doing while you have PT open, no matter if they are supposed to do nothing.

+100

PT needs a clean, as pure as possible OS X to work well. Definitely doesn´t like to "share" the system
with lots of other stuff anyway. Some other music production tools/apps at the most but nothing else
which may be demanding or interfering in a way.

[Obsidian Dragon]

Originally Posted by JFreak

Always a complete clean re-install of the desktop OSX to an empty system drive. That is the Avid recommended and supported way. While the desktop parts of a desktop and server OSX are identical, you never know what the server daemons are doing while you have PT open, no matter if they are supposed to do nothing.

Okay. That's what I thought but just wanted to have confirmation.