P12 on Mac Mini

[vcolella]

Upgrading my Windows PT setup to P12 on a Mac Mini. Looking to understand which config of a Mac Mini would be best to buy. (cpu, ram, hd, etc). Known issues?

Thanks

Get everything as high as you can. Unless it's the HD package. If you don't need it then don't get it.


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[Drew Mazurek]

Originally Posted by vcolella

Upgrading my Windows PT setup to P12 on a Mac Mini. Looking to understand which config of a Mac Mini would be best to buy. (cpu, ram, hd, etc). Known issues?

Thanks

The conventional wisdom is that the only Mac mini worth using for PT is the quad-core i7 version, which is NOT the new one.

[Eric Seaberg]

I've got a late 2012 that I'd be interested in selling. Only using it as a music server as my home PT machine is a 2011 iMac i7.

The MINI is a 2.6GHz i7 with 16GB RAM and 256GB SSD. I got the i7 in case I wanted to install ProTools on it instead of hauling around my 27" iMac, but so far I haven't done so.

PM if you're interested. It's not really for sale, but I'd consider it if you really want it. Custom upgrade cost me about $1100, but it is a fast little Mac!

[Eric Seaberg]

Just did a quick search on eBay and there's LOTS of late 2012 MINIs. I'd look for the 2.6GHz i7 (what I have) which is the baddest one you could get at the time. Quad core compared to two in the new ones. 16GB RAM, but you don't need to buy it that way as it's REALLY easy to install more on the 2012.

The 2012 also has room inside for two drives, like an SSD for OS and apps, and a 1TB spinner for data. It would be a totally self contained box for all your ProTools sessions.

The 2012 also has Firewire 800, so you could use older interfaces, like the hot-rodded Mbox Pro 3 that I've got.

Prices on eBay are ranging from $900 to $1300. Happy shopping!!

[crandallwarren]

For what it's worth, I run PT12HD Native (just software, no hardware) on a 2014 i5 mac mini with the stock HD and just 4GB of ram and it does fine. I mix big sessions with lots of plugs all day long and I rarely, if ever, run out of steam.

If I'm running lots of VI's in realtime, sometimes it can freeze up. But nowadays, with all the options of track freeze and commit. You can really do a lot more on more modest machines.

Mine cost me $475.

[VRW]

Originally Posted by vcolella

Upgrading my Windows PT setup to P12 on a Mac Mini. Looking to understand which config of a Mac Mini would be best to buy. (cpu, ram, hd, etc). Known issues?

Thanks

Like mentioned by Eric Seaberg already if you want a decent machine for the use with Pro Tools 12 you want a 2012 i7 Quad Core Mini with at least
a 7200rpm internal hard drive (no original 5400rpm drives!) or even better a 256GB+ SSD.

I had the 2,3GHz i7 Quad model from 2012 myself and can confirm that with 16GB memory and 1-2 SSDs built in this little thing flies with Pro Tools.
So much more useable than any model of the newer Minis.

Originally Posted by Eric Seaberg

I've got a late 2012 that I'd be interested in selling. Only using it as a music server as my home PT machine is a 2011 iMac i7.

The MINI is a 2.6GHz i7 with 16GB RAM and 256GB SSD. I got the i7 in case I wanted to install ProTools on it instead of hauling around my 27" iMac, but so far I haven't done so.

PM if you're interested. It's not really for sale, but I'd consider it if you really want it. Custom upgrade cost me about $1100, but it is a fast little Mac!

This is a great machine. I would take advantage of his offer if I were you.
Of course you can get some on Ebay as well but this one seems to be a powerhouse (the 2,6GHz model, 256GB Flash drive, 16GB Ram) and looks like
coming from a reliable seller.

Basically the best working and fastest solution as for drives will be 2 internal SSDs for sure and the user can put in those drives himself with a 2012 Mini.
I have done that with 2 different Minis in the past myself successfully but other than Eric I think it´s kinda tricky work and if the user haven´t at least
some basic DIY computer skills he should not do it. However OP check it out yourself, this is the tutorial video for putting in 2 drives in a 2012 Mini.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=63WL3Q7UujI

Nevertheless it can be done of course.

If you have absolutely no DIY computer skills and you do not have any friend or colleague who can do that for you, you better use an external drive for
your Pro Tools sessions+audio files.
What´s great with the 2012 Mini models is like mentioned by Eric already that it has multiple options as for the connection types of your external drives.
You can use Firewire 800, USB 3 or Thunderbolt drives which gives you a lot of flexibilty. Same for any audio interface you want to use with this machine.
Just avoid any USB 2 drives! However you of course can use USB 2 audio interfaces for the work with Pro Tools. Don´t mess this up.

As for the drive itself Pro Tools requires a 7200rpm HDD at least, SSDs are even better. Again, no 5400rpm drives!
As you are from the States OWC is a good place for external Pro Tools ready hard drives or SSDs. Check it out.
https://eshop.macsales.com/shop/exte...340.1489851416

If you are on a tight budget and you want a very affordable external drive solution you may check out these as well.
Put either such a 7200rpm HDD
https://www.amazon.com/Black-Perform...ital+Black+2.5
or a good quality SSD
https://www.amazon.com/Samsung-2-5-I...850%2BEvo&th=1
into such an external USB 3 enclosure
https://www.amazon.com/Inateck-Enclo...e+%28FE2010%29

Again, do yourself a favor and go for a 2012 i7 Quad Core Mini if you want to get a decent computer for Pro Tools. Other newer models may work to a
certain degree (some users seem to be satisfied, other users have nothing but trouble with these) as well but they never will provide you the same amount
of quality and reliability the 2012 i7 Quad Core will offer you. As for Mac Minis newer ain´t better indeed.

Cheers.

[crandallwarren]

The conventional wisdom with computers is you should go as big as you can, but I would not go with a five year old computer just so you have an i7. The one thing that plagues mac is that their older hardware does eventually become buggy as the OS evolves. Newer i5s are very similar in capability to older i7's.

I think it really depends on what kind of work you do. If you compose with a lot of VI'S then the ram count and processor speed is more of an issue. However, if most of what you're doing is tracking and mixing-- I have not found it to be nearly as much of an issue. Especially if you're talking about an on-native HD solution-- because then most of the mixing is being done by the cards.
Like I said, everything on my mac is stock.

I switch back and forth between my mini and my MacBook Air all the time and rarely run into problems. And again, with track freeze, maxing out your resources is really not the insurmountable issue it once was.

[noah330]

I have a Mini Server i7 2012 model. I bought it for cheap and it was maxed out with RAM. The server also holds two hard drives. I replaced both with SSDs when I got the machine.

I use a Thunderbolt chassis for my HD Native card. No hiccups runs killer.

[sned_uses_pro_tools]

Originally Posted by crandallwarren

The conventional wisdom with computers is you should go as big as you can, but I would not go with a five year old computer just so you have an i7. The one thing that plagues mac is that their older hardware does eventually become buggy as the OS evolves. Newer i5s are very similar in capability to older i7's.

I think it really depends on what kind of work you do. If you compose with a lot of VI'S then the ram count and processor speed is more of an issue. However, if most of what you're doing is tracking and mixing-- I have not found it to be nearly as much of an issue. Especially if you're talking about an on-native HD solution-- because then most of the mixing is being done by the cards.
Like I said, everything on my mac is stock.

I switch back and forth between my mini and my MacBook Air all the time and rarely run into problems. And again, with track freeze, maxing out your resources is really not the insurmountable issue it once was.

Can i ask what is the configuration of your macbook air? I have only 4gb of ram, but was hoping to use for remote recording. Mixing on mac mini.

Thanks