Prognosis for PT HD Native and new Mac Pro?

[JCBigler]

We have funding to replace my main audio workstation which will come available July 1.

I intended to buy a new Mac Pro, PT HD Native, and probably some combination of Focusrite Rednet HD32R interfaces to interface with our Dante Network running a Yamaha CL5. This will also be used to run QLab audio and video playback, and Smaart, Studio Manager, Meyer Compass, and XTA Audio Core.

What's the current prognosis for running Protools on a fresh stock new Mac Pro?

Am I going to have to downgrade the OS as soon as I get it in? If so, how does one go about doing that, since I don't have any install discs for earlier operating systems? Are there any hardware combinations to look out for when specing the new Mac Pro? Is 32GB of RAM enough these days? or should I bump it up to 64GB?

ETA: This computer is going to have to last us for close to 10 years. I'm currently running on an original first Gen Intel Mac Pro which is 10 years old now.

[Brandonx1]

Originally Posted by JCBigler

We have funding to replace my main audio workstation which will come available July 1.

I intended to buy a new Mac Pro, PT HD Native, and probably some combination of Focusrite Rednet HD32R interfaces to interface with our Dante Network running a Yamaha CL5. This will also be used to run QLab audio and video playback, and Smaart, Studio Manager, Meyer Compass, and XTA Audio Core.

What's the current prognosis for running Protools on a fresh stock new Mac Pro?

Am I going to have to downgrade the OS as soon as I get it in? If so, how does one go about doing that, since I don't have any install discs for earlier operating systems? Are there any hardware combinations to look out for when specing the new Mac Pro? Is 32GB of RAM enough these days? or should I bump it up to 64GB?

I'm running 12.5 HDnT on a 12 core NMP with 12 gigs ram and OSX 10.10.1. It runs really well for me. I hear newer versions of OSX have issues with graphics.

[K Roche]

Originally Posted by JCBigler

We have funding to replace my main audio workstation which will come available July 1.

I intended to buy a new Mac Pro, PT HD Native, and probably some combination of Focusrite Rednet HD32R interfaces to interface with our Dante Network running a Yamaha CL5. This will also be used to run QLab audio and video playback, and Smaart, Studio Manager, Meyer Compass, and XTA Audio Core.

What's the current prognosis for running Protools on a fresh stock new Mac Pro?

Am I going to have to downgrade the OS as soon as I get it in? If so, how does one go about doing that, since I don't have any install discs for earlier operating systems? Are there any hardware combinations to look out for when specing the new Mac Pro? Is 32GB of RAM enough these days? or should I bump it up to 64GB?

ETA: This computer is going to have to last us for close to 10 years. I'm currently running on an original first Gen Intel Mac Pro which is 10 years old now.

Given you are aiming for a 10 service life. If it were me and it was in the budget I would get the absolute top end maximum Mac Pro processor and memory and for video the max graphics card
That said according to both MacRumors and MacWorld there is something about the coding in El Capitan that could suggest an upgrade to the current Mac Pro design, which is 2 1/2 years old . So depending on the time requirements of your funding it might be worth holding off until the fall or winter

[8dB.co.uk]

Or go Hackintosh and save yourself a shed load of cash, incompatibility and futureproofing worries.

Sent from my D5803 using Tapatalk

[8dB.co.uk]

And as K Roche said, at the very least Apple are going to have to revise up to Thunderbolt 3. The question then will be, will they do that at the expense of legacy connections? At least going the Hackintosh route you have the best of both worlds - latest generation connectivity and Ram / processor speeds, but also legacy and industry standard connectivity.

Sent from my D5803 using Tapatalk

[Brandonx1]

Originally Posted by 8dB.co.uk

And as K Roche said, at the very least Apple are going to have to revise up to Thunderbolt 3. The question then will be, will they do that at the expense of legacy connections? At least going the Hackintosh route you have the best of both worlds - latest generation connectivity and Ram / processor speeds, but also legacy and industry standard connectivity.

Sent from my D5803 using Tapatalk

There isn't a workstation class chip set with thunderbolt 3 yet. I think September will be the next get i7 release. It will take mackintosh 6 months minimum to catch up there so I would guess we are looking at new versions of a trashcan Mac Pro in a year. Not sure that waiting a year to upgrade is an option or a pro studio that is busy.

[JFreak]

I'm sure current and future Mac Pro hardware are in the Avid test grid so all current Avid hardware, HDN included, are very well supported

[Darryl Ramm]

Apple is behind the ball with Thunderbolt 3 support. It has to be coming soon. Unless I really had to I would not purchase any new Mac that does not have this.

Thunderbolt 2 is kinda embarrassing given say the IO capacity you can get on a few hundred dollar M.2 NVMe SSD card is around twice the bandwidth of a Thunderbolt 2 link.

[Matt Hepworth]

Unfortunately, I think you'll get a max longevity of 5 years out of any current Apple offering.

Apple is now concentrating on a new OS each year. Those new OSs will determine what hardware will run on it. The current pace puts you at about a 5 year mark before PT and OSwhatever will require something beyond what your hardware will be allowed to run.

If you buy now, you will want to downgrade to 10.10.4.

That said, the nMac Pro here has been to Apple twice already in the first year. It simply shuts off and sometimes won't power back up until an SMC reset. We're not using it for critical projects at all. Those projects are running PTHD 10 on the real Mac Pro (4,1) the new one was supposed to replace. Stable for years.

[groundcontrol]

I've built systems based on the nMP including the top specced one. In my opinion the value for $$ is not obvious. I would have gone for HP workstation for a number of reasons unless an OSX/all-Apple ecosystem was a requirement.