New Mac User - Suggestions?

[Sugarnutz]

Just bought myself a Mid-2015 MBP with 2.2 GHz i7, 16 Gb of RAM, 512 Gb of PCIe storage and Retina display. It's a refurb from Apple, but I'll be damned if I can tell it.I did do a bit f research before I bought this and it appeared to be one of the best for music production.

I've toyed with Hackingtosh PCs forever, but this is my 1st "Official" Mac so I'm looking for suggestions to help improve the experience.

I have a new Antelope Audio Zen Studio+ that I'll hook up via Thunderbolt and I've ordered a USB 3.0 hard drive enclosure for sessions on a new 2 Tb/7200 RPM drive. My primary DAW is Pro Tools, so 12.8 is the version I'll install. I have beaucoup plugins from Waves, Eventide, Slate, AIR Instruments on my iLok and just subscribed to East/West Composers cloud. I also have a license for Harrison Mixbus 32C V3 which actually is pretty nice for mixing.

I'm looking at an OWC Thunderbolt 2 dock, but after spending the coin on the MBP I'll have to wait a minute.

Any suggestions are welcome. Thanx in advance

[cwsand]

Hi, I recently upgraded my 2011 MBP with the Data Doubler kit from OWC and installed a 250GB SSD system drive. Not sure what kind of system drive you have, but going SSD made a tremendous increase in system response for me!

[Obsidian Dragon]

Originally Posted by cwsand

Hi, I recently upgraded my 2011 MBP with the Data Doubler kit from OWC and installed a 250GB SSD system drive. Not sure what kind of system drive you have, but going SSD made a tremendous increase in system response for me!

His 2015 MBP already has a super fast SSD. They no longer have any room or option for a spinner HD.

[cwsand]

Originally Posted by Sugarnutz

I've ordered a USB 3.0 hard drive enclosure for sessions on a new 2 Gb/7200 RPM drive.

I'm assuming you meant 2 TB??

Originally Posted by Obsidian Dragon

His 2015 MBP already has a super fast SSD. They no longer have any room or option for a spinner HD.

Cool, that's the way to go. Add an SSD recording drive and you'll be set.

[Sugarnutz]

Originally Posted by cwsand

I'm assuming you meant 2 TB??

Yes!

I ordered the MBP with a 512 Gb PCIe flash storage instead of the stock 256 Gb and it is screaming fast.

[panamajack]

I added additional USB3 hubs to my MBP: first was a Kanex with (3) USB3 ports and GB Ethernet; second was a 28" Phillips 4K monitor with (4) USB3 ports; and third was an external 2TB USB 3 backup drive with (2) USB3 ports. Then wanted to run dual daisy-chained 4K monitors at 60 Hz so bought two external thunderbolt 6TB RAID external drives with dual TB ports. Daisy chain the monitor hub and hard drive hub off the Kanex. The other MBP USB3 port is dedicated to an external G-RAID flash storage. Eeek, lots of cords...

The OWC Thunderbolt 2 dock might be a better option for you, it would definitely cost less.

[Sugarnutz]

I've ordered an Anker 4 port USB 3.0 Ultra Slim hub. Plan to use it for my iLok, Waves USB stick, my Behringer X-Touch and my M-Audio 61es or 88es keyboards on one USB 3.0 port of the MBP and the 2Tb external drive on the other. As of right now only one Thunderbolt port will be used for my Zen Studio+. I have an iPad Pro (9 inch) that might figure in here as a controller or such, I even have a lightning to USB adapter that allows me to hook the Zen to the iPad. I also have a brand new wireless router that one or up to three of the Behringer X-Toucn controllers could be hooked up through via the Ethernet connectors. The new X-Touch expanders are out now, but I think the X-Touch system, while it works well, is more suited to Logic than Pro Tools.

I tend to keep everything I ever come across and that includes a Panasonic/Ramsa DA-7 digital console (in a Bob Bodega road case), that's an additional 16 mic/line inputs via the ADAT inputs on the Zen Studio for a total of 28. I also have a 20 channel Spectra Sonics console from the early 70's I've gutted the modules from and racking 8-10 of them up with the original transformer outputs to go into the 8 DB25 line inputs on the Zen Studio.

My goal is a very portable "Guerrilla" recording rig. Can you imagine recording a hot-assed Salsa band live into Pro Tools?

[Sugarnutz]

I ended up with two of the Anker 4 port USB 3.0 hubs, one with a 2 Tb, a 1 Tb, a 4 Tb drive and a Blu-ray burner. So far so good. I'm really impressed with this MacBook so far, particularly since I've been a Windows PC guru all these years. The lack of an Ethernet port got me though, took so long to download East/West Composer Cloud that I bought a TB to Gigabit Ethernet adapter.

[DannyB_KY]

The OWC TB-2 dock is the schnizzle!!!

I have new and an older MBP. Both have the OWC TB-2 dock! I bought the wife a new iMac that arrives tomorrow. I'll be getting her an OWC dock also!

[Dan Tinen]

I'm a big fan of the newertechnology Voyager hard drive docks from OWC. I just buy raw SATA drives and plug them in to the Voyager; it's less hassle than having to open a USB 3 hard drive enclosure...plus it has all those other interfaces (FireWire, eSATA) when you need to troubleshoot other systems. Make sure to buy the SATA drive stack cases if you do this...keeping a bunch of cardboard boxes with SATA drives in them is a little messy.