Need help verifying a hardware spec

[robgalpin]

Hi, Apologies if this is the wrong forum to ask this question. If this is the wrong place to post this please tell me where would be more appropriate.

This is about making sure the computer purchase I am making won't leave me wanting more and needing to buy more to make it work as needed.

My experience is that the Pro Tools documentation describes minimum spec but there are so many details beyond the spec that need to be right in order for all to work well in a specific setup.

I use an MBOX PRO interface - FireWire will require adapter to Thunderbolt, right? It is a home studio. 99% of use is just me recording tracks on at a time - but sometimes need to record a drum set - midi drums with 3 or 4 mics on live cymbals.

I am looking at a refurbished iMac, originally released June 2017 - see detailed spec below. Will this work? Anything to look out for? Thanks - and sorry if this is the wrong place to post this. I was surprised that I could not find discussions on this board about hardware specs - pitfalls and whatnot.

Processor
3.4GHz quad-core 7th-generation Intel Core i5, Turbo Boost up to 3.8GHz

Memory
16GB of 2400MHz DDR4 onboard memory

Storage
1TB Fusion Drive1

Graphics
Radeon Pro 560 with 4GB of VRAM

Video Support and Camera
FaceTime HD camera

Simultaneously supports full native resolution on the built-in display at millions of colors (21.5‑inch) or 1 billion colors (21.5‑inch 4K) and:

One 5120x2880 (5K) external display at 60Hz with support for 1 billion colors, or

Two 3840x2160 (4K UHD) external displays at 60Hz with support for 1 billion colors, or

Two 4096x2304 (4K) external displays at 60Hz with support for millions of colors

Thunderbolt 3 digital video output

Native DisplayPort output over USB‑C

Thunderbolt 2, HDMI, DVI and VGA output supported using adapters (sold separately)

Input/Output
SDXC card slot

Four USB 3 ports (compatible with USB 2)

Two Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) ports with support for:

DisplayPort

Thunderbolt (up to 40 Gbps)

USB 3.1 Gen 2 (up to 10 Gbps)

Thunderbolt 2, HDMI, DVI, and VGA supported using adapters (sold separately)

10/100/1000BASE-T Gigabit Ethernet (RJ-45 connector)

Kensington lock slot

[albee1952]

My 2 cents:
1-i7 instead of i5(you need power)
2-AVOID FUSION DRIVES(get SSD if you can)

Unless you get a big SSD(like 1TB), you'll want a separate recording drive(a good SSD can work for a time, but you don't want to fill your system drive with sessions), so consider adding a fast external drive(this can be tricky as most external drives are not fast). One solution is to buy from a company that specializes in recording drives(like Glyph or AvaStor). Another option is to buy an external case and stuff it with either a fast SSD, or a 7200 rpm spinner(WD Caviar Black are a great choice).

I also recommend a big(like 4TB or bigger) external for backups. I would partition that so that session backups are separate from "system" backups

[musicman691]

Originally Posted by albee1952

My 2 cents:
1-i7 instead of i5(you need power)
2-AVOID FUSION DRIVES(get SSD if you can)

Unless you get a big SSD(like 1TB), you'll want a separate recording drive(a good SSD can work for a time, but you don't want to fill your system drive with sessions), so consider adding a fast external drive(this can be tricky as most external drives are not fast). One solution is to buy from a company that specializes in recording drives(like Glyph or AvaStor). Another option is to buy an external case and stuff it with either a fast SSD, or a 7200 rpm spinner(WD Caviar Black are a great choice).

I also recommend a big(like 4TB or bigger) external for backups. I would partition that so that session backups are separate from "system" backups

To add to the above:
Go for the 27 inch as it looks like you're looking at the smaller iMac.
If you go for the 27" do not buy Apple ram but go third party from OWC.
iLoks have been known to have issues with USB3 ports so you might be needing a powered USB hub to go between the computer and iLok.
Lastly and this is a personal preference/thing: get a real mouse with two buttons. I never got along with any Apple mouse. Macs will use any mouse. I like corded rodents.

[albee1952]

Originally Posted by musicman691

To add to the above:
Go for the 27 inch as it looks like you're looking at the smaller iMac.
If you go for the 27" do not buy Apple ram but go third party from OWC.
iLoks have been known to have issues with USB3 ports so you might be needing a powered USB hub to go between the computer and iLok.
Lastly and this is a personal preference/thing: get a real mouse with two buttons. I never got along with any Apple mouse. Macs will use any mouse. I like corded rodents.

FWIW, re ilok and USB3, on my rig(PC running Windows 10), I have 3 iLoks and a drive dock plugged into a powered USB3 hub and everything works great

[musicman691]

Originally Posted by albee1952

FWIW, re ilok and USB3, on my rig(PC running Windows 10), I have 3 iLoks and a drive dock plugged into a powered USB3 hub and everything works great

Lucky man I guess.

[albee1952]

Originally Posted by musicman691

Lucky man I guess.

Is it that, or is it the newer iLok management software