[Obsidian Dragon]

I agree with everything others have said here. I am optimistic about Apple Silicon and hope it becomes the performance beast it is hyped to be in future iterations. The current M1 as configured is still an entry level performer in entry level systems.

Given your immediate need and mentioned uses (VI's, Video, extensive Plugins, etc.), you will best be served with a high end Intel based Mac for now. An 8-core i9 16" MacBook Pro with 32GB or 64GB RAM will give you years of great performance and capacity for your needs.

If portability is not a requirement, you might consider a used Mac Pro (trashcan) or iMac Pro (discontinued). These are still great performers for Protools and can run the current OS (Big Sur) still.