iMac Specs for Pro Tools 11

[napkip03]

I am currently in the final stages of choosing between optional specs for a new iMac 21.5” and ProTools 10/11. Recent chats with Apple have convinced me that they’re not the experts in what will or won’t work with ProTools. I’m looking to get a system that isn’t top of the line ($$$), but will work well and have some growing room. I’ve based my questions on this forum’s “make sure you include these details when you post” list – please let me know if I’ve omitted any important info.

1. Computer model and processor speed: iMAC 21.5” with either:
2.7GHz
OR 2.9GHz i5 (boost up to 3.6GHz) +$200
OR 3.1GHz i7 (boost up to 3.9Ghz) +$200 more.
What will the increased processor speed do for me? Is it worth doing? From what I've seen, most people have at least 4Ghz, so I figure the 3.9Ghz might be the best option, but I'm not sure even that will be enough.

2. Graphics: the 2.7GHz comes with the NVIDIA GeForce GT 640M 512MB GDDR5. The 2.9 & 3.1 come with the NVIDIA GeForce GT 650M 512M GDDR5. Will either work? I figure either will, since they are extremely similar.

3. OS version: Mountain Lion 10.8 (I believe)

4. Amount of RAM installed:
8GB 1600MHz DDR3 SDRAM – 2x4GB
OR 16GB 1600MHz DDR3 SDRAM – 2x8GB +$200.
I’m planning to go with the 16GB.

5. Number and type (firewire, SATA, SCSI, etc) of drives installed, how they're formatted and which one(s) you're using for recording and playback: Options are:
1TB Serial ATA Drive @ 5400rpm (I believe PT requires 7200rpm?)
OR 1TB Fusion Drive +$250 (part serial drive, part solid state)
OR 256GB Flash Storage +$300
OR 561GB Flash Storage +$600.
LEANING TOWARD ORDERING IT WITH THE 256GB Flash INSTALLED – but not sure will work. Would then add a separate external hard drive for storage – probably a SATA @5600rpm. Would this work?

6. Connections: 1 headphone, 1 SDXC card slot, 4 USB 3 ports (Can USB 3 be a problem?), 2 Thunderbolt ports (is it okay to connect to a drive using a Thunderbolt to firewire cable?), and 1 Gigabit Ethernet port.

7. I will be using a usb cable to attach to a MIDI keyboard, and will buy other peripherals gradually (pre-amp, digital converter, etc.)

8. Avid hardware model – I have an M-Audio Axiom 49 MIDI keyboard

9. Pro Tools version: 10, will upgrade to 11. Educational version.

10. Do I need to worry about what sound card it comes with?

11. I plan to use the system for recording, editing, mixing, and mastering of original material with both live and digital instrumentation, including the composition and recording of film scores.

[trakbytes]

I just upgraded my system recently (had a 24" imac core 2 duo), and here is what I suggest:

I like imacs, and can appreciate the all-in-one form factor. However, I think you can get a lot more bang-for-your-buck with a Mac Mini. Get the 2.6 i7 quad core (apparently hyper-threading is a big deal and only available with the i7) with 256 G SSD. You'll only be using this for system and programs. Get your 16 gigs memory from an outside vendor, as the imac 21" is not user upgradable and you'll pay a premium for 16 Gigs from Apple. I've read that the Fusion drive is not good for audio (not that you should use the internal drive for audio files anyway) as it writes to buffer before writing to the hard disk. Also, the imac does not have FW ports, so you'll need an adapter if you need to use a FW external drive, which you probably will. The Mini has FW 800 and Thunderbolt ports built in. You can add a second internal drive to the Mini with an adapter kit. I have 2 SSD's in mine, and it is working great.

The imac you want will cost you about $2200 and will not be upgradeable in the future. You can get the Mac Mini for about $1200 and use the extra cash for a 24" monitor (around $200 these days), keyboard and mouse of your choice ($150?) and use the balance for a USB3 drive for samples and backup and a FW 800 external drive (even 4TByte drives are pretty cheap now) and that 16 gigs of RAM. You'll have more flexibility in the future and a better system now.

As for audio hardware and other software, that is pretty much a matter of personal choice, but a lot of people here are using the Mini in fully professional systems and it works well.

Oh, PS: Welcome to the forums!

[napkip03]

Thank you very much for your help. I will definitely take a look at the Mini Mac, I hadn't looked at those before.

[napkip03]

Most peripherals I've seen use USB, with the only exception being ethernet for one control panel I saw. Do you know any examples of what kind of hardware might require a FW connection?

[CME]

Originally Posted by napkip03

Most peripherals I've seen use USB, with the only exception being ethernet for one control panel I saw. Do you know any examples of what kind of hardware might require a FW connection?

I use FW all the time for external hard drives. It's better for audio than USB 2.0. However USB 3.0 may be a better choice these days.

Also a lot of audio interfaces use FireWire. My metric halo 2882 does. And there's also the uad satellite boxes that utilize FireWire.

And overall I tend to agree. Unless your find a good deal on a used iMac, a Mac mini is hard to beat for a lot of people.

And I thought you could upgrade the ram in the new iMacs yourself. And according to owc, you can, but it looks like it might be complicated. They recommend professional installation. So in that case my advice if you go iMac, is to get the most upgraded one you can afford. CPU upgrades first. And then ram. Lastly SSD.

[nigelpry]

I think the 27" iMacs are RAM upgradeable by the user, but the 21.5" iMacs are not.

[bloke]

Originally Posted by nigelpry

I think the 27" iMacs are RAM upgradeable by the user, but the 21.5" iMacs are not.

Just upgraded my iMac 21.4 from 4 to 16 gigs ram

[nst7]

If it's an older Imac, yes. But the new ones that came out last December are not ram upgradeable by the user (the 21" versions).

[nigelpry]

That's what I thought, in fact Apple just confirmed it to me.

[CME]

Not to split hairs but

http://blog.macsales.com/15932-what-...2012-imac-21-5

It can be done. But probably not for your average diy'er.