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  #1  
Old 05-27-2021, 02:28 PM
Hanswurstlsepp Hanswurstlsepp is offline
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Default MBP or MacMini?

Hi,

I'm going to buy a new Mac for my second studio. Since the Mac should be "a bit" portable, the question that arises for me at the moment is whether I should opt for a new MacBookPro (either the 16 "with Intel i9 or a 13" MBP with M1 chip) or a MacMini .

I would prefer the 16 "MBP and I would also be able to update the graphics to a Radeon Pro 5600M. 16 GB RAM and 2 TB internal SSD have always been sufficient ... so an M1-MBP would also be possible.

I use 2 monitors in the studio. So far the 15 "of my old MBP9.1 and an external 30" display. So if I were to opt for a MacMini, it should be possible to use 2 displays (a 24 "and a 30") without the MacMini getting too hot and the fan turning on frequently.

I use PT-Ultimate there - at the moment with an RME Digiface via USB. But I plan to buy the Avid Carbon interface. I also use 2xS1 and 1xDock over Ethernet.

It would be great to get some inspiration and tips on which Mac model would be the smartest decision right now.

Thanks in advance,
STeff
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  #2  
Old 05-27-2021, 03:10 PM
Obsidian Dragon Obsidian Dragon is offline
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Default Re: MBP or MacMini?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Hanswurstlsepp View Post
16 GB RAM and 2 TB internal SSD have always been sufficient.
STeff
The general consensus is that the M1 processor performs very well and much cooler than their Intel i7 & i9 counterparts. The main area of concern for Protools users have been RAM. Given your statement about that 16 GB RAM have always been sufficient, then I would suggest you go with the M1 MBP, MBA, or Mac mini with the 16 GB RAM. (Those that need more RAM for VI's that load the sample into RAM might opt for the 16' Intel MBP with 32 or 64 GB RAM).

Now it is worth mentioning that Avid still has not certified Protools as compatible with the M1 and you will be running through Rosetta, but many report the it works fine.

Also note that at some point, Apple will be coming out with higher end M1 (M1x, M2,...) processors that will improve performance and have larger RAM capacities. The rumor is that they may have more than 2 Thunderbolt (USB-4) ports that will allow for use with more display monitors, external storage, PCI chassis, audio interfaces, etc..
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  #3  
Old 05-31-2021, 04:28 AM
dominicperry dominicperry is online now
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Default Re: MBP or MacMini?

I CAN'T POST MORE THAN A FEW LINES AT A TIME, SO THERE ARE SEVERAL POSTS!

There's no perfect answer right now.

M1 Macs are very fast for the money and are completely (Air) or almost completely silent. Intel MBPs and even the Intel Minis tend to get hot and this is especially the case when plugging in external monitors.
However, there are serious limitations with the M1 devices and external screens. Firstly, you can only attach one external monitor (for a maximum of two displays - internal + external) to the MBP M1 and MBA M1.
The M1 Mini will support two external displays - and it has an extra port too (HDMI) to help.
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Old 05-31-2021, 04:29 AM
dominicperry dominicperry is online now
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Default Re: MBP or MacMini?

There are ways round the limitations (Display Link) but this requires a 3rd-party piece of software.
In addition, the M1 chip does not support all the high resolutions on external monitors
(for example, my 32:9 monitor which is 5120 x 1440 natively, and 3840 x 1080 scaled, will only work at 3008 x 846 on an M1 - this is an extreme example for a 49 inch monitor, but similar problems exist for standard 4K and 5K monitors).
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Old 05-31-2021, 04:30 AM
dominicperry dominicperry is online now
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Default Re: MBP or MacMini?

The M1 Air and M1 MBP are very limited by having only two ports (one of which must be used for power).
You will need a TB dock - the Caldigit TB3 is well regarded, but does not support AVB on its Ethernet port, so you will not be able to use Carbon with it.
One option is to use the first TB port for the Caldigit, which can also supply power to the M1 Air/M1 MBP, and then use the Apple TB3-TB2 dongle, followed by the Apple TB2 to Ethernet dongle, to connect the Carbon.
This odd arrangement is the Avid preferred method for connecting Carbon when you don't have an onboard AVB-compatible Ethernet port.
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  #6  
Old 05-31-2021, 04:30 AM
dominicperry dominicperry is online now
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Default Re: MBP or MacMini?

If you do decide on an Intel MBP, make sure you buy the 5600M rather than 5300 or 5500 GPU versions, as it will run more quietly (less fan noise) with an external monitor.

Given all of these constraints, I ended up with a Mac Pro 7.1, which is complete overkill for my needs (but runs my big screen and never makes any fan noise and can still run Catalina).
The alternative is to wait until the next batch of M1/X/2 machines come out which will have more ports. Big Sur is more mature than it was last year when I had to make a choice, so many people are running PT on Big Sur now, and also on M1 with few reported problems.
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  #7  
Old 05-31-2021, 04:31 AM
dominicperry dominicperry is online now
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Default Re: MBP or MacMini?

Personally, my main concern with Carbon is that the latest versions of PT, (which are the ones you have to use with Carbon) have too many new bugs in them - tab to transient as an example. But the platform you run them on is independent of that issue.

Dominic
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  #8  
Old 05-31-2021, 02:02 PM
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Ben Jenssen Ben Jenssen is offline
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Default Re: MBP or MacMini?

Keep in mind that the mac minis from 2018 and up, I've had four of them including M1, have serious bluetooth problems. I won't go into details now, because I have done that many times before. Just google it.

Point is, if blutooth is important to you, the minis are a bad idea. If you can do without bluetooth, there is no problem.

Aside from that, the M1 mac mini is fantastic!
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  #9  
Old 06-01-2021, 12:37 PM
Hanswurstlsepp Hanswurstlsepp is offline
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Default Re: MBP or MacMini?

Hi all,

thx a lot for all your replies.
I think I will go for a MacMini.
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