new mac.... macpro trashcan vs MacStudio M1Max

[studiomac]

Hi.
Any thoughts on this, I have a late 2013 3Ghz 10core MacPro 6.1 with 64gRam
I would like to replace it with a 64gram M1macStudio. I'm unsure whether now is a good time, or is it better to wait a year...
Is anyone running one of these In particular, someone using tons of instruments like kontakt etc and large sessions?
Currently running PT with Native Thunderbolt with 32io lynx outboard etc

Many thanks for any opinions!!

Pete

[TJ Allen]

Hi Pete,

I’ve just made almost that exact move in the studio. What I would say is firstly, the new Mac Studio is a brilliant machine, and exactly what I’d hoped Apple would release. The difference between the two machines is interesting. If you go into it expecting some drastic/dramatic difference, you might be disappointed - it’s not like suddenly I can run a thousand inserts (although it’s unlikely I’d want to…!), but what the new machine does is adds back the edge that the Mac Pro has lost over the years. It feels snappy, responsive and comfortable in situations where the Mac Pro felt a little lethargic. I work in Music, not Post, so I can’t comment on that scale of session, but I can comfortably run larger sessions at lower buffer sizes and playback is instant.

My take on it is always to buy the machine that fits your needs when you need it - I had waited until Apple released something like this, so it made sense for me to upgrade. You could wait another year (if you haven’t reached breaking point on the Mac Pro), in the hope they will release something even more powerful, but realistically, these machines are more than powerful enough for all but the most extreme use cases for music, and in many cases, Post too. Video/3D rendering is another matter of course.

Hope that helps.

Tim

[Darryl Ramm]

Originally Posted by studiomac

Hi.
Any thoughts on this, I have a late 2013 3Ghz 10core MacPro 6.1 with 64gRam
I would like to replace it with a 64gram M1macStudio. I'm unsure whether now is a good time, or is it better to wait a year...
Is anyone running one of these In particular, someone using tons of instruments like kontakt etc and large sessions?
Currently running PT with Native Thunderbolt with 32io lynx outboard etc

Many thanks for any opinions!!

Pete

My question, as always would be what problem(s) are you having now that you are wanting to solve by upgrading?

There are some great threads on DUC already with people talking about their use of Mac Studios that you can just look/search for.

Be aware of some of the problems folks have had with HD Native on recent systems (less with HD Native Thunderbolt) , make sure you follow the published KB installation directions. And you have all your 3rd party plugins lined up and compatible with Monterey.

There will be some disruption and maybe some problems when Avid releases Apple silicon versions of Pro Tools, you will likely need new Apple silicon releases of all your plugins etc.

[Eric Lambert]

I came from a 12-core trashcan and went into a Mac Studio Ultra. I don't find the difference to be subtle; the new Mac is a monster.

And I deal with a LOT of VIs, like Kontakt, the usual instruments people have, and a lot of orchestral libraries. Most of what I do is with MIDI/VIs, and I also run video with most sessions. The new Mac handles all of it brilliantly.

As I'm sure you're aware, there's that weak part of the chain which is Rosetta. We think that these Macs will scream even louder once PT and its plugins are allowed to operate natively. But I have to say that I'm not really sensing Rosetta at all.

I've spent hours and hours and hours on this topic, and I'd want to point out the importance of installing as much of your software from scratch as you're able to. There are countless reports of issues with Mac Studios and before I got this Mac I'd guessed that migration/old plugins/incompatibilities were the culprits for those people. After getting the Mac, going through the installation, and testing thoroughly, I'm 100% certain that those were the culprits.

The New Studio seems to be happiest when it's not asked to use anything from the older machines. Obviously, I'm not referring to recorded audio or media, I'm suggesting that the Mac doesn't always like when you copy preference of config files, or apps, or app folders, or Application Support files, from the old computer. Some of that is completely fine, BUT, again, I believe that my success with this Studio has been largely due to the fact that I put two full days into the installations and then another week of tidying things up, and then another week of testing and finalising everything.

All of that out of the way, it's an absolute dream! And I'm able to open sessions my trashcan choked on, and I can continue adding to those sessions.

There are, however, a few plugins which are still hogs. Whether it's the OS or ProTools or they're simply poorly-written, some plugins still kill the CPU. El Rey from Acustica, for one. It's unusable. Many of their plugins are problematic, and their suggestion is to use a Native DAW; something other than PT. A silly suggestion from a highly egotistical company.

Install the absolute latest/greatest versions of your plugins and software, get to know these hungry plugins and avoid them, and you shouldn't have any issues.

Will there be a better machine in a year? Of course. That's how it works. But considering how speed has progressed from the first M1 Mac, to subsequent M1s, to M2... I don't believe that anything intensely amazing is coming our way in 2023, except for the MacPros which will undoubtedly be uber-expensive.

[mattrixx]

I did the same as you Eric.. well kinda. Came from the 6core 3.5GHz Trash Can. Well, in OZ we call 'em "Rubbish Bins"... not the Mac, but the thing ya put out on the street once a week. ;-)
Anyway, I found the leap astonishing.... Like you said, it's not just the plug count, it's not just the obvious. I found the system to be soooo good and doing a lot at the same time, which may be in part to the communication between CPU, memory and whatever else. Just amazing in my experience.

[Eric Lambert]

Originally Posted by mattrixx

I did the same as you Eric.. well kinda. Came from the 6core 3.5GHz Trash Can. Well, in OZ we call 'em "Rubbish Bins"... not the Mac, but the thing ya put out on the street once a week. ;-)
Anyway, I found the leap astonishing.... Like you said, it's not just the plug count, it's not just the obvious. I found the system to be soooo good and doing a lot at the same time, which may be in part to the communication between CPU, memory and whatever else. Just amazing in my experience.

Glad to hear that. I'd said in another thread that these Macs take the computer out of the equation. You ask it to do something and it gets done immediately, rarely drawing any attention to itself. It helps you focus on the task instead of the tool. I've rarely felt (or rather *not* felt) that in a computer.

Software will catch up as apps and plugins begin to use more CPU, but it's great at the moment.

[glasswing]

Every morning I smile when I turn on my Mac Studio Ultra!!!
Nothing is absolutely perfect - but it comes way closer than 'close enough' for me.
Coming from two cheese graters it's like going from a '61 VW bug to a Tesla.