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  #1  
Old 11-15-2021, 07:02 AM
marcnyc marcnyc is offline
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Default MacBook Air M1 with Pro Tools

Has anyone done any stress testing of PT on a MacBook Air M1? Is the base configuration powerful enough for a big PT session?
Thanks in advance.
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Old 11-15-2021, 07:07 AM
its2loud its2loud is offline
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Default Re: MacBook Air M1 with Pro Tools

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Originally Posted by marcnyc View Post
Has anyone done any stress testing of PT on a MacBook Air M1? Is the base configuration powerful enough for a big PT session?
Thanks in advance.
I think you’ll need to be a bit more specific than “big”.

VI’s? Video? Dolby Atmos? Multiple displays?

The 8GB RAM base configuration will not be enough. If it comes with Monterey loaded, it will not be fully PT compatible or compatible at all, depending
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Old 11-15-2021, 07:25 AM
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EGS EGS is offline
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Default Re: MacBook Air M1 with Pro Tools

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Originally Posted by marcnyc View Post
Has anyone done any stress testing of PT on a MacBook Air M1? Is the base configuration powerful enough for a big PT session?
Thanks in advance.
There are several threads about this here on the DUC. Do some reading!
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Old 11-15-2021, 09:24 PM
marcnyc marcnyc is offline
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Default Re: MacBook Air M1 with Pro Tools

Actually I DID some reading. The threads are all about the M1, not the Air, which was my specific question.

And by “big” I mean at least 60-100 audio tracks with plugins on them.
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Old 11-17-2021, 09:37 PM
TimothyJohn TimothyJohn is offline
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Default Re: MacBook Air M1 with Pro Tools

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Originally Posted by marcnyc View Post
Actually I DID some reading. The threads are all about the M1, not the Air, which was my specific question.

And by “big” I mean at least 60-100 audio tracks with plugins on them.
The Air is very capable. Silent too. 16gbs ram is a necessity imo. But the lack of ports might hinder you. An audio interface needs one dedicated port. So the remaining port must be used for power, iLok, external drive, and midi controllers. Without power, I was able to run sessions with a UA TB Apollo Solo, and an Anker Hub to connect the iLok and a Samsung T7 external. I was able to work four hours minimum on battery. Lowest buffer. I just wish the M1 Pro had ports similar to the M1 Mac mini. 2 tbolts + 2 USB-A's. Not too shabby. An 8cpu/8gpu iMac will give you two tbolt and two USB-C ports for a few hundred more, PLUS a decent monitor. The Air is an incredible, portable, silent solution that can easily handle the session you describe. You probably could get away with 8gb RAM, but you'll be wearing down the internal SSD with memory swaps. So go with more SSD. My friendly advice is 8cpu/8gpu, 16gb ram, 1-2tb onboard SSD. And of course a hub that allows enough power pass thru to charge while working...
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Old 11-20-2021, 04:59 AM
huzzam huzzam is offline
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Default Re: MacBook Air M1 with Pro Tools

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Originally Posted by TimothyJohn View Post
The Air is very capable. Silent too. 16gbs ram is a necessity imo. But the lack of ports might hinder you. [...] My friendly advice is 8cpu/8gpu, 16gb ram, 1-2tb onboard SSD. And of course a hub that allows enough power pass thru to charge while working...
Agreed 100%, and that's exactly the configuration I have (1tb ssd). The $40 Ugreen hub I have allows power pass-through, so I'm able to connect power, an external session drive, midi keyboard, ilok, and hdmi to the hub into one port, and audio interface to the other port. Works great. (if you don't upgrade to Monterey!) When I'm done working, I unplug the iLok and plug in the backup drive and let Time Machine do its magic.

That said, I don't have specific numbers of tracks or plugins, but it generally opens & manages the same sessions my i9-9900k desktop opens, and shows similar CPU usage.
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