Mac Buying Help

Hey guys,

Asked this in the Mac forum, but it kinda petered out....

So I need a new mac system to run Logic with Amplitube, Superior Drummer, various plugins, 5-6 tracks, some live, some midi, etc.

I WAS going to wait for the Ivy Bridge systems, but I was lead to believe there was no need and I should focus on loading up with RAM. Maybe even wait til the prices drop on the "older" models after Ivy Bridge is introduced...

But do you guys have any specific suggestions as to processor speed and ram for a system that will handle what I throw at it without any trouble.

Thanks bros.

I would think that just about any modern Mac should be able to handle that, unless I'm missing something. And as for RAM, usually as much as possible is best.

If you can wait a few months, do. The macbook are due for a refresh, and there is something in the works for the pro line (i.e full towers). If not, any of the new i7's will run it, and can actually upgrade to 16 gb of ram.

If this is to be a main studio computer and you are hard core into music production, go with a Mac Pro. This way you can install your samples drive and your recording drives in the computer directly on the buss. This is the most efficient and fastest way to go.

Using a MacBook Pro or an iMac will mean external drives and that sucks.....they take up space and your ports etc.

You really do not want less than 4G of memory.

If this is a hobby-ish type of deal but you need the computer as a desk top the new iMacs will handle the work all day long.........as will the MacBook Pro.

Just an observation.......I put a 7200RPM in my MacBook Pro because they are faster. Well I don't notice all that much difference as far as how it handles Pro Tools etc....a difference yes......but my battery life SUCKS now!!! Really bad compared to a 5400RPM drive. So if you get a laptop, look at that. If you are doing a ton of music work maybe go for the 7200 drive and suck it up...stay on the power chord and you are fine. Just expect battery life to take a hit when you are mobile and not close to a wall outlet.

Agreed. I responded with most modern Macs being able to do the job simply because it doesn't sound like he is placing much demands on the computer (5-6 tracks, some plugins, etc.).

Last summer I purchased an iMac and MBP (for school), maxed the iMac out with RAM (16 GBs?). I can get over 24 tracks going and plugs without a hitch.

If I had to pick only one, I would go with the MBP and purchase a large LCD for $200-250 and be done with it. An of course, an external HD.

There are pros and cons to waiting. The obvious rewards are more processing power and holding onto your money longer. But the downside of waiting may mean more incompatibilities, as new hardware may come with a new OS. How long will it take before everything you want to use will be Mountain Lion compatible? Some major players are just now releasing Lion compatible software.

There's also a rumor that 17-Inch MacBook Pros are about to be discontinued; so if that's what you want, now may be the best time to buy.

Have you tried a Solid State Drive? I wonder how much one would drain your battery. It would likely speed things up considerably as far as boot times are concerned (although they don't seem to be good as recording drives because they reportedly read much faster than they write and are more likely to fail when writing a lot to disk). From what I understand, it's best to find one with native Mac firmware upgrade support. In this regard, OWC seems to be a good choice again: OWC SSDs.

FWIW, I have no affiliation with OWC. In fact, I've had both good and mediocre results from them in the past. But the rack and SSDs seemed worth a mention. As always, YMMV.

Best,

Geoff

any of todays Mac models can handle Logic Pro. More RAM is only good when you run a lot of streaming sound libraries

The fastest Mac can almost handle HD video production in realtime.

thanks bros.

Yeah, guess it'll be an iMac PACKED with Ram.

Is processor speed ANYTHING to worry about?

Worth going for 2.7 GHZ over 2.5?

i7 over i5?

Gave you the answer in the other thread.

the difference between 2.5 and 2.7? You won't notice it.

i7's are definitely faster than i5's. Get one if you can but my i5 rocks.

Having multiple drives is more important. One for samples, one for projects. OS, apps and plugins on the boot drive.

My setup: i5 iMac, 12gb ram ---> Glyph sample drive ----> Glyph projects drive ----> Motu828mkII

In 1996, my very first 8 channel DAW, running on a Pentium "I" with a clock speed of 133 mHz (that's about 1/20th the clock speed of today's slower chips) could play back 22 audio tracks simultaneously through those 8 channels.

Macbreak weekly and This Week in Photo podcasts think that there is either a new format pro machine in the works, or they are killing it. The death of the 17 is also a hot topic, but, tethering of the iPad as a 2nd display is the hot ticket now.

Thanks, Dean.

Best,

Geoff

Interestingly, I've done some research on that and so far, the improvement in battery life is less than you might expect - although there are many factors involved that can tilt things one way or another. Here's an excerpt from my September 2011 column in Pro Sound News:

SSDs can also draw less current than hard drives, which allows relaxing the power supply requirements

I put a hybrid in my mbp 13, but the faster speed offset any savings in battery. It is a bit snappier..

That's good to know. Thanks, Craig.

Best,

Geoff

And to bring this full circle, I have been happy with my 2010 i7 MacBook Pro 17". I have recently added a 750GB Hybrid drive, which has noticeably made the system seem faster, and has quieted the fans somewhat. Neither improvement was dramatic, but were worth spending the money on.

Rumor is that new MacBook Pros should be shipping Real Soon Now [tm]. If this refresh includes Ivy Bridge in a 17", I'll likely upgrade the week they ship. Especially if they include a MacBook Air-like SSD for OS & programs, as well as a bay for an HDD for bulk storage.