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The latest stable hardware / software set-ups?


Richard Le Grand

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Hello gang!

 

I haven't been here for sometime having had a happy life for over 12 years working on a 2008 Mac Pro -32 gig RAM - 3 gig processor - 8 core - that took me as far as El Capitan and Logic ProX 3 ... so indeed the life of blissful Luddite! (I'm sure I remember connecting with folk here using Logic TDM & Protools Mix Plus?!)

 

However .. the time has come for change and pain ("on a budget" ... I'm curious about the possibility of new Mac Mini M1 follow up... if announced next month?)

 

I've done a quick search and couldn't spot a thread of recent "stable systems" and wonder if anyone might be kind enough to either point me to one or indeed take up the question directly?

 

I've been working since the late 1970's and Mac Pro worked in sync to picture mixing in 5.1 (new Logic spatial stuff sounds interesting ... so does that dictate 7.1?) ... replacing MOTU 828 mk 2 with another box ... looking for Ultra-wide monitor to replace the need for two old ones. Which Mac? How much RAM do folk use ... something to work with East West Play (I had v 4 ... so update?) & Kontakt 5 (or update?)+ Vienna plugs + EXS 24 (replacement?) + Omnisphere v2 + audio for live musicians.

 

Pain ... pain ... pain?

With my warmest regards to everyone (old and new!)

Richard

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I've been working since the late 1970's and Mac Pro worked in sync to picture mixing in 5.1 (new Logic spatial stuff sounds interesting
Interesting indeed! That’s the new fad which music to picture is aiming at for good (or at least for a while) so AFAIK, it doesn’t seem to be any workaround Dolby Atmos…

 

 

... so does that dictate 7.1?
Yes. Although there might be an expensive approach to buy Dolby Atmos proprietary software…

 

... replacing MOTU 828 mk 2 with another box
MOTU provides drivers update to support M1 for some of their devices. I have read some had problem after the update that IIRW, got solved after some permission settings and several reboots.

 

... looking for Ultra-wide monitor to replace the need for two old ones.
Being given the choice, I’d opt for an UW screen. But perhaps the two old ones could still do a decent job, depending of their connectix, although that might not be necessary…

 

Which Mac?
That’s a very big question… I would definitely opt for an M1 or M1 pro, since the Intel machines are fading out and you seem to be keeping you gear for as long as possible.

 

How much RAM do folk use
I’d say as much as you can afford or that is available. For big projects 64GB seems to be the treshold…

 

If it isn’t the case already, chose SSD all the way, no more mechanical drives…

 

... something to work with East West Play (I had v 4 ... so update?) & Kontakt 5 (or update?)+ Vienna plugs + EXS 24 (replacement?) + Omnisphere v2 + audio for live musicians.
Chances are that some will need to be updated as BigSur macOS (required fo LPX 10.7) is not supporting 32bit apps and not every plugins are natively compatible or supported on M1 (Silicon?ARM chips) Macs… So caution is advisable here. EXS24 was replaced by Sampler since a couple of Logic versions. Sampler support the EXS libraries, although the factory ones have been reworked/adapted to the new features.

 

Pain ... pain ... pain?
Absolutely. Anyhow, if you wish to follow the train, there is no way around. But IMHO, the efforts are well worth

 

With my warmest regards to everyone (old and new!)

Richard

Welcome back!
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The most recent systems (M1, M1 Pro and M1 Max) are as stable as they get and the most powerful by far, so if you're going to make a jump, I would recommend you make the biggest jump you can to future-proof and delay the next jump you'll inevitably have to make as much as possible.

 

The only downside of the newer CPU models and their accompanying newer versions of MacOS (Big Sur and Monterey) are that some plug-ins may not be yet fully compatible with them so make sure you do your research before diving in. See our topic regarding Apple Silicon (M1, M1 Pro, M1 Max) Compatibility: AU Plug-Ins, Software, Hardware

 

As for RAM, with Apple's new unified memory system, you'll find that less is more and you may not need 64GB after all, although of course if you can afford it it will certainly not hurt. But before making the expense, insure that you actually need it for you workflow? Here's an article on the inner workings of the new unified memory on M1 processors: https://www.macobserver.com/analysis/understanding-apples-unified-memory-architecture/

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Hello David ... that's really fine advise and information access .. thank you. Following your notes about the M1, it seems that there's an update 'likely' for the Mac Mini which might happen in November .. 'rumours' suggest it could be perfect for a next generation leap but I take on board your note about various plugins which may still be some time. I'm going to take a look at your links now ... and cogitate! Much appreciated.
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