New M2 Pro and M2 Max MacBook Pro + New M2 Mac mini

[analogika]

And again: what a great place this forum is. 
 

It’s like people are absolutely hell-bent on not being assholes or something. 

[fisherking]

 

two full days of installs, fixes, copying over files; connecting plugins to their libraries, accessing sample libraries, etc etc. so far, everything works (except waiting for a needed plugin from izotope).

just threw ozone 10 (the mastering suite) on a dense mix; no fan noise,  not even when bouncing (this is where my intel imac fan sang loudest).

but i should share this: with a stethoscope to the mini, i could here a slight woosh from the fan, plus the clicking of the CPU performing it’s calculations. also (faintly), there’s a voice that seems to be saying “help! i'm trapped in this mac mini!”. nevertheless, am not opening the casing (and potentially voiding my warranty). besides, am confident that that voice will stop over time…

 

[matamoris]

For those who are curious about how the new Mac mini compares to the Mac Studio, here are my benchmarking results:

• NewLogicBenchmarkTest 2.logicx
• macOS Ventura 13.2
• No Rosetta
• 128 buffer
• small process buffer range
• processing threads=automatic
• Audient iD14 USB interface
• No other apps running except Safari and Mx Power Gadget.

Mac mini (M2 Pro, 12 core, 32GB, 1TB)

• 155 tracks
• 153 tracks with Ozone 10 on master bus using the "Balanced Master" preset.

Mac Studio (M1 Max, 10 core, 32GB, 1TB)

• 150 tracks
• 145 tracks with Ozone 10 on master bus using the "Balanced Master" preset.

On the Mac Studio, the playhead exhibited an odd behavior when starting playback where it would jump back and forth between the start of the cycle area and one or two beats. It would start playing eventually. This was intermittent starting at around track 102 and worsened as I enabled more tracks.

 

 

[ManFromNapa]

I keep following these.  So tempted to upgrade. 

[kerochan]

I was gonna upgrade my M1 Mac but really cant face all the reinstalling of everything, and risking Ventura too.

Reading the different remarks about everything including fan noise, I think I would go for the M2 (No Pro) version with 24GB RAM and 1 TB.

BUT, its all too time consuming and risky at this point in time, I am sticking with my totally stable, ice cold, completely silent M1 Mac Mini with 16GB RAM & 1TB.   working like a dream on Monterey.

Having said this, if I were on an Intel Mac Mini, I reckon upgrading is wise, but not in my case, I hope everyone enjoys their M2 and M2 Pro!  

[fisherking]

my test (& thank u for the setup, @matamoris)

 

NewLogicBenchmarkTest 2.logicx
logic pro 10.7.7
macOS Ventura 13.2
No Rosetta
128 buffer
medium process buffer range
processing threads=automatic
eve-audio SC203 monitors (usb audio)
no other apps running

Mac mini (M2 Pro, 10 core, 16GB, 512TB) -

116 tracks

94 tracks with Ozone 10 on master bus using the "Balanced Master" preset

 

guess the extra cores and ram are working for @matamoris👍

 

[onewave]

On 1/23/2023 at 4:37 PM, analogika said:

Welp, I just pulled the trigger on a refurbished 14" M1 Pro with 10-core CPU (8 performance/2 efficiency) and 16-core GPU.

I did exactly the same thing today, because the bump up in performance is well worth the cost. Can't wait to get the 14" laptop!

Thanks for the heads up on my post about the memory speed bump on the M1 base to M2 base article !

When you posted that I was surprised that they had done the quantum leap in memory speed on the M1 pro/max. M2 Pro/Max will be worth most in graphics performance, in terms of audio performance that remains to be seen in its entirety, but seems most are not entirely sold on the new updated M2 pro/max.

I think the prices on M1 Pro/Max are just too good to pass up for those of us with the M1 base machines that lack the huge memory bandwidth of the M1/M2 pro/max computers.

[Leviethan]

I'm thinking of getting the new Mac Mini M2 base model. I have a 2013 iMac with 16gb RAM and 1TB SSD and I've been running Logic Pro X on it for years. I'm thinking I definitely don't need 1TB storage on the computer itself. I'm using just over half that now. My sessions rarely go above 20-24 audio tracks and maybe one or two virtual instruments. The last session I was running was using under 7GB of RAM. I'm wondering if having just 8GB of "integrated memory" will meet my needs? Or should I go to 16gb? I've heard the base 256GB SSDs on the Mac Minis are slow compared to the larger drives, but I'm not sure what that means and how or if it would affect me. I'll probably buy one of the new OWC Thunderbolt 4 docks for external storage. Any thoughts would be appreciated. 

Edited February 7, 2023 by Leviethan

[analogika]

Since you've got a full ten years out of the last machine and RAM requirements aren't likely to decrease over the next decade, I'd strongly suggest 16 GB RAM, and probably 512 GB SSD at minimum. 

[ManFromNapa]

I have a 2018 Mac Mini with an i7 Intel CPU.  Been looking lately at the comparison of M2 Pro (Mac mini) vs the M1 Max (Mac Studio).  The Mac Studio is supposed to be the higher end system, but from what I’m seeing I can get a more powerful Mac Mini for the same price.  I’d love everyone’s insights on this though.  If I budget $2,000, what’s the most power I can get?

[Leviethan]

Just now, analogika said:

Since you've got a full ten years out of the last machine and RAM requirements aren't likely to decrease over the next decade, I'd strongly suggest 16 GB RAM, and probably 512 GB SSD at minimum. 

I was thinking about that, but it nearly doubles the cost. Do you think I would have better performance based on my minimal use of Logic? I forgot to mention that most of my plug-ins are non-native Universal Audio. I don't use any Logic plugs and the only native ones are Soundtoys. 

[ManFromNapa]

I say better safe than sorry.  You have no idea what Soundtoys or UA have up their sleeves.  Especially with UA moving toward native plugins.  In a couple years who knows?  Plus, things change over time.  You may find different plugins.

When I buy tech I struggle with this also…. What do I need, and how much should I buy to future proof my investment.

[analogika]

Just now, Leviethan said:

I was thinking about that, but it nearly doubles the cost. Do you think I would have better performance based on my minimal use of Logic? I forgot to mention that most of my plug-ins are non-native Universal Audio. I don't use any Logic plugs and the only native ones are Soundtoys. 

Non-native plug-ins are probably a temporary situation. Keep in mind that the new machines will only run Ventura, so expect to have to update your plug-ins for compatibility with the newer OS. 

I wouldn't go for the 512 so much for the speed, but for the fact that Logic's own library eats, what 80 GB already. 256 is extremely tight. 

The 16 GB are the minimum I'd consider. Just looking at the next decade. 

[analogika]

16 minutes ago, ManFromNapa said:

I have a 2018 Mac Mini with an i7 Intel CPU.  Been looking lately at the comparison of M2 Pro (Mac mini) vs the M1 Max (Mac Studio).  The Mac Studio is supposed to be the higher end system, but from what I’m seeing I can get a more powerful Mac Mini for the same price.  I’d love everyone’s insights on this though.  If I budget $2,000, what’s the most power I can get?

Take a look at this comparison: 

On 2/4/2023 at 7:27 PM, matamoris said:

For those who are curious about how the new Mac mini compares to the Mac Studio, here are my benchmarking results:

• NewLogicBenchmarkTest 2.logicx
• macOS Ventura 13.2
• No Rosetta
• 128 buffer
• small process buffer range
• processing threads=automatic
• Audient iD14 USB interface
• No other apps running except Safari and Mx Power Gadget.

Mac mini (M2 Pro, 12 core, 32GB, 1TB)

• 155 tracks
• 153 tracks with Ozone 10 on master bus using the "Balanced Master" preset.

Mac Studio (M1 Max, 10 core, 32GB, 1TB)

• 150 tracks
• 145 tracks with Ozone 10 on master bus using the "Balanced Master" preset.

On the Mac Studio, the playhead exhibited an odd behavior when starting playback where it would jump back and forth between the start of the cycle area and one or two beats. It would start playing eventually. This was intermittent starting at around track 102 and worsened as I enabled more tracks.

Right now, it looks as if the Mac mini M2 Pro is the better option over the base Mac Studio M1 Max — provided you don't need the graphics capabilities of the M1 Max GPU. 

[ManFromNapa]

8 minutes ago, analogika said:

Take a look at this comparison: 

Right now, it looks as if the Mac mini M2 Pro is the better option over the base Mac Studio M1 Max — provided you don't need the graphics capabilities of the M1 Max GPU. 

I do a little bit of graphics in Gimp (every few months), and produce a music video of the band a couple times a year.  Not enough graphics work to spend the extra $$ for more GPU.  Thanks!  This validates what I was thinking.

[thegrapeguy]

Since 2015 and into this past December I was using my trusted 2015 15" 16GB RAM/512SSD Logic 10.4.something/Catalina.  Things were stable so I held out until the 2015 MacBook got vertical line disease in December.  Lucky I got all the files out of there before the computer was unusable.  Apple quoted a $600 repair so it seemed a good time to upgrade.

I need my computer for my recording business so I needed a laptop quick.  In December I got a new 14" MacBook Pro M1 Pro at what I thought was a steal of a deal, 16GB RAM/512SSD $1600, Apple $2400.  But then I started analyzing my future needs, plugins I wanted to get and I quickly got buyer's remorse.  I started following MacBooks on eBay and decided a 16" M1Pro/32GB RAM/1TB SSD was my criteria.  Luckily I got a good deal on the 14" so I figured I could sell it.

Also lucky for me my business had a lull over the holidays so I had some time to search for/bid on the bigger computer.  So In early January I won the 16" I was looking for.  Re the 14", I was holding out for at least the $1600.  .  I almost sold it at $1600 but the person flaked out.  I had to begin using the 16" so at that point I'm stuck with 2 computers.  My patience was frazzled the day the M2 MacBook came out.  It devalued all the older computers.  Luckily someone came through the day the M2 came out with $1500.   Lost $100 but got the 16" at a killer price.

Then I actually had the nutty idea to sell the 16" and get the new M2 MacBook.  More buyer's remorse.  I listed it on FaceBook Marketplace and got offers for the price I paid for it.  But then I stopped myself and realized, how much time did I spend configuring everything?  How much more should I spend?  A new MacBook with the same basic specs would be $800 more.  Why chase the latest?  

End of story, opened up the 16", loaded Ventura, Logic pro 10.7.6, loaded Focusrite Red 8Pre firmware, RedNet Control, loaded my RELAB reverbs and loaded my new gift to myself, KEYSCAPE.  It's super fast, quiet, no fans.  Deals on the 2021 MacBooks are plentiful on eBay especially.  There are new sealed ones there from reputable sellers.  After hearing KEYSCAPE I'm glad I saved money because there's so much out there to buy besides the computer!

Edited February 9, 2023 by thegrapeguy

[fisherking]

am seriously impressed with the M2pro mini. i've been working it hard this week, it hasn't broken a sweat. haven't heard the fan once.

all my 3rd-party plugins work; everything works. so far, no hiccups, no glitches.

for me, the new mac, logic 10.7.7, and ventura, are a match made in heaven (or cupertino), and am glad i dove into the silicon era... 👍

[des99]

Who'da thought some years back when the rumour mill was whispering "someday Apple's going to make their Macs out of iPhone chips" that it would go this well..? 👍

[kerochan]

5 hours ago, fisherking said:

am seriously impressed with the M2pro mini. i've been working it hard this week, it hasn't broken a sweat. haven't heard the fan once.

all my 3rd-party plugins work; everything works. so far, no hiccups, no glitches.

for me, the new mac, logic 10.7.7, and ventura, are a match made in heaven (or cupertino), and am glad i dove into the silicon era... 👍

This is good news, is the mac mini 100% silent even from 1 cm away?  and do you know if all is good with Universal Audio & Pro Tools too? 

[fisherking]

2 hours ago, kerochan said:

This is good news, is the mac mini 100% silent even from 1 cm away?  and do you know if all is good with Universal Audio & Pro Tools too? 

the mini is right in front of me (to the right a bit). i used to hear my imac fans often; mostly when bouncing mixes; sometimes when working on complex projects. have not heard the fans once (yet).

sorry, tho; no idea about universal audio or pro tools; i only know what i use. not sure tho that i'd move from an M1 to an M2; i'd hold out for the next gen (but that's just me)

[kerochan]

5 hours ago, fisherking said:

the mini is right in front of me (to the right a bit). i used to hear my imac fans often; mostly when bouncing mixes; sometimes when working on complex projects. have not heard the fans once (yet).

sorry, tho; no idea about universal audio or pro tools; i only know what i use. not sure tho that i'd move from an M1 to an M2; i'd hold out for the next gen (but that's just me)

thank you.    Not sure what to do,  not sure I can face installing all my stuff again, I only just done this on a Mac Mini M1  a few months ago.   mmm

[fisherking]

21 minutes ago, kerochan said:

thank you.    Not sure what to do,  not sure I can face installing all my stuff again, I only just done this on a Mac Mini M1  a few months ago.   mmm

again, i'd wait for the next gen silicon macs.

but if you do this, you can use migration assistant, ie just copy everything over from your time machine backup! after all, you're going from a silicon mac to a silicon mac, so a much-simpler move than going intel to silicon.

[Kim Olesen]

The rosetta translation of intel audio units is seriously impressive. Even Ozone 5 runs as it should. 
 

Did a session today that had over twenty instances of Omnisphere. M2pro mini dead silent. I am seriously impresssed with this machine. 

[kerochan]

Hi , Is anyone else hearing this fan noise on the MacMini M2 Pro?        think I may stick with my silent Mac Mini M1

[fisherking]

53 minutes ago, kerochan said:

Hi , Is anyone else hearing this fan noise on the MacMini M2 Pro?        think I may stick with my silent Mac Mini M1

who's reporting noise? i haven't heard my fans once (and been working all week); @Kim Olesen says it's fine; others reporting no noise as well.

where are you getting this info? and (again), not sure the jump from the M1 to the M2 is essential (perhaps wait for the next-gen chips)...

[lookatthisguy]

Just now, fisherking said:

who's reporting noise? i haven't heard my fans once (and been working all week); @Kim Olesen says it's fine; others reporting no noise as well.

where are you getting this info? and (again), not sure the jump from the M1 to the M2 is essential (perhaps wait for the next-gen chips)...

Yeah, correct me if I’m wrong, but the discourse here has been that the Studios have maybe had fan noise, not Minis…

[kerochan]

6 minutes ago, fisherking said:

who's reporting noise? i haven't heard my fans once (and been working all week); @Kim Olesen says it's fine; others reporting no noise as well.

where are you getting this info? and (again), not sure the jump from the M1 to the M2 is essential (perhaps wait for the next-gen chips)...

here you go, 

 

[fisherking]

anything shared in a youtube video should always be treated as absolute fact... nothing else matters. altho... that video seems to prove how quiet the mini is.

meanwhile, i will continue to work silently here on my own M2pro mini...

Edited February 13, 2023 by fisherking

[kerochan]

1 minute ago, fisherking said:

anything shared in a youtube video should always be treated as absolute fact... nothing else matters. altho... that video seems to prove how quiet the mini is.

meanwhile, i will continue to work silently here on my own M2pro air...

yep, I know what you mean, and tend to agree, however there are reports on Mac Rumours too, and the noise in that video is way too loud to work in a studio.  But as you say, no need to jump from M1 to M2 anyway.  

[fisherking]

2 minutes ago, kerochan said:

yep, I know what you mean, and tend to agree, however there are reports on Mac Rumours too, and the noise in that video is way too loud to work in a studio.  But as you say, no need to jump from M1 to M2 anyway.  

yeah, um, i'm going to go with my real-world experience vs something i read on a forum (including lol, this one)...