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Advice on a new computer (Mac) for home recording

#21
beans-on-toast said:
I'm not a fan of a PC for music production, been down that road and would never go back.
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To each his own, I guess. But I admit that Windows might be something of an acquired taste; I was severely burned by unstable Mac drivers some years ago and had to use Windows 7. Not fun.

But Win 10 is actually really good and combined with a (removable) touch screen I can be much more flexible with both the DAW (Tracktion) and the mixer controller.
 
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#22
silky smoove said:
The biggest bang for your buck in the Mac world is the Mini. You'll need to buy a mouse, keyboard and monitor screen, but you still come out lower than other Mac models in terms of horsepower per dollar. They can't compete with higher end iMac or Mac Pro models, but they'll more than suffice for your needs. There's an update to the Mini expected at Apple's upcoming March even, so hold off until then. You'll be able to buy a new 2017 model Mini at that point, or you could buy the previous late-2014 models for a reduced price (compared to now) since they won't be the freshest model in the lineup anymore.

Your old sessions should work just fine.
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I plan to upgrade my setup at home this year and this is the route I want to take as well. Seems like a great little box.
 
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#23
Try a new software and interface option. Studio one 3 Artist comes with a Audiobox USB. They operate on low power computers without much latency. It should work on old MAC computers. And it's a lot more powerful than garage band.
 
#24
Badwater said:
Try a new software and interface option. Studio one 3 Artist comes with a Audiobox USB. They operate on low power computers without much latency. It should work on old MAC computers. And it's a lot more powerful than garage band.
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Too many projects in the making with garage band to switch softwares... and I need wayyyy more inputs then the 2 there are on the Audiobox. My interface is fine.

Anyways, the computer gets old and starts to slow down on regular operations as well as recording. I'm exploring the Mac mini road right now.

Are you people using Apple keyboards and mice or are other keyboards (logitech perhaps) are working fine with a Mac Mini? I've looked at keyboards/touch pads combinations that look nice.
 
#26
I was in the same boat as you - old Macbook Pro that was slow as death - upgraded to a Mac Mini this summer with an add/on keyboard and bluetooth mouse and it works just fine - however, I had to get some adaptors for the firewire interface I was using because of the new Thunderbolt/Lightning ports, so be aware of that. USB interfaces should not be a problem.
 
#29
If you want a desktop, get the 3.1 Ghz Quad i5, with the 4K Retina display. $1499. Upgrade the hard drive to the 1TB "fusion" drive for $100 or to a 256GB SSD (Solid State Drive) for $200.

However, you probably want a laptop, since your rehearsal space is in your drummer's house.

MacBook Air's are designed for business and web, not media editing. Get a new MacBook Pro. While more expensive, the MacBook Pro is in a completely different class. 13.3" Retina display, 2.9Ghz Dual i5, 256 GB SSD (Solid State Drive), 4 thunderbolt 3/USB C ports. This is also the least expensive model that has the new Touch Bar, which is actually very useful, and will be an important part of the Mac interface going forward. $1799

If cost is not an issue, go for a 15.4" Retina display, 2.6 Quad i7, 16 GB RAM, 256 GB SSD. $2399. Add $200 and you can order one with a 512 GB SSD.
 
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