Right off the bat, I have to say that the MacBook Air is not the best computer for music production, due to its inherent limitations, for instance, the amount of RAM and the Processor Speed.
The MacBook Air and Mac mini are more affordable, but they lack some features that you might need. The best Macs for music production are fast enough and have enough storage to handle your music making. They're also up to date when it comes to software and hardware.
- In order to achieve some kind of performance benchmark for the MacBook Air, I ran an array of frisson‑inducing tests using Logic Pro 9.1.3. Since one of the key features of the MacBook Air is the use of solid‑state storage, I decided to start by looking at how many stereo, 24‑bit, 44.1kHz audio tracks could be played back simultaneously.
- Aug 05, 2015 Macbook Air. I included the Macbook Air on this list because it is what I found to be the cheapest Apple Laptop that would hold up to music production. The Macbook Air starts at $900 and goes as high as $1199. You can get your Air in either 11 or 13 inch variations. I would recommend going with the 13 inch model.
- Which is better for music production and what computer should I buy for music making? In this new episode of Sound Architect I'm breaking down the.
iMac, MacBook Pro, iPad, iPhone, and Apple, are all registered trademarks of Apple.
However, of course, a lot of people love the MacBook Air and insist on buying one for music production, despite what people may tell them.
If you insist on buying a MacBook Air for music production, you want to get the new 13″ MacBook Air with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of Storage.
If you've read my other articles on the necessary specifications for music production, you know there are certain requirements of your computer in order for plug-ins and software to run smoothly.
The recommended specifications are the following:
- 16 GB of RAM
- 3 GHz Processor Speed
- 4 Cores
- Solid State Harddrive.
- Graphics Card 2GB
If you want to read more about why certain specifications are important, I suggest you check out my other article on the best iMac for Garageband users. It's at this link here.
In brevity, music production is a process that utilizes quite a bit of processing power and memory because each task has to be completed in one core at a time before the computer can then move on to the next task.
This is quite a bit different in comparison to other uses of a computer, like gaming or video editing, where each part of the process is spread across different parts of the computer and different cores simultaneously.
In other words, each part of the process is completed in one core at a time, and the computer's cores need optimal performance, that way it can get things done so the computer can then move on to the next task.
Using Macbook Air For Music Production Companies
It's not like video editing or gaming, where many things are at work at once, including the graphics card and several other cores simultaneously.
Plug-ins are a good example of this.
If you've loaded up 4-5 plug-ins on a MIDI synth, for instance, there is a lot going on on that synth, and each part of that process is probably occurring in one core.
When you press on the MIDI keyboard, the computer has to make the sound of the synth, in addition to all of the plug-ins that are set up on the instrument.
This is one of the reasons why you may notice that some applications or instruments suddenly fail.
Essentially, when an instrument or sound fails, it means that the computer doesn't have enough processing power within that core to complete all of the tasks at the rate at which the computer needs.
Hence, the crash and burning of the application or your computer warning you that something went down.
MacBook Airs Work For Music Production – But It's Not The Best
With all that said, there are a lot of people out there that will argue that a MacBook Air works just fine for music production, and it will work just fine, especially if you have the best version with the most RAM, the highest processor speed, and the most storage capacity.
Frankly, the MacBook Air is going to serve your needs in the meantime, but as your demands of the CPU become more intense, you'll start to notice the limitations of the computer.
If you plan on keeping your music quite simple with not a lot of plug-ins or third-party software, your computer will work sufficiently, but if not, it's not going to be the best option.
For instance, I'm currently using a 2017 MacBook Pro with 2.3 GHz Intel Core i5, 8 GB 2133 MHz LPDDR3, and Intel Iris Plus Graphics 640 1536 MB.
And it does the job, but I should've got the upgraded MacBook Pro with more RAM, more storage space, and faster processor speed, because I've run into issues before, including not having enough storage space on the computer, or the computer not being powerful enough to run more than one software at a time.
I frequently make YouTube videos using the ScreenFlow Editor, and if I have Garageband running at the same time, I can expect problems while running two softwares simultaneously.
This is compounded if Google Chrome is running as well.
Furthermore, if you don't have enough storage capacity on the computer, it's going to get really annoying, really quick.
I almost always have to do a weekly cleaning on my computer, where I take some of my old tracks and put them on an external hard drive.
I guess I could put them in the iCloud, but that just seems shady to me, and I'd rather store them directly on my computer, to be frank with you.
MacBook Pro Versus MacBook Air for Music Production
The proper Macbook Pro out-performs the MacBook Air on a single and multi-core performance, which means that it's much better for computer processing power and performance.
For instance, let's compare two of the models right now:
MacBook Air 13″ 2018/2019, 1.6 GHz Intel Core i5-8210Y Dual Core:
Single-Core Score: 4006 points
Multi-Core Score: 7393 Points
VERSUS
MacBook Pro 13″ 2019, 1.4 GHz Intel Core i5-8257U Quad-Core':
Single-Core Score: 4654 Points
Multi-Core Score: 16713 Points
By looking at the two specifications above, you can see that the MacBook Pro outperforms the MacBook Air by a large margin, both in Single-Core performance and also in Multi-Core performance.
In other words, the MacBook Pro is going to be a much more powerful and faster machine.
While the MacBook Air will meet your demands in the beginning stages, the MacBook Pro is going to be a much better option as time goes on, especially considering the way that macOS has continued to evolve over-time and demands more from the CPU.
The Importance Of RAM
Using Macbook Air For Music Production Software
RAM is super important for the computer's processing speed and power, and most people argue that 8GB is the bare minimum of what's needed, with 16GB being much better.
For instance, my computer has 8GB of RAM, and as I've already mentioned, it's not enough.
The computer can't take more than 2-3 complicated tasks at once.
ScreenFlow, Garageband, and Google Chrome are pretty much all it can take at one time, and it even struggles to do that.
Furthermore, it's definitely worth mentioning that Apple has made it so that nothing can be replaced in them anymore, so the purchase you make in the beginning stage will be final. What is a good video editing software for pc.
Conclusion
All-in-all, the MacBook Pro is going to be the superior option for making music, however, some of you will still want to get the MacBook Air.
In that case, just get the absolute best model available and you may get away with it in the meantime.
If you're really in the market for a music production device, you could actually get the iPad Pro 11 with optimal specifications and that would do a lot better than a MacBook Air.
The iPads are slowly becoming a lot better as time goes on, as it seems like Apple is recognizing that mobility is the future.
Under the moon otome game english full version free software download. For the price of an upgraded MacBook Air, you could grab the best iPad Pro 11 and you'd probably be the wiser for it.
For the music producer, Apple's new Macbook Pro 2016, requires quite a bit of upfront investment. Mac dvd ripper pro 8 0 41.
The first thing I wondered when I saw the Macbook Pro being introduced is how am I going to plug in my Cubase dongle? Let alone the many other audio hardware a typical music producer owns – from audio interfaces, MIDI controllers to drum pads & DJ controllers.
The Macbook Pro has been stripped off all traditional USB ports USB-C ports instead.
Well to use the latest Macbook Pro for music production, you'll have to invest in about $250 of dongles & special cables.
The New Macbook Pro For Music Production
The new MacBook Pro 2016How will the new MacBook pro do for music production? It's lighter, thinner and it comes with a nice new ‘touch bar'. The MagSafe power connector is gone, which is a shame really as it was a useful safety feature, so your Macbook does not fly off the stage if someone happens to trip over the power cable.
You can still use traditional USB2.0 & USB3.0 devices with USB-C
I don't know what type of musician or producer you are, but you're bound to have some controller or audio device that connects to your computer via USB. How to connect your USB devices like audio interfaces and controllers to the Macbook Pro then? Best way to unzip files on mac.
The good news is you can buy a USB-C to USB 3.0 cable, which would work with USB2.0 devices as well. But this means changing all the cables you have in your studio, which can get pretty costly.
Another alternative is to buy a dongle like the USB-C Hub to USB-A, for all your connection needs.
It does not end there. Those dongles are needed to connect your audio devices. What if you take pictures as well or have an audio recorder like the Zoom H6 that uses SD cards? Well, another SD card USB-C card reader dongle for you.
You plan to connect your Macbook Pro to an external monitor in your studio? Yup, another USB-C to VGA adapter for you unless you're waiting for the said new LG monitors that will be built with Macbook Pros in mind.
This might not be a deal breaker for many music producers, but I don't like the idea of carrying so many different dongles. They get broken quickly and worse, you're bound to forget a dongle and mistakenly leave it behind when you travel.
What about the new 'Touch Bar' for music production?
Since Apple developed Logic Pro X, we would think some kind of Touch Bar feature will be built for it. But it seems like while every creative app, like Final Cut X, Numbers & Pages got updated with Touchbar support, Logic Pro X did not.
I must say, the Touchbar feature looks amazing and cool. There are so many features that I could think off, would be really cool on the Touchbar. For example, imagine using the Touchbar as a transport bar, MIDI controller or a mixing control surface to mute/solo or perhaps tweak some pan pots.
Touchbar seems like a nice feature for the music producer, but do you really need it? I figured using a touch screen to control the knobs and faders on a DAW would be much more intuitive than trying to fiddle on a thin Touchbar strip.
If you've loaded up 4-5 plug-ins on a MIDI synth, for instance, there is a lot going on on that synth, and each part of that process is probably occurring in one core.
When you press on the MIDI keyboard, the computer has to make the sound of the synth, in addition to all of the plug-ins that are set up on the instrument.
This is one of the reasons why you may notice that some applications or instruments suddenly fail.
Essentially, when an instrument or sound fails, it means that the computer doesn't have enough processing power within that core to complete all of the tasks at the rate at which the computer needs.
Hence, the crash and burning of the application or your computer warning you that something went down.
MacBook Airs Work For Music Production – But It's Not The Best
With all that said, there are a lot of people out there that will argue that a MacBook Air works just fine for music production, and it will work just fine, especially if you have the best version with the most RAM, the highest processor speed, and the most storage capacity.
Frankly, the MacBook Air is going to serve your needs in the meantime, but as your demands of the CPU become more intense, you'll start to notice the limitations of the computer.
If you plan on keeping your music quite simple with not a lot of plug-ins or third-party software, your computer will work sufficiently, but if not, it's not going to be the best option.
For instance, I'm currently using a 2017 MacBook Pro with 2.3 GHz Intel Core i5, 8 GB 2133 MHz LPDDR3, and Intel Iris Plus Graphics 640 1536 MB.
And it does the job, but I should've got the upgraded MacBook Pro with more RAM, more storage space, and faster processor speed, because I've run into issues before, including not having enough storage space on the computer, or the computer not being powerful enough to run more than one software at a time.
I frequently make YouTube videos using the ScreenFlow Editor, and if I have Garageband running at the same time, I can expect problems while running two softwares simultaneously.
This is compounded if Google Chrome is running as well.
Furthermore, if you don't have enough storage capacity on the computer, it's going to get really annoying, really quick.
I almost always have to do a weekly cleaning on my computer, where I take some of my old tracks and put them on an external hard drive.
I guess I could put them in the iCloud, but that just seems shady to me, and I'd rather store them directly on my computer, to be frank with you.
MacBook Pro Versus MacBook Air for Music Production
The proper Macbook Pro out-performs the MacBook Air on a single and multi-core performance, which means that it's much better for computer processing power and performance.
For instance, let's compare two of the models right now:
MacBook Air 13″ 2018/2019, 1.6 GHz Intel Core i5-8210Y Dual Core:
Single-Core Score: 4006 points
Multi-Core Score: 7393 Points
VERSUS
MacBook Pro 13″ 2019, 1.4 GHz Intel Core i5-8257U Quad-Core':
Single-Core Score: 4654 Points
Multi-Core Score: 16713 Points
By looking at the two specifications above, you can see that the MacBook Pro outperforms the MacBook Air by a large margin, both in Single-Core performance and also in Multi-Core performance.
In other words, the MacBook Pro is going to be a much more powerful and faster machine.
While the MacBook Air will meet your demands in the beginning stages, the MacBook Pro is going to be a much better option as time goes on, especially considering the way that macOS has continued to evolve over-time and demands more from the CPU.
The Importance Of RAM
Using Macbook Air For Music Production Software
RAM is super important for the computer's processing speed and power, and most people argue that 8GB is the bare minimum of what's needed, with 16GB being much better.
For instance, my computer has 8GB of RAM, and as I've already mentioned, it's not enough.
The computer can't take more than 2-3 complicated tasks at once.
ScreenFlow, Garageband, and Google Chrome are pretty much all it can take at one time, and it even struggles to do that.
Furthermore, it's definitely worth mentioning that Apple has made it so that nothing can be replaced in them anymore, so the purchase you make in the beginning stage will be final. What is a good video editing software for pc.
Conclusion
All-in-all, the MacBook Pro is going to be the superior option for making music, however, some of you will still want to get the MacBook Air.
In that case, just get the absolute best model available and you may get away with it in the meantime.
If you're really in the market for a music production device, you could actually get the iPad Pro 11 with optimal specifications and that would do a lot better than a MacBook Air.
The iPads are slowly becoming a lot better as time goes on, as it seems like Apple is recognizing that mobility is the future.
Under the moon otome game english full version free software download. For the price of an upgraded MacBook Air, you could grab the best iPad Pro 11 and you'd probably be the wiser for it.
For the music producer, Apple's new Macbook Pro 2016, requires quite a bit of upfront investment. Mac dvd ripper pro 8 0 41.
The first thing I wondered when I saw the Macbook Pro being introduced is how am I going to plug in my Cubase dongle? Let alone the many other audio hardware a typical music producer owns – from audio interfaces, MIDI controllers to drum pads & DJ controllers.
The Macbook Pro has been stripped off all traditional USB ports USB-C ports instead.
Well to use the latest Macbook Pro for music production, you'll have to invest in about $250 of dongles & special cables.
The New Macbook Pro For Music Production
The new MacBook Pro 2016How will the new MacBook pro do for music production? It's lighter, thinner and it comes with a nice new ‘touch bar'. The MagSafe power connector is gone, which is a shame really as it was a useful safety feature, so your Macbook does not fly off the stage if someone happens to trip over the power cable.
You can still use traditional USB2.0 & USB3.0 devices with USB-C
I don't know what type of musician or producer you are, but you're bound to have some controller or audio device that connects to your computer via USB. How to connect your USB devices like audio interfaces and controllers to the Macbook Pro then? Best way to unzip files on mac.
The good news is you can buy a USB-C to USB 3.0 cable, which would work with USB2.0 devices as well. But this means changing all the cables you have in your studio, which can get pretty costly.
Another alternative is to buy a dongle like the USB-C Hub to USB-A, for all your connection needs.
It does not end there. Those dongles are needed to connect your audio devices. What if you take pictures as well or have an audio recorder like the Zoom H6 that uses SD cards? Well, another SD card USB-C card reader dongle for you.
You plan to connect your Macbook Pro to an external monitor in your studio? Yup, another USB-C to VGA adapter for you unless you're waiting for the said new LG monitors that will be built with Macbook Pros in mind.
This might not be a deal breaker for many music producers, but I don't like the idea of carrying so many different dongles. They get broken quickly and worse, you're bound to forget a dongle and mistakenly leave it behind when you travel.
What about the new 'Touch Bar' for music production?
Since Apple developed Logic Pro X, we would think some kind of Touch Bar feature will be built for it. But it seems like while every creative app, like Final Cut X, Numbers & Pages got updated with Touchbar support, Logic Pro X did not.
I must say, the Touchbar feature looks amazing and cool. There are so many features that I could think off, would be really cool on the Touchbar. For example, imagine using the Touchbar as a transport bar, MIDI controller or a mixing control surface to mute/solo or perhaps tweak some pan pots.
Touchbar seems like a nice feature for the music producer, but do you really need it? I figured using a touch screen to control the knobs and faders on a DAW would be much more intuitive than trying to fiddle on a thin Touchbar strip.
The new Macbook Pro can only have max 16GB RAM
Only max of 16GB RAM on the new MacBook Pro 2016. Good enough for music production?As a music producer, producing with lots of VSTs and effects through the years, you probably know how important RAM is for your setup.
Before you throw hate on Apple, understand that the Macbook Pro is a laptop. It is designed to be small and portable. If you're looking for super serious production work, it's best to get a desktop unit or something like the iMac 27.
The reason why the Macbook Pro only limits up to max 16GB of RAM is possibly to make up for its higher battery life. Some users also noted that the MacBook Pro is using an LPDDR3 RAM which uses more power as compared to DDR4, in which surprisingly Apple did not put in.
However that being said, it's still possible to do serious production work on a Macbook Pro. The SSD speeds on the MacBook Pro will aid with any heavy audio recording or processing in the studio or on the roads.
It also has a bumped up battery life to 10 hours between charges, so producing music on the road will be a breeze.
Isn't the MacBook Pro a little expensive?
MacBook Pro are expensive for starters in music productionThe standard 13-inch MacBook Pro (without the Touchbar) starts at $1499 instead of the previous pricing of $1299. And this model is without the TouchBar, which in my opinion, kind of defeats the purpose of upgrading to the new MacBook Pro. Besides, the entry Macbook Pro also comes with only 2 USB-C ports which is quite a deal breaker for music producers.
I used to recommend fellow music producers who wanted a Macbook Pro, to go for the base 15-inch model as it comes with higher disk space and also with a maxed out 16GB RAM. It wouldn't be worth the price difference if you were to get the 13-inch model and upgrade the disk space and RAM.
However, the new MacBook Pro 15-inch model now starts at $2300 and even higher for people in Europe at €2799 (which is reported to be a 50% increase in price from the last pricing).
Even though Apple is a company that prides on their higher priced products, the price increase this round has caused lots of grumbles. Many users are talking about going back to run on a refurbished 2015 unit instead of getting the new Macbook Pro 2016.
Switch To Windows For Music Production?
Mac used to be the computer you want to get if you are into music production. But that isn't the case anymore these days. There is no reason why you can't produce great music on a Windows based computer system.
In fact, I'm using both the Mac and Windows for music production. The ONLY complaint I probably have for a Windows machine is the absence of a robust audio driver like CoreAudio on a Mac.
There is also a few great reasons why you would consider the switch to a Windows machine. Again, I'm not biased and this is not a Windows to Mac debate, but it's cheaper to start off your music production journey on a Windows machine. You get more power for the price you pay for in most Windows based machine.
Some MacBook Pro alternatives for music production Apple preview reduce file size.
Here are some great laptops you can consider if you're in for the switch to Windows. The laptops recommended here are near the Macbook Pro in terms of portability and battery life. Pyramid of the kings slot machine.
1 – Dell XPS 13″ (Kaby Lake)
Coming with a new 7th generation processor, this is one of the best MacBook Pro alternatives you can find for music production. The Dell XPS is super portable, and it also comes with an excellent battery life, said to last up to 14 hours on web browsing – better than a Macbook Pro.
The laptop also comes with touch display, which can be used to control your DAW. For $1399, the highest model, you get an i7 CPU, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD and a beautiful 3200 x 1800 touch display.
2 – Microsoft Surface Book i7
If you're into full portability, consider the Surface Book i7. The Surface is easily mistaken as a tablet PC with touch display but is in fact pretty powerful for music production.
The Surface more towards a mid-range to a high-end computer but you get lots of performance while it being extremely portable as well with 12 hours of battery life. At $2699, you get an i7 CPU, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD and also a NVIDIA graphic card.
The Surface wouldn't be a great choice if you're into high graphic work, but for music production, the touch display and the performance it comes pack with are superb.
3 – ASUS GL552VW
This laptop packs lots of power at the expense of having less battery life. It's a gaming laptop but a good choice for music production as well.
It comes packed with an i7 processor and RAM upgradable up to 32GB, and this laptop is a powerhouse when it comes to processing and recording audio. Another thing to note is that it comes with an SSD and also a 1TB mechanical hard disk. This means you can put your system files on the SSD and your samples on the mechanical hard disk.
The cons to the ASUS GL552VW ROG is sadly that ASUS shipped many laptops that had graphic driver issues. I suspect it's a hardware issue, but there is no solid answer. Just make sure you test the laptop thoroughly to check for any fault when you receive it.
4 – Microsoft Surface Studio
Not a portable computer but it definitely caught the eye of many creative professionals. It looks near to an iMac, but it's more than just a regular computer.
The Surface comes with 28″ touch display, giving you lots of display screen real estate. The 4500 x 3000 Pixelsense display also gives you true colors, which would be amazing for design – showing you the actual colors. Upgradable up to 32GB RAM and has plenty of ports of all your audio hardware, it also comes pack with lots of CPU power with a
What really makes the Surface studio shine, is the Surface dial. It's a new accessory that works with the Surface studio by just placing it on the display.
Imagine the things you could do with the Surface dial, from drawing in automations, using it as a fader and more. We don't know the possibilities that it can do for now, but pretty sure more support for it will be launched soon.
Your Turn – Thoughts For The New MacBook Pro for Music Production?
What do you think about the new MacBook Pro and how will it fit into your studio?
Let us know in the comment section below. Will you stick to Apple and buy the MacBook Pro or is it time to look for an alternative?
