Which Mac Pro to buy for Music Production

Hi All
Hope you can help.
Currently I have a macbook pro ( 2.66Ghz + 4GB ).
Im planning to buy a mac pro for music production, which is better
4 Core 2.66Ghz Nehalem CPU + 3x2GB or
8 Core 2.26 Ghz Nehalem CPU + 6x2GB
Im heavy on VST/AU's, use a fair bit of audio samples and also will be using a load of ROMpler style sampler instruments.
Im also looking to future proof the system but if the 8 core system is unnecssary for using logic studio id rather get the 4 core option as its easier on my budget.
Im also planning to run 3 x 1tb HDD's ( 1 x OS / 1 x Samples / 1 x Music )
Hope you can advise as itching to buy one with my commission money
Cheers
Andrew

JG99 wrote:
I've heard from a few Logic users and read on other forums that there is currently little difference in performance between the 8-core and 4-core Mac Pro's when running Logic 8. This may change in the future...?
Really? The benchmarks seem to indicate that the 8 x 2.26 is 30-40 % more powerful than the 4 x 2.66, a significant difference...
Personally, I'd get a quad core and spend the difference on ram (from crucial.com) as this will make more of a difference when running power hungry plug-ins.
JG
But the 4 core has a max RAM of 8 GB where the 8 core maxes to 32 GB. Might be worth considering.

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Which mac pro to get for music production?

which is the best macbook to get for music production? I want it mainly to be able to handle a lot of vsts being used simultaneously. I see upgrade options such as from an ata drive to a solid state, and am wondering on which would be the best for my cause! any help would be much appreciated!

Avi Selva wrote:
well im looking at the 15 inch non retina and the retina doesnt come with a superdrive, as ill be needing that to burn material straight from my laptop to cds. So that more or less rules out any of the retina display models. Its just the customizing i needed help unless you could suggest another model entirely!
You can add an Optical drive to the Retina models connected by USB. And it does not have to be the Apple branded (Not So) Superdrive. It can be any portable CD/DVD burner that connects by USB.
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Which Mac Pro to buy for Studio 3

Guys, I'm in the process of upgrading my trusted Power Mac G5 Quad to a Mac Pro.
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Hi, I am a Logic Pro user, I use lots of tracks with automation, lots of virtual instruments and other plugins.
I've finally settled on getting a Mac Pro, since I want to use a UAD card, as well as for expandability. So now... Which one? For a given budget, do I want to:
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vs
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vs
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Thanks!
Message was edited by: smeet

Things to consider:
At the moment, the single processor Mac Pros arent that great in terms of value. 4 memory slots is just kind of crappy for a machine that costs so much.
That being said, logic wont support more than 8 cores, meaning nothing above the quad core is going to be worth your money for strict use with logic. We have no idea when logic will support more cores.
Now is not the greatest time to be buying a Mac Pro for various reasons. What kind of budget are you on? Your best bet might be a refurbished 2009 quad core or a 2008 octocore.

Which Mac Pro to buy for Logic Pro and Final Cut Pro X?

Hi, I'm considering to buy a Mac Pro for my personal studio. I have 2 choices in my mind: 1st one is the "Quad-core (one 3.2GHz Quad-Core Intel Xeon) with 6GB RAM", and the 2nd one is "12-core (Two 2.4GHz 6-Core Intel Xeon) with 12GB RAM". I'll be mainly using Logic Pro 9 and hardcore video editing in Final Cut Pro X. I know the fact that having higher GHz than more cores may benefit you at some point, and only those software applications that are well-written for using multiple cores will be able to utilize the power of 12-core. So, I need to know that are Logic and FCPX are such apps? Are they able to utilize the power of 12-cores or a Quad-core with more GHz will be better? I'm looking for fast operation and smoother workflow, and I'll also be using this computer for a very long time (so, its a major investment!).
So, the ultimate verdict is to whether to go for more clockspeed or more cores? Money is not the problem here, and I will add more RAMs, SSD according to the need later after couple of months, but considering nothing else I need you to compare between these two machines! If the 12-core machine is even 1% faster I'll go for it, but I don't want to end up spending more money on the machine with will have less power and utility.
Regards.

6 core 3.33 1st choice
8 core 2.93 or higher

Which macbook pro to buy for editing?

I will be buying a macbook pro for my future editing as i will be traveling a lot. I use after effects, premiere pro, sometimes fcp 7 and occasionaly blender and cinema 4d. I will be watching a lot of movies and playing games occasionaly. I have a late 2009 imac with 4 gigs of ram, 3.06 ghz dual core processor, 500gb hard drive and NVIDIA GeForce 9400 256 MB. It is quite slow in rendering. I use full hd footage and put effects in my videos such as muzzle flashes or maybe a planet in the sky(that kind of stuff). What software requirements do you guys recommend for a faster editing and rendering? I am ok if it takes some time in rendering but ofcourse not ages. And also which macbook pro do you guys recommend (also from the previously manufactured mcbp)?
Thanks in advance.

Both will work fine with 1080p AVCHD but you will notice an increase in performance simply because Premiere LOVES a good GPU and the 750M is a good one as far as laptops go. Yes, its more but if you're serious about performance go with the better GPU.
That being said...save a bit and go with this below (same as your 2nd option but cheaper):
Refurbished 15.4-inch MacBook Pro 2.5GHz Quad-core Intel i7 with Retina Display - Apple Store (U.S.)
It'll save you $400. Bam! Thank me later. Apple's refurbished program is top of the line. Comes fully warrantied and you can get apple care, etc. if you want as well. It's like buying it new. These refurbished computers are often just ones bought and then returned within a few days by customers trying things out and there's absolutely nothing wrong with them. They can basically be looked at like new.

Which Mac Pro Graphics Card For A Multimedia Installation with 4 Projectors?

Hi All,
I'm looking for advice on a multimedia installation I'm working on as part of my thesis. Essentially I need to use my Mac Pro to run a multimedia installation that will use four projectors (Full HD) all displaying as one logical display. I then need to have two separate monitors to control back ground functions of the installation. My Mac Pro is an early 2008 model and intend to use the current graphics card to run the control monitors. So my questions are...
One of the main things I'm unsure about is if it's possible to output on more than one graphics output and have the computer see it as one display. Any one have experience with this?
Is there a graphics card compatible with OSX that will output to four displays simultaneously? Keeping in mind that it would have to have an option to see all the displays as one one single desktop so when I go full screen that the application I'm using will fill all four projector screens (I'm not concerned with edge detection or blending as it's not an issue). This display would be running at a resolution of 7680x1080 (4 x 1) or 3840×2160 (2 x 2).
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The Mac already has the feature you need for seamless tiling of multi-display output. It has been built-in to Mac OS since System 4.2 was issued for the original Mac-II. It is called "Extended Desktop". Every well-behaved Mac Application can use it without modification, unless the author chooses to defeat the feature, as was done in some versions of iMovie.
Based on this feature, you are massively over-thinking the display and interface process. "It's in there."
When you set up multiple displays, whether on one card or multiple cards, the Mac can create an Extended Desktop. Each display provides a portion of this larger extended Desktop, and the displays are "joined" along the edges you specify. Windows split across displays continue to be updated and scroll as one window, regardless of the parameters of each display. The Arrange pane in System Preferences > Displays is used to re-arrange the Icons of each display to correspond with their arrangement in (real) space.
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NVIDIA GeForce GT 120 Graphics Upgrade Kit for Mac Pro (early 2009)

Trying to decide which Mac Pro is best for me

Hi-
It's high time I upgrade to a Mac Pro and I need to do so in a month or two. I can't wait around for whatever new version of Mac Pro may come out in the Fall.
I am very confused as to whether an August 2010 Quad core 2.8 ghz or 3.2 ghz versus an August 2010 2.4 ghz 8 core is better for my needs.
I use my Mac for FCS and DVD compression. I usually use iDVD. My work is editing primarily for legal purposes- Mediation presentations, Day in the Life Documentaries and depositions. There is not much use for things like Motion or other effects. Right now I use Livetype for some animated titles.
I am sure, compared to what I have now, a Quad core's speed will make me pee my pants and would be perfect for my purposes. My concern is what will continue to be supported over the next 3-4 years if I don't run out and buy a new computer until then. Will newer software updates continue to work fine on a quad core or willa n 8 core be a requirement as Intel processors are de rigeur for software updates.
I'd appreciate your thoughts, Apple community. Thanks!

Go back to page one of that MacRumors thread.
Very complete with photos etc
It takes me a long time and work to wrap my head around details.
You asked about 8-core performance.
I recommended the $2100 special and $600 cpu, you can then sell the original cpu for $300 and come out with $2495 for 6-core system that is 50% faster than what it was.
Allocate for RAM (4 x 4GB or 3 x 8GB), extra hard drives, eventually an SSD boot drive ($200) also.
RAM, drives, SSDs, they even do (very expensive$$$) processor "Turnkey" upgrades.
Intel® Xeon® Processor W3670 (12M Cache, 3.20 GHz, 4.80 GT s Intel® QPI)with SPEC Code(s)SLBVE
W3670 Upgrade photos
Intel Xeon W3670 3.20GHz Hexacore Buy

Which Mac Pro to buy?

Hello,
I'm a software developer (Java, EE6). For me, fast build times are critical. With the 12 core being announced, I'm wondering if anyone has an idea of how much bang for the buck I'd get using a 12 core vs. 8 core. SSD vs. magnetic media.
Thanks.

There is directly pertinent info on Apple's own Mac Pro page (http://www.apple.com/macpro/). The gist of it seems to be the 12-core would process about 1.3 times faster than a comparable 8-core, and the SSD do I/O about twice as fast as the HDD. Don't forget there are other differences, too ... e.g. the cost of RAM may differ between core configurations and the SSD has no moving mechanical parts. Of course the cost/benefit factor would also depend on your individual budget circumstances and how long you expect to use it.

Which Macbook should I buy for music recording and production?

I'm a musician and I would really like a Mac for my recording and production. I'm going to be going to college in Australia next summer, so I need something a little more compact. I'm thinking 13 inch. I was looking at this Macbook pro Refurbished 13.3-inch MacBook Pro 2.5GHz Dual-core Intel Core i5 with Retina Display - Apple Store (U.S.). Keep in mind that I do not have all of the money in the world, as I am just a college student. Thank you for your help!

The 13" MBAir could be lighter to tote and the extra $100 to upgrade the RAM to 8GB's is well worth the investment and handle all the tasks you mentioned.

Mac pro harddrive, good for audio production

I currently have this Western Digital WDC WD1001FALS-41K1B0.
Im really not happy with this drive, its slow and i get this slow disc message in logic all the time and its also very noise especially because it goes in to sleep mode all the time.
I want a better harddrive, can anyone recommend a good one?

Caviar Black 1TB are well-liked.
Turn off "spin down" in Energy Saver.
http://macperformanceguide.com/Recommended-MacPro-HardDrives.html

Which Mac Pro? More cores=slower speeds? And most of us know the speed matters or FPU for music and I don't understand the faster is for the least amount of procs. And while I get the whole rendering thing and why it makes sense.

Which Mac Pro? More cores=slower speeds? And most of us know the speed matters or FPU for music and I don't understand the faster is for the least amount of procs. And while I get the whole rendering thing and why it makes sense.
The above is what the bar says. It's been a while and wondered, maybe Apple changed the format for forums. Then got this nice big blank canvas to air my concerns. Went to school for Computer Science, BSEE, even worked at Analog Devices in Newton Massachusetts, where they make something for apple.
The bottom line is fast CPU = more FPU = more headroom and still can't figure out why the more cores= the slower it gets unless it's to get us in to a 6 core then come out with faster cores down the road or a newer Mac that uses the GPU. Also. Few. I'm the guy who said a few years ago Mac has an FCP that looks like iMovie on Steroids. Having said that I called the campus one day to ask them something and while I used to work for Apple, I think she thought I still did as she asked me, "HOW ARE THE 32 CORES/1DYE COMING ALONG? Not wanting to embarrass her I said fine, fine and then hung up. Makes the most sense as I never quite got the 2,6,12 cores when for years everything from memory to CPU's have been, in sets of 2 to the 2nd power. 2,4,8,16,32,64,120,256,512, 1024, 2048,4196,8192, 72,768. Wow. W-O-W and will be using whatever I get with Apollo Quad.
Peace to all and hope someone can point us in THE RIGHT DIRECTION. THANK YOU

Thanks for your reply via email/msg. He wrote:
If you are interested in the actual design data for the Xeon processor, go to the Intel site and the actual CPU part numbers are:
Xeon 4 core - E5.1620v2
Xeon 6 core - E5.1650v2
Xeon 8 core - E5.1680v2
Xeon 12 core - E5.2697v2
I read that the CPU is easy to swap out but am sure something goes wrong at a certain point - even if solderedon they make material to absorb the solder, making your work area VERY clean.
My Question now is this, get an 8 core, then replace with 2 3.7 QUAD CHIPS, what would happen?
I also noticed that the 8 core Mac Pro is 3.0 when in fact they do have a 3.4 8 core chip, so 2 =16? Or if correct, wouldn't you be able to replace a QUAD CHIP WITH THAT? I;M SURE THEY ARE UO TO SOMETHING AS 1) WE HAVE SEEN NO AUDIO FPU OR PERHAPS I SHOULD CHECK OUT PC MAKERS WINDOWS machines for Sisoft Sandra "B-E-N-C-H-M-A-R-K-S" -
SOMETHINGS UP AND AM SURE WE'LL ALL BE PLEASED, AS the mac pro was announced Last year, barely made the December mark, then pushed to January, then February and now April.
Would rather wait and have it done correct than released to early only to have it benchmarked in audio and found to be slower in a few areas- - - the logical part of my brain is wondering what else I would have to swap out as I am sure it would run, and fine for a while, then, poof....
PEACE===AM SURE APPLE WILL BLOW US AWAY - they have to figure out how to increase the power for 150 watts or make the GPU work which in regard to FPU, I thought was NVIDIA?

Which is better for music production: macbook air or pro?

Which is better for music production: macbook air or pro?

The MacBook Pro has higher specifications, depending
on the model, and then CTO additional upgrades.
The Air does not have a Retina display, but has lesser
specs, so that may make a difference. They still offer a
low-end MB/Pro w/ optical drive, w/o Retina; specs vary;
it may work in your instance. You'd have 14 days to take
a new Apple computer back, so keep that in mind.
Good luck!

Which is better MBPr for music production? 8gb or 16gb

Hi everyone:
I am seeking suggestions here from fellow music artists/ DJs and tech wizards to help me make the "right" decision in where to invest my money.
I don't know wether to buy the base model MBPr 15inch with 2.0Ghz Quad Core i7, 8gb ram and 256 flash drive. I am a musician and this laptop will solve two purposes
1) Usual everyday Microsoft Office kinda stuff and web surfing and
2) More importantly for Music production using Logic Pro X, Ableton 9 using KONTAKT and Omnisphere along with Reason Rewire for loops.
THEREFORE, now I am second guessing my purchase on two aspects -->
1) Is the 8GB enough to run, say a typical setup of Ableton along with 2-3 vsts softwares, would these specs on the MBPr last about 3-5 years?
2) Is the 256 GB SSD going to be an issue with file sizes? I mean like I can always transfer stuff to an external drive and keep creating space but then its almost like having a McLaren SLR and running it constantly on EMPTY and getting gas filled in it every 2 miles. Idk....
Any advise, nudge in the right direction, suggestions, recommendations would be much appreciated. . Is 8gb of ram enough? I am more on the 8gb ram side because of money issue also the place I am buying is offering 10% discount (cannot configure with the specs) I want to be happy with my purchase, but I don't want to be 2 years down the road kicking myself for not having gone with the 16GB and bigger SSD.
Which is a notable problem with the rMBPs and their lack of upgradability.

Hi whopkins85
Well I ended up going with the 16GB Retina MBP. For the simple reason that the 8GB would've seen me constantly second guess my decision. Plus I wanted to "future proof" myself as best as I could knowing that these babies cannot be 'upgraded' with additional ram at a later date due the whole soldered RAM issue. So yeah I shelled out some extra money, bought my rMBP from B&H in NYC through their webstore and saved a ton on not having to pay sales tax since I am not a resident of NY state.
Another thing I'd like to recommend to you is that if you plan on running a number of VSTs or AUs with your DAW especially of the nature of heavy sound libraries such as Spectrasonics Omnisphere or KOMPLETE then I would highly highly recommend purchasing a Lacie 2 or 3TB 7200 RPM external drive. I wish I had known this earlier but an incredibly efficient (and correct) way to run DAW with sound libraries to load your VSTs on an external drive which is either a fast SSD or at least a 7200 RPM. This way your system drive doesn't get overloaded reading and writing at the same time between multiple programs running in parallel. Once your system drive runs the DAW and the system accesses the sound libraries through and external drive, it makes for a much more efficiently managed read/write process.
I hope this helps. My mantra for technology is, when in doubt go with max specs on a machine.
Thanks for your post

Can i use Avid mbox pro with logic pro x? And also which mac would be best for using avid pro tools 11 ;)

Can i use Avid mbox pro with logic pro x? And also which mac would be best for using avid pro tools 11

If your info is correct you need to first buy Snow Leopard from the Apple on-line store ($20) install and update to 10.6.8 and then buy Lion from the App Store for $20.

Which Mac Pro to buy for Music Production

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