What’s the best Mac for audio production?
The more I’ve thought about the current state of desktop Macs, the more glaring the lack of an M1 Pro option has become. Most of the tech pundits I follow focus on the video capabilities of Macs, so they’ve all been blown away by the Mac Studio with its M1 Max and M1 Ultra options…and rightly so. But that’s only part of the story. Since my background leans much more toward music, I wondered: which current Mac is the best option for audio production?
There are four aspects of a computer setup that will provide the greatest benefits for recording audio:
CPU
Memory size
Memory speed
Connectivity
The CPU is the most important part of the setup. You’ll want as many cores as you can get at the highest speeds possible to make sure it can chug through all the tracks and plugins you throw at it.
The next concern is memory size, because that allows for a large number of plugins and samples, some of which are stored directly in memory for quick access. Then, the speed of that memory, or the bandwidth, will help with overall efficiency.
Connectivity is important because of the number of accessories that may be required to run a recording session. Some audio plugins require a USB license key, so if your machine doesn’t have a USB-A port, you’re already on the hook for a dongle or some sort of hub.
What you don’t need for an audio production rig is graphics processing power. Nothing about a recording session requires the GPU, so any money spent on that capability is a waste.
So with all of that said, let’s take a look at Apple’s current offerings.
M1/Pro/Max/Ultra
I want to preface this by acknowledging that there are still some developers that haven’t updated their plugins to run natively on the M1 architecture. In most cases, that shouldn’t be a huge issue because of Rosetta, which is Apple’s translation layer that allows the M1 to run non-native code. If you’re thinking of upgrading to an Apple Silicon Mac for audio production, make sure to look up your most-used plugins to see if they’ve been updated. If not, send the developer feedback and maybe consider swapping out some plugins for ones that have been updated. Or stick with an Intel machine for now.
On with the show…
The M1 lineup of SoCs (System-on-a-Chip) is a game-changer in many ways. The number of cores available, scalability, and unified memory all make for Macs that are faster and more capable than anything we’ve seen before.
Let’s consider each chip and how it might fit into an audio production workflow.
M1
The chip that started it all in late 2020 is still a beast today, though it’s not without its limitations. Every M1 has 8 CPU cores that are split into 4 performance and 4 efficiency cores. The performance cores focus on intense tasks when under a heavy load, which is what you’d want for a multi-track audio project. The efficiency cores focus on all the other trivial stuff to make sure that the performance cores can remain dedicated to the real work. That’s not to say that the efficiency cores can’t help carry the load (they will jump in for the most intense tasks), but they run at a lower frequency so they aren’t tuned for power.
Older Intel chipsets also had a bunch of cores, but they weren’t set up the same way. It was just more cores for the sake of having more cores, which lead to more heat, more power draw, and more fan noise. Apple’s new architecture is a lot more efficient, allowing for much cooler, mostly silent operation (especially in the MacBook Air, which doesn’t even have a fan).
The M1 also has 8 GPU cores, though the base-model MacBook Air only has 7. Remember, this has zero effect on an audio workflow.
Where the M1 can fall short is its memory limitations. The base model of each M1 Mac has 8GB of unified memory, which may get bogged down if your session has lots of tracks and plugins. These Macs are upgradeable to 16GB of RAM, which could be fine for most hobbyists, but might not cut it for those with larger sessions. And since the memory is not user-upgradeable and many studios hold onto gear for a long time, the 16GB limit is not great for future-proofing.
Since the memory is unified, or part of the SoC, it’s way faster and more efficient than any Intel Mac. For the sake of comparison, the bandwidth of the M1 memory tops out around 68GB per second, while an older Intel Mac might have memory bandwidth closer to 40GB/s. So it’s already an upgrade from older systems, but it’s quite a bit slower than the other Apple chips, as you’ll see in a second.
Another limitation of the M1 is connectivity. It only has one Thunderbolt controller that allows for two ports that are limited to the older Thunderbolt 3 standard. You can also only run two displays, one up to 6K over Thunderbolt and one up to 4K over HDMI (where available). Other ports vary by machine, so we’ll get to those later.
Availability: MacBook Air, 13-inch MacBook Pro, Mac mini, iMac (plus iPad Pro and iPad Air, but this is a Mac comparison).
M1 Pro
The M1 Pro ramps things up considerably. More CPU and GPU cores, more memory with faster bandwidth, more connectivity…more everything.
The “regular” version of the M1 Pro has a 10-core CPU, although it’s important to be aware of the various configurations available. In order to keep the entry price down, Apple offers a “binned” version of the chip in the 14-inch MacBook Pro that has an 8-core CPU.
The main headline here is that, while the M1 has an equal number of performance and efficiency cores, the M1 Pro shifts the balance toward performance. The 8-core version has 6 performance and 2 efficiency cores, while the 10-core version has 8 performance and 2 efficiency cores. That’s a lot of performance.
In terms of graphics, the M1 Pro has the option of 14 or 16-cores, but again, we don’t care about that for audio production.
Memory also improves with the M1 Pro, starting at 16GB with the option of 32GB, and bandwidth of 200GB/s. 32GB of unified memory is a much safer amount for most audio professionals.
And connectivity gets a boost here too, offering an extra Thunderbolt controller that handles the faster Thunderbolt 4 standard. It also supports an extra 6K display (2 total, plus the built-in display of the MacBook Pro).
Availability: 14 and 16-inch MacBook Pro
M1 Max
This is where things start to get interesting. You might assume that the M1 Max takes everything to the next level, and for the most part, you’d be right. But it’s important to note that the M1 Max actually has the exact same 10-core CPU as the M1 Pro with 8 performance and 2 efficiency cores.
Where the M1 Max really steps things up are memory and graphics. The base M1 Max has 32GB of RAM, configurable to 64GB, and bandwidth is a scorching 400GB/s. It also offers either 24 or 32 GPU cores, and it has twice the video encode and decode engines of the M1 Pro…but we don’t care about that for audio!
This is where you’ll really start thinking about your budget. The M1 Max does offer greater memory bandwidth, but considering how fast the M1 Pro’s memory already is, that’s not something you’re going to notice in most day-to-day use. If you run a high-traffic studio that constantly works with huge sessions, you may benefit from (and have the budget for) 64GB of memory, but most people won’t need more than 32GB.
And again, the CPU in the M1 Max is exactly the same as the M1 Pro. So really, the pros that benefit most from the M1 Max are those who work with video, motion graphics, and 3D modeling…not audio.
Availability: 14 and 16-inch MacBook Pro, Mac Studio
M1 Ultra
I won’t spend much time on this because almost no audio professionals need it. The M1 Ultra is literally two M1 Max chips fused together to act as one massive SoC. That means it has a 20-core CPU, 48 or 64-core GPU, and 64GB or 128GB of memory with a mind-boggling 800GB/s bandwidth.
Yes, this thing will absolutely fly through any audio session you can throw at it, so if you’ve got $4,000+ laying around and want the absolute best, this is your chip. But I’m not recommending it to anyone.
Availability: Mac Studio
Recommendations
This is the trickiest part of what I do, especially at a time when the Apple Silicon transition is incomplete.
For most people who work with audio, I would recommend the M1 Pro with the 10-core CPU, 14-core GPU, 32GB of RAM and as much storage as you can afford. But as I keep lamenting, there’s no desktop Mac with the M1 Pro yet. Your only option for this chip is the 14 or 16-inch MacBook Pro. There’s no indication that these laptops have any thermal constraints like the old Intel models did, so if you don’t mind the laptop form factor and your budget allows for it, that’s the way to go.
But if you prefer a desktop computer for your home or professional studio, what do you do?
If you already have a monitor, keyboard and mouse, you need a new Mac now, and you have a little over $2,000 to spend, then I’d recommend the base-model Mac Studio with 1TB of storage for $2,199. That gets you the 10-core CPU with 8 performance cores, 32GB of RAM with 400GB/s bandwidth, and a whole bunch of graphics power if you ever decide to branch into video production. You’ll have four Thunderbolt 4 ports on the back of the box, plus two USB-A ports for easily connecting those legacy peripherals or license keys. There’s HDMI if you happen to use a TV or an older monitor, and 10Gb ethernet. And you get a couple of USB-C ports and an SD card reader on the front for easy access. It really is a great studio Mac, even if the graphics power will go to waste in most recording studios.
If you’re more of a hobbyist and you’ve got a display/keyboard/mouse that you want to keep, then the M1 Mac mini with 16GB of RAM might make sense. You’re only getting an 8-core CPU with 4 performance cores, but it’s still leagues better than most Intel Macs (and much, much quieter). It has two USB-A ports on the back as well, although it only has two Thunderbolt 3 ports, so you may end up with some dongles or hubs depending on your connectivity needs. There’s also HDMI and ethernet. If you’re curious how this Mac handles actual audio sessions, here’s a good video to watch. It’s actually quite a capable machine with large audio sessions.
The M1 iMac with the 8-core GPU and 16GB of RAM could also work for a lot of hobbyists and beginners who prefer an all-in-one solution. The only reason I mention the 8-core GPU is because the entry-level model with the 7-core GPU is extremely limited with only two Thunderbolt 3 ports…that’s it. You have to step up to the next tier to get an additional two USB-C ports. This is where dongle life might rear its ugly head because there’s no USB-A or HDMI. Plus the iMac is only available in bright colors with light gray bezels around the screen, which may be a distraction if you prefer to work in a dark room.
Either of those M1 Macs would be an upgrade from a lot of older Intel Macs, but they’re still a tough sell for me when I know the M1 Pro is out there. That’s why my advice for most people has been to wait and see what happens. WWDC is right around the corner (typically in June), and that’s often when Apple releases or at least previews their upcoming pro-focused Macs. At the very least, we may get a beefier Mac mini with the M1 Pro and M1 Max. An M1 Pro Mac mini with 32GB of RAM could be the perfect box for most recording studios, and the price would undoubtedly be far more palatable than the $1,999 Mac Studio with all of its unnecessary video prowess.
As I said before, I’m still holding out hope for an iMac Pro with the M1 Pro and M1 Max. I know a lot of audio professionals prefer an all-in-one solution, so this is the setup that would make the most sense. I’ll be sitting over here with my fingers crossed for the next two months or so.
If you’re on the fence about which Mac to buy for your audio production needs, I hope this guide helped. If you have any questions, let me know in the comments, or book a session so we can talk about your specific setup!
