All the power you need in production. All the creativity you want in music.
Jun 18, 2019 Use this information to find out which Mac mini you have, and where it fits in the history of Mac mini. Your Mac provides several tools to help you identify it. The simplest is About This Mac, available by choosing About This Mac from the Apple ( ) menu in the upper-left corner of your screen. Thursday, November 1st, 2018 News. This week Apple updated their MacBook Air, Mac mini and iPad Pro models, but as Fact magazine writer Scott Wilson points out, these new additions from a cost and spect point of view aren’t very exciting when it comes to music production.
If funds are low, the Mac mini is a reasonably good choice for making music. It’s small, quiet, and has similar connectivity to the iMac, along with an additional audio-in port (although musicians typically prefer using USB audio interfaces).
A massive collection of effects and instruments.
Instant access to a deep selection of plug-ins and sounds to fuel your creativity.
We compare them all and explain which Mac is right for you - MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, iMac, Mac mini and Mac Pro. There was a time when music production required hiring a studio for the kind of. Welcome to Reddit, Here are the processor scores for the processors in both machines: Mac Mini (Late 2012) with 2.6GHz i7-3720QM scores 8333 on passmark CPU benchmark iMac (Late 2013) with 3.2GHz i5-4570 scores 7069 on passmark CPU benchmark Now, I know that there is a new integrated GPU in the new chips in the iMac.
Learn more about plug-ins and soundsHigh-end reverb lets you add space and depth to tracks by simulating a wide range of real and unnatural acoustic spaces.
Authentic re-creations of three of the most sought-after analog hardware EQs.
Bring punch and presence to your bass, drums, synths, and guitar with this powerful multi-effect plug-in.
Add rhythmic movement to any track by arranging filters, effects, and independent step sequencers to control treatments over time.
The power of Patches.
The Sound Library includes a massive selection of Patches, which allow you to quickly load complex multichannel sounds. And Smart Controls simplify the process of tweaking and editing to get the right sound.
Jump-start your sound with loops.
Build songs quickly by choosing from over 7000 included royalty-free Apple Loops that are tagged with keywords and automatically conform to the tempo and key of your project. You can even use untagged loops from other sources and they will automatically play at your project tempo.
Keep your tracks in time.
Smart Tempo makes it easy to mix and match music and beats without worrying about the original tempo. Record freely without a click track. Easily combine and edit MIDI and audio tracks — from vinyl samples to live instruments to multitrack audio stems — with constant or variable tempo.
Flex Time.
Spend less time on timing.
Quickly manipulate the timing and tempo of your recording with Flex Time. Easily move the individual beats within a waveform to correct drum, vocal, guitar, or any other kind of track without slicing and moving regions.
Flex Pitch.
Perfect the pitch.
Edit the level and pitch of individual notes quickly and easily with Flex Pitch. Roll over any note and all parameters are available for tweaking.
Take hold of your music.
Logic Remote wirelessly connects your iOS device to your Mac and adds the power of Multi-Touch control to your performances and mixes. Play any software instrument in Logic Pro X from your iPad or iPhone and easily shape your sound as you go. Run your session from wherever you’re most comfortable — whether that’s next to your computer or across the room.
Multi-Touch mixing.
Control your mix from anywhere in the room with Multi-Touch faders to find the best sound.
Pair and play.
Use a variety of onscreen instruments, such as keyboards, guitars, and drum pads, to play any software instrument in Logic Pro X from your iPad.
Don’t just add a drum track. Add a bandmate.
Using Drummer is like hiring a session drummer or collaborating with a highly skilled beat programmer. Create organic-sounding acoustic drum tracks or electronic beats with the intelligent technology of Drummer. Choose from dozens of drummers who each play in a different musical genre, and direct their performances using simple controls.
Build your own acoustic or electronic kit.
Customize your sound with Drum Kit Designer for acoustic kits and Drum Machine Designer for electronic drum tracks. Drummers bring their own setups, but you can swap out individual drums and shape the sound to match what you’re imagining.
A complete studio for your Mac.
Logic Pro X turns your Mac into a professional recording studio able to handle even the most demanding projects. Capture your compositions and performances — from tracking a live band to a solo software-instrument session — and flow them into your songs.
The ultimate way to record.
Seamless punch recording. Automatic take management. Support for pristine 24-bit/192kHz audio. Logic Pro X makes it all easy to do — and undo. You can create projects with up to 1000 stereo or surround audio tracks and up to 1000 software instrument tracks, and run hundreds of plug-ins. It’s all you need to complete any project.
Get the most out of MIDI.
Logic Pro X goes beyond the average sequencer with an advanced set of options that let you record, edit, and manipulate MIDI performances. Transform a loose performance into one that locks tight into the groove using region-based parameters for note velocity, timing, and dynamics. Or tighten up your MIDI performances while preserving musical details like flams or chord rolls with Smart Quantize.
Industry-leading tools.
As your song develops, Logic Pro X helps organize all your ideas and select the best ones. Group related tracks, audition alternate versions, and consolidate multiple tracks. Lightning-fast click-and-drag comping helps you build your best performance from multiple takes.
Track Alternatives
Create alternate versions of a track or multiple grouped tracks, and switch between them at any time to audition different options. Create, store, and select from different edits and arrangements of track regions to make it easier to experiment with various creative ideas.
Takes and Quick Swipe Comping
Click and drag to choose the best sections of each take to create a seamless comp, complete with transition-smoothing crossfades. Save multiple comps and switch among them to pick the one you like best.
Track Stacks
Consolidate multiple related tracks into a single track. Use a Summing Stack as a quick way to create submixes. Or create layered and split instruments.
Project Alternatives
Create as many alternate versions of a project as you’d like, each with its own name and settings but sharing the same assets — efficiently saving storage space. Load any version to make changes without compromising your original.
Track Groups and VCA Faders
Manage large mixes with Track Groups and VCA faders. Assign any selection of channels to a track group, then control the levels or other parameters of all tracks in the group from any single channel in the group.
Automation
Easily capture changes to any channel strip or plug-in parameter. Just enable automation, press Play, and make your changes.
Even more pro features in the mix.
Logic Pro X is packed with incredible tools and resources to enhance your creativity and workflow as you sharpen your craft — even if you’re a seasoned pro.
Graduate from GarageBand.
Logic Remote for iOS. Take hold of your music.
MainStage 3
Sound as great onstage as you do in the studio.
Music Memos
Capture your song ideas. Whenever inspiration strikes.
Education Bundle
Five amazing apps. One powerful collection.
You’ll be amazed to hear the music quality recorded from home recording studios.
That being said, should you go for a Windows PC or a Mac? There is a war going on because of this subject itself, but having produced on a Mac & Windows before, let me give you my insights.
Should You Buy A Mac?
Apple Mac computers are beautifully designed and you feel good owning one. I started producing music on a Mac on Logic Studio. Logic Studio was made by the same company, Apple, so I figured I shouldn’t have any problems using them both.
I’d be honest. It was much easier to work on a Mac as compared to Windows. Installing my first software was pretty easy. I could depend on the Mac at all times. All I had to do whenever I wanted to make music is just power the computer on, launch my DAW and then make music. Good when inspiration strikes and you must put down ideas quickly.
With a Mac, you get Core Audio as your built-in audio driver. Core Audio is brilliant and you have close to no issues using it with your favourite DAW or when doing screencasting. On the other hand, Windows Audio is horrible when it comes to music production and screen casting. (I even had to find a new solution when doing screencasting on a Windows PC).
My second Mac machine was the iMac. I bought an iMac for my recording studio and continue to finish many productions on it.
Another reason why I liked the iMac a lot is because it was almost near silent-less. No noisy fans or loud spinning hard disks. That made it a perfect machine for recording in the same room if you’re recording in your home studio.
Let’s Look At Some Mac Computers You Might Buy
Macbook / Macbook Pro
Imac For Music Production
Macbook Retina 2015First of all, please do not buy the new Macbook Retina 2015 for music production. Despite what people say, the Macbook Retina are not made for music production. It may be good for writers or web users on the go but not for a music producer.
On the other hand, Macbook Pros are fair for music production. Besides being portable, it has the power to take on many recording projects you throw at it. I’m not talking about big film scoring projects. For that, you’ll need a desktop machine, which we’ll get into later.
Mac Mini Or Macbook Pro For Music Production
Macbook Pros also ships with a number of ports, like the Thunderbolt which is recognized by many audio hardware companies. It’s easy to find an audio interface with a thunderbolt connection.
There are a few things you have to watch before investing in a Macbook Pro. First, while it’s really fast, most Macbook Pros ship with very little hard disk storage. I find this limiting because I normally install lots of sample instruments into my computer. A Komplete Ultimate installation will take up to 320GB of space on your computer, more than what most Macbook Pros ship with.
Macbook Pros don’t ship with large hard disk space sizesA solution to this would be to install all your samples into a portable hard disk in which you carry with you.
Second, Macbooks are not upgradable. That is to say you have to upgrade your Macbook to the fullest specifications you can afford on the day you purchase it. You’ll need a lot of RAM for music production and you really have no choice but to upgrade the RAM on your Macbook to 16GB.
iMac
An iMac in a home recording studioI like the iMac a lot not because it’s really quiet, but because you get a large screen real estate. Trust me, I’ve tried working on a film scoring project with over 60 tracks on small laptop screen and though it’s do-able, I found myself squinting and scrolling all over my DAW.
As you fill your DAW with tracks, you’ll start to crave for more screens to work upon. The iMac also has lots of ports for connectivity. I like to think of the iMac as a big laptop. And oh, you have to buy as much as RAM as your budget allows when you buy the iMac. Sucks, I know.
Which iMac Should You Buy?
It is always better to get a computer with the fastest processor, but if your budget won’t allow. You should be fine with starting off with an Core i5 at bare minimum. RAM however should be upgraded to the max. As for screens, having a big screen is nice but you can always add another screen later on.
My iMac 09′ lasted me for about 4 years before I finally grew sick of it’s sluggishness in coping with the latest softwares and projects size.
Mac Pro
All the computing power you’ll ever need in the studioGot all the budget and want to go big? Then get the Mac Pro.
I’ve never got my hands to actually finish a music piece on a Mac Pro, but looking at its specifications I’d say it’s worth a go if you want the best on a Mac platform.
The Mac Pro is actually an overkill for music production. Why? I’ll lay down the pros for you.
- Speed – You have everything you need to record loads of tracks and plugins
- Storage no longer an issue – We talked about having storage issues when it comes to samples. Not anymore on a Mac Pro
- Mac Pros are customizable – Yes they are giving you more space for future proofing your computer.
- Multiple Video Cards – Multiple outputs for your screens. You’ll need more screen real estate when you go bigger.
And oh, enjoy watching the jealousy on people’s faces when they visit your studio.
Check the complete list of Mac Computers here
It said that that Mac is the industry standard for recording and music production. But that isn’t the case. Even big time composers such as Hans Zimmer and Tom Holkenberg, uses multiple linked PCs for their work. Read Inside Track – Sci-Fi Movie Divergent
Maybe a Windows PC is something never considered for music production back in the days. However Windows OS have evolved so much that it’s not an excuse not being able to make music on a Windows machine anymore.
People have been asking why I made the switchWhen I made the switch to Windows, many people wondered why. The first reason I made the change was because I had lots of students who were making music on the Windows platform. I figured I had to be on the Windows platform too, so I’d be able to help them on the VSTs, softwares and plugins as we go about the music production classes.
![Mac mini for music production reddit Mac mini for music production reddit](/uploads/1/3/3/9/133915258/750948254.jpg)
And oh please. A Mac DO NOT sound better. Your skills makes the difference regardless of what OS you’re making music on. Period.
Call me a semi geek, but I like to have control over my computer and the systems I’m working on. In short, I love being able to customize.
When I made the switch, I had to look for a new DAW because Logic Studio doesn’t run on Windows machines. I then chose to go for Steinberg Cubase, which I bought over in Amazon.
Upon switching to Windows I quickly realized that there was so much customizing I could do. I was using the M-Audio Profire 2626 as my audio interface. So what I did was I purchased a Firewire card for my desktop PC, and voila I’m able to use the audio interface to record. The M-Audio Profire 2626 connects to the computer with a Firewire cable.
You may argue that Firewire is outdated, but being able to customize my computer to run with legacy hardware and devices was very much appreciated. So the PC allows for lots of customization and networking. You could use that to your advantage in future proofing your production computer and also to add more computing power to your recordings.
The Downside Of Windows
There are few things I dislike about Windows. There’s always going to be pros and cons, right?
Firstly, Windows Audio. Windows Audio driver is great for your everyday uses on the computer from watching videos, playing games and listening to music. But not when it comes to music production. It’ll be hard to produce music on a Windows PC without actually investing in an audio interface, acting as your main audio driver.
Secondly, there are various of motherboards and chipsets controlling things when you buy a PC, conflicts are most likely to occur. With a Mac however, you get one motherboard and everything configured for you out of the box. The solution to this problem is to do more research and make sure you know your stuff. If you’re more of a person who just want things done out the box, go for a Mac.
What Type of Windows PC Should You Buy?
I suggest going for PC makers who specialize in building PC desktops & laptops made for audio production. Browse for computers from sites such as Scan.Co.UK or ProAudioLabs. With them you’ll be sure to get a system that simply works for music production.
However that is not to say you can’t build your PC yourself. Here are some guidelines to keep in mind when building your PC for music production.
Google hangouts for mac. 1. Silent PC Casing
Cooler Master Silencio 352Try to get a silent casing with built in padding when you built your PC. A good case not only helps with the cooling of the computer, but it should also be silent enough. Noises are usually emitted from hard disks and fans in your computer system. If you have a one room home recording studio, getting a silent case is so every crucial.
There are many silent PC cases in the market from all ranges. If you want something that works and isn’t very expensive, I’d recommend the Cooler Master Silencio silent case.
2. Power Supply
Macbook Music Production
Cooler Master 800W Silent Pro GoldNever skimp on power supply for your computer. Go for a cheaply made PSU unit for your computer and you might risk getting hums whenever you record. True story.
You’ll also have to look at the output capacity of your the power supply unit. It depends on the number of devices you’ll be plugging in into your computer. The more devices you plug in, the more power you’ll need. Install zotero word plugin. For a music production system, going for a 800W power supply will be more than enough.
A silent and efficient power supply is what you need for a good music production PC. I’d recommend going for the Cooler Master Silent Pro Gold 800W 80 PLUS Gold Power Supply with Modular Cables (RS800-80GAD3-US)
3. Motherboard
There are various kinds of motherboards you can get out there – no restrictions for this. A rule of thumb when getting a motherboard for music production. Lower temperatures of CPU means a quieter PC – the coolers need not work so hard to cool the CPU. Get a motherboard with good voltage regulations.
4. RAM
As always, get as much RAM as you can. Sampler instruments and plugins are always RAM-hungry, so you make sure you have enough RAM for a smooth producing experience. There are few things to look into RAM. Make sure it has a frequency of at least 1600Mhz.
Audio Mentor prefers the Crucial 16GB Kit (8GBx2) DDR3/DDR3L-1600 MHz
5. Hard Disk Drives
Other than just SSD, normal Hard Disk does a great job for storing dataIf you have budget, use an SSD for your main operating system and DAW. Then use HDD with at least 7200rpm for your project files and samples.
I find this to be the best setup for music production on a PC. This setup ensures your system is blazing fast while you have enough space for the other samples. Audio Mentor recomends the WD Green 2TB Desktop Hard Drives
6. Processor
![Music Music](/uploads/1/3/3/9/133915258/213983194.jpg)
Always go for Intel processors. They seem to work the best with DAWs and you’re better of with an Intel processor over and AMD processor. For recording music, I always advise getting an i5 processor as a minimum.
I hope I covered enough for you to get started in recording and producing music in your home studio. There would be an endless debate on which operating systems and hardwares are better for producing music, but most importantly, you should focus on your music and skills.
Don’t waste time meddling with too much technical stuff when buying or building a computer. Get one that works for you then jump in right in to producing.
What are your current setup? What are some hardware or setup you can recommend? Comment below.