# Laptops (PC/Mac) Please share your experience and expertise



## FredrikJonasson (Mar 11, 2015)

I'm about to buy a laptop for general usage as well as sketching in Cubase. However I can't decide what to buy. My main workstation is PC, so would you recommend buying a laptop PC as well? Are there huge compatibility issues or isn't that really a problem?

It seems like I'm looking for an excuse to buy a Macbook Pro or the new Macbook that is to be released in april for their neatness and portability. Obviously the Macbook is not a monster (for example 8gb ram). Is it possible to use it for lighter production/recording purposes? What are your experience? 

2000 dollars is a stretch.

Thanks!


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## Andrew Goodwin (Mar 11, 2015)

I recently got a Macbookpro, 16GB 2.5Ghz with the, iris pro integrated video card. Runs quite well and now with Cubase 8 having the ability to disable tracks and render in place you can setup quite large templates. The retina screen is nice as far as size and of course you can connect 2 additional monitors to it. Another option is to buy a mac and install windows on it using their free bootcamp setup. I've just had good experiences with mac laptops and I liked the specs for what I needed. 

Asus has a laptop with 32GB of ram haha around the same price point as a macbookpro also something to look at depending on your needs. 

*MAC to PC*
Before I had an older macbookpro with cubase 4. I would render all the VST's to audio and then open the session on cubase 4 on my pc desktop for mixing. Never had any translation issues except for QL spaces, but all I had to do was ditch it and then I could just re add it once the session was open on the PC. All in all about 1 minute to get the session running to mix. I haven't done this with Cubase 8 yet though. That's what I know hope it helps


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## JohnG (Mar 11, 2015)

Don't use Cubase but...

I've bought MacBook Air or Pro computers for my family and they are amazing.

The tech reviewer for the Wall Street Journal last May gave it a top review.

New MacBook Air Review: Can the Best Get Better?

"My verdict: If you need a new laptop, this is the one to buy, especially with the $100 price cut. In fact, that's been my verdict on the Air for several years. I've never met a better laptop. And I've met a lot of laptops."


http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB100014240 ... 0747628218


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## FredrikJonasson (Mar 11, 2015)

Thanks for your replies!

I would say that I value the "finesse" and portability quite high, but - aside from surfing, some photo editing and general casual usage - it has to function as a quite simple composing/producing/recording platform. 

Andrew you're mentioning translation problems, what is the exact reason you had to export as audio? Doe that mean you were stuck with just the audio files on the PC? And was this a problem only mac to pc and not in the opposite direction?

John, do you have any experience in music making on Macbook Pro or Air?


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## Guy Rowland (Mar 11, 2015)

FredrikJonasson @ Wed Mar 11 said:


> it has to function as a quite simple composing/producing/recording platform.



I think you'll be fine if you stick to the "quite simple" maxim. That was the mistake I made - I misconceived it as a desktop replacement and I got a ghastly unweildy thing that still fails in its core purpose. Plan for simplicity is a much better approach, I've decided.

The MacBooks / Airs look fantastic, better than any Windows equivalent, and those I know who have them love them. I'm sorely tempted myself but there's a few Windows basic programs I'd really miss.


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## Andrew Goodwin (Mar 11, 2015)

I did it because I had to. The pc had certain old versions of plugins I used it handled audio and mixing fine but wouldn't handle all the vst'a. After some research I found that lots of guys bounced to audio before mixing. Coming from a rock background I liked the idea of mixing how I used to working with audio only. Cubase wise everything transferred crossfades routing plugin settings everything. Vst wise I'm not sure but cubase itself was solid


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## JohnG (Mar 11, 2015)

FredrikJonasson @ 11th March 2015 said:


> John, do you have any experience in music making on Macbook Pro or Air?



Nothing recent, unfortunately.


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## mc_deli (Mar 12, 2015)

Similar to the op i would like to hear from anyone using a new MBP with 10.10 as their main machine 
?

(I am perhaps more concerned about being saddled with Yosemite than being limited to 16gb but maybe that's just me... Info on using external SSDs would be interesting too)


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## Whatisvalis (Mar 12, 2015)

I'm working remotely for an extended period of time. Cubase 8 on MBP 15 2013. The i7 makes a big difference and Cubase seems to run fine, no retina support though. 

I do miss Windows! OS X has some nice features.

Creating a new scoring template later this month so will be interesting to see what sort of track count I can manage. I have my libraries on two USB 3 SSD drives.


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## FredrikJonasson (Mar 13, 2015)

Whatisvalis @ Thu Mar 12 said:


> Creating a new scoring template later this month so will be interesting to see what sort of track count I can manage. I have my libraries on two USB 3 SSD drives.



Feel free to notify me when you have done that 

And a question for anyone to answer: Is it possible to sketch/record on this one? http://www.apple.com/se/macbook/specs/


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## rgames (Mar 13, 2015)

I use an HP laptop (i7/16 GB RAM) with Finale 2012 and Cubase Elements 6 and it's fine for getting ideas down. The Elements projects open up just fine in the full version of Cubase. You can, of course, run the full version of Cubase on the laptop but then there's that friggin dongle...

There's no laptop that can match the performance of a desktop so you're not going to be running massive projects. So just bear that in mind. My sketches use mostly the Kontakt factory library and possibly a few Omnisphere patches, maybe some drums. Usually no more than 8-10 tracks. I haven't pushed it but it has no problems running those kinds of projects with the onboard sound (which sounds terrible, by the way). I think my latencies are around 12 ms, so perfectly playable.

I'm really hoping for better touch screen integration in the next few releases of Finale and Cubase. Then the Microsoft Surface becomes very attractive. I'd much prefer that over a laptop - working directly in Finale on a tablet would be a dream come true. Cubase less so but still a good alternative. You can, of course, already run both on the Surface Pro but until the touchscreen functionality is expanded I think a laptop is still the better choice.

rgames


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## Jdiggity1 (Mar 14, 2015)

My maxed out 2011 macbook pro has been great, and my desktop is a beefy PC.
I am turned off by the new macbooks though, having no ports what-so-ever, and a weak processor. It would be fine for some sibelius work, and simple midi/sample based DAW work, but its hard to find something that cant do that these days.
I Personally would feel limited by the current macbook, but the macbook pro is usually a good choice.


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## 5Lives (Mar 14, 2015)

I replaced a 2008 12-core Mac Pro with 24GB of RAM with a 2014 top of the line Macbook Pro with all SSDs via Thunderbolt and it is a beast. Haven't run into a problem yet.


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## FredrikJonasson (Apr 12, 2015)

5Lives, do you use the 15 inch (top of the line) model? I find it hard to decide on a more expensive (but more powerful) computer when it's heavier and more clumsy. 

Jdiggity, has it been a problem working on a mac when using a pc as your main rig?


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## AmbientMile (Apr 12, 2015)

I am using a Mid 2010 13" MBP 2.66 with 8GB Ram. It has a modest HD, but I run my sample libraries from an external drive so not an issue. I run Yosemite and Logic Pro X (latest update). I write more laid back simple music than most here so it is fine for me. If I do end up writing something more "advanced" (more than 6-8 tracks) I usually freeze tracks to free up some cycles. Not the most elegant solution, but it works. I would love to upgrade to a newer MBP if I had the $$. 

If I had to make one recommendation, it would be to NOT get a 13" MBP. Quite a few plugins don't fit well on the screen. I chose the 13" for travel, but a wish I would have got the 15" instead.


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## AmbientMile (Apr 12, 2015)

AmbientMile @ Sun Apr 12 said:


> If I do end up writing something more "advanced" (more than 6-8 tracks) I usually freeze tracks to free up some cycles.



I guess that my "1" key wasn't working this morning. I meant 16-18 tracks. :mrgreen:


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## vocalnick (May 2, 2015)

Just resurrecting this thread as I have some relevant experience.

My primary music & sound design rig is centred around a 15" MacBook Pro Retina. No, it's not S powerful as a maxed out workstation, but I'm not doing super-authentic orchestral stuff, and I've always tended toward lighter templates anyway.

All the work on my website was done using this setup. Your requirements may exceed mine, but it's works very nicely for me. And it's SO nice to be able to stuff the MacBook & a couple of USB3 drives in a backpack and have all my sessions with me and ready to go.


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## Kaufmanmoon (Feb 17, 2016)

Found this thread.
I've had my white macbook for 10 years this year and it's finally time to upgrade.
I was going to go for the 2012 macbook pro as it's the last model they sell where you can upgrade the ram and hard drive. It's only a 2 core though so my thinking is to at least get a quad core if i'm having to use logic and have something more future proof. Be interesting to know people's thought on that though.

I've just been looking at the 2014 15" quad core 2.2ghz macbook pro in the refurb store and it's looking more like my limit of what I can spend. 16gb ram and 256ssd

I'm wondering if anyone has upgraded or uses any of these two machines and their experience with them?

I could go for the much cheaper 2012 13" and upgrade the SSD and the Ram massively or go for the Quadcore.


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## mc_deli (Feb 17, 2016)

Like a couple of posters above i have last year's 2.2 iris rMBP. It is brilliant. I use a pair of SSDs and a TB dock. Lots of tracks. Exceeded expectations.

But you know already. They glued the battery. And the ram. You have to juggle peripherals. They glued the battery.

My 2007 MBP is on its 4th battery and 4th power supply. And the batteries are 20 quid.

The rMBP is going to be 200+. That's gonna hurt later.

...and dont get a 256 drive. You'll regret it. I do:(


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## Kaufmanmoon (Feb 17, 2016)

I've a feeling looking at the logic benchmark test that the 15" might beat my imac for performance. 
I'd love to keep to a 13" macbookpro but as it's essentially going to be a mobile version of my main set up (within reason) the 15" seems the logical way to go. 
I just love the idea of getting one of the last 2012 models as the features are still quite handy for me now, buy maybe not so in 2 years time


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## Ethos (Feb 17, 2016)

I use a Dell Precision m3800. It's a complete desktop replacement in a super lightweight form. Also 100% user upgradable. I currently have 2 x 2tb SSDs for all my samples plus 16gb of RAM. I can compose and produce basically anything on the go. It's also got thunderbolt and with an adapter my FireWire devices all work. It's been a dream come true for producing on the road!


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## dtonthept (Feb 17, 2016)

I'm in a similar "agonizing over a laptop" mode. Have been a mac-head all my life but my god the price of those macbooks compared to PC equivalents... Actually, not JUST the price - the price plus the two generations old architecture, and the glued in memory! Lovely machines though, I've played on a couple of the 15" and boot time is stunning with the x4 pcie SSD, they're super light too, though also light on ports and memory options.

I've been looking at the ASUS ROG laptops recently, they have a 15" machine with a hatch you can pop open to upgrade the RAM (two slots, so up to 32GB DDR4, the M.2 pcie SSD, and the 2.5" drive. Sansdisk have just announced very reasonable 1TB M.2 and 2.5" SSDs, you could put one of each in there, max the RAM, and be below half the cost of a rMBP. Yes, no retina screen, floppy case, a bit thicker and heavier, but also all the ports we need, and a Skylake 6700 processor. With the built in ethernet, and that amount of storage, it's the kind of machine you could take mobile when you need to, then run as an additional slave when in the studio. Hell, buy that AND build another kitted out slave PC for the same price as one kitted out MBP.

Really looking forward to seeing if Apple announce a significantly updated MBP this time around, my god I hope they pull a rabbit out of the hat... Though all rumours are that it's just gonna be a new phone and new iPad announcement!


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## Kaufmanmoon (Feb 18, 2016)

I started my recording life on a pc and cubase and at that time it just didn't work for me. I remember spending £600 on a Acer laptop and it falling apart on me after about 18 months. I managed to find a 2006 white macbook on ebay in 2007, I spent £600 on it and this is the laptop I'm writing on now. So I just can't go back to PC even if it would save me money.
Like you (dtonthrept) I'm eager to see these new Macbook Pro's but i've a feeling I might have to purchase before they release any details.

Does anyone write and compose on 13" macbook pro's ? Most people I've read about always seem to get buyers regret and wish they'd plumped for the 15" for the obvious core reasons


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## dtonthept (Feb 18, 2016)

I'm actually still running my 2009 MBP at the moment... I think with a laptop like this you want to really dig deep and get the best spec you possibly can. The cores will make a big difference in our world, and you'll get better use out of them over the years, especially if you run it for as long as your previous machine. I do wish the SSDs weren't so eye-wateringly expensive, or that you could still pull the old trick of switching out the optical drive for a second internal drive.... The non-upgradeablity is a real shame! But those slim light and strong chassis do go a ways to make up for it hee hee....

And yes I tried using a PC laptop back in 1995 to run Logic 2.5 - spent about a month trying to get it to work (pre internet) and in the end bought a late 80s Mac IIse which worked first time, and I've likewise never looked back... Until recently 

What has happened since you bought your white MacBook is that both Microsoft and Apple have had a change of lead visionary... Seem like the ripples are beginning to play out now that they've been in their respective jobs for a while (pun intended).


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## Kaufmanmoon (Feb 25, 2016)

Anyone using the 15" retina 2015 i7's on this forum?
How's the performance with your sample libraries?


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## mc_deli (Feb 27, 2016)

Kaufmanmoon said:


> Anyone using the 15" retina 2015 i7's on this forum?
> How's the performance with your sample libraries?



http://lmgtfy.com/?q=rmbp+site:vi-control.net
Much better than expected
Regular with 100 plus tracks, mostly VIs
Battery life much better than expected

But
The glued the battery and the ram
Would only recommend if you MUST have a laptop (which I do)
I already want a portable slave, I am constantly running at max ram
First power supply already broken (well treated) and Apple no longer authorise stores to replace them (WTF - 2k brick for a few weeks unless you buy another for 90 bucks!)

Shell case essential - best 30 bucks I have spent


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## Kaufmanmoon (Feb 27, 2016)

Brilliant thanks.
This would be a mobile set up and I have a home set up but need to upgrade my very, very old macbook.
What's funny is if and when I upgrade to a retina, it's going to be more powerful than my Imac


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## rgames (Feb 27, 2016)

I've been mobile-only for the last several months (HP zBook 17 g2) and have found that I can get desktop-type performance for just about anything except PLAY libraries. With SSDs+purging+low pre-load buffers I can cram my entire template into 32 GB (again, except PLAY). Other than PLAY, the only difference is that my desktop setup runs at 64-128 buffer and my laptop runs at 256. Still perfectly fine.

Here are a couple things to think about:

First, get as much internal storage as possible. My HP has 4 drive bays (3 SATA III and one PCIe M.2). I have 3.5 TB worth of drives in it, enough to hold all my libraries. Yes, the laptop is large (17") but it's less cumbersome than a smaller laptop with a bunch of external drives and associated cables and power supplies.

Second, larger laptops have better performance because they cool better. Clock speed is (probably) the most important CPU factor in DAW performance and when laptops get hot, they slow down the CPU to cool off. A larger laptop provides better cooling and, therefore, will perform better as a DAW.

rgames


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## whinecellar (Feb 27, 2016)

I just switched my main machine from a Mac Mini Server (2012 with dual internal SSDs) to a 2015 retina MB Pro (quad i7 2.5 GHz with discrete graphics). I did it so I could drive a new 40" 4k display, which the laptop handles with ease. It is CRAZY how much horsepower I get out of this little machine. My Logic template is around 700 tracks, consisting almost entirely of VE Pro instances networked to my other machines (4 Macs, 1 PC). I have a 4-bay Thunderbolt drive bay attached with 4 SSDs in it, a pair of UA Apollo Quads daisy-chained to that, and the 4k display on the other Thunderbolt port. Again, crazy - but it all works perfectly.

Best part? when I travel, I can grab the Thunderbolt drive bay (it's really small) and have my entire sample library with me along with my projects drive. I can truly work anywhere now without limitation. Love it!


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## mc_deli (Feb 27, 2016)

whinecellar said:


> I just switched my main machine from a Mac Mini Server (2012 with dual internal SSDs) to a 2015 retina MB Pro (quad i7 2.5 GHz with discrete graphics). I did it so I could drive a new 40" 4k display, which the laptop handles with ease. It is CRAZY how much horsepower I get out of this little machine. My Logic template is around 700 tracks, consisting almost entirely of VE Pro instances networked to my other machines (4 Macs, 1 PC). I have a 4-bay Thunderbolt drive bay attached with 4 SSDs in it, a pair of UA Apollo Quads daisy-chained to that, and the 4k display on the other Thunderbolt port. Again, crazy - but it all works perfectly.
> 
> Best part? when I travel, I can grab the Thunderbolt drive bay (it's really small) and have my entire sample library with me along with my projects drive. I can truly work anywhere now without limitation. Love it!


Whine, if your samples are in the TB bay, what's on your slave drives?

How are you chaining the thunderbay TB connection(s)?


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## whinecellar (Feb 28, 2016)

mc_deli said:


> Whine, if your samples are in the TB bay, what's on your slave drives?
> 
> How are you chaining the thunderbay TB connection(s)?



I have copies of all my samples in the TB bay so I can have access to them while traveling; but when in the studio and using my main template, everything is spread out over the slave machines, which is where they are normally accessed (each slave has at least one SSD dedicated to samples).

From the MacBook Pro, one TB port connects to the 4K display; the other connects to the TB drive bay, and the Apollos are daisy-chained from there.

This is the drive bay I'm using - great little box:

http://eshop.macsales.com/shop/Thunderbolt/External-Drive/OWC/ThunderBay-4-mini

I probably shouldn't have said I can work anywhere "without limitation" - I certainly couldn't load my template without my slave machines - I just meant that it's nice to have access to all my libraries with just a laptop and a small drive bay


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## cAudio (Feb 28, 2016)

Kaufmanmoon said:


> Does anyone write and compose on 13" macbook pro's ? Most people I've read about always seem to get buyers regret and wish they'd plumped for the 15" for the obvious core reasons


I have a mid-2011 13" MBPro with a i7 processor as my main machine right now. I have put 16 gb of ram in and exchanged the original harddrive with a 500 gb SSD and its a great and fast machine. I dont mind the small screen either, but I don't do large orchestral projects. I have been doing some big band projects lately and have had to freeze some tracks and the machine have begun to struggle with some large big band patches. Because of this I'm going to buy a iMac soon but I will continue to use the macbook for years probably. Its too bad one cannot change the hd and ram on these newer machines, thats the reason I'm going for a 27" iMac which allows you to upgrade the ram yourself.


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## evilantal (Feb 29, 2016)

In the Windows department the ones that will be most likely to be trouble free (DPC latency, etc.) for audio production are in my opinion:

Asus
HP
Lenovo


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## Kaufmanmoon (Mar 30, 2016)

Staying kind of on topic, as the current macbook pro's have 2 usb 3.0 and 2 Thunderbolt i'm wondering how best set this up when recording and running samples.
I can't honestly bring myself to pay £600 for an Apollo Twin thunderbolt interface so looking at USB.
That leaves me with 2 Thunderbolt and 1 USB
On my main set up I have 2 externals drives running my samples and another to record onto, leaving the imac drive to just run Logic.

I'm finding it hard to find Thunderbolt SSD or cases here in the Uk (through Amazon uk anyway)
I know things like the Thunderbolt Blackmagic is a good option on the whole but are there any USB 3.0 Docks that people use?


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## mc_deli (Mar 31, 2016)

Kaufmanmoon said:


> Staying kind of on topic, as the current macbook pro's have 2 usb 3.0 and 2 Thunderbolt i'm wondering how best set this up when recording and running samples.
> I can't honestly bring myself to pay £600 for an Apollo Twin thunderbolt interface so looking at USB.
> That leaves me with 2 Thunderbolt and 1 USB
> On my main set up I have 2 externals drives running my samples and another to record onto, leaving the imac drive to just run Logic.
> ...



One thing to know (as I have mumbled on about before) is the two USB3.0 ports are not the same. The left one is "proper" USB3 super speed. But the right one is "only" USB3 hi-speed. If you do find a multi-drive USB3 solution you should carefully check the specs and throughput on these different USB busses.

Thunderbolt daisy chains are your friends here. OWC is a great source for the TB2Dock (recommended) and Thunderbay (as above). I have 2 SSDs in cheap USB3 cases hanging off the USB3 ports. One is on a USB3 hub with a Babyface. Reduced throughput but still good.


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## Kaufmanmoon (Mar 31, 2016)

Thanks, really helpful, I wrote on another thread as it seems to be cropping up recently where people are a bit in the dark on what is the best route to go down.


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## ModalRealist (Mar 31, 2016)

Bit of a curveball comment here, but I'm using one of the "New" 12" MacBooks. Yup: the cheapest version with the 1.1ghz Intel CoreM and a 256gb SSD. Now, I admit, I haven't even tried putting Cubase on it. _*However! *_I _*do *_run Sibelius 7 with NotePerformer on it, and it can playback a full orchestral score without so much as blinking (the only lag I got was from Sibelius' parchment texture - I turned it to plain white and all graphics lag totally disappeared). It also works pretty well for light Creative Cloud work.

So, I can't say whether proper mockup work in Cubase, etc., would work on this machine, but used in the way I'm using it, it's a treat. I can just stick it up on the grand, play around, mark out the score, and then when I'm back at my (Windows) desktop mockups are quick to make from a finished score.


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## chimuelo (Mar 31, 2016)

rgames said:


> I've been mobile-only for the last several months (HP zBook 17 g2) and have found that I can get desktop-type performance for just about anything except PLAY libraries. With SSDs+purging+low pre-load buffers I can cram my entire template into 32 GB (again, except PLAY). Other than PLAY, the only difference is that my desktop setup runs at 64-128 buffer and my laptop runs at 256. Still perfectly fine.
> rgames



RGames, friends of mine use PLAY from their laptops in showroom gigs, but the ADK PROs are basically a desktop mobo inside of a laptop shell.
One guy still uses the old 12GB max i7 laptop for PLAY and then a pair of NUCs for Kontakt and other VSTi's.
He calls it his Hollywood Strings laptop....


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## Guy Rowland (Apr 1, 2016)

I'm just setting a new MacBook Pro (2015, 15", 2/8ghz 1TB). I've not done any serious tests yet, but everything seems very smooth in Cubase, and loading Kontakt instruments happens in milliseconds (the whole laptop is very very fast and responsive). I've had less success experimenting with running Windows in Paralells (I only have a Windows license for Adobe Audition) - extreme battery drain plus Audition cannot read the Mac VSTs and won't share licensing info across the different systems. Also bad experiences using an exFAT partition (NI instruments won't install on exFAT it seems, and beware dropbox which will add another tiny file to every single one on your system).

Early conclusion - stick to the Mac way of doing things on a Mac at all costs, and then it will fly - it's far, far slicker than any Windows laptop I've gone near.


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## Kaufmanmoon (Apr 1, 2016)

Guy Rowland said:


> I'm just setting a new MacBook Pro (2015, 15", 2/8ghz 1TB). I've not done any serious tests yet, but everything seems very smooth in Cubase, and loading Kontakt instruments happens in milliseconds (the whole laptop is very very fast and responsive). I've had less success experimenting with running Windows in Paralells (I only have a Windows license for Adobe Audition) - extreme battery drain plus Audition cannot read the Mac VSTs and won't share licensing info across the different systems. Also bad experiences using an exFAT partition (NI instruments won't install on exFAT it seems, and beware dropbox which will add another tiny file to every single one on your system).
> 
> Early conclusion - stick to the Mac way of doing things on a Mac at all costs, and then it will fly - it's far, far slicker than any Windows laptop I've gone near.



Guy, that's great (on the audio side), I saw you were thinking of taking the plunge on one. I'm looking at the same model near enough.
Are you running an external SSD?


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## Kaufmanmoon (Apr 7, 2016)

Can someone help.
So Thunderbolt 2 seems the fastest behind USB 3.0

I want something portable external drive wise so what's the best option as the Thunderbolt 2 Externals look pricey. What do people use external drive wise with their macbook/pc laptop ?
I'm aware of the Black magic dock but here in the UK, Amazon doesn't seem to offer much.

I'd figure I'd need a 1TB for Samples and 512 for projects


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## Guy Rowland (Apr 7, 2016)

Kaufmanmoon said:


> Guy, that's great (on the audio side), I saw you were thinking of taking the plunge on one. I'm looking at the same model near enough.
> Are you running an external SSD?



No - all internal (about 350gb of samples I reckon - I genuinely like paring stuff down for the road and having a lean and mean rig).

I think I like it very much, but there are some teething issues I'm having with it. The battery drained from 90% to 0% during the day the other day while supposedly in sleep mode, and I had a happy evening yesterday trawling through net forums to work out why, entering obscure commands into the Terminal etc. I think its just to ease me in, giving me a familiar feeling of being a bit like Windows.


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## mc_deli (Apr 7, 2016)

Kaufmanmoon said:


> Can someone help.
> So Thunderbolt 2 seems the fastest behind USB 3.0
> 
> I want something portable external drive wise so what's the best option as the Thunderbolt 2 Externals look pricey. What do people use external drive wise with their macbook/pc laptop ?
> ...



Thunderbolt 2 is FASTER than USB3 - in that it has much more bandwidth - the actual "speed" depends on the drive.
You can take "any" 2.5" SSD (e.g. Samsung EVO 850 is one of the most popular) and put it in a cheap 25USD USB3 "case" a.k.k housing. This does not require any technical skills, just 2/3 screws.
You can hang a bunch of USB3 drives off a USB3 hub but you will be limited by the PC's USB3 bandwidth.
You can get a TB2 or TB dock that comes with multiple USB3 ports and hang a bunch of USB3 drives off that.

I got 2x 850 EVOs, put them in cheap deltaco cases. One is direct into my rMBP USB3 superspeed socket (the left one), the other is into a USB3 hub that goes into the rMBP right hand socket, which is a hi-speed USB3 socket. They both perform fine. 

I tested the speed of an EVO 850 in the 2 different USB3 ports on my rMBP and through an OWC TB2 dock. The left socket was a bit faster than the right, and connecting via the TB2 dock slowed down the drive a little - but not enough to stop it being great!


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## Kaufmanmoon (Apr 7, 2016)

Thank you, Looking at another thread, Esata enclosures seem to be recommended for SSD's like the one's you mentioned. I'll keep digging.
Certainly the Evo's in an enclosure seem the way to go to get started with a mobile set up.


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## blizzard (Apr 7, 2016)

I just got the 2015 2.5GHz rMBP a few months ago for a mobile rig and it is working great. What a fast machine. I couldn't afford to buy a large TB2 RAID setup so instead went with SSD (850 Evo) in USB3 cases. I have them all running through the OWC Thunderbolt 2 Dock and all is good. 

Ideally I would like to get everything on a small Thunderbolt enclosure like the OWC ThunderBay. Need to save for that though.


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## Kaufmanmoon (Apr 7, 2016)

blizzard said:


> I just got the 2015 2.5GHz rMBP a few months ago for a mobile rig and it is working great. What a fast machine. I couldn't afford to buy a large TB2 RAID setup so instead went with SSD (850 Evo) in USB3 cases. I have them all running through the OWC Thunderbolt 2 Dock and all is good.
> 
> Ideally I would like to get everything on a small Thunderbolt enclosure like the OWC ThunderBay. Need to save for that though.


Ah yes, someone else posted about these. They look great but be nice to have everything bus powered for now. Good option further down the road though


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## whinecellar (Apr 8, 2016)

Man, I've been using these to temporarily access raw SSDs and they work great - and only $18:

https://www.startech.com/m/HDD/Adapters/USB-3-SATA-adapter-cable-with-UASP~USB3S2SAT3CB


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## Kaufmanmoon (Apr 8, 2016)

That would certainly get me started before purchasing something more robust. Tremendous Jim, thank you.


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## whinecellar (Apr 8, 2016)

Kaufmanmoon said:


> That would certainly get me started before purchasing something more robust. Tremendous Jim, thank you.


Sure thing! I actually have several SSDs attached to a few of my slaves this way and they work flawlessly. Also great for moving large projects or sample libraries between machines


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## Kaufmanmoon (May 12, 2016)

Well i've waited this long, so I may as well see what Apple have to offer in June with the new Macbook Pro's
What are the chances of 32gb ram being an option? I've read some PC laptops can now do this.


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## Phryq (May 12, 2016)

PC laptops are now supporting up to 64gb ram.


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## Kaufmanmoon (May 12, 2016)

Phryq said:


> PC laptops are now supporting up to 64gb ram.


Didn't realise that was the case. Well fingers crossed my end then


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## Helix (May 15, 2016)

whinecellar said:


> Sure thing! I actually have several SSDs attached to a few of my slaves this way and they work flawlessly. Also great for moving large projects or sample libraries between machines


Curious what sort of read/write speeds you're getting off of these? I just picked up an 850 EVO and the Startech USB to Sata cord and I'm getting low numbers. What sort of numbers do you get off of that setup?


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## mc_deli (May 16, 2016)

IIRC 280mb/s read with Parkdale test (850 EVO with a cheap Deltaco housing and USB3 to rMBP)


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## Suganthan (May 17, 2016)

Phryq said:


> PC laptops are now supporting up to 64gb ram.


Can you share the company/model details?


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## Phryq (May 19, 2016)

The Lenovo P50 is the first that comes to mind. It also uses a real desktop CPU (I think), meaning way faster than any laptop CPU.

Also, check out Sager, and MSI Ghost. Oh, and ADK, who creates laptops specifically for music production.

ADK is really the best option, based on Clevo (same as Sager). They have multiple hard drive bays, 64gb ram, and options for laptop or desktop CPU, plus lifetime customer service.

http://adkproaudio.com/


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## dtonthept (May 19, 2016)

Crossing fingers and clenching buttcheeks over here that Apple finally deliver a new Macbook Pro with multiple M.2 and 64GB RAM possibilities next month.... Oh puhhhhhhleeeeeeeezzzzzzz!!!!


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## garyhiebner (May 19, 2016)

dtonthept said:


> Crossing fingers and clenching buttcheeks over here that Apple finally deliver a new Macbook Pro with multiple M.2 and 64GB RAM possibilities next month.... Oh puhhhhhhleeeeeeeezzzzzzz!!!!



That would be insane! hate to know what the price on that guy will be


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## Phryq (May 20, 2016)

Only $20,000


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## mc_deli (May 21, 2016)

In the Mini, Air, MBP and rMBP i can't see how more ram or much faster processing are going to bring Apple more sales.

New interfaces i.e. Trackpad, touch screen might get some numbers.

But they have to target the replacemt market. That means killing old machines by introducing new software andconnectivity standards.

I expect OS11 will cut off lots of old machines in the same way iOS has. New portables will not have minijacks to try to sell more heaphones. And they will introduce a new hybrid connector (tb3 or something) in the hope that some people with more money than sense will buy it.


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## Phryq (May 21, 2016)

I wish you could just buy a separate 'box' that gives extra CPU and ram. Gamers have this as USB videocards.


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## Kaufmanmoon (Jun 14, 2016)

After seeing that the new Macbook pro's are not coming until later in the year it was time to order a refurb 2015 model. Need it for work over the summer.
Decided on the 15" macbook pro 512 ssd with 16gb ram. Hoping it will do the job for me.


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## Kaufmanmoon (Jun 22, 2016)

Can I ask for some advice
New Macbook is fantastic so far, so much so I think it's going to replace my imac (using the imac as a screen with the mini display port)
I'm left with 2 usb ports and a Thunderbolt connection.I have to have my audio interface directly in one usb and I have a Samsung evo in a usb 3.0 case connected to the other.

If I needed to go the hub route, Would the Thunderbolt dock be that much better than a usb hub if I wanted to connect the Evo plus one more and my ilok's e.t.c

Anker have a 7 port hub which would take up everything I need and it's only about £30 (some say not to use usb powered hubs with ssd drives)
The Elgato dock is around £150 ish,
If I can save money here that would be great. I've a feeling I know the answer though.


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