# Best portable Mac rig for 2022?



## cato (Jan 23, 2022)

Hi there,

I've been saving up for a while to purchase a replacement for my 2013 "trash can" Mac Pro that I can take with me around the world as I often travel for work. Currently, my set up is as follows which I take between 3 different humble studio set ups that have computer keyboards, mouse and displays as well as a set of speakers and MIDI keyboards that I can plug into:

*Current portable rig*
// OWC Thunderbay 4 TB2 SSD enclosure with 4 x 4TB Samsung EVOs
// Mac Pro 2013 32gb RAM 500gb HD
// Apollo Twin TB2 soundcard
// DT770 Pro headphones
// USB dongles for software

I've reached the point where I want to replace both the Mac Pro 2013 and Apollo Twin in that set up for a very capable Mac for use with an orchestral template of 800+ tracks (just to give an idea) with all the usual suspects for software from companies like Spitfire, Omnisphere, Orchestral Tools etc. I'll stick with UAD for the soundcard, so will either get another more capable Apollo like the Apollo X4 or even the Apollo 8x.

One idea was to find either a portable slave PC rig to take with me, but I want to keep everything in one box like I've been doing with the 2013 Mac (I'm currently using single instruments per track within Logic and disabling unused ones rather than VSL), so my question is whether I go back to a Macbook Pro like I used to have years ago, whether I should buy one of Intel Mac Pro's now even though it's much harder to travel with that or wait a bit longer before purchasing so that the M1 chips in Mac Pros are an option?

I feel like the Intel Mac Pro option should be avoided at this point, but also that a Macbook Pro wouldn't be able to deal with what I throw at it (I remember transitioning from a Quad core Mac Mini years ago to my 2013 Mac Pro and being blown away with the difference). Might another solution be to get the Macbook Pro and slave a kitted out M1 Mini using VSL?

I'm slowly breaking into bigger jobs now where reliability and a solid set up are required to work quickly, so I need something that will be last me a few years.

Thanks for any thoughts.

Cato


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## samphony (Jan 23, 2022)

I’ve replaced my 2013 Mac Pro 12core/128gb ram/2 TB SSD with the M1Max/64gb RAM/ 8TB SSD and couldn’t be happier. 

The single core speed, portability and ability to connect the whole studio with 1 cable to extend my workflow with vep mac minis, audio peripherals and other hardware is just working great. 

And yes I can finally come up with ideas sitting in the kitchen or create complete cues in the box. At the moment the racked up mac minis are collecting dust as my workflow allows to do everything on this one machine. 

I love it. #freedom


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## samphony (Jan 23, 2022)

I’m also trying new workflow extension peripherals when working “mobile” as in “not in the studio” like a secondary 14” touchscreen, streamdeck xl for fast key command operations as the extended keyboard stays in the studio and an iPad + pencil.


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## cato (Jan 23, 2022)

samphony said:


> I’ve replaced my 2013 Mac Pro 12core/128gb ram/2 TB SSD with the M1Max/64gb RAM/ 8TB SSD and couldn’t be happier.
> 
> The single core speed, portability and ability to connect the whole studio with 1 cable to extend my workflow with vep mac minis, audio peripherals and other hardware is just working great.
> 
> ...


This is good to hear - what kind of DAW and VI set up do you have? I’m assuming this sort of hardware can cope with quite a lot, especially if you have separate Mac Minis for VEPro stuff? How about fan noise when you’re working?


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## khollister (Jan 23, 2022)

samphony said:


> I’m also trying new workflow extension peripherals when working “mobile” as in “not in the studio” like a secondary 14” touchscreen, streamdeck xl for fast key command operations as the extended keyboard stays in the studio and an iPad + pencil.


I also have a maxed out 16" M1Max MBP to replace both laptop and studio rigs. For mobile use, I can go pretty stripped down (MBP, headphones, MIDI keyboard) or augment with Apollo Solo, faders and external 2TB TB SSD (for less used libraries that don't fit on the 8TB internal).

For studio use, I add an Apollo X8 (replaces solo), and ProDisplay XDR (and larger MIDI keyboard, monitors, etc).


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## proggermusic (Jan 23, 2022)

As far as replacing the Apollo goes, if stability and reliability are top priority, I don't think you can beat the RME Babyface Pro FS. You wouldn't be able to use your UA plugins, of course, but there are endless excellent native alternatives these days, including plugs by some of the same developers who coded the UA emulations people love so much. (Black Rooster, Fuse Audio Labs, Brainworx, and NEOLD, for starters.)


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## gzapper (Jan 23, 2022)

I'm also running an M1 macbook pro with 64Gb ram but only 2 tb drive. That was a mistake, 8tb would have been smarter and cheaper in the long term by the time you add in external ssd's. For bonus, I also have an Intel NUC with 64Gb ram and another 3tb of samples that I use for VEP, using only an ethernet cable for communication, no keyboard or monitor. I now have a pretty powerful rig that fits in my backpack and I can bike to a theatre with and easily run as big a template as I want.

For soundcards, I run Metric Halo at home but have an audient ID4 which has been a road workhouse. I may even switch that out to either a sound devices box or a Tascam x8 recorder for a more flexible setup that also allows field recordings.


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## rnb_2 (Jan 23, 2022)

Any of the M1 Pro/Max MacBook Pros will blow you away, just like the Mac Pro did when you got it. Single core performance is twice as fast as any 2013 Mac Pro, and multi-core is anywhere from 1.7x (vs the 12-core 2013 Mac Pro) to almost 4x (vs. the 4-core Mac Pro). Since the Apple Silicon rollout is still in progress, there's no reason to do a MacBook Pro + Mac mini, since the M1 Pro/Max can go to 32/64GB of RAM, but the M1 mini can only go to 16GB. A number of people have called the M1 Pro/Max MacBook Pro a Mac Pro you can put in your backpack, and they're not wrong.

Given that you have 16TB of samples in your Thunderbay, you probably aren't a candidate for going with a big internal SSD on the MacBook Pro (I'd probably go 1TB in your position), so it's really just a matter of deciding between M1 Pro and Max. Since you currently have 32GB, if you don't foresee needing more RAM, a 32GB M1 Pro would be ideal, as the other features of the Max (beyond allowing for 64GB) probably won't matter for you. The Max does allow for more than 2 external displays, so if you need 3+, an M1 Max would be needed, at which point I'd probably go with 64GB for longevity.

Deciding between 14" and 16" probably comes down to what you feel like carrying, since it looks like you're usually using external displays - there is very little performance difference between them. Since you also have the RAID to transport, keeping everything small is probably not key, and the cost difference isn't huge, so it really just comes down to your preference.


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## cato (Jan 23, 2022)

rnb_2 said:


> Any of the M1 Pro/Max MacBook Pros will blow you away, just like the Mac Pro did when you got it. Single core performance is twice as fast as any 2013 Mac Pro, and multi-core is anywhere from 1.7x (vs the 12-core 2013 Mac Pro) to almost 4x (vs. the 4-core Mac Pro). Since the Apple Silicon rollout is still in progress, there's no reason to do a MacBook Pro + Mac mini, since the M1 Pro/Max can go to 32/64GB of RAM, but the M1 mini can only go to 16GB. A number of people have called the M1 Pro/Max MacBook Pro a Mac Pro you can put in your backpack, and they're not wrong.
> 
> Given that you have 16TB of samples in your Thunderbay, you probably aren't a candidate for going with a big internal SSD on the MacBook Pro (I'd probably go 1TB in your position), so it's really just a matter of deciding between M1 Pro and Max. Since you currently have 32GB, if you don't foresee needing more RAM, a 32GB M1 Pro would be ideal, as the other features of the Max (beyond allowing for 64GB) probably won't matter for you. The Max does allow for more than 2 external displays, so if you need 3+, an M1 Max would be needed, at which point I'd probably go with 64GB for longevity.
> 
> Deciding between 14" and 16" probably comes down to what you feel like carrying, since it looks like you're usually using external displays - there is very little performance difference between them. Since you also have the RAID to transport, keeping everything small is probably not key, and the cost difference isn't huge, so it really just comes down to your preference.


I love the fact it’s being called a Mac Pro that you can put in a backpack as that’s exactly what I’m looking for - do the fans go mad when you’re running a big session? I ask as sometimes I need to record parts for an arrangement so having as quiet a system as possible would be ideal.

Most likely I’d go for the 64gb Max version as I will be attaching 3 screens for sure - good shout on going for a smaller hd size though as I’ll also be continue to use those SSD drives to save a bit. Any advice for a usb-c / TB3 hub for external ports? I’m assuming OWC’s TB3 Hub could be useful for that too right?


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## samphony (Jan 23, 2022)

It never got too warm nor where the fans hearable yet! A very well engineered piece of kit


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## 3CPU (Jan 23, 2022)

cato said:


> I've reached the point where I want to replace both the Mac Pro 2013 and Apollo Twin in that set up for a very capable Mac for use with an orchestral template of 800+ tracks (just to give an idea) with all the usual suspects for software from companies like Spitfire, Omnisphere, Orchestral Tools etc. I'll stick with UAD for the soundcard, so will either get another more capable Apollo like the Apollo X4 or even the Apollo 8x.


1. Master / Mobile Rig: 
800+ tracks, and those usual suspect! Awesome! Get the MBPro M1 10-core, suggest no less than 2TB, or you can get up to 8TB Storage. I would definitely go with 64GB of memory. 

2. Slave: 
For VEP, VSL should handle 800+ tracks orchestral mock ups the current M1 8-core Mac Mini should be okay however! If rumors are true, I would wait until March/April, for the M1 10-core Mac Mini, if not then by late 2022. Apple did say it will complete the new Apple Silicon lineup by late 2022 - Link - Apple Newsroom 

"_This transition will also establish a common architecture across all Apple products, making it far easier for developers to write and optimize their apps for the entire ecosystem._" Excerpt from Apple Newsroom. 

That said, the current lineup of the Mac Mini is not complete, there is currently an odd fellow hanging around -- the Intel version, and it is likely to be replaced with a newer spec'd up Mac Mini (Apple silicon) by March/April 2022, or September/October 2022. 



cato said:


> I'll stick with UAD for the soundcard, so will either get another more capable Apollo like the Apollo X4 or even the Apollo 8x.


UAD - Read This Article - Link.


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## khollister (Jan 23, 2022)

3CPU said:


> UAD - Read This Article - Link.


I have an Apollo X8 and Solo that work perfectly with Monterey. Even UA informally says everything works. There are tons of Monterey users on the UAD forum that say everything works.

That said, it is hard to beat a bus-powered interface for mobile use. So a Babyface Pro, Apollo Solo, MOTU M2/M4 or maybe some other stuff I am not familiar with are the way to go IMHO.


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## 3CPU (Jan 23, 2022)

khollister said:


> Even UA informally says everything works. There are tons of Monterey users on the UAD forum that say everything works.


Good to know. I posted the link for the OP to see, there is additional info.



khollister said:


> That said, it is hard to beat a bus-powered interface for mobile use. So a Babyface Pro, Apollo Solo, MOTU M2/M4 or maybe some other stuff I am not familiar with are the way to go IMHO.


My preference is RME, it checks all the right boxes for my needs.


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## rnb_2 (Jan 23, 2022)

cato said:


> I love the fact it’s being called a Mac Pro that you can put in a backpack as that’s exactly what I’m looking for - do the fans go mad when you’re running a big session? I ask as sometimes I need to record parts for an arrangement so having as quiet a system as possible would be ideal.
> 
> Most likely I’d go for the 64gb Max version as I will be attaching 3 screens for sure - good shout on going for a smaller hd size though as I’ll also be continue to use those SSD drives to save a bit. Any advice for a usb-c / TB3 hub for external ports? I’m assuming OWC’s TB3 Hub could be useful for that too right?


I don't actually have the MacBook Pro (yet? still undecided which way I'm going this year), so I can't comment on fan noise, but everything I've seen says that users rarely hear the fans. It's really designed to be a video workstation (particularly the Max, which has extra video encoders/decoders and twice the internal bandwidth), so audio doesn't really stress things that much by comparison.

For an external USB hub, any of the current Thunderbolt 3 or 4 hubs should work for you, depending on how many ports you need. The Caldigit Element Hub is probably the most sought-after, since it gives you both 4 USB-A ports and 3 Thunderbolt USB-C ports in one small unit (the power supply is much bigger than the hub itself). It can be difficult to find in stock, though, so the newest 11-port OWC dock is also an option (similar units are also made by Razer and Sonnet), and the existing OWC 14-port Thunderbolt 3 dock has served me well for about 3 years.

What do you currently use to attach your displays (HDMI, Mini DisplayPort, Thunderbolt, etc)? That will also be a consideration when picking the best dock. Also, don't forget to grab an Apple Thunderbolt 3 to Thunderbolt 2 adapter for your Thunderbay.


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## Justin L. Franks (Jan 23, 2022)

rnb_2 said:


> Given that you have 16TB of samples in your Thunderbay, you probably aren't a candidate for going with a big internal SSD on the MacBook Pro (I'd probably go 1TB in your position), so it's really just a matter of deciding between M1 Pro and Max. Since you currently have 32GB, if you don't foresee needing more RAM, a 32GB M1 Pro would be ideal, as the other features of the Max (beyond allowing for 64GB) probably won't matter for you. The Max does allow for more than 2 external displays, so if you need 3+, an M1 Max would be needed, at which point I'd probably go with 64GB for longevity.



Yeah, the costs for a larger internal SSD get pretty crazy. $1000 extra for 4 TB, $2200 extra for 8 TB. With that said, I would consider going for a 2 TB if possible though, which would give a decent amount of space for a pared-down set of libraries when on the go without having to drag the Thunderbay along. You could always just get a 2 or 4 TB external TB3 SSD though. The OWC Envoy Express enclosure with a 2 or 4 TB NVMe drive is very compact, not expensive (I just bought one and a 2 TB 970 Evo Plus for ~$300 total). The enclosure even has a little plastic dock thing you can attach to the back of the display.



rnb_2 said:


> Deciding between 14" and 16" probably comes down to what you feel like carrying, since it looks like you're usually using external displays - there is very little performance difference between them. Since you also have the RAID to transport, keeping everything small is probably not key, and the cost difference isn't huge, so it really just comes down to your preference.


The 16" one has a much larger cooling system (the heatsink, fans, and heat pipes are all quite a bit bigger), and various testers have noticed that under load, the fans come on with the 14" models a fair bit quicker, and run at a higher RPM than the 16" under the same load. Both models are quite efficient, so the fans don't even turn on most of the time, but noise seems to be extremely important to the OP. The extra headroom offered by the 16" model's cooling system would make it the obvious choice IMO.


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## KEM (Jan 23, 2022)

I think the general consensus is that the M1 Pro/Max MacBook Pro’s will be more than enough for what any of us will probably ever need, so I wouldn’t be too concerned that it wouldn’t meet your needs, I’m sure it’d be able to handle pretty much everything with ease


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## colony nofi (Jan 23, 2022)

cato said:


> Hi there,
> 
> I've been saving up for a while to purchase a replacement for my 2013 "trash can" Mac Pro that I can take with me around the world as I often travel for work. Currently, my set up is as follows which I take between 3 different humble studio set ups that have computer keyboards, mouse and displays as well as a set of speakers and MIDI keyboards that I can plug into:
> 
> ...


Are you me? 
I have three different keyboard / monitor / speaker setups on three different continents. And I've been travelling with 6 and 8 core mac pros (64 ans 128GB ram) since 2013.
And still do.
Though also have done work on a 2018 macbook pro on occassion when possible (smaller gigs / trips) - although that is the worst mac machine I've ever owned. Still useful, but!

My plans? Arriving this week is the completely kitted out MBP. 8TB / 64GB Ram. I don't have 800 track projects. My projects I try and keep to 80 tracks or so of midi just for my sanity. (Audio recordings can sometimes be over 100 depending on overdubs for orchestral instruments etc). I load in groups of tracks when needed (am on nuendo). I also do tonnes of DSP for immersive mixing on the computer, and have often come up against the CPU being maxed for this side of things than compositions.

Now while I'm reaching the capacity of the mac pro, I don't feel like it is unusable for most projects right now. I'm planning on trying the new laptop with all the projects and seeing what the relative performance is like. I won't bring the new laptop on its own on any trip (none overseas booked this year, but quite a few interstate) - but will bring a trashcan too. I can always do a VEP thing there if absolutely necessary, and I have enough workflow tricks to gain extra horsepower as needed.

Im most interested in likely smaller m-based mac pro like machines. Either something like the mbp OR an m2 based mini with more ram. We've deployed the M1 mini's now on a couple of installs, and they do a great job for audio server / immersive audio playback, but not for the making. Just not enough ram. Smaller mac pro's that are portable (giving 64GB+ ram) would be the dream for people like me (and I suspect, you) but who knows how small they'll go. Most of the industry will loose their shit if the case is too small for pcie cards etc. I personally do not want to go back to the days of being charged $800+ on excess luggage (which happened a number of times for a pre-2012 mac that accompanied me around the place for a while!)

Running on multiple machines is not something I'm aiming to do long term. For a while around 2011/2012, I ran a setup of 17" macbook pro plus 4 x 16GB mac mini's. At the time it was powerful enough - but completely replaced by the mac pro trashcan in 2013. The amount of time it took to setup the computers in a usable way, only for replacement software / setup changes / workflow changes meaning entire new installs etc was a source of frustration, and involved time I did not have right then.

Oh - a little hint is that you can fit a dell 24" 4k monitor in a thing gaming case inside most mid/large size hard-shell suitcases. Their stands come off and can go anywhere in your pack. Super useful when you need to bring a screen. I also carry around an ASUS 1920x1080 USB C monitor for pics / extra screen real-estate on the road.

So - long story short - I get the feeling the new mac book pro's are going to simplify things a great deal for me if they are performant. A lot will depend on me making sure that I choose software wisely. I'm ok with doing that. I love the idea of not taking a tonne of drives with me everywhere. 8TB internal = a good amount to keep samples + current projects + OS. I have a spare 8TB thunderbolt SSD I can use as a backup as well (or potentially extra libs if they don't fit?! Backup you say??? It really needs you to bring 2 computers for time critical projects)

Ram is the largest issue for me. Even with the low number of tracks I deliberately run, I frequently go above 64GB now. I did notice my pre-load buffers on the mac pro are higher than I use on my studio computer, and I might be able to save a tonne that way. Time will tell.

I'm happy to run tests for you if you have anything you want put thru its paces. I should have the new computer FINALLY end of this week crossing fingers. Its in transit from China to Australia right now...


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## rnb_2 (Jan 23, 2022)

Justin L. Franks said:


> Yeah, the costs for a larger internal SSD get pretty crazy. $1000 extra for 4 TB, $2200 extra for 8 TB. With that said, I would consider going for a 2 TB if possible though, which would give a decent amount of space for a pared-down set of libraries when on the go without having to drag the Thunderbay along. You could always just get a 2 or 4 TB external TB3 SSD though. The OWC Envoy Express enclosure with a 2 or 4 TB NVMe drive is very compact, not expensive (I just bought one and a 2 TB 970 Evo Plus for ~$300 total). The enclosure even has a little plastic dock thing you can attach to the back of the display.
> 
> 
> The 16" one has a much larger cooling system (the heatsink, fans, and heat pipes are all quite a bit bigger), and various testers have noticed that under load, the fans come on with the 14" models a fair bit quicker, and run at a higher RPM than the 16" under the same load. Both models are quite efficient, so the fans don't even turn on most of the time, but noise seems to be extremely important to the OP. The extra headroom offered by the 16" model's cooling system would make it the obvious choice IMO.


Only @cato knows if there is a subset of his samples that could fit in 2TB and justify it - I based my advice on his currently having 500GB in the Mac Pro, so 1TB is already giving him breathing room over what he has now. That he's currently traveling with a 16TB RAID tells me that paring things down that far would be difficult, but I agree that a Thunderbolt drive might be a reasonable option. You could put together a 4TB NVMe drive for <$500 with a USB-C enclosure, a bit over $500 with the OWC Envoy Express, and I'd lean more toward that than spending $400 on the upgrade from 1TB internal to 2TB.

I won't dispute that the cooling in the 16" is more robust, but virtually everyone who is trying to stress it is doing so with a high end video workflow (plus whatever else they can throw at it), not audio. I really don't think there's a performance/cooling reason to decide on the 16" over the 14" for audio, but if someone has another reason to want to go that way (more screen real estate, particularly if the laptop screen will be the primary display much of the time, etc), it's nice that the price difference is shockingly reasonable at $200.


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## rnb_2 (Jan 23, 2022)

colony nofi said:


> Oh - a little hint is that you can fit a dell 24" 4k monitor in a thing gaming case inside most mid/large size hard-shell suitcases. Their stands come off and can go anywhere in your pack. Super useful when you need to bring a screen.


If only Dell still made a 24" 4k display - my wife has one, and we might be in the market for a second, but the only 24" 4k still on the market is LG's Mac-focused UltraFine. Gaming has just broken the market for anyone who wants a high-resolution, reasonably-sized display, let alone one that meets Apple's definition of "Retina" (~220ppi for desktop displays).


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## colony nofi (Jan 24, 2022)

rnb_2 said:


> If only Dell still made a 24" 4k display - my wife has one, and we might be in the market for a second, but the only 24" 4k still on the market is LG's Mac-focused UltraFine. Gaming has just broken the market for anyone who wants a high-resolution, reasonably-sized display, let alone one that meets Apple's definition of "Retina" (~220ppi for desktop displays).


Yeah - funny you should mention that, but I just looked to see if I could get a new one, as the one I have has been seriously bashed around. No go. And the LG stand isn't easy to take off, which is a deal breaker for carrying it around in luggage. I refuse to do pelican cases for this stuff - they're magnets for theft. They're only good when travelling in a group / touring etc - when they come into their own...


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## cato (Feb 15, 2022)

colony nofi said:


> Are you me?


Haha, this is that 'Scooby Doo' reveal moment! Thanks for the replies and apologies for the slow response, the family and I got covid so we were all offline for a bit (and being a man meant my man flu was much worse of course).

Yes, it sounds like you've got a similar set up to me in terms of needing to travel and have a keyboard, display and mouse in various places. While I'm on the same page with you regarding wanting a small form Mac Pro with M2 processors that I can pop in a rucksack like I do with the 2013 Mac Pro, I have a feeling we could be waiting a while for that to appear...

Hopefully I'm wrong, but for the interim, it looks like a 16inch Macbook Pro M1 Max with a 2TB SSD and 64gb RAM is going to set me back £4k yet fulfil my needs as I have the external drives I can carry around with me in the OWC enclosure. Considering this is my line of work, I have no issue spending on something robust that will last me at least until the new Mac Pros appear - the fan noise is what concerns me most as I often record close to my composing rig, but even that sounds like it won't be that much of an issue.

Strange to be going back to a laptop - I started composing on that set up and was frustrated by how weak it was so moved to a desktop set up only to be returning to it again as the power of these things has gone up exponentially!


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## cato (Feb 16, 2022)

Thought I'd continue this here rather than start a new thread as it's related to setting up a mobile rig: so, I've bought a top of the line M1 Max Macbook Pro as described in my previous message and am waiting the 6-8 weeks for it to arrive , however, I didn't do enough homework on the dock side of things just thinking it would be an easy thing to get sorted.

I'm currently looking for an M1 Max-compatible Thunderbolt 4 dock that will let me connect:

- 2 x HDMI 2.0 monitors
- 5 x USB-A devices (MIDI keybord, QWERTY keyboard + mouse, 2 x dongles and a USB3 Backup HD)
- Ethernet port so I can use a cable for fast Internet
- Upstream Thunderbolt 4 port capable of charging the MacBook Pro (I believe it needs 90 watts of power)
- Any extra TB4 or USB-C ports welcome

I'm finding it difficult to find one other than this Anker Apex model, but their website says it's not M1-compatible... I'm wondering if that's just M1 or also M1 Max?

*Anker Apex 12-in-1 Thunderbolt 4 Docking Station*








Anker 777 Thunderbolt Docking Station (Apex, 12-in-1, Thunderbolt 4)


Compatibility Information: Works with Windows 10 laptops equipped with a Thunderbolt 4 port (Intel Evo Platform), and non-M1 MacBooks running macOS 11 (Big Sur) or later. Not compatible with Linux or Chrome OS laptops, Thunderbolt 3 Windows laptops, M1 MacBooks, or MacBooks running macOS 10.16...




uk.anker.com





Another minus for that dock is the PSU is as big as the dock itself! Not all that mobile-friendly.

Is there another way around attaching those HDMI monitors like getting a dock with a bunch of Thunderbolt 4 ports and connecting a TB4-HDMI adaptor to them? Would also future proof me a bit I think...

Any advice welcome, especially if you already have an M1 Max laptop with a dock!


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## rnb_2 (Feb 16, 2022)

Caldigit just released their TS4 dock, which will satisfy every requirement on your list except the HDMI ports. You should be able to use USB-C to HDMI cables with the extra Thunderbolt ports on it, though, or you could add OWC’s Thunderbolt 3 Mini Dock to get two HDMI ports (+ 2 more USB ports). OWC and Sonnet both have USB-C to dual HDMI adapters, as well.

The TS4 + 2 USB-C to HDMI cables is probably your most cost-effective option, and would make for the simplest setup. No matter what you do, you’re going to have to deal with a large power brick to power all of those ports plus the laptop.


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## cato (Feb 16, 2022)

This sounds like a good set up - looks like it's not available until March, but that should be fine as delivery of my spanking new laptop isn't until April anyway. Caldigit also have a DisplayPort-HDMI adaptor available so I could get one of those USB-C-HDMI adaptors together with a DP-HDMI one to save one of the TB4 ports. Thanks for the help!


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## rnb_2 (Feb 16, 2022)

cato said:


> This sounds like a good set up - looks like it's not available until March, but that should be fine as delivery of my spanking new laptop isn't until April anyway. Caldigit also have a DisplayPort-HDMI adaptor available so I could get one of those USB-C-HDMI adaptors together with a DP-HDMI one to save one of the TB4 ports. Thanks for the help!


Happy to help! Good catch on the DP to HDMI adapter - I wasn’t aware that those existed.


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## khollister (Feb 16, 2022)

Depending on how often you go mobile and whether you are looking for something transportable vs mobile, a larger TB4/TB3 dock with Ethernet, 90W charging and HDMI ports would be good as a permanent studio solution with a smaller TB4 hub (e.g. Caldigit Element) as a travel solution since ethernet and extra monitors are presumably not a travel requirement. The hub itself as well as its power supply is quite a bit smaller. The compact TB4 hubs are only 70W, but that will slowly charge a M1Max and certainly keep it from discharging during use.

I have a dedicated mobile kit with Caldigit Element hub, Arturia Keystep, small sustain pedal, Sparrow 4 fader MIDI CC controller, Apollo Solo, cables, Oppo PM-5 headphones and a couple extra T7 SSD's. The only things that get disconnected to go on the road from the studio are the MBP (of course), a small mobile USB hub with iLok, eLicenser and Waves USB license thumb drive, and a thunderbolt SSD with my "overflow" sample libraries that don't fit on the 8TTB internal. No crawling under the desk to unplug power supples, etc.

The headphones and Keystep have dedicated hard shell cases and everything else fits in a small padded compartment case.


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## cato (Feb 16, 2022)

This sounds like a good secondary mobile rig too - I agree that it would be good to have something a little less cumbersome for shorter journeys... thanks for the recommendations! Do you find your T7 SSD's work well while on the move? I was thinking of getting one for Spitfire BBCSO Pro while travelling


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## khollister (Feb 16, 2022)

cato said:


> This sounds like a good secondary mobile rig too - I agree that it would be good to have something a little less cumbersome for shorter journeys... thanks for the recommendations! Do you find your T7 SSD's work well while on the move? I was thinking of getting one for Spitfire BBCSO Pro while travelling


I keep all my sample libraries either on the internal (why I sprung for 8TB) or on a single external OWC TB SSD. The external is for things I use only sporadically. The T7's are just extra storage for backups or extra project space if needed. One of them is a clone of the internal minus the 6TB of samples.

Be aware that while TB and USB 4 devices operate at full speed, USB 3 (either 5Gbps or 10 Gbps) devices run about 25% slower on the M1's than on Intel Macs. Not a big deal unless you are relying on them as your primary sample streaming or video editing drive.

I should also point out that I am currently having trouble with BBCSO and AR1 on my M1Max. In spite of being native and the Logic or Studio One CPU meters showing very low activity, I am getting frequent random dropouts above about 40-50 tracks of simultaneous MIDI. I contacted Spitfire about it but have not circled back to schedule a remote session for Ben to look at it. As the problem happens with both the VST3 native plugin on S1 5.5 and the AU plugin on Logic, I tend to believe there is something amiss with the Spitfire player. 

The curious thing is they are dropouts with absolutely no snaps or pops like I always get with CPU overloads on other things. The CPU meter never indicates anything wrong and looking at the VST3 plugin in Bitwig (it has a cool real-time CPU graph that shows spikes Logic, Studio One and Cubase never indicate) seems to show it being exceptionally well behaved without any of the transients other plugins often demonstrate.

I am not very enthused with the Spitfire player for a number of reasons, but except for libraries that would typically only require a few tracks, I refuse to purchase any more orchestral libs using it until SA gets a handle on this. Kontakt 6.7 and EW OPUS behave perfectly and VSL Synchron is useable at least until their native player arrives later this year.


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