# Apple M1/M1 Pro/M1 Max Software Discussion Thread



## khollister (Jan 23, 2022)

I am creating this thread in an attempt to hopefully separate hardware discussions about the M1 computers from discussions about DAW/plugin performance & experience on the Apple Silicon platforms. The other thread is already 50 pages and it is only going to get more difficult for folks to find useful information.

I'll start by relating a curious observation I have recently made with my M1Max 16" MBP...

When I stuck my toe in the water last year with my 13" M1 MBP, Logic (native) clearly outperformed Cubase (I believe it was 11.0.30) running in Rosetta, as I expected.

Cubase has since been updated to 11.0.41 (approved for Monterey, still Rosetta for the time being) and I am seeing some unexpected results compared to Logic 10.7.2 when I recently tried Cubase again on the M1Max. Cubase running multiple Omnisphere tracks (all Rosetta of course) seems to perform just as well as Logic running Omnisphere natively. With the u-he Diva and Repro, Cubase actually seems to handle more tracks in spite of everything running natively in Logic!

However, VSL Synchron (piano and player) seems to overload much quicker in Cubase than Logic in spite of it being in Rosetta in both DAWS (no native VSL stuff yet). The Kontakt beta runs great natively in Logic but very poorly in Rosetta in Cubase. I need to try it in Logic in Rosetta mode.

I am primarily a Logic user the last few years, but I keep being interested in Cubase for reasons I can't quite explain. This latest experience has me quite puzzled and wondering what Cubase 12 (AS native) is going to be like and if I might be leaving Logic behind.

Anyone else run into this?


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## samphony (Jan 23, 2022)

Why cant you just live with multiple DAWs. I mean my view is more comparing DAWs to microphones, synths, guitars meaning instruments. You usually don’t throw away this guitar for that. 

I personally work with multiple DAWs and I wouldn’t change a thing especially if you mastered them for your specific workflow. 

Just my 2cents regarding … leaving behind. 

Carry on I’m curious about further findings. I must say that compared to my last 2013 mac pro the whole setup runs flawlessly and I had no crashes on tight deadlines whatsoever and at the moment I work purely natively with both logic and studio one.


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## khollister (Jan 25, 2022)

After further use and testing, I'm rather amazed that with a couple notable exceptions (more on that later) Cubase 11.0.41 running under Rosetta seems to perform about as well as Logic 10.7.2 in native mode. This includes both instruments available as native on LPX and ones running in Rosetta.

Furthermore, DS Thorn, Knifonium and LION (all Intel only so far) now seem to run acceptably well in both Cubase and Logic. My initial attempt to use them on an earlier version in Logic resulted in unacceptable CPU spiking. I think there may have been a PA update in between as well.

The main 2 Cubase exceptions are Kontakt and VSL Synchron Piano. Both have much worse CPU performance compared to running them in Logic, even though both are running in Rosetta in both DAWs.

I am also starting to see the occasional Logic crash with the "bad plugin dialog". Initially 10.7.2 seemed to cure these which occurred more frequently on 10.7/10.7.1, but I have had a few just in the last couple days. Not sure what I'm doing now that is triggering this as opposed to the previous few weeks.

Assuming UA gets their VST3 game on (almost all of their stuff is already native), I'm really looking forward to seeing what Cubase 12 does in native mode.

Oh, and Studio 5.5 in native mode still comes in a distant 3rd in CPU performance and scaling for me, setting aside my distaste for some of the GUI choices and workflow. I realize it gets a lot of love here but I just can't get on with it, even ignoring the lack of performance on my Macs.


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