# Give us 32GB for Macbook Pros!



## Walid F. (Sep 4, 2016)

Hey guys,

So, on my travels this year, I've been working on a Macbook Pro 15" mid-2014 model with 16GB RAM, 2.8GHz i7, and 512GB flash drive. It's been an absolute dream, but I am finding myself limited to the 16GB of RAM. It really limits how much I can load up, and how often I have to bounce to audio and do other workarounds to be able to write the music I need to write.

So the questions are: *why* does Apple have this anti-RAM mentality with their MBPs? *When* can we see a change in that? There are tons of people wanting 32GB of RAM, and I'm not seeing how that is a big technical difficulty. It would allow for much bigger projects that we often find ourselves working with as cinematic composers.

W.


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## rpaillot (Sep 4, 2016)

YES , yes and yes !!!!!!!


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## Garlu (Sep 4, 2016)

Same for the mac mini's! Having a portable slave of that size would be a good option. (some of the smaller NUC's have already the option of having 32 gb's of ram!).


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## URL (Sep 4, 2016)

Give us a new MP and MBP with "128" Gb memory... Apple - Im tired waiting


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## synthpunk (Sep 4, 2016)

They really killed off the Mac Mini format for music use when they went to duo only processors.



Garlu said:


> Same for the mac mini's! Having a portable slave of that size would be a good option. (some of the smaller NUC's have already the option of having 32 gb's of ram!).


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## URL (Sep 4, 2016)

memory always a issue...sadly there are not many options when you want to replace the system hard drive in an Apple computer nowadays...
OT, anyone who have TB2 connected to main Hd as start up disk?


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## Suganthan (Sep 4, 2016)

This is sad Walid. So are you trying to load everything at once or load the ones you need? Either way, if they are of multiple mics, they take up huge ram right?


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## givemenoughrope (Sep 4, 2016)

Just add a Mac mini or 2, or several...

Like synth punk alluded...get the 2012 quad i7, fill the ram and get two SSDs from owc (get their data doubler kit). Works well for a portable VE pro rig.


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## Walid F. (Sep 4, 2016)

Suganthan said:


> This is sad Walid. So are you trying to load everything at once or load the ones you need? Either way, if they are of multiple mics, they take up huge ram right?



I'm loading the ones I need, and when I'm working with full orchestra, I can only do so much. 32GB would open up entirely new doors for what I can do on the road. I'm limiting already to the main mics of most libraries.



givemenoughrope said:


> Just add a Mac mini or 2, or several...
> 
> Like synth punk alluded...get the 2012 quad i7, fill the ram and get two SSDs from owc (get their data doubler kit). Works well for a portable VE pro rig.



That sounds like a whole lot of stuff to invest in, carry with me, and it just sounds like a backwards way of proceeding into a better overall solution for me. I am in love with the performance of the newer MBP. I mean, I'm not tied completely to the 32GB need, so if they won't upgrade over 16GB, I'd just have to stick to my workarounds.

It seems Apple aren't moving at all in this direction, so we probably won't see an upgrade for several years.

W.


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## dcoscina (Sep 4, 2016)

synthpunk said:


> They really killed off the Mac Mini format for music use when they went to duo only processors.


yeah I would get an older Quad Server maxed out.


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## givemenoughrope (Sep 4, 2016)

Walid F. said:


> .
> That sounds like a whole lot of stuff to invest in, carry with me,
> W.


Go to the Apple Store and lift a Mac mini (like you're seeing how much it weighs, don't let the alarm go off). It's nothing. Ram and SSDs are cheaper now all of a sudden. Another option is to just buy another laptop.

16 gb isn't a ton when you're running big string patches, perc, etc. even w SSDs, but if you sort of pre-load your kontakt multis (I have all of them saved and at the ready in the finder) and you save them purged as much as possible AND keep an eye on the ram you're using w memory clean or something you'll be good. It's no sin to print/freeze. Honestly, these laptops from 2012 on are a miracle. I think about jumping to PC for more ram but w the minis and my old pcs I'm still good. A lot of options...


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## Walid F. (Sep 4, 2016)

givemenoughrope said:


> Go to the Apple Store and lift a Mac mini (like you're seeing how much it weighs, don't let the alarm go off). It's nothing. Ram and SSDs are cheaper now all of a sudden. Another option is to just buy another laptop.
> 
> 16 gb isn't a ton when you're running big string patches, perc, etc. even w SSDs, but if you sort of pre-load your kontakt multis (I have all of them saved and at the ready in the finder) and you save them purged as much as possible AND keep an eye on the ram you're using w memory clean or something you'll be good. It's no sin to print/freeze. Honestly, these laptops from 2012 on are a miracle. I think about jumping to PC for more ram but w the minis and my old pcs I'm still good. A lot of options...


I can use the Mac Mini to add on more RAM? I'm a bit confused! 

Oh and yeah, I am doing all of that. Pre-loading with quite low amounts (i think only a few kb's right now), purge everything, and so on. And it works pretty decently.

Thanks!

W.


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## higgs (Sep 4, 2016)

+1 for everything everyone has said in this thread. If it ever came to, 64gb in a MBP would seriously change my setup for the awesome. Main rig MBP and trash can for slave...drool.



givemenoughrope said:


> Like synth punk alluded...get the 2012 quad i7, fill the ram and get two SSDs from owc (get their data doubler kit). Works well for a portable VE pro rig.



This setup works well for me. It's a VE Pro rig and I'm setting it up to be a Nebula server too. I just saw this possibility and upgraded Nebula 3 to the server edition. A powerful convolution and VE Pro rig will be nice...if I can get it setup...


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## givemenoughrope (Sep 4, 2016)

Walid F. said:


> I can use the Mac Mini to add on more RAM? I'm a bit confused!



Use it as a slave and host kontakt in VE pro.


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## givemenoughrope (Sep 4, 2016)

higgs said:


> Nebula server


not to derail...but talk more about this, please


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## Nick Batzdorf (Sep 4, 2016)

The machine I really want: my fabulous 11" MacBook Air... but with 64GB of RAM and a high-end processor. And enough ports to use it as a desktop replacement. And lots of onboard SSD storage.

Fat chance.


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## Selfinflicted (Sep 4, 2016)

The issue is available size of RAM modules and how they fit into the current design of the respective Mac models. This has been the case with CPUs even. From what I understand, the post-2012 minis went duo because the newer quad cores would require a redesign of the chassis-duo's didn't. It didn't fit into Apples schedule for redesigning things that much.

Same issue with RAM on the laptops. Current products don't exist that fit into the current chassis that go beyond 16GB. And 128GB - that is a huge footprint on a desktop. So, you know it will be a fraction of the capability at several times them price for mobile. Just the way things are - especially in Apple world.

One thing of encouragement is that VEP is now VST bi-platform, so you can share files between PC and Mac finally. You can make a 32GB PC that is portable and cheaper. This is a big deal.


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## givemenoughrope (Sep 4, 2016)

Is there a mini equivalent for PC that is 32gb


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## Mishabou (Sep 4, 2016)

givemenoughrope said:


> Is there a mini equivalent for PC that is 32gb



The HP Zbook can do 32 GB.


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## higgs (Sep 4, 2016)

givemenoughrope said:


> not to derail...but talk more about this, please



http://www.acustica-audio.com/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage.tpl&product_id=79&category_id=28&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=189 (Nebula 3 Server)

It's pretty genius stuff really - I'd call it a "deeply sampled convolution plugin." It's not really all about reverbs either. There are loads of circuit paths and filters and preamps, eq's, compressors, etc., and a bunch of 3rd party developers making high-end impulse sets to mimic all kinds of gear. When setup as/on a server, all the heavy lifting can be taken on by another machine outside and independent of VE Pro. And somehow they figured out how to use Cuda drivers to run the convolutions.

But as enthusiastic as I may come off, the install and authentication process for Nebula is hands down the worst I've encountered - it's notorious on gearslutz. But once you get past that, it becomes worth the efforts, though admittedly I was so turned off by the install process that I didn't use it for about a month after.


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## Silence-is-Golden (Sep 5, 2016)

Nick Batzdorf said:


> The machine I really want: my fabulous 11" MacBook Air... but with 64GB of RAM and a high-end processor. And enough ports to use it as a desktop replacement. And lots of onboard SSD storage.
> 
> Fat chance.


That doesn't sound like the 'air' label would fit anymore .... But indeed it would be quite nice.


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## Nick Batzdorf (Sep 5, 2016)

> Tha doesn't sound like the 'air' label would fit anymore .



Okay, then I'll compromise and settle for external SSD drives.


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## Zhao Shen (Sep 6, 2016)

Yeahhhhh as much as I respect Apple and their ingenuity in branding/marketing/simplicity, they've always been behind the curve in hardware. Hell, their current MacBook Pro 13" models all ship with i5 duos unless you configure their $1800 option and go with i7 duos. IMO, if you're looking to do DAW work on a laptop, Windows is the only way to go.


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## Selfinflicted (Sep 6, 2016)

givemenoughrope said:


> Is there a mini equivalent for PC that is 32gb


I'd start by looking at mini PCs like Intel Nuc. They have a quad core i7 that will take 32GB RAM. This one has even been hacked to run Mac OS it looks. But, for a slave I'd just run it as a windows machine.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIA85V4RT2868&nm_mc=BAC-Criteo&cm_mmc=BAC-Criteo-_-Barebone+Systems+-+Mini+/+Booksize-_-Intel-_-9SIA85V4RT2868


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## givemenoughrope (Sep 6, 2016)

^ Do you have one of these?
I'd guess the first consideration would be heat, right?

And this has room for only one SSD, right? That isn't a deal breaker though..


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## chimuelo (Sep 6, 2016)

You can't get 32gb's of DRAM.
It wouldn't be a Mac then.


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## Vik (Sep 6, 2016)

32 gb is more or less a necessity. But will the next model have Kaby Lake or Skylake? 
http://appleinsider.com/articles/16...pro-refresh-said-to-be-in-manufacturers-hands


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