New M1 Pro and M1 Max MacBooks!

[Ozzie]

Hi everyone - I've recorded a short video to show how powerful the 2021 Macbook Pro M1 Max is, with 64gb ram, running a fairly intensive real-world Cubase project with >65 Kontakt instruments, 3 mic positions, multiple reverbs and a Fab Filter on every track. It might help someone who is thinking of investing in one of these laptops - it's amazingly powerful! Here's the link: .

 

[khollister]

Thanks - good to have some confirmation vs the speculation I've been reading.

I already have a T7 on order for Time Machine/CCC and have been looking at an Envoy Express enclosure for libraries, I'll take a look at the Envoy Pro SX as well. Glad to hear these drives are working for you given the caveats.

It's interesting that these issues affect some drives/drive controllers more than others. It takes 30 seconds to open anything on my external Seagate SSD (only on M1/Monterey). My external WD Black is basically unusable - takes over a minute to mount, very difficult to unmount, terrible performance (again only on M1/Monterey). These drives check out fine in Disk Utility and run great on Mojave and Catalina.

I forgot I also have an Akitio Thunderbay Mini with 4 Samsung SATA SSD's connected via TB - no issues with that either. I have an OWC dual drive dock connected via USB C that I use with a dozen or so HDD's for backup - also no issues.

I should add all my SSD's are formatted APFS, HDD are HPFS

 

[colony nofi]

Anyone knows if this rare behavior / issues for USB 3/4 is for all connections including pendrives, enclosures, audio interfaces or keyboards and so on, in this line of Mbooks Pro M1 Pro or Max? Or it could be related only with software OS system

Techs far deeper into this world that I'll ever be let me know that most of the usb problems are to do with cables. You may well have a cable that says it is usb3 spec, but it may well fail one small part of the spec. The new M based computers are more sensitive to things being in spec.

So far - using reasonably high end cables, I have had no problems with any of our M based machines or usb drives / peripherals. YMMV.

This is NOT to say that there are not other problems, but problems outside of cables are being seen in far far fewer cases. There have def been some incompatibilities with some USB3 docks which don't have easy fixes for instance.

 

[colony nofi]

FWIW, I'm using Glyph (last generation) 4TB dives both as thunderbolt and usb3 with no issues (model M2.R) as well as Sabrent Thunderbolt/usb enclosures for m.2 80mm drives. We also have a tonne of low cost USB-C enclosures to throw in various SSD's when not using the Blackmagic docks, and so long as the cable was good, these were good. (enclosures are Startech branded). I did have a problem with them early when first connecting using a cheap amazon cable.

 

[rsg22]

Techs far deeper into this world that I'll ever be let me know that most of the usb problems are to do with cables. You may well have a cable that says it is usb3 spec, but it may well fail one small part of the spec. The new M based computers are more sensitive to things being in spec.

Yes. I have also read verified reports of folks switching from USB3/C cables to Thunderbolt 3/4 cables on problematic drives, with success. I think TB 3/4 cables are backwards compatible.

 

[colony nofi]

Yes. I have also read verified reports of folks switching from USB3/C cables to Thunderbolt 3/4 cables on problematic drives, with success. I think TB 3/4 cables are backwards compatible.

TB3 : They're EXPENSIVE but definitely backwards compatible with USB3 IF they're not active. Active TB3 are generally only USB2 compatible for a number of reasons. I always have a couple spare apple thunderbolt 3 passive cables at hand - as they're a good starting point for figuring things out when there's problems. The apple TB4 cables are extremely expensive, and I wouldn't use them unless its specifically for TB4. But they should be USB3.2 compatible (USB4 compatible too - which is part of the TB4 spec now) for both active and passive cables.

This sh!t is complicated!

 

[khollister]

TB3 : They're EXPENSIVE but definitely backwards compatible with USB3 IF they're not active. Active TB3 are generally only USB2 compatible for a number of reasons. I always have a couple spare apple thunderbolt 3 passive cables at hand - as they're a good starting point for figuring things out when there's problems. The apple TB4 cables are extremely expensive, and I wouldn't use them unless its specifically for TB4. But they should be USB3.2 compatible (USB4 compatible too - which is part of the TB4 spec now) for both active and passive cables.

This sh!t is complicated!

The Caldigit and OWC TB cables are fine as well in my experience.

 

[Cdnalsi]

Hi everyone - I've recorded a short video to show how powerful the 2021 Macbook Pro M1 Max is, with 64gb ram, running a fairly intensive real-world Cubase project with >65 Kontakt instruments, 3 mic positions, multiple reverbs and a Fab Filter on every track. It might help someone who is thinking of investing in one of these laptops - it's amazingly powerful! Here's the link: .

I'm wondering how much more performance you can squeeze out of it if you switched to Logic with Kontakt 6.7.1 to run it all natively? (Or does Cubase have a native version yet?)

 

[khollister]

I'm wondering how much more performance you can squeeze out of it if you switched to Logic with Kontakt 6.7.1 to run it all natively? (Or does Cubase have a native version yet?)

Cubase 12 is native - equally efficient (sometimes slightly better) with native plugins as Logic in my experience. The bummer is no Intel bridge for VST, no AU and no VST2, only VST3. As most are already native VST3 or have clearly stated plans to get there, that is becoming less of an issue as time moves on

 

[Billy Shears]

Guys, can any of you download app "Macs Fan Control" and see if your fans turn on when you work in Cubase? I've seen lots of people saying how their machines are dead silent, but mine turns it's fans on fairly quickly in Cubase session, even though they are really quiet. It would mean a lot if you can check with that app and tell me! Thanks!

 

[Silence-is-Golden]

For new MBPro M1 users: it is possible to use the thunderbolt 3 aka usb-c ports as regular usb2 ports as well ?

As far as I can see it should, but wanted to make sure.
For mobile usage I want to use an audient usb 2 audio interface, that should work right?

 

[rnb_2]

For new MBPro M1 users: it is possible to use the thunderbolt 3 aka usb-c ports as regular usb2 ports as well ?

As far as I can see it should, but wanted to make sure.
For mobile usage I want to use an audient usb 2 audio interface, that should work right?

Absolutely - you just need either a USB-C to USB2 cable, or an adapter (like Apple's, which is a bit pricey but very reliable).

 

[Silence-is-Golden]

Absolutely - you just need either a USB-C to USB2 cable, or an adapter (like Apple's, which is a bit pricey but very reliable).

Ah, thanks very much rnb_2 !

Just wanted to make sure.

And yeah, those apple guys sure know how to merchandise …

 

[Spid]

Hi everyone - I've recorded a short video to show how powerful the 2021 Macbook Pro M1 Max is, with 64gb ram, running a fairly intensive real-world Cubase project with >65 Kontakt instruments, 3 mic positions, multiple reverbs and a Fab Filter on every track. It might help someone who is thinking of investing in one of these laptops - it's amazingly powerful! Here's the link: .

Hey @Ozzie I just watched your video, I also have a MBP 16" Max 64GB, but I use Logic and I'm still using Rosetta. You mentioned you use Eastwest OPUS, I was wondering couple questions:

1) Are you running Cubase 12?
2) if so, are you running native or Rosetta?
3) Did you ever got some CPU spike with just one instance of OPUS with some of their orchestral libraries?

I'm on Logic, and sometimes, at the very beginning, I got multiple CPU spike and cracks... and after couple second, it's gone and then it works just fine. I'm having the whole EW library on my internal 8TB, so I don't believe it's a drive issue... I was wondering if anyone else had this issue.

Thanks in advance

 

[rsg22]

What's a good recommended TB hub for the Macbook M1 Pro?

Also I'm having an issue with one of the TB4 ports on my machine - anyone else seeing this? The two ports on the left - no issue. The single port on the right - will not recognize any external drives but will recognize my audio interface. External drives that work on the left ports but not the right include Samsung T7 (USB-C) and OWC Envoy Express (TB3).

 

[rnb_2]

What's a good recommended TB hub for the Macbook M1 Pro?

Also I'm having an issue with one of the TB4 ports on my machine - anyone else seeing this? The two ports on the left - no issue. The single port on the right - will not recognize any external drives but will recognize my audio interface. External drives that work on the left ports but not the right include Samsung T7 (USB-C) and OWC Envoy Express (TB3).

If you just need Thunderbolt and USB-A ports, the Caldigit Element Hub is great, but hard to find in stock - check Caldigit's site and Amazon in your country (it's in stock at Caldigit in the US right now). Beyond that, I've had good luck with OWC Thunderbolt docks, and have had their Thunderbolt 3 dock for a few years with no problems other than the very slow USB-C port on the front (only recently discovered, not sure if it's just mine or not).

That sounds like a hardware problem with your Thunderbolt port - I don't have any issues plugging drives into that port, including an OWC Envoy Express.