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So, what Mac are you going to get next? (Poll)

What Mac will you be buying next?


  • Total voters
    144
  • Poll closed .
If I had a 43" monitor, I know I would just make the main editing window on the DAW bigger and I'd still end up with at least one additional monitor for plug-ins! Also the iMac is what it is—a very nice 27" 5K retina display, but I'm locked into it for obvious reasons.
Here's what I do (I use Cubase): I have the main Project window on the top half, and I have the Piano Roll Editor on the lower half. If I want to see more of the Project window, I hit the Z button (for Zone), and the lower zone with the Piano Roll disappears. If I want to see the Mixer window, I hit X (for miX), and a floating Mix window pops up on the top half of my screen. Hit it again and it disappears, showing the Project window again. My hotkeys came from Logic, because I used that before jumping to Cubase. Having been frustrated with different setups for years, I can promise you that I am extremely happy with this setup.

And also, even though it's a 4K monitor, I have it scaled to a Goldilocks setting where I can see all the tracks, but they're not so small that I have to squint to read the names.
 
Here's what I do (I use Cubase): I have the main Project window on the top half, and I have the Piano Roll Editor on the lower half. If I want to see more of the Project window, I hit the Z button (for Zone), and the lower zone with the Piano Roll disappears. If I want to see the Mixer window, I hit X (for miX), and a floating Mix window pops up on the top half of my screen. Hit it again and it disappears, showing the Project window again. My hotkeys came from Logic, because I used that before jumping to Cubase. Having been frustrated with different setups for years, I can promise you that I am extremely happy with this setup.

And also, even though it's a 4K monitor, I have it scaled to a Goldilocks setting where I can see all the tracks, but they're not so small that I have to squint to read the names.
I use Logic and Studio One, but the work flow is not that different. I find the split window between the project window and the piano roll editor does not generally leave enough room to navigate the project well in the project window and do the the editing in the piano roll and see the automation, so I usually move the piano roll editor to a second monitor. In Logic, I also open a window with score view in the second monitor, and in Studio One I have multiple automation lanes open. The plugins display in the third monitor as does a document for notes. I do generally use the space below the main window for the mixer, or if it's a project with lots of tracks toggle the mixer open and closed as needed.

I have both external monitors in portrait mode, though it would be better to have one landscape. But that results in a screen space that is too wide for the desk as I currently have things configured.
 
I use Logic and Studio One, but the work flow is not that different. I find the split window between the project window and the piano roll editor does not generally leave enough room to navigate the project well in the project window and do the the editing in the piano roll and see the automation, so I usually move the piano roll editor to a second monitor. In Logic, I also open a window with score view in the second monitor, and in Studio One I have multiple automation lanes open. The plugins display in the third monitor as does a document for notes. I do generally use the space below the main window for the mixer, or if it's a project with lots of tracks toggle the mixer open and closed as needed.

I have both external monitors in portrait mode, though it would be better to have one landscape. But that results in a screen space that is too wide for the desk as I currently have things configured.
Of course, in Logic, the https://support.apple.com/kb/PH24713?viewlocale=en_US&locale=en_US (Screensets) feature will let you accomplish a whole lot in just one monitor (but you probably already knew that :cool: ).

Best,

Geoff
 
Of course, in Logic, the https://support.apple.com/kb/PH24713?viewlocale=en_US&locale=en_US (Screensets) feature will let you accomplish a whole lot in just one monitor (but you probably already knew that :cool: ).

Best,

Geoff
Yes. And I use that some as well, especially different setups on the second monitor.
 
I wait for the 16"+ macbook pro but after i had to buy a new car (which costs less than a maxed out mac pro) i might buy nothing for the next years...
 
I am surprised at how many voted for the new mac pro, which is super expensive and absolutely unnecessary for music. The new iMac is so good and quite fairly priced.

Well, my 4.1 Mac Pro bought in 2009 is still up to date and happily running, with storage, I/O, GPU that did not even existed at the time i bought it. My 2011 MacBook Pro is long time gone (sold to by a new one, sold again to buy a new new one). So, in term of long term investment, i would largely prefer a Mac Pro vs an iMac Pro, for example, or a maxed out iMac.

So, if i was in a professional context (making my life with a Mac, music or other), i would seriously consider the new Mac Pro; the cost with respect to the expected lifetime of the product is insignificant.

Actually i earn my life on a Linux machine, that is not even mine, but my office's, so it is not an option :->

Maurizio
 
I find this poll confusing, since those who will either stay on their PCs or move from Mac to PC is the largest group. Without a group of PC users who will keep using their PCs in the poll, it would be less confusing.
 
My iMac is on the way. This will be the 1st time I've needed to transfer data. Is the Migration Assistant the best way to go about this? From Mac, Time Machine back up...?

iMac i9, 512 GB SSD, 8 GB Ram

OWC 128 GB Ram Upgrade
Yup, except with 64GB of Crucial RAM.
 
Mine is on the way too!
IMHO a clean install is the way to go.
Clean slate and all that stuff.
I've mapped out apps and plugins I no longer use/want.
My files are all on other drives so I just need to put those ssd's into a new enclosure and connect them.
 
Su0D9Y1.png

The new i5 still gets better benchmark scores than my 2015 i7.

lIextrJ.jpg

Mac mini 2018 seems to have faster SSD than iMac 2019, iMac 2019 can have faster CPU.

So, iMac i9 or Mac mini i7? Around the same price when adding display, keyboard, trackpad, RAM etc.
 
Mine is on the way too!
IMHO a clean install is the way to go.
Clean slate and all that stuff.
I've mapped out apps and plugins I no longer use/want.
My files are all on other drives so I just need to put those ssd's into a new enclosure and connect them.
I was thinking that but how do I install plugins/files separate from samples/content? Though most if not all allow for separate locations for samples, they’re all installed simultaneously. My samples are on an external drive.

I do have some NI instruments I don’t use and need to uninstall on my MBP, and of course won’t install on the iMac.

...Mac mini 2018 seems to have faster SSD than iMac 2019, iMac 2019 can have faster CPU.

So, iMac i9 or Mac mini i7? Around the same price when adding display, keyboard, trackpad, RAM etc.
I wanted a Mac Mini bad this time as I don’t need the screen, but was nervous about 6 vs 8 cores. Needing an upgrade less than 2 years after my MBP purchase made me leary.
 
I was thinking that but how do I install plugins/files separate from samples/content? Though most if not all allow for separate locations for samples, they’re all installed simultaneously. My samples are on an external drive.

I do have some NI instruments I don’t use and need to uninstall on my MBP, and of course won’t install on the iMac.
I was the first to report ordering my 2019 iMac i9, and as with each new Mac I always do a methodical clean install (and a periodic clean install if I feel the new OS warrants it).

Depending on what you use, you should only have to install and reauthorize the software, and not samples on external drives. For example, you would reinstall Kontakt via Native Access, after logging in to your account.

Then, Kontakt player (library tab) libraries (which are the bulk of my third-party orchestral libraries), are also reconnected to the external samples via Native Access, using the “repair” function.

Kontakt libraries that were not licensed in the library browser (which you load by navigating to the nki files), behave as before by browsing to each (you may have to tell Kontakt where to look for these in older projects brought over to the new iMac).

I use Komplete Kontrol for about 1/3 of my tracks, so rescanned everything there as well after getting Kontakt libraries sorted out. Komplete Kontrol requires running in stand-alone the first time in order to cache the database and meta tags; as a throwback to when Kontakt used to require this, I will still run it in stand-alone the very first time, though I don’t think this is needed.

FWIW, I have a method for both moving and splitting up all/any Komplete package software, which is simply to move these wherever I want, then use Native Access to repair as I am prompted to manually navigate to each.

VSL has its own utilities to scan and locate installed libraries, but of course the software and utilities have to be reinstalled, after first getting the elicenser authorized. Similarly, East West requires ilok reauthorization (as will any plugins similarly registered). East West has its own utility for getting registered products back, then in PLAY, I simply browsed to those sample locations.

Other things, like Best Service Engine, involved another response authorization request, done online, and navigation to the sample locations was done through the browser preferences in engine to reconnect to the sample locations. I suspect other non-Kontakt libraries work similarly.

The very first things I do is make a master list with links to all sites and registered products not handled in Kontakt/native Access, then before doing anything i install these first;

Audio driver
Dongle software and cpu reauthorization (elicenser, ilok).
DAWs (I always export key custom command preferences in Logic and templates from my old setup)
 
Yesterday I was going for the i9 iMac, but 6 core i7 Mini is probably good enough for me and I can spend cash on Thunderbolt SSDs... Looking at Akitio stuff now.
 
I was the first to report ordering my 2019 iMac i9, and as with each new Mac I always do a methodical clean install (and a periodic clean install if I feel the new OS warrants it).

Depending on what you use, you should only have to install and reauthorize the software, and not samples on external drives. For example, you would reinstall Kontakt via Native Access, after logging in to your account.

Then, Kontakt player (library tab) libraries (which are the bulk of my third-party orchestral libraries), are also reconnected to the external samples via Native Access, using the “repair” function.

Kontakt libraries that were not licensed in the library browser (which you load by navigating to the nki files), behave as before by browsing to each (you may have to tell Kontakt where to look for these in older projects brought over to the new iMac).

I use Komplete Kontrol for about 1/3 of my tracks, so rescanned everything there as well after getting Kontakt libraries sorted out. Komplete Kontrol requires running in stand-alone the first time in order to cache the database and meta tags; as a throwback to when Kontakt used to require this, I will still run it in stand-alone the very first time, though I don’t think this is needed.

FWIW, I have a method for both moving and splitting up all/any Komplete package software, which is simply to move these wherever I want, then use Native Access to repair as I am prompted to manually navigate to each.

VSL has its own utilities to scan and locate installed libraries, but of course the software and utilities have to be reinstalled, after first getting the elicenser authorized. Similarly, East West requires ilok reauthorization (as will any plugins similarly registered). East West has its own utility for getting registered products back, then in PLAY, I simply browsed to those sample locations.

Other things, like Best Service Engine, involved another response authorization request, done online, and navigation to the sample locations was done through the browser preferences in engine to reconnect to the sample locations. I suspect other non-Kontakt libraries work similarly.

The very first things I do is make a master list with links to all sites and registered products not handled in Kontakt/native Access, then before doing anything i install these first;

Audio driver
Dongle software and cpu reauthorization (elicenser, ilok).
DAWs (I always export key custom command preferences in Logic and templates from my old setup)
Is there a setting or something I need to change prior to installing just the software? It's been a while, but the one time I needed to reinstall a VI, Session Horns Pro I think, NA downloaded the samples as well. Maybe/hopefully I deleted the samples not knowing.

Unless it's as simple as the installer seeing the samples are already there, if you could provide a bit more detail on how to avoid Native Access re-downloading samples I'd appreciate it.

90-95% of my VIs are either Native Instruments or NKS compatible. Hopefully that makes this easier. Others are from Air Music Tech, MusicLab (probably not installing), Toontrack, XLN Audio & Vir2 (probably not installing).

And even the NKS libs are installed from the developer sites, correct? I have Arturia, Heavyocity, Orange Tree, Output, Soniccouture & Spitfire.

For someone who starting using VIs only a year & a half ago (aside from BFD), I've amassed quite a few. GAS is real!

There's actually a "Relocate" and "Relocate All" function in NA now.
Sweet!

I'm hoping one of you can provide that key piece of info I was missing when re-installing Session Horns Pro. Or is it that Relocate only installs the software?

Thanks!
 
Relocate shows when a path to an already installed library is not matching with where the library actually is (it's looking for the .nicnt file).
This would likely make more sense if I were in front of the CPU, but am I opening NA, seeing "invalid path" next to all the libraries and clicking Relocate to re-install on the new CPU? And this won't attempt to re-install the samples?
 
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