totally understand about worrying for the future of Cakewalk and that is exactly how i landed on this video! Im not going Mac but I am going PreSonus Studio One! Thanks for everyone. At least if you start spending your time on Studio One vids then for the most part, we dont need to worry about Mac or PC. Sure there will be some small differences with the DAW between systems but not enough to not watch your training vids!
Best of luck, Mike. I'll be looking forward to your future Mac produced videos. I've also been a PC guy for 30+ years and used Cakewalk since Version 2. However, I reached the same conclusion as you regarding that DAW, and made the switch to Studio One several months ago. I've never looked back and now wish I'd made the change even sooner.
I've been on PC and Intel for years. With my latest build I went with AMD AM5 Ryzen 7 7700. It is extremely powerfull. Power use, even when pushed, is less than 100 watts. I use all "quiet" cooling components. I run Cubase Pro and Studio One Pro along with lots of VSTs etc. Also record guitar. This system has been rock solid with silent operation.
The thing is - you can use both. I have both in the studio- and each have their pros, and cons. I had a pro-built hi-end machine built to my spec to run Nuendo/Cubase- and it is utterly silent, it hasn't crashed at all. Ever. In 3 years. The Macbook M2 was a must for live shows, as I need to run Mainstage - do I like it? Not really, I don't like the OS and it seems a very clumsy way to get from A-B. I also got the Mac Studio for the production, and It's brilliant, it's fast, and again silent, but I prefer the workflow using Windows. Both machines are necessary tools - I think the answer is ' you generally get what you pay for'.
Switched from PC to Mac a year ago, haven't regretted it once. iCloud and AirDrop is a godsend for storing/transferring files. I'm running a MacBook Pro 14" when out and about and a M4 Pro Mac Mini at home
@@vacustoms Will absolutely recommend. For upgrades I felt that the 1TB SSD and 48GB RAM was a must since I work with a lot of Kontakt Libraries and such but 24GB will be just fine !
Gracias por tu palabras ,muy interesantes como siempre. Yo también estoy pensando en pasarme a Mac y Logic Pro por la desconfianza que me produce la actual situación de Cakewalk . Saludos cordiales
Mike, first of all thank you for your excellent videos, both here and on the Studio One channel. I am a PC user also, since Windows 3.1 and DOS. I've thought about trying a Mac for some of the same reasons, but 2 things always stop me. One is the price. If the initial switch was a one time thing, it wouldn't be as much of an issue, but that brings me to my second reason. As I look around in UA-cam, I always notice things about existing software either being incompatible with the latest OS update, or with the latest processor. This seems to be a VERY common problem (seems like every major OS update or processor update), that I would think may force people to upgrade. On my PC I can still run software that was made for Windows XP if I want (as long as it isn't 16 bit) and it works just fine. I have never had a program that wouldn't run on the latest processor, and I have gone from a 286 to my current 12th gen I9. And like you said, Windows has been very stable for many years. From an outsider viewpoint, it seems Mac users are forever having to update either hardware or software, or both. At the price of a hardware update, this would seem quite expensive, at something like 3 or 4 times the cost of a PC. I may be wrong... but that has always been a showstopper for me.
Excellent points Mike. I'm not switching to Mac anytime soon. PCs are working well for me. I'm right there with you when it comes to SONAR. Loved it and have used it for more than 20 years, but it doesn't feel (to me) like there's a solid foundation under it anymore. Not sure I can explain it any more than that. I recently switched to Studio One and am happy so far. I love and will continue watching your well thought out and presented videos. Thank you for all you give!
Same here. I wish that the "new " owners of the Cakewalk/Franchise would make up their minds and either put something solid out there or let it go. I have the Beta testing version of Sonar and thus far is working beautifully for me.
This was fascinating. I just this year upgraded my very old PC with a new PC. I was amazed at how how the CPUs run, that I was including a radiator, etc. When I got the new computer home, I had to spend a good deal of time dealing with temperature / fan speed graphs and learned a lot more than I wanted to about quieting the fans down. So far, in my limited audio recording the fans aren't too loud or noticeable, and hopefully it will stay that way. I also really liked the part where you discuss that the ability to upgrade the machine is more limited than you think, since by the time you start upgrading the CPU (if that's the problem) one thing leads to another and eventually you're upgrading the entire machine.
The greatest benefit I've found since migrating to an M series Mac is the convenience of using one machine in the studio and at home/on the road. You never have to worry about all the machine migration issues - Is the right software version installed? Are the plugins installed? Are the fonts installed? Are all the source files onboard? Now I have desktop performance in a laptop, I just use the one machine and never have to worry about moving between machines. No software issues, no missing files, no licensing swaps or activations. Everything just works because it's the same machine in every session. Massive time saver.
Thanks so much for all your fantastic and very easy to understand videos on cakewalk! Wish you nothing but the best with your MAC journey! I have been thinking about the jump myself, but I am holding out hope with Sonar….
I just switched to MacBook myself for much the same reasons Mike. I’ve been researching for a year as my PC was old and needed heavy upgrades to move to Win 11. Then the PSU died and I didn’t want to spend the money to replace it when I needed to make major upgrades later anyway. So I was forced to make a quick decision and went with the MacBook Pro M4…just like you. I bought a docking station to link in to my studio gear that makes life better. I’m still learning things and it’s taken a couple of weeks to get up and running but I’m still happy. I’ll be watching for your videos on using Mac with Studio One as I gave up on Calkwalk last year.
I used Cakewalk since the DOS era when I lived in Melbourne 30+ years ago but, after making endless upgrades to it and my PC, I also felt a little uneasy about its future. I went to Acoustica Mixcraft about 6 years ago, bought the most expensive high-end gaming laptop soon after (when I discovered my current laptop at the time couldn’t quite keep up), and the rest is history. I still enjoy and use Macs for watching UA-cam and other little apps (such as guitar amps simulators), but I am very happy with Mixcraft. Thank you for the great video, and good luck with your new direction!
Great video on both platforms. As someone who has used macOS and Windows, along with having built my own PCs also over the years, I really appreciate it when someone mentions that neither is 'better' than the other. I just wanted to mention a correction you might want to put in where you spoke about the cpu slowing down, this term is in fact called throttling, where as you referred to it as choking. Simply meant as a constructive critique to educate others who might want to study more on it. Hope that helps 🙂
Welcome to the healthy side... We have Apples ! 😁 On a more serious note, I started with Cakewalk Some years ago. Switched to Mac (GB first and then Logic) 4 years ago when the M1 came out and I never looked back. My M1 still can take anything I throw at it without even a hiccup... Have a fun journey, my friend !
I did the switch nearly 2 years ago. From a home build AMD 5800x to an m2 pro (10 core) Mac mini. Performance is about the same, however for me it is the lack of noise in a recording environment that is key. As a Solo musician in a small space (loft room), PC fan noise (and heat) would always come through when using an ultra sensitive microphone. I even have to shut my flatulent dog out at times. It has it's compromises. To keep costs down I've had to go with external hard disks. I had to pay the apple tax with an upgrade to 32GB to keep it future proof and there are a few old legacy VSTs that I can't run. But it is rock solid and small enough to hide so to maximise desk space
I'm running an AMD 5800x system myself. That's been my biggest complaint about considering going to MAC is what you're experiencing, and the fact the performance is about the same. Nice touch for such a small machine to be sure, but you spent money on that, plus as you called Apple Tax on the RAM, for the same performance. I just can't bring myself to justify the Apple Tax. When I look at how much they charge for very meager upgrades in memory and storage, it makes me cringe. I just can't do it. But, given your situation I can understand the motivation. Honestly though, I think a mini-PC from Minisforum or Beeslink could have served you just as well. They're pretty nice, and the specs are pretty good, especially since you can upgrade them yourself with mainstream hardware, and prices. Just something to think about if you decide the expense in keeping the MAC Mini becomes unjustifiable. Cheers!
I have had my cycles of PC and Mac. Started on PC, then moved to Mac, back to PC, then built a hackintosh, and now back to Mac. My issues with PC are two 1. I did not like having to cram what DAW uses what audio driver (ASIO vs WDC vs Direct X..) then again, UA-cam Could not play if a DAW was open... there were workarounds , but if anything was a creativity killer, this was it. 2. Thunderbolt.. Gave me a couple of blue screens (in front of clients..) This was the final straw. On the same PC, I installed a hackintosh, and Thunderbolt worked like a charm. Not a single Kernel or app crash I finally purchased a Mac since a lot of my tools we're ending support for Intel Macs (of which my Hackintosh was). Mac is expensive to acquire.. but the freedom to work painlessly is priceless, in my view.
I’m not qualified to evaluate whether you’re making a mistake. My own experience is similar to yours, as my main machine is a Pc build about 5 years old. I use both Apple & Windows devices and have been educating myself on the latest versions of M4 machines so I can make an informed decision when it becomes necessary. I don’t do video so no concerns there and my interface is an RME that works perfectly with Widows and uses USB rather than thunderbolt. I’ll be watching your journey closely Good Luck
Well looks like you're just going to have to teach us presonus studio one mike! :) Thanks for all your work we have all benefitted from your amazing tutelage!! I've sold a few songs because of your help and I sell my latest cd at my gigs and it's because of you thanks.
I switched three years ago to the Mac M1 Pro laptop and the first experience was very dodgy. The audio had drop outs and a lot of the software was not yet optimized for the new Apple Silicon back then - this has since changed with system and software updates and today everything is incredibly fast, silent, and stable. But the reason I wanted to point this out is that the 16 inch laptop form factor has entirely replaced my desktop computers and even bigger screens - in fact it is faster than my Intel i9 setup - and its entirely portable. It's just as fast and sleek as it was on day one years ago. Also the speakers are incredibly good - if your'e on the road you can make beats and mix them later properly back at the studio. And the headphone output has a genuine headphone amp that can drive proper studio headphones. It's just incredibly versatile and stable device that is never hot, never crashes, and the battery lasts - these things make your life effortless. As far as the OS goes - I would 100% prefer Windows, especially some older version of Windows without all the unnecessary crap that has been added in recent years. I think Apple is not easier to use - that's totally a myth.
You will love it! I went MacBook years ago and I never looked back. I’m a logic pro user as of a couple years ago and I love it as well. However, I love studio one pro. Things just run smoother with the MacBook and I love it.
Great video! I also switched from Windows to PC in 2021 for music production for similar reasons. I built my last audio production PC. It was my first time ever building a PC, and honestly, it was way harder than everyone says, and I certainly don't ever want to do that again. I'm sure it's easy for those who do it a LOT, but I'm not an IT professional and all I want is a great computer to do creative work. Just the amount of time and effort I had to spent to figure out what components to put, where to buy the Windows OS, how to install the OS, how to put the thermal paste, how to POST etc-I just felt like it wasn't worth my time or energy. Great point about upgrading components not being as awesome as many people make out to be. My custom build PC has an Intel i7-6700K. I use it for gaming and it's probably due for an upgrade, but just the thought that I might have to swap out the motherboard (which would in turn require me to unmount all the RAM sticks), the PSU, and even buying new RAM sticks just makes me not want to do it haha. But also, the fact that you can get desktop performance out of a MBP (even when unplugged) is just incredible. It's like I could take my entire studio to go.
I moved to Mac last year. Like you, noise, rather the lack thereof, was my main motivation. But Logic Pro being such a low one-time cost was the icing on the cake. Like you though, I had Mac experience so there wasn’t much of a learning curve for me. I can understand somebody with zero Mac experience being hesitant. But even then, I still think it’s worth it. Doubly so if they are iPhone users, or willing to switch to iPhone. The integration and cooperation between iPhone and Mac is something the Windows world just doesn’t have.
I left Windows years ago and only run Mac now with Logic Pro. The Mac ecosystem really shines through if you also use other Apple devices (iPhone / iPad) … things will magically transfer to any other device you own, and in my experience, my MacBook Pro runs flawlessly and quickly the first time, every time. Not once in over a decade have I gotten a pinwheel of death, or even a sluggish response! It simply fires up and goes to work. With the M2 or M3 variants, there is a noticeable increase in speed from the older i7 chips. Like you stated, so long as your MacBook is spec’d correctly (which simply means loading up as much unified memory as you can comfortably afford AND the hard drive space being at least 1TB, you won’t have any issues even with 100+ tracks open with multiple plugins on each track… your MacBook will easily handle it. Not even a question about it… the M-Series chips are honestly workhorses … I Spec’d mine with the M3 Pro chips but you can also go M3 / M4 Max… but even the standard or Pro chips will be enough.
On the topic of what happened to Cakewalk I'm with you 100%. What you observed is very much the same for me. You'll see that people have basically left the building in droves. Sad really. I've switched to Mixcraft for now. It has it's flaws like all daw's but it is super user friendly to learn. I also own Cubase but it's just way to difficult to figure out. I am saving up for Studio one. I cannot trust Bandlab anymore than we trusted Gibson.
I built my PC at the end of 2015 and did two major processor upgrades (I'm on a Ryzen 5900x). I love it, it's super quiet, and it does what it needs to. But it's also chunky (I used a Fractal Design case) and I can't take it with me when travelling. That's why I'm thinking of making the switch to Mac (my last Windows laptop experience wasn't terrible, but not that great either). I'm fairly patient with my machines, but lately Windows has become rather unpleaseant to use and I generally don't like the direction Microsoft is heading in. However, at the same time, it feels like I'm leaving some part of myself behind since I've been a PC user since I was six years old. Yet on the other hand the truth for me personally is that building PCs isn't fun anymore.
I play keyboards live, and since many years I have been loving to use VSTs. I started with Windows, and 3 years ago I switched to an M1 macbookpro. I have stage experience with both type of machines. On a home or studio environment, you can build a wonderful Windows workstation for audio production. If we talk about a mobile (notebook) solution, MacBookPro machines are a much better choice. Commercial Windows notebooks show unpredictable results on latency because of software collisions, an ASIO driver can have compatibility issues with a lot of system drivers. New intel processors add very stiff protection about thermal effects. In MacOS audio driver is intrinsic in the system and has never collisions. It's called CORE audio and works perfectly. It is multi client and used by all hardware and software suppliers. If you add silence, battery lasting and performance there is no match. No windows mobile machine can match it. I am sad about that because this means I am paying a lot for SSD, RAM and no upgrade chance. But performance and safety are incredibly good.
Great video Mike! You helped me with a lot of my PC performance optimization with your videos, so I think you get a pass to go to whatever suits you best lol stay well mate 👍
I had the switch back in 2022 to a M1 MacBook Pro and will never go back. I too have always built my own PC’s, and never even looked at a mac until a couple of years ago. I was surprised at the amount of apps that crash on Mac still, but on the whole it’s been much more stable for music, especially Cubase.
The recent Silicon M-series Macs run at such lower power consumption that the computers with a tiny form factor (Mac Mini, MacBook etc.) don't compromise on computing power since they don't need huge fans or heatsinks that would only fit inside a large computer chassis. Thus, any given processor will behave virtually the same no matter if it's in a tiny box or a big box. For example, the tiny Mac Studio has virtually the same benchmark specs as the huge Mac Pro. Obviously the Mac Pro has a lot more internal expansion capability (PCIe slots, drive bays etc..), but the main computing power is the same. I'm running my entire studio off a measly MacMini M2 with 8GB RAM. Previously I had a huge 2012 MacPro 6core with 24GB RAM and other modern upgrades [newer video card, PCIe SSD, USB3 etc...) and the MacMini runs circles around it in every way.
I switched from cakewalk on windows to Logic Pro on Mac. Similar workflows so small learning curve but honestly would never go back. I do basic beat making and mixing here and there and it does the job. If I were to take it further I have no doubt that it can take the load. Apple silicon chips are the best in the industry I would say. Good luck
I can't wait to stop using Cakewalk, it's become so hard to use on my old system and now I have won a full version of FL Studio, I am switching to that. Just as soon as I get my new PC up and running I will no longer be using Cakewalk, it's just a pain, it loses my keyboard on a regular basis and now it can't find my Audio Interface, even though the day before it was fine. I am so done with Cakewalk, it just slows down my music production too much now!!
Ha! Funny to watch this video today as just today my new Mac Mini arrived. My last Mac was eMac G4, so I used the opportunity of new pricing and bought base Mini to get back to Apple. My main DAW is Renoise, with Cakewalk as a support. Renoise is on both platforms and I guess I'll replace Cakewalk (as we all will probably need to do that sooner or later either way) with Reaper. I'm also looking forward to play with Garage Band a bit. I still haven't decided if I'm moving away from my Win11 Lenovo, which I'm happy with, but let's just see what this Mac can do for me. Will be looking forward to see how the switch goes for you, Mike!
I have only recently swapped from Windows to Mac and have not looked back. Yeah, they are different but still do the same things. Once you get used to it it’s great.
Mike , I hope this goes well for you. I'm pretty dissapointed you will no longer make Cakewalk tutorials But , you have already posted more than I will probably ever learn. Thanks for all the support . Mark Alan Skinner
Well, you're certainly not "making a mistake", as is evident by the reasoning being the decision. And if you focus on Studio One, there's probably not much difference. Good luck with it! I'm one of the hardcore Cakewalk users though and will try to support the channel dedicated to this DAW as long as possible 😀
On thing that is still true about PC Upgrades is Video Cards. I'm on my fourth Video card in my current PC (which it used the GPU from the previous system). Back a while back changing sound cards was a thing. But the sound capabilities on good mother boards is so good that a separate sound card isn't necessary. I max out my memory when I built this one so that upgrading my memory would be crazy expensive now. Oh, and I've gone through many hard drives over time, I upgraded my NVME drive three times as capacities improved, my "boot" drive is 2 TB now. I've also increased the spinning drives a couple times to get more capacity. And Optical Drives... and... well, PCs really are fairly upgradable still.
I switched to the M2 pro (mac mini) after being on pc my entire life - about a year ago. I'm a programmer analyst and have been for 34 years. I used Adobe Audition for 20 years (was cooledit before that) on an i7 with 32gb ram (before the switch to mac). Nothing compares to the speed of the M2 pro and I'm even thinking about switching to the M4 Ultra when it comes out because I've been so impressed. I'll take the M2 pro and replace another pc I have. Apple has hit a major home run with the M series chips. I also switched to Logic Pro after getting the mac and it took a while to get used to it, but it's definitely better than Audition (except Audition is so much easier to fade and cross fade than stupid logic, what in the world is up with that?). I think you're making the right choice for YOU it sounds like. If I can do a major paradigm shift (pc to mac, audition to logic) in one fell swoop then I bet you can too with (pc to mac, cakewalk to studio 1) Best of luck.
Mike, I hope you are well. This had to be a tough decision. I very much appreciate you sharing your thought process with your audience. One question regarding staying with Windows, have you thought about or investigated purchasing a purpose built, comes with a guarantee, free technical support, off the shelf Windows production unit? There are several companies that researching, testing and building such computers is all that they do. Do I think you made the right decision? I think you made the right decision for you at this moment in time and the foreseeable near future. Lucky for me my audio production needs are drastically less than yours and I don't do video production so my current hardware and software satisfies me. and I don't have to make a similar decision. Although you are moving, I am continuing to subscribe so I can support you.
Hi Jim. Your support is massively appreciated. I still have some level of hope for future Cakewalk content (the final embers). I'll look into your suggestion - but my nagging suspicion is still that making the right PC for me, that is actually quite enough, is enormously uncertain. But let's see!
I just discovered Cakewalk. I was using FL Studio very long time for rock mixes. I know it's strange because FL is more compatible for pop and rap beats. But now I noticed when I use instruments and effects with Cakewalk CPU is much better than using plugins with FL and even stock plugins specially effects can be very useful for Rock music. Thank you for Cakewalks tutorials and I hope Cakewalk will come back soon in better shape. I use Windows but I can understand there is very powerful Mac laptops for music producers. 👍
Made switch from pc to mac about 6 months ago. The performance has been solid but was good on old pc as well. There is a cohesiveness to everything in the mac world that is different. That whole thing about things "just working" on a mac is generally true. The transition has not been without some challenges. The mac file system still confounds me at times. Couple of things that are big plusses in my smallish space are the small form factor of m2 max studio and the fact that it is abolutely SILENT. I mean dead silent. My pc was water cooled and ,i thought, very quiet but the absence of any audible noise still blows me away. I know you said your pc is super quiet but I think you still might notice a difference.
I just started a very similar journey with the M4 Mac Pro mini. I’ve also been a cakewalk user since windows 3.1 and absolutely loved that journey all the way up until present time. I am very curious and optimistic about the M4 Mac Pro and music production.
Thanks for your thoughts! I moved to Mac in 2017 and have used Studio One Pro since then. I've never had a problem. A new Mac Mini M4 Pro is in house and awaiting its monitor and will hopefully up and running this weekend. (The bigger change is moving to Logic Pro. I can't bring myself to buy into the new Presonus pricing structure.)
As a long time PC user I switched to the Mac Studio a few years back and it's helped me to be more productive so I can focus on the art instead of the tech. One recommendation is go with the CalDigit Thunderbolt docks because they are reliable if you need additional ports on a Mac.
Hello sir! Is there any ways to run UAD Apollo Twin Duo USB (Windows version) on MacOS? I've tried run it through Apple USB 3.0 to TB adapter but it doesn't work. Thank you and have a great day.
Interesting, and totally get why you chose to move. I tried going from Windows to Mac back when Windows 8 had just come out - I hated that. Bought a good spec Macbook Pro - great build quality, compared to most PC laptops at that time. But could never get used to the Apple ethos, the cost of extras, or even just using Finder (which drove me insane) after years of using Explorer for file management. It crashed as often as any PC laptop I had too. I ended up doing less and less on that laptop and doing more on my Windows 7 desktop PC and eventually replaced the MBP with a PC laptop with W10 on it - the equivalent MBP to that was 2.5 times the price then, so it was a no brainer. But since then the M chips have changed the game somewhat and Intel seem to be imploding. So I can see the day when I might give it another go somewhere down the line. All your reasons are good reasons - nothing to do with "keeping up with the cool kids". There will be some Mac users watching the video and cheering, no doubt. But I never understood the mac fan boy element. I've always used PCs because I prefer them - but that's it. It's a tool. If other people want to use something else, so what? Looking forward to seeing you sharing your experiences down the line!
Question, does S1 use all cores on the M4? It has been demonstrated on UA-cam channels that S1 doesn't use the efficiency cores on M1 and M2 processors.
Mike I am presently in about the same situation as you - a PC with a Thunderbolt connected to a Presonus Quantum 4848 interface, which is based on the now-obsolete TB 2 spec. I’ll be interested to see how your project goes!
Great vid, as usual! I have to make a remark about AMD Ryzen CPUs, through. I currently have the second Ryzen build since 2019, dedicated exclusively to professional video editing, graphics and music production. And honestly I will never go back to Intel. Yes, AMD CPUs used to have a bad reputation, and I had a less-than-perfect experience with one of their old FX line CPUs, but these days, they just obliterate Intel in every way, especially when you consider the price/performance ratio. I have never had any problems with Ryzen (7 and 9 series, never had a 5), but have friends who have struggled with the latest 13 and 14 gen top line Intel CPUs because of their high failure rate. Good luck on your switching process! :)
I've really been enjoying your content, Mike. I spent thirty years in the IT industry as a hard core Windows and Unix user. I dove into music production after retiring and, based on the advice of a friend and much research, chose to go with an iMac running Pro Tools in 2015. While I've since switched to Studio One, I've stuck with the iMac across multiple generations and have been very pleased with the results. However, I'm not a pro and my music productions have rarely exceeded 30 tracks. That's important because based on the link I've provided below, there can be a real issue running Studio One on an M4 with larger productions (80+ tracks). This is because Studio One apparently does not make good use of the efficiency cores, making it the lowest performer when compared to the other DAWs tested. Did you come across this issue in your research of the Mac OS and M4 CPU? Here's the link to the test I'm referring to: ua-cam.com/video/hccy19Hm6M8/v-deo.html. The Studio One evaluation starts at 12:37.
I just changed my main DAW two months ago. I used Cakewalk since it was DOS… and loved it. But recently I switched to Luna but on the PC platform. It’s very fast and with 64 gig memory. A new PC is still way cheaper than a Mac.
I try out new Macs every couple of years but always end up back on PC. I just prefer the interface and way of working. I was a UNIX admin for years so the MacOS doesn't scare me, I just love Windows, warts and all.
The MacBook Pro M2 has been wonderful for with with StudioOne Pro7. a little learning curve on the apple OS and their way of placing things, but once you get it it's a smooth ride.
I'm always worried about Mac OS updates breaking plugins and the DAW until their updated. Waves charges you to update the plugins after an OS update. But even if there isn't a charge to upgrade, it would suck to not be able to open a project til the OS updates. Again, this is only what I've heard as I'm a PC user. I also have nothing that's thunderbolt and haven't needed it, so I can't speak to that.
On MacOS you can turn OS updates off and you will still get security updates. To be honest most people wait an stay one OS behind for stability purposes updating to last years OS when this years comes out. But otherwise I haven't really had those but I stay 1 behind like a professional should. The plugin update thing is just part of the cycle if you know you are going to update and your plugins need to be updated then you add that to your budget but I have 90% of the waves plugins and the updates are about once every 3 years and its $150ish dollars so about the price of 2 Softube plugins to update 120 Waves plugins about a $1 each LOL But Both platforms have their strengths and MacOS isn't perfect by any stretch of the imagination but it is nice to just buy a machine and work without hassles for 6 to 8 years at a time. Thats why I use it in the studio.
@@joesalyers Thanks for all the clarification. I've never used a mac unless I was in someone else's studio. I've had my rig for about 6 years now and have updated hardware and plugins, but was never charged for it. That is just the only thing holding me back from mac. I don't know why I'd have to pay to upgrade anything unless I was upgrading an OS. I could see paying for that. But plugins? No. Especially if the plugin itself wasn't updated in fit or function.
I have been a Mac user for about a decade now. The most frustrating part of changing over is just what you described. MacOS dropped support for 32bit plugins some years back and every OS upgrade after that seemingly broke everything. I will say that since the transition to M1, this has been a non issue. Fabfillter, waves, sound toys, sonible, and pretty much every other mainstream third party plugin has worked across OS upgrades with no issues.
I've had success in the past running Windows on a Mac (dual boot) to use Sonar. I don't know if it is feasible anymore but I'd certainly consider that route rather than running two computers...
I switched to Mac Mini M4 Pro this past week 🙋🏾♂️It’s pretty snappy. Biggest thing is needing compatibility for plugins. My Waves Horizon bundle doesn’t work unless I buy the update 😅
I'm also someone who has done the switch back and forth. I know that the backbone of an Apple should make it better but I've just had bad experiences. Plus, i REALLY don't like apples attempts to force a lack of choice onto users. However, your argument makes complete sense for your particular requirements and position. So fingers crossed that it works for you. 🤞🤞
Well I made the transition to Mac in 2013 and I have to say it was painful as a life long fan of pc’s, but now I would NEVER ever go back as they say , they just work. no more endlessly tinkering to keep the pc up and running and virus free now I just do music, well apart from the constant software instrument updates 😂 but that happens on both pc and Mac’s. With Apple care I don’t have any worries and their support is awesome if you do have an issue. Good luck with the transition.
It sounds like you're going to have the best of both worlds... I'm a long time PC user but I'm looking at the benefits of the new M4 Macs... I'm interested in your opinion of the new Mac you'll be using...
I have a friend who is into music production as his second job (so to speak) and he's been using AMD Phenom for the last... well, I don't even know how many years - but it served him very well. He once borrowed a M1 laptop from a friend and said this would be the only update hardware-wise he would consider (but would rather buy M2). Personally, I used win-pc most of the time and it was bit of a struggle, and once I even went for Ubuntu Linux - and that was the most enjoying experience I had, once I set it up the way I wanted it to work. But then I had HDD failure and went back to Win, sadly. Good luck with Mac and I hope Cakewalk finds some sense finally! 🙋🏼♂️
@@CreativeSauce mostly cursor acceleration and scrolling , on windows it’s very accurate, precise and natural, on a Mac I always tense when moving the mouse , and I’ve tried almost every 3rd party apps they still can’t make it as good as windows cursor movement.
Would love to see comparision videos between same budget windows & apple computers.. a lot of comparisions tend to compare macbook pro with the pro versions of windows computers.. however what's often not taken into account is that the apple computer is often twice the price.. So a better comparision would be between the apple air and a similarly priced windows computer which at that price are usually considered pro-levels..
You should roll with whatever computer you vibe well, and which helps you to make music. Its your music that counts, not the -whatever- it was created on. If a machine, OS or DAW doesnt work for you, your creative mood will be ruined. So pick whatever works best for you and focus on what really counts: the end result, music!
Long as you get a very good cooling system, pc not a problem, fact you can get better performance. The issue depends if you change your hardware like audio interface as thunderbolt 4 does out perform USB C or 3 etc but still depends on if there is any benefit to audio hardware latency 🤷😊
I use to have both, and for me MacOS has been an all around simpler and cleaner experience for audio production. Its the little things like ASIO overtaking the audio system on windows making it a pain in the neck to just do simple things like reference a song on Spotify while your DAW is open on windows and the fact that every USB device needs a driver and little things like that. Because when I started MacOS wasn't an option in the Mac System 7&8 days, but once Apple move to the Unix based OS X (modern MacOS) everything changed. Apple dropped ASIO support for Core audio, and I kept up with both platforms and some of the same issues that plagued windows audio in 2002 are still there in 2024. So it was just easier to get a mac and work without the headaches. Windows is fine and I could use it if I had too, but in all honesty I don't want too because of the drawbacks. But thats just my experience and everyone's will be different.
Mac do die too. I have an iMac for 4 years and it was a goner. Between the PC and Mac, I like PC because I can do a lot of things behind the scenes with the right click on the mouse. Mac takes that away because it the cause for crashing.
I was a cakewalk user exclusively until Gibson screwed everyone. I started on a MAC with studio one pro Shortly there after. I continue to use cakewalk on a pc with acid pro and sound forge. I track with cakewalk but I then export files to my MAC via a shared NAS and finish everything up on Studio One Pro with my VST’s like IZATOPE etc. The only thing I miss on the MAC is a good wave editor like Sound Forge (I use WAVEPAD as a poor substitute). BTW; I also run a development machine with linux Ubuntu with Studio One Beta, Reaper, and Mixbus 32c, but MAC is my main production platform and I have not looked back. Thank You
I was upgrading my portable platform and did consider M4 Macbook Pro, but it was about 3500 quid for 24GB RAM and 512GB ssd with Logic pre-installed, instead I got a 8-core Ryzen Zen 4 laptop with 32GB/1TB for 1100 quid on "Black Month" I installed Windows 11 Pro 24H2 and can keep using Cubase Artist. It's actually rather quiet, and very snappy, it's a Thinkpad Mobile Workstation. A noticeable price difference, and no learning curve.
Mike I feel ya with the Cakewalk stuff I have no idea why they didnt make a mac version they had over a year to make the shift and didnt even try Next is not good enough to bring Mac users to Cakewalk .. I feel like you.. I might be moving on to another DAW for my chammel as well it feels like im beating a dead horse at this point. im really glad you said something about it I felt like I was the only one who felt that way.. Have fun with that Mac.. Will you be trying Logic as well?
I am eying a switch as well. Two things that hold me off for the moment 1. the mental (mental!) Apple prices for SSD storage and RAM 2. I actually like to build PCs and be able to open the box and switch things around. This has often extended the lifetime of my PCs and Laptops (SSD, RAM, Battery) where the closed Apple approach would have meant EOL.
Not only that but at some point they'll come out with a version of the OS, or Logic if you're using that, that is not supported on your Mac. Been down this road. Some daws, Reaper included, won't care but regardless at some point Apple will pull the plug on your still perfectly functioning, performant, machine.
I went from PC to a MacBook Pro M2 16gb Studio One. its just a learning curve . but is there difference between then M2 to M4? How fast do I need to go? Music production is a love that's all ...enjoy it so much when you come on Mike...thx
Love my Mac, switched to one 2 years back thanks to a costco deal. It's been simply brilliant, the most surprising aspect are the speakers on the Macbook if you're just having fun on the go. Plus you can use the built in speakers or headphones out across multiple applications, this is something that used to drive me nuts with a PC laptop, the ASIO drive would lock the audio to that app. So many items i've purchased in the past 10 years have left me with a bit of buyers remorse but never had it once with it. Use it 10-12 hours a day as a desktop machine as it's main use, and it's so efficient. The touchpads are also brilliant for navigating DAW timelines.
totally understand about worrying for the future of Cakewalk and that is exactly how i landed on this video! Im not going Mac but I am going PreSonus Studio One! Thanks for everyone. At least if you start spending your time on Studio One vids then for the most part, we dont need to worry about Mac or PC. Sure there will be some small differences with the DAW between systems but not enough to not watch your training vids!
Best of luck, Mike. I'll be looking forward to your future Mac produced videos. I've also been a PC guy for 30+ years and used Cakewalk since Version 2. However, I reached the same conclusion as you regarding that DAW, and made the switch to Studio One several months ago. I've never looked back and now wish I'd made the change even sooner.
I've been on PC and Intel for years. With my latest build I went with AMD AM5 Ryzen 7 7700. It is extremely powerfull. Power use, even when pushed, is less than 100 watts. I use all "quiet" cooling components. I run Cubase Pro and Studio One Pro along with lots of VSTs etc. Also record guitar. This system has been rock solid with silent operation.
And you can play games.
@@predigr system is dedicated to music studio production only. That said: It would certainly handle high end gaming just fine
You did make the right choice... virtually ANY task can be handled by PCs. Not the same for Apple's foolish silly stuff focused toys.
The thing is - you can use both. I have both in the studio- and each have their pros, and cons. I had a pro-built hi-end machine built to my spec to run Nuendo/Cubase- and it is utterly silent, it hasn't crashed at all. Ever. In 3 years. The Macbook M2 was a must for live shows, as I need to run Mainstage - do I like it? Not really, I don't like the OS and it seems a very clumsy way to get from A-B. I also got the Mac Studio for the production, and It's brilliant, it's fast, and again silent, but I prefer the workflow using Windows. Both machines are necessary tools - I think the answer is ' you generally get what you pay for'.
Switched from PC to Mac a year ago, haven't regretted it once. iCloud and AirDrop is a godsend for storing/transferring files. I'm running a MacBook Pro 14" when out and about and a M4 Pro Mac Mini at home
Ah, the M4 Pro Mac Mini... how did you spec it out? Memory and SSD size? I'm just about sold on picking one up and revamping my workflow...
@@vacustoms Will absolutely recommend. For upgrades I felt that the 1TB SSD and 48GB RAM was a must since I work with a lot of Kontakt Libraries and such but 24GB will be just fine !
Both systems are great. The human who controlled the Maschine defines his own benefit. The same like daw war.
Gracias por tu palabras ,muy interesantes como siempre. Yo también estoy pensando en pasarme a Mac y Logic Pro por la desconfianza que me produce la actual situación de Cakewalk . Saludos cordiales
Mike, first of all thank you for your excellent videos, both here and on the Studio One channel.
I am a PC user also, since Windows 3.1 and DOS.
I've thought about trying a Mac for some of the same reasons, but 2 things always stop me. One is the price. If the initial switch was a one time thing, it wouldn't be as much of an issue, but that brings me to my second reason. As I look around in UA-cam, I always notice things about existing software either being incompatible with the latest OS update, or with the latest processor. This seems to be a VERY common problem (seems like every major OS update or processor update), that I would think may force people to upgrade.
On my PC I can still run software that was made for Windows XP if I want (as long as it isn't 16 bit) and it works just fine. I have never had a program that wouldn't run on the latest processor, and I have gone from a 286 to my current 12th gen I9. And like you said, Windows has been very stable for many years.
From an outsider viewpoint, it seems Mac users are forever having to update either hardware or software, or both. At the price of a hardware update, this would seem quite expensive, at something like 3 or 4 times the cost of a PC. I may be wrong... but that has always been a showstopper for me.
Excellent points Mike.
I'm not switching to Mac anytime soon. PCs are working well for me.
I'm right there with you when it comes to SONAR. Loved it and have used it for more than 20 years, but it doesn't feel (to me) like there's a solid foundation under it anymore. Not sure I can explain it any more than that. I recently switched to Studio One and am happy so far.
I love and will continue watching your well thought out and presented videos.
Thank you for all you give!
Same here. I wish that the "new " owners of the Cakewalk/Franchise would make up their minds and either put something solid out there or let it go. I have the Beta testing version of Sonar and thus far is working beautifully for me.
This was fascinating. I just this year upgraded my very old PC with a new PC. I was amazed at how how the CPUs run, that I was including a radiator, etc. When I got the new computer home, I had to spend a good deal of time dealing with temperature / fan speed graphs and learned a lot more than I wanted to about quieting the fans down. So far, in my limited audio recording the fans aren't too loud or noticeable, and hopefully it will stay that way.
I also really liked the part where you discuss that the ability to upgrade the machine is more limited than you think, since by the time you start upgrading the CPU (if that's the problem) one thing leads to another and eventually you're upgrading the entire machine.
What I appreciate about this person is the way he reasons and thinks! Truly admirable! His perspective is very healthy and reasonable.
The greatest benefit I've found since migrating to an M series Mac is the convenience of using one machine in the studio and at home/on the road. You never have to worry about all the machine migration issues - Is the right software version installed? Are the plugins installed? Are the fonts installed? Are all the source files onboard?
Now I have desktop performance in a laptop, I just use the one machine and never have to worry about moving between machines. No software issues, no missing files, no licensing swaps or activations. Everything just works because it's the same machine in every session. Massive time saver.
Yup. That's what I'm hoping for :)
Thanks so much for all your fantastic and very easy to understand videos on cakewalk! Wish you nothing but the best with your MAC journey! I have been thinking about the jump myself, but I am holding out hope with Sonar….
I just switched to MacBook myself for much the same reasons Mike. I’ve been researching for a year as my PC was old and needed heavy upgrades to move to Win 11. Then the PSU died and I didn’t want to spend the money to replace it when I needed to make major upgrades later anyway. So I was forced to make a quick decision and went with the MacBook Pro M4…just like you. I bought a docking station to link in to my studio gear that makes life better. I’m still learning things and it’s taken a couple of weeks to get up and running but I’m still happy. I’ll be watching for your videos on using Mac with Studio One as I gave up on Calkwalk last year.
I used Cakewalk since the DOS era when I lived in Melbourne 30+ years ago but, after making endless upgrades to it and my PC, I also felt a little uneasy about its future. I went to Acoustica Mixcraft about 6 years ago, bought the most expensive high-end gaming laptop soon after (when I discovered my current laptop at the time couldn’t quite keep up), and the rest is history. I still enjoy and use Macs for watching UA-cam and other little apps (such as guitar amps simulators), but I am very happy with Mixcraft. Thank you for the great video, and good luck with your new direction!
Great video on both platforms. As someone who has used macOS and Windows, along with having built my own PCs also over the years, I really appreciate it when someone mentions that neither is 'better' than the other. I just wanted to mention a correction you might want to put in where you spoke about the cpu slowing down, this term is in fact called throttling, where as you referred to it as choking. Simply meant as a constructive critique to educate others who might want to study more on it. Hope that helps 🙂
Thank you for sharing this!
Welcome to the healthy side... We have Apples ! 😁 On a more serious note, I started with Cakewalk Some years ago. Switched to Mac (GB first and then Logic) 4 years ago when the M1 came out and I never looked back. My M1 still can take anything I throw at it without even a hiccup... Have a fun journey, my friend !
I did the switch nearly 2 years ago. From a home build AMD 5800x to an m2 pro (10 core) Mac mini. Performance is about the same, however for me it is the lack of noise in a recording environment that is key. As a Solo musician in a small space (loft room), PC fan noise (and heat) would always come through when using an ultra sensitive microphone. I even have to shut my flatulent dog out at times. It has it's compromises. To keep costs down I've had to go with external hard disks. I had to pay the apple tax with an upgrade to 32GB to keep it future proof and there are a few old legacy VSTs that I can't run. But it is rock solid and small enough to hide so to maximise desk space
Look into audiogridder and parallel but look into audiogridder mainly to run legacy plugins
I'm running an AMD 5800x system myself. That's been my biggest complaint about considering going to MAC is what you're experiencing, and the fact the performance is about the same. Nice touch for such a small machine to be sure, but you spent money on that, plus as you called Apple Tax on the RAM, for the same performance. I just can't bring myself to justify the Apple Tax. When I look at how much they charge for very meager upgrades in memory and storage, it makes me cringe. I just can't do it. But, given your situation I can understand the motivation. Honestly though, I think a mini-PC from Minisforum or Beeslink could have served you just as well. They're pretty nice, and the specs are pretty good, especially since you can upgrade them yourself with mainstream hardware, and prices. Just something to think about if you decide the expense in keeping the MAC Mini becomes unjustifiable. Cheers!
I have had my cycles of PC and Mac. Started on PC, then moved to Mac, back to PC, then built a hackintosh, and now back to Mac.
My issues with PC are two
1. I did not like having to cram what DAW uses what audio driver (ASIO vs WDC vs Direct X..) then again, UA-cam Could not play if a DAW was open... there were workarounds , but if anything was a creativity killer, this was it.
2. Thunderbolt.. Gave me a couple of blue screens (in front of clients..) This was the final straw. On the same PC, I installed a hackintosh, and Thunderbolt worked like a charm. Not a single Kernel or app crash
I finally purchased a Mac since a lot of my tools we're ending support for Intel Macs (of which my Hackintosh was). Mac is expensive to acquire.. but the freedom to work painlessly is priceless, in my view.
I’m not qualified to evaluate whether you’re making a mistake. My own experience is similar to yours, as my main machine is a Pc build about 5 years old.
I use both Apple & Windows devices and have been educating myself on the latest versions of M4 machines so I can make an informed decision when it becomes necessary. I don’t do video so no concerns there and my interface is an RME that works perfectly with Widows and uses USB rather than thunderbolt.
I’ll be watching your journey closely
Good Luck
Well looks like you're just going to have to teach us presonus studio one mike! :) Thanks for all your work we have all benefitted from your amazing tutelage!! I've sold a few songs because of your help and I sell my latest cd at my gigs and it's because of you thanks.
It's been a blast Mike. Fare thee well. ❤
I was here for the cakewalk videos. Thank you for your time and education.
I switched three years ago to the Mac M1 Pro laptop and the first experience was very dodgy. The audio had drop outs and a lot of the software was not yet optimized for the new Apple Silicon back then - this has since changed with system and software updates and today everything is incredibly fast, silent, and stable. But the reason I wanted to point this out is that the 16 inch laptop form factor has entirely replaced my desktop computers and even bigger screens - in fact it is faster than my Intel i9 setup - and its entirely portable. It's just as fast and sleek as it was on day one years ago. Also the speakers are incredibly good - if your'e on the road you can make beats and mix them later properly back at the studio. And the headphone output has a genuine headphone amp that can drive proper studio headphones. It's just incredibly versatile and stable device that is never hot, never crashes, and the battery lasts - these things make your life effortless. As far as the OS goes - I would 100% prefer Windows, especially some older version of Windows without all the unnecessary crap that has been added in recent years. I think Apple is not easier to use - that's totally a myth.
You will love it! I went MacBook years ago and I never looked back. I’m a logic pro user as of a couple years ago and I love it as well. However, I love studio one pro. Things just run smoother with the MacBook and I love it.
Great video! I also switched from Windows to PC in 2021 for music production for similar reasons. I built my last audio production PC. It was my first time ever building a PC, and honestly, it was way harder than everyone says, and I certainly don't ever want to do that again.
I'm sure it's easy for those who do it a LOT, but I'm not an IT professional and all I want is a great computer to do creative work. Just the amount of time and effort I had to spent to figure out what components to put, where to buy the Windows OS, how to install the OS, how to put the thermal paste, how to POST etc-I just felt like it wasn't worth my time or energy.
Great point about upgrading components not being as awesome as many people make out to be. My custom build PC has an Intel i7-6700K. I use it for gaming and it's probably due for an upgrade, but just the thought that I might have to swap out the motherboard (which would in turn require me to unmount all the RAM sticks), the PSU, and even buying new RAM sticks just makes me not want to do it haha.
But also, the fact that you can get desktop performance out of a MBP (even when unplugged) is just incredible. It's like I could take my entire studio to go.
I moved to Mac last year. Like you, noise, rather the lack thereof, was my main motivation. But Logic Pro being such a low one-time cost was the icing on the cake.
Like you though, I had Mac experience so there wasn’t much of a learning curve for me. I can understand somebody with zero Mac experience being hesitant. But even then, I still think it’s worth it.
Doubly so if they are iPhone users, or willing to switch to iPhone. The integration and cooperation between iPhone and Mac is something the Windows world just doesn’t have.
less "noise"? so those fart sounds... er instruments are coming out loud and clear on the mic now? 🤣🤣🤣
I left Windows years ago and only run Mac now with Logic Pro. The Mac ecosystem really shines through if you also use other Apple devices (iPhone / iPad) … things will magically transfer to any other device you own, and in my experience, my MacBook Pro runs flawlessly and quickly the first time, every time. Not once in over a decade have I gotten a pinwheel of death, or even a sluggish response! It simply fires up and goes to work. With the M2 or M3 variants, there is a noticeable increase in speed from the older i7 chips. Like you stated, so long as your MacBook is spec’d correctly (which simply means loading up as much unified memory as you can comfortably afford AND the hard drive space being at least 1TB, you won’t have any issues even with 100+ tracks open with multiple plugins on each track… your MacBook will easily handle it. Not even a question about it… the M-Series chips are honestly workhorses … I Spec’d mine with the M3 Pro chips but you can also go M3 / M4 Max… but even the standard or Pro chips will be enough.
Mac is only cool if you buy everything Apple and you only do UA-cam videos. Otherwise it's very shit.
On the topic of what happened to Cakewalk I'm with you 100%. What you observed is very much the same for me. You'll see that people have basically left the building in droves. Sad really. I've switched to Mixcraft for now. It has it's flaws like all daw's but it is super user friendly to learn. I also own Cubase but it's just way to difficult to figure out. I am saving up for Studio one. I cannot trust Bandlab anymore than we trusted Gibson.
I built my PC at the end of 2015 and did two major processor upgrades (I'm on a Ryzen 5900x). I love it, it's super quiet, and it does what it needs to. But it's also chunky (I used a Fractal Design case) and I can't take it with me when travelling. That's why I'm thinking of making the switch to Mac (my last Windows laptop experience wasn't terrible, but not that great either). I'm fairly patient with my machines, but lately Windows has become rather unpleaseant to use and I generally don't like the direction Microsoft is heading in. However, at the same time, it feels like I'm leaving some part of myself behind since I've been a PC user since I was six years old. Yet on the other hand the truth for me personally is that building PCs isn't fun anymore.
I play keyboards live, and since many years I have been loving to use VSTs. I started with Windows, and 3 years ago I switched to an M1 macbookpro. I have stage experience with both type of machines.
On a home or studio environment, you can build a wonderful Windows workstation for audio production. If we talk about a mobile (notebook) solution, MacBookPro machines are a much better choice.
Commercial Windows notebooks show unpredictable results on latency because of software collisions, an ASIO driver can have compatibility issues with a lot of system drivers. New intel processors add very stiff protection about thermal effects.
In MacOS audio driver is intrinsic in the system and has never collisions. It's called CORE audio and works perfectly. It is multi client and used by all hardware and software suppliers.
If you add silence, battery lasting and performance there is no match. No windows mobile machine can match it.
I am sad about that because this means I am paying a lot for SSD, RAM and no upgrade chance. But performance and safety are incredibly good.
I use both windows and mac. Both work great,
Good choice. You won’t regret it. Now you just need to switch to Cubase and you’re golden! ;-)
I did the switch 3 years ago after 30+ years on Windows. Will never look back.
Great video Mike! You helped me with a lot of my PC performance optimization with your videos, so I think you get a pass to go to whatever suits you best lol stay well mate 👍
Look forward to see how your journey progresses. I've been too chicken to switch.
I had the switch back in 2022 to a M1 MacBook Pro and will never go back. I too have always built my own PC’s, and never even looked at a mac until a couple of years ago. I was surprised at the amount of apps that crash on Mac still, but on the whole it’s been much more stable for music, especially Cubase.
The recent Silicon M-series Macs run at such lower power consumption that the computers with a tiny form factor (Mac Mini, MacBook etc.) don't compromise on computing power since they don't need huge fans or heatsinks that would only fit inside a large computer chassis. Thus, any given processor will behave virtually the same no matter if it's in a tiny box or a big box. For example, the tiny Mac Studio has virtually the same benchmark specs as the huge Mac Pro. Obviously the Mac Pro has a lot more internal expansion capability (PCIe slots, drive bays etc..), but the main computing power is the same. I'm running my entire studio off a measly MacMini M2 with 8GB RAM. Previously I had a huge 2012 MacPro 6core with 24GB RAM and other modern upgrades [newer video card, PCIe SSD, USB3 etc...) and the MacMini runs circles around it in every way.
I switched from cakewalk on windows to Logic Pro on Mac. Similar workflows so small learning curve but honestly would never go back. I do basic beat making and mixing here and there and it does the job. If I were to take it further I have no doubt that it can take the load. Apple silicon chips are the best in the industry I would say. Good luck
I can't wait to stop using Cakewalk, it's become so hard to use on my old system and now I have won a full version of FL Studio, I am switching to that. Just as soon as I get my new PC up and running I will no longer be using Cakewalk, it's just a pain, it loses my keyboard on a regular basis and now it can't find my Audio Interface, even though the day before it was fine. I am so done with Cakewalk, it just slows down my music production too much now!!
Ha! Funny to watch this video today as just today my new Mac Mini arrived. My last Mac was eMac G4, so I used the opportunity of new pricing and bought base Mini to get back to Apple. My main DAW is Renoise, with Cakewalk as a support. Renoise is on both platforms and I guess I'll replace Cakewalk (as we all will probably need to do that sooner or later either way) with Reaper. I'm also looking forward to play with Garage Band a bit. I still haven't decided if I'm moving away from my Win11 Lenovo, which I'm happy with, but let's just see what this Mac can do for me. Will be looking forward to see how the switch goes for you, Mike!
I have only recently swapped from Windows to Mac and have not looked back. Yeah, they are different but still do the same things. Once you get used to it it’s great.
I also made the switch. The M4 Macs are just too good to pass up. I can't see going back....
Mike , I hope this goes well for you. I'm pretty dissapointed you will no longer make Cakewalk tutorials But , you have already posted more than I will probably ever learn. Thanks for all the support . Mark Alan Skinner
Well, you're certainly not "making a mistake", as is evident by the reasoning being the decision. And if you focus on Studio One, there's probably not much difference. Good luck with it!
I'm one of the hardcore Cakewalk users though and will try to support the channel dedicated to this DAW as long as possible 😀
On thing that is still true about PC Upgrades is Video Cards. I'm on my fourth Video card in my current PC (which it used the GPU from the previous system). Back a while back changing sound cards was a thing. But the sound capabilities on good mother boards is so good that a separate sound card isn't necessary. I max out my memory when I built this one so that upgrading my memory would be crazy expensive now. Oh, and I've gone through many hard drives over time, I upgraded my NVME drive three times as capacities improved, my "boot" drive is 2 TB now. I've also increased the spinning drives a couple times to get more capacity. And Optical Drives... and... well, PCs really are fairly upgradable still.
I switched to the M2 pro (mac mini) after being on pc my entire life - about a year ago. I'm a programmer analyst and have been for 34 years. I used Adobe Audition for 20 years (was cooledit before that) on an i7 with 32gb ram (before the switch to mac). Nothing compares to the speed of the M2 pro and I'm even thinking about switching to the M4 Ultra when it comes out because I've been so impressed. I'll take the M2 pro and replace another pc I have. Apple has hit a major home run with the M series chips. I also switched to Logic Pro after getting the mac and it took a while to get used to it, but it's definitely better than Audition (except Audition is so much easier to fade and cross fade than stupid logic, what in the world is up with that?). I think you're making the right choice for YOU it sounds like. If I can do a major paradigm shift (pc to mac, audition to logic) in one fell swoop then I bet you can too with (pc to mac, cakewalk to studio 1) Best of luck.
Mike, I hope you are well. This had to be a tough decision. I very much appreciate you sharing your thought process with your audience.
One question regarding staying with Windows, have you thought about or investigated purchasing a purpose built, comes with a guarantee, free technical support, off the shelf Windows production unit? There are several companies that researching, testing and building such computers is all that they do.
Do I think you made the right decision? I think you made the right decision for you at this moment in time and the foreseeable near future. Lucky for me my audio production needs are drastically less than yours and I don't do video production so my current hardware and software satisfies me. and I don't have to make a similar decision.
Although you are moving, I am continuing to subscribe so I can support you.
Hi Jim. Your support is massively appreciated. I still have some level of hope for future Cakewalk content (the final embers). I'll look into your suggestion - but my nagging suspicion is still that making the right PC for me, that is actually quite enough, is enormously uncertain.
But let's see!
I just discovered Cakewalk. I was using FL Studio very long time for rock mixes. I know it's strange because FL is more compatible for pop and rap beats. But now I noticed when I use instruments and effects with Cakewalk CPU is much better than using plugins with FL and even stock plugins specially effects can be very useful for Rock music. Thank you for Cakewalks tutorials and I hope Cakewalk will come back soon in better shape. I use Windows but I can understand there is very powerful Mac laptops for music producers. 👍
Made switch from pc to mac about 6 months ago. The performance has been solid but was good on old pc as well. There is a cohesiveness to everything in the mac world that is different. That whole thing about things "just working" on a mac is generally true. The transition has not been without some challenges. The mac file system still confounds me at times. Couple of things that are big plusses in my smallish space are the small form factor of m2 max studio and the fact that it is abolutely SILENT. I mean dead silent. My pc was water cooled and ,i thought, very quiet but the absence of any audible noise still blows me away. I know you said your pc is super quiet but I think you still might notice a difference.
I just started a very similar journey with the M4 Mac Pro mini. I’ve also been a cakewalk user since windows 3.1 and absolutely loved that journey all the way up until present time. I am very curious and optimistic about the M4 Mac Pro and music production.
Thanks for your thoughts!
I moved to Mac in 2017 and have used Studio One Pro since then. I've never had a problem.
A new Mac Mini M4 Pro is in house and awaiting its monitor and will hopefully up and running this weekend.
(The bigger change is moving to Logic Pro. I can't bring myself to buy into the new Presonus pricing structure.)
As a long time PC user I switched to the Mac Studio a few years back and it's helped me to be more productive so I can focus on the art instead of the tech. One recommendation is go with the CalDigit Thunderbolt docks because they are reliable if you need additional ports on a Mac.
I'll take your old PC !!🙂
Hello sir! Is there any ways to run UAD Apollo Twin Duo USB (Windows version) on MacOS? I've tried run it through Apple USB 3.0 to TB adapter but it doesn't work. Thank you and have a great day.
I use both and its a win win experience...💯👍
Interesting, and totally get why you chose to move. I tried going from Windows to Mac back when Windows 8 had just come out - I hated that. Bought a good spec Macbook Pro - great build quality, compared to most PC laptops at that time. But could never get used to the Apple ethos, the cost of extras, or even just using Finder (which drove me insane) after years of using Explorer for file management. It crashed as often as any PC laptop I had too. I ended up doing less and less on that laptop and doing more on my Windows 7 desktop PC and eventually replaced the MBP with a PC laptop with W10 on it - the equivalent MBP to that was 2.5 times the price then, so it was a no brainer. But since then the M chips have changed the game somewhat and Intel seem to be imploding. So I can see the day when I might give it another go somewhere down the line. All your reasons are good reasons - nothing to do with "keeping up with the cool kids".
There will be some Mac users watching the video and cheering, no doubt. But I never understood the mac fan boy element. I've always used PCs because I prefer them - but that's it. It's a tool. If other people want to use something else, so what? Looking forward to seeing you sharing your experiences down the line!
Question, does S1 use all cores on the M4?
It has been demonstrated on UA-cam channels that S1 doesn't use the efficiency cores on M1 and M2 processors.
I did the switch back in 2004, Never Used a PC since for music production !!!
Mike I am presently in about the same situation as you - a PC with a Thunderbolt connected to a Presonus Quantum 4848 interface, which is based on the now-obsolete TB 2 spec. I’ll be interested to see how your project goes!
I just ordered the new Mac Mini M4. Kind of anxious to make the switch myself.
Great vid, as usual! I have to make a remark about AMD Ryzen CPUs, through. I currently have the second Ryzen build since 2019, dedicated exclusively to professional video editing, graphics and music production. And honestly I will never go back to Intel. Yes, AMD CPUs used to have a bad reputation, and I had a less-than-perfect experience with one of their old FX line CPUs, but these days, they just obliterate Intel in every way, especially when you consider the price/performance ratio. I have never had any problems with Ryzen (7 and 9 series, never had a 5), but have friends who have struggled with the latest 13 and 14 gen top line Intel CPUs because of their high failure rate.
Good luck on your switching process! :)
Hope it goes well with the Mac.
I've really been enjoying your content, Mike. I spent thirty years in the IT industry as a hard core Windows and Unix user. I dove into music production after retiring and, based on the advice of a friend and much research, chose to go with an iMac running Pro Tools in 2015. While I've since switched to Studio One, I've stuck with the iMac across multiple generations and have been very pleased with the results.
However, I'm not a pro and my music productions have rarely exceeded 30 tracks. That's important because based on the link I've provided below, there can be a real issue running Studio One on an M4 with larger productions (80+ tracks). This is because Studio One apparently does not make good use of the efficiency cores, making it the lowest performer when compared to the other DAWs tested. Did you come across this issue in your research of the Mac OS and M4 CPU?
Here's the link to the test I'm referring to: ua-cam.com/video/hccy19Hm6M8/v-deo.html. The Studio One evaluation starts at 12:37.
I just switched from win 2 weeks ago, and man I can confirm that macos is way better for me. I had intel 10Gen 32Gb moved to M2 pro 12c 32Gb 1t.
Good to hear thanks!
I just changed my main DAW two months ago. I used Cakewalk since it was DOS… and loved it. But recently I switched to Luna but on the PC platform. It’s very fast and with 64 gig memory. A new PC is still way cheaper than a Mac.
Cakewalk in dos? wow did u have a soundblaster?
@ yes… those were the days! Things greatly improved soon after with windows 3.1 😂🎶
The PC is cheaper than Mac isn’t true since ARM Macs.
I try out new Macs every couple of years but always end up back on PC. I just prefer the interface and way of working. I was a UNIX admin for years so the MacOS doesn't scare me, I just love Windows, warts and all.
The MacBook Pro M2 has been wonderful for with with StudioOne Pro7. a little learning curve on the apple OS and their way of placing things, but once you get it it's a smooth ride.
Welcome to the world of Apple, Mike! I’ve used both PC and Mac, and for me there’s just no better than a Mac. They seldom freeze up.
I'm always worried about Mac OS updates breaking plugins and the DAW until their updated. Waves charges you to update the plugins after an OS update. But even if there isn't a charge to upgrade, it would suck to not be able to open a project til the OS updates. Again, this is only what I've heard as I'm a PC user. I also have nothing that's thunderbolt and haven't needed it, so I can't speak to that.
On MacOS you can turn OS updates off and you will still get security updates. To be honest most people wait an stay one OS behind for stability purposes updating to last years OS when this years comes out. But otherwise I haven't really had those but I stay 1 behind like a professional should. The plugin update thing is just part of the cycle if you know you are going to update and your plugins need to be updated then you add that to your budget but I have 90% of the waves plugins and the updates are about once every 3 years and its $150ish dollars so about the price of 2 Softube plugins to update 120 Waves plugins about a $1 each LOL But Both platforms have their strengths and MacOS isn't perfect by any stretch of the imagination but it is nice to just buy a machine and work without hassles for 6 to 8 years at a time. Thats why I use it in the studio.
@@joesalyers Thanks for all the clarification. I've never used a mac unless I was in someone else's studio. I've had my rig for about 6 years now and have updated hardware and plugins, but was never charged for it. That is just the only thing holding me back from mac. I don't know why I'd have to pay to upgrade anything unless I was upgrading an OS. I could see paying for that. But plugins? No. Especially if the plugin itself wasn't updated in fit or function.
I have been a Mac user for about a decade now. The most frustrating part of changing over is just what you described. MacOS dropped support for 32bit plugins some years back and every OS upgrade after that seemingly broke everything. I will say that since the transition to M1, this has been a non issue. Fabfillter, waves, sound toys, sonible, and pretty much every other mainstream third party plugin has worked across OS upgrades with no issues.
I switched to MacBook Pro after my pc died there super smooth to run never had a daw crash on me
Don't want to start a DAW war, but now is also the greatest time to go Reaper, especially on an M4. All cores utilized/efficient.
I'm switched from windows to linux. Linux is damn good and fast.
I've had success in the past running Windows on a Mac (dual boot) to use Sonar. I don't know if it is feasible anymore but I'd certainly consider that route rather than running two computers...
I did the opposite step and couldn't be more happy, never going back to macOS
I switched to Mac Mini M4 Pro this past week 🙋🏾♂️It’s pretty snappy. Biggest thing is needing compatibility for plugins. My Waves Horizon bundle doesn’t work unless I buy the update 😅
Yeah, waves ain't the best like that :(
I'm also someone who has done the switch back and forth. I know that the backbone of an Apple should make it better but I've just had bad experiences. Plus, i REALLY don't like apples attempts to force a lack of choice onto users.
However, your argument makes complete sense for your particular requirements and position. So fingers crossed that it works for you. 🤞🤞
Well I made the transition to Mac in 2013 and I have to say it was painful as a life long fan of pc’s, but now I would NEVER ever go back as they say , they just work. no more endlessly tinkering to keep the pc up and running and virus free now I just do music, well apart from the constant software instrument updates 😂 but that happens on both pc and Mac’s. With Apple care I don’t have any worries and their support is awesome if you do have an issue. Good luck with the transition.
It sounds like you're going to have the best of both worlds... I'm a long time PC user but I'm looking at the benefits of the new M4 Macs... I'm interested in your opinion of the new Mac you'll be using...
Well thought out and considered video. Best of luck with your Mac plans.
Thanks Dave ;)
Please do another video when you switch back.
I have a friend who is into music production as his second job (so to speak) and he's been using AMD Phenom for the last... well, I don't even know how many years - but it served him very well. He once borrowed a M1 laptop from a friend and said this would be the only update hardware-wise he would consider (but would rather buy M2).
Personally, I used win-pc most of the time and it was bit of a struggle, and once I even went for Ubuntu Linux - and that was the most enjoying experience I had, once I set it up the way I wanted it to work. But then I had HDD failure and went back to Win, sadly.
Good luck with Mac and I hope Cakewalk finds some sense finally! 🙋🏼♂️
Great Job
I’ve been using M1 Max MacBook since it came out , but switching to PC Laptop currently
Interesting. What made you make the switch?
@@CreativeSauce mostly cursor acceleration and scrolling , on windows it’s very accurate, precise and natural, on a Mac I always tense when moving the mouse , and I’ve tried almost every 3rd party apps they still can’t make it as good as windows cursor movement.
Would love to see comparision videos between same budget windows & apple computers.. a lot of comparisions tend to compare macbook pro with the pro versions of windows computers.. however what's often not taken into account is that the apple computer is often twice the price.. So a better comparision would be between the apple air and a similarly priced windows computer which at that price are usually considered pro-levels..
You should roll with whatever computer you vibe well, and which helps you to make music. Its your music that counts, not the -whatever- it was created on. If a machine, OS or DAW doesnt work for you, your creative mood will be ruined. So pick whatever works best for you and focus on what really counts: the end result, music!
So sad as you have been my go too for anything cakewalk. At 81, I am too old to start learning a new daw from scratch.
Long as you get a very good cooling system, pc not a problem, fact you can get better performance. The issue depends if you change your hardware like audio interface as thunderbolt 4 does out perform USB C or 3 etc but still depends on if there is any benefit to audio hardware latency 🤷😊
I use to have both, and for me MacOS has been an all around simpler and cleaner experience for audio production. Its the little things like ASIO overtaking the audio system on windows making it a pain in the neck to just do simple things like reference a song on Spotify while your DAW is open on windows and the fact that every USB device needs a driver and little things like that. Because when I started MacOS wasn't an option in the Mac System 7&8 days, but once Apple move to the Unix based OS X (modern MacOS) everything changed. Apple dropped ASIO support for Core audio, and I kept up with both platforms and some of the same issues that plagued windows audio in 2002 are still there in 2024. So it was just easier to get a mac and work without the headaches. Windows is fine and I could use it if I had too, but in all honesty I don't want too because of the drawbacks. But thats just my experience and everyone's will be different.
Mac do die too. I have an iMac for 4 years and it was a goner. Between the PC and Mac, I like PC because I can do a lot of things behind the scenes with the right click on the mouse. Mac takes that away because it the cause for crashing.
I just changed a few months ago awesome never go back
Welcome home to Mac. We have been waiting for you. I hope you enjoy the switch. I think you will find it a good change for you
I was a cakewalk user exclusively until Gibson screwed everyone. I started on a MAC with studio one pro Shortly there after. I continue to use cakewalk on a pc with acid pro and sound forge. I track with cakewalk but I then export files to my MAC via a shared NAS and finish everything up on Studio One Pro with my VST’s like IZATOPE etc. The only thing I miss on the MAC is a good wave editor like Sound Forge (I use WAVEPAD as a poor substitute). BTW; I also run a development machine with linux Ubuntu with Studio One Beta, Reaper, and Mixbus 32c, but MAC is my main production platform and I have not looked back. Thank You
I was upgrading my portable platform and did consider M4 Macbook Pro, but it was about 3500 quid for 24GB RAM and 512GB ssd with Logic pre-installed, instead I got a 8-core Ryzen Zen 4 laptop with 32GB/1TB for 1100 quid on "Black Month" I installed Windows 11 Pro 24H2 and can keep using Cubase Artist. It's actually rather quiet, and very snappy, it's a Thinkpad Mobile Workstation. A noticeable price difference, and no learning curve.
Mike I feel ya with the Cakewalk stuff I have no idea why they didnt make a mac version they had over a year to make the shift and didnt even try Next is not good enough to bring Mac users to Cakewalk .. I feel like you.. I might be moving on to another DAW for my chammel as well it feels like im beating a dead horse at this point. im really glad you said something about it I felt like I was the only one who felt that way.. Have fun with that Mac.. Will you be trying Logic as well?
I am eying a switch as well. Two things that hold me off for the moment 1. the mental (mental!) Apple prices for SSD storage and RAM 2. I actually like to build PCs and be able to open the box and switch things around. This has often extended the lifetime of my PCs and Laptops (SSD, RAM, Battery) where the closed Apple approach would have meant EOL.
Not only that but at some point they'll come out with a version of the OS, or Logic if you're using that, that is not supported on your Mac. Been down this road. Some daws, Reaper included, won't care but regardless at some point Apple will pull the plug on your still perfectly functioning, performant, machine.
I went from PC to a MacBook Pro M2 16gb Studio One. its just a learning curve . but is there difference between then M2 to M4? How fast do I need to go? Music production is a love that's all ...enjoy it so much when you come on Mike...thx
Love my Mac, switched to one 2 years back thanks to a costco deal. It's been simply brilliant, the most surprising aspect are the speakers on the Macbook if you're just having fun on the go. Plus you can use the built in speakers or headphones out across multiple applications, this is something that used to drive me nuts with a PC laptop, the ASIO drive would lock the audio to that app.
So many items i've purchased in the past 10 years have left me with a bit of buyers remorse but never had it once with it. Use it 10-12 hours a day as a desktop machine as it's main use, and it's so efficient.
The touchpads are also brilliant for navigating DAW timelines.
What is it about Cakewalk that's making you feel uneasy? I haven't used it for a long time so I haven't noticed anything new or different
Not the DAW. More the way they have handled the marketing of all the changes.
@@CreativeSauce got it, thanks Mike, I love your content