Very timely video, and you nailed a lot of the things I've also been thinking. I'm also a long time Windows user and recently decided to make the switch. Got myself a MacBook M1 Pro with 32GB RAM and 2TB SSD using a SanDisk 4TB external SSD for sample libraries. This thing absolutely blows my PC OUT OF THE WATER, not only in terms of raw power, but the way the OS so seamlessly integrates with all of my peripherals (x10 if they are Mac). My workflow and creativity are thriving in ways that they never have before because for the first time ever, my computer gets out of my way and reacts exactly how I want it to 99% of the time. It's actively inspiring to use.
Hey Andrew, I’m considering switching from a PC to a MacBook Pro M1 also. I was just curious if 32GBs of RAM has been enough for any bigger projects you’ve worked on with lots of VSTs or not. Thanks, Alden
@@aldenhill I'm still in the process of moving over from old machine and haven't yet had the chance to put it through the paces with heavy VST & sample library use, so I can't comment from first hand experience. But it is my understanding that you can get away with half of what you would normally need.
@@damienlobb85 it was a Frankenstein home build. Intel i7 with 32GB RAM and an NvMe system drive. I suppose I may have had better luck if I’d had it built by someone who really knows what they are doing, but worth the extra cost that would incur, I’d have ended up paying about the same as I would for a Mac.
@@GeekOfAudio so wait, how do you know the Mac absolutely blows your PC out the water if you haven't put it through the paces with heavy VSTs? Have you had the chance to now 5 months later? Curious how it's going
Your points are all 100% valid. These things are beasts and are even kind of fair for the price, but there is one thing that drives me off from Apple: Predatory repair and maintenance policies. If you watch some Louis Rossmann videos about this topic, Apple does everything to keep these systems as closed and inaccessible as possible. I don't want to support a brand where I know that my system can be bricked within seconds and the cost for a repair is far from economic.
I switched 3 days ago to Mac Studio Ultra. - 1. super quiet. 2. all plugins i use are running native /except Drumagog .. but maybe there is a similar plugin) 3. power efficinence - 70-80Watt max on Projects with more than 100 tracks + plugins. 4. switching from a Mac pro 2013 trashcan (intel Xeon 8x3,6 GHz, 32 Ram) and the difference: Project with over 100tracks could barely run with 2048 buffer. On Mac Studio it runs on 512 with round about 25% cpu. - i am running a rme fireface UFX. thats the quick information after 3 days. Thanks for the Video Dom! have a nice weekend everybody!
What a great service you provide to your community by doing a real world deep dive rather than relying on benchmarks, which frankly mean close to nothing in the large picture. I don’t know where you find the 25th hour every day but this is surely appreciated.
Not a chance. As an engineer who has had to deal with overpriced, under-engineered Apple hardware designed for failure and obsolescence, I enjoy extending the life of my PC by replacing parts ad-hoc from any manufacturer I choose. Apple products are designed to be next to impossible to service, they want you to use it for a few years, throw it in the trash and buy another new, overpriced piece of Apple gear. What? Your Apple gear is still running after four years? No problem, they'll issue a new OS that makes your hardware incompatible, forcing you to upgrade yet again. No thank you.
I see your point Scott and that's why my main system has always been a PC for over two decades now. BUT, I have a few big but's: 1. If you are working as a professional with tight deadlines and your PC breaks, you are in serious trouble. I had it happen to me in the past when I was working on a National Geographic show and it really almost caused me to lose the gig. I just couldn't source the parts to repair it 2. I am sick and tired of the constant DPC spikes with the AMD and NVidia graphic cards. I know the person who writes all the PC -related articles on Sound On Sound and he is still baffled by these issues. Even on my own PC I have to compromise on how I setup my screens in case I bother the precious NVidia drivers. No problems like this on the Mac 3. For creative purposes and for video editing Final Cut Pro smokes every single other NLE out there. For pro work I use DaVinci but I've never seen a PC render a video so lightening fast like FCP on a basic model Mac. It's just night a day... and I happen to do a lot of video ;) 4. Airdrop is something that PC users have never tried and they cannot appreciate. Windows have to up their game on their OS. 5. Yes, for quite a few years both PCs and Macs have been using similar components. Not anymore. And M1s can render a full 4K video without even spinning the fan or draining your battery. This is remarkable 6. I had extremely good experience with Apple when it comes to support and after sales care. I still have a 2015 Macbook Pro and works flawlessly. I think some of the things people assume when they hear "Apple" are not fully true anymore Yes, Macs are overpriced but in my opinion the only thing that remains overpriced is the ridiculous prices for the M2 storage and RAM. And yes, non being able to upgrade sucks big time! And all this from a PC guy
@@DomSigalas I'll give you the POV from the other side of the fence. I was a very happy Mac user for many years. When you have a problem though here in Liverpool and Manchester, the Apple Stores tell you to come back in several days to weeks once they've sourced replacement components for your non-standard highest-specced machines, which they don't tend to carry in-store, and need to be ordered online, and they generally can't replace them same-day and you need to go back once again on the following day. That's a very expensive, time-consuming problem to have when I've got better things to be doing than farting around in Apple Stores waiting for Doris to have her iPhone battery fixed. That almost lost me a gig too. Meanwhile, I could have same-day'd or next-day'd PC components, or picked them up in-person, and have been back up and running again. That kept happening with Macs. The reliability and QA has gone rapidly downhill since Steve Jobs passed. Sourcing PC components isn't hard, and pros should have spares, and ideally a B rig for if the shit hits the fan, not a knock against you, just been there, got the t-shirt, now learned from past mistakes, now have spares, have a B rig, don't use Macs anymore, they're too impractical to get fixed, at least here in Liverpool, Manchester and occasionally Berlin. Sure, it's interesting, but fan-noise isn't an issue if you're keeping your computers in another room, and you can even buy PC cases that are passively cooled with zero fans if someone doesn't have the luxury of space.
You know what's better than switching? Switching back! I got a good laugh at my peers when they cried because the Arch/Eng industry doesn't use mac. Macs are for feeble-minded hacks.
Thanks Dom, I have been a life long PC user before switching last year to a MB Pro. It’s true desktop PCs are completely able to do what Macs do when it comes to music production and most of the time PC laptops can too. I need my computer to do more than just music production so I have had to use laptops and I’ve had real problems at times with PC laptops, particularly after windows updates. My last (expensive) PC laptop simply stopped being able to run Cubase after one update and after months of reconfiguring the machine, updating ram and even buying a new interface out of sheer frustration (and hearing good things about the M1 Macs) I decided to switch to a MacBook Pro M1 Pro the month after it launched. It was a very expensive outlay for me (which I know not everyone can afford) a consideration that up to that point had really put me off Macs. I was never a Mac fanboy but almost a year down the road I can honestly say that I still absolutely love this machine. It is completely unflappable and lightening fast whatever I throw at it. I have recently updated to CB12 which is amazing but for months I ran CB11 it in Rosetta and even this it was way more stable and quicker than the PC. I have run very large projects with high numbers of audio files and plugins and on a couple of occasions when exporting Files from Logic to Cubase I have been surprised to find later that I have accidentally had Logic and Cubase open at the same time with no apparent detriment to performance. My conclusions: - Is it expensive? - yes - Does it do music production well? Yes better than any computer I have ever used before - Is it overpriced? - yes if you can’t afford it but IMHO if you can afford it and need a new machine for music production, it is well worth it in terms of its cast iron stability and reliability. For that reason over time I have found that it has paid for itself in the fact that always works, saves me time and lowers my frustration levels.
I don't see the value of switching from PC to macOS nowadays. When MAO became a thing a long time ago, MAC was the valuable computer to run a DAW with stability. Nowadays, PC and MAC are neck to neck. So the only question is for what utility ? For homestudio only ? For the stage ? Or for both ? And the answer to that question will led the end result in my opinion. :)
I think that if you're a hobbyist, PC is great. If you're working professionally, then you need to evaluate the options every time you need to update your PC. Being loyal to Mac or PC makes no sense- get the one that fulfills your needs ;)
@@DomSigalas 100% agree. But as a PC user, the reevaluation is less painful than MAC since the past years. But I'm very impressed with what you said about the M1. A person who will decided to start with the M1 for music production, will be confident enough to stay on it for years
Since I enjoy having extra money for other equipment, I've stayed with Windows PC's and have mostly good luck for the last 20 years. My Mac friends often complain about the cost of upgrading, incompatibility, etc. For me, "if it's not broke, then don't fix it". I'll stick with my PC. :)
I’ve been a long time Windows (still am) and Apple user. I use Windows for gaming and Mac for music, graphics & video production and I’m not sure I understand your comment seeing that you don’t have to upgrade more often than a PC user. In fact I would argue the Macs holds their value and lasts longer than any PC I’ve ever had due to superior build quality which almost makes up for the fact that Apple SEVERELY overcharges for RAM and SSD’s. You also get a way more rock solid and hassle free experience due to Apple’s close integration and control of both hardware and software which is also the reason they’re so stubbornly closed off from everyone else. In the end if you prefer windows however then that’s great. Whatever keeps you productive and inspired is the most important thing after all.
Same here, I’ve built 7 PC DAWs in the last 20 years (three for myself, four for others), all rock solid, all silent, all easily surpassing the build quality of any Mac ever snapped (soldered back in the day 🤨) together on an assembly line, and none of the problems that Mac users refer to regarding PCs…and none of the problems that Mac users refer to regarding Macs. However, to build workstations like this, it takes time for me to research the hardware components for almost every build since the tech changes so frequently. Also, Windows automatic updates has become a problem because it can no longer be easily deactivated, so I had to take time to learn how to do that. Also, to keep them quiet, cool and easily upgradable, the case had to be much larger than any Mac so that’s a drawback and sometimes a dealbreaker for anyone with space issues. So if I had more money than time, it would make sense to pay more and just go with a Mac. Or if I had more work than time, I would likely have no choice but to go with Mac or an equally expensive DAW-specific windows workstation from companies like ADK or SilentPC. Unfortunately Windows laptops have fallen almost entirely from relevance, success stories are more miss than hit because of the scarcity of Intel USB 3 controllers on laptop motherboards, although thunderbolt may make that problem irrelevant now. Again, companies like ADK or SilentPC seem to have gotten around this.
@Vic LTD Yes and no! The SSD not being replacable/upgradable is a pain in the ass but the ram is so closely integrated with the CPU architecture on the Apple silicon that removing it would be impossible as it is literally in the die. Love it or hate it but this integration is the reason for the amazing results of the Apple M series processors.
I am a PC user! I will never switch, simply for one reason and one reason only. While i have no doubt that macs are very good in their own right, in my opinion they are massively OVERPRICED!!!! So, no i would not switch. I WOULD TEST their abilities if i got my hands on a freebie, but, obviously that won't happen. Lol
You don't have to switch! Keep in mind that I'm also a PC user but I am also doing video professionally so Mac makes sense for me in that regard. If I could have both my video and audio system in one machine then there's a happy Dom :) Not yet though!
Traditionally I would always have agreed with you. I've always been PC for that reason. But the M1 chip has changed everything and you'd pay the same price for a PC with the same power, if you could find a windows laptop with this power for music production. So I'm switching to Mac for the first time ever... Help haha!
I would agree with you in a heartbeat before they released M1 but, the m1 are absolutely worth the money, you can get $5000 Mac Pro levels of performance for $999 for a MacBook Air m1. This is coming from a windows fanboy, was using windows for decades but man these m1 macs really changed my life, beats my $4000 Alienware laptop in terms of music production performance and stability
Hey Dom, you are amazing in talking about music and your positive vibes are amazing. I write cinematic music on an iMac 2016 model with i5 intel and 12 Ram..... I have to say that i am really limited in what i can compose. I'm saving from my daily job for a MacBook 16'' pro with M1 pro 32gb and 4TB of SSD drive and YES i want to give this amount of money cause i believe in my skills, everyone of you guys in the comments should do the same. BELIEVE IN YOURSELF!!! Thanks a lot Dom
I switched from lifelong PC user to a MacBook a year and a half ago. I got the M1 13" MBP with 16gb of ram. Up until now it has been running great. A few tracks or a lot of tracks, and as many effects as I want, the laptop doesn't even blink. I do have to say that I still need to run my DAW in Rosetta mode, mainly because Native Instruments is not yet M1 native. But even in Rosetta it works great. I can use all the plugins that used to use on Windows, I did not loose anything. I was able to run my old projects on the new laptop (besides a sample that was missing here and there). It just took some days to getting used to the OS.
Hey Dom, Great Video! I am in the market for a new laptop and I was thinking about the MacBook M1 Pro for music production, but I am scared to pull the trigger on it. Let us know how it goes!
I switched to Mac in late 2008, and couple of years later somehow caught myself that all my serious (paid) work is being done on Mac. :) It just works. I press power button, launch Nuendo, Logic or PT, whatever I need right now, and just do my daily job. I'm a long time PC user either, and I believe that Windows has made a long way. W7, 10 and 11 are pretty usable and solid. Hell, even 8.x was a pretty nice OS, not even mention good old XP. But when it comes to comfort and reliable ecosystem - IMHO Mac is absolute winner, it fits like a gloove. The only downside is Apple with their terrible, but well deserved reputation.
I'm too poor to even know what a Rosetta is. Windows, Mac.. Whatever helps you make music. Having the best specs or the lowest latency won't help you if you don't release music. Use whatever works for you.
Hi Dom - looks like a lot of us are taking the plunge on the M1. Just watched Guy Michelmore's video doing the same. I started my conversion to the M1 Pro two weeks ago (MacBook Pro 16). Kind of painful with some of the VSTs and having to load everything again. Hoping the AXR4 h/w control becomes native soon (Halion 6, Komplete Control, etc.). Looking forward to watching your journey and learning! UF8 review soon? I won't consider buying until it get's the Dom stamp of approval : )
Dom, love your content. First time commenting. I switched from a PC to a Mac Studio and have had no issues other than plugin compatibility. The Mac Studio is completely quiet and projects that would choke my old PC (i7 3.5Ghz 64GB RAM, I know its a bit old) run at about 10%-15% user CPU on the Mac Studio. My main complaint would be having to get thunderbolt docks or adapters for connectability, where on my PC other than a few powered Anker USB docks I didn't have to spend much. My monitors were all HDMI so I had to get a thunderbolt dock and a thunderbolt to two HDMI connector from OWC. I am currently running Cubase 12 in rosetta mode for some plugin compatibility so I expect that when those plugins are native (cough cough Native Instruments) my performance will be even better. Thanks again for all your content!
I’d like to see a real world comparison of your PC vs the Mac running Rosetta. In most cases Rosetta still out performs other options. So I’d be really curious to see it compared
As an M1 Mac Studio MAX owner, I can say that I haven’t been able to break it yet with any session or VI plug-in. It was worth the cash and as a former (recent) PC user, I much prefer OSX. Core Audio is so much smoother and fluid than dealing with ASIO drivers on the PC side.
I just switched to PC from Mac last year because my Mac is an old 2015 mid MBP and don't have the money to upgrade lol. Still using macbook for daily life but making music mainly on PC.
I have been a mac user now since 2004 , i changed because i was a logic user. I had years of using windows and had nothing but trouble audio clicks and pops , since switching to mac never had any problems . With the m1 I couldn’t be more happy they are well built and when i can afford it will upgrade mu intel imac. Keep up the good work!
I bought a Macbook pro a few years ago to see what the fuss was all about. I found the old saying that switching from PC to Mac was like moving to a foreign country but not being able to speak the language. The Mac was just all backwards compared to Windows for me. After a couple of years with the Mac being used as a paperweight and a dust catcher, I sold it with no regrets. Im still using W7 and it works great on 2011 HP Z800 Dual hexcores. I have 3 machines with 72 gigs of ram in each. 1 for main DAW ( Cubase ) and the other 2 are servers that handle all the CPU hungry VSTi's using Audiogridder and Vienna Ensemble Pro. Im running a MOTU Audio card and 4 - 24 i/o breakout boxes for 96 TRS ins and outs, at a buffer setting of 64 and it will also do 32 if I need it to. Bottom line, the system isnt broken. It works well so for me, theres no point in spending any amount of money to get newer computers to give me what I already have, and that is a working Cubase 10.5 set up to produce songs and Premiere to make videos. Im 67 now and Ive been thru the "shiny object syndrome" stuff when it comes to modules, and outboard gear. New gear if fun but if the system you have is doing the job and is making you money, then why do you need to upgrade to a new anything, when six months down the road something more powerful will be out and what you just upgraded to, is yesterdays news? The best system is the one that works well enough for you. If its doin the job, great. If not upgrade. I just priced out the new MacBook pro 16" with the M1 pro chip and its $100 more than I paid for my three HP machines total. New, the HPs were over $10k each when they first came out, but I bought them refurbished a few years after they were new. Theyre industrial grade servers and designed to be run hard, 24/7. I dont run them near that hard. They still have more than enough horsepower to rum Cubase and Adobe Premiere for me without breaking a sweat. Your mileage may vary. Do you believe that having a new machine that goes a Gazillion miles an hour is gonna impress the clientele or is the quality of your finished production gonna do that? Remember, all of the work you admire from other producers was all done on old outdated tech. Its not the clubs...its the golfers skill with those old clubs that makes the difference. Your mileage may vary...
@@csdstudio78 I just checked the name of the company, it is simply called GPU Audio and they had some small demo at NAMM 22. The concept looks extremely good but I understand your concerns. Also, knowing that VST developers are still not interested even in multicore processing (at this point it's kinda ridiculous) I have the same thoughts about big developers jumping on the GPU idea.
I was just watching your latest QBase 13 video and realized you finally switched over to the Mac. I just have to say one thing... Congrats and you’re welcome!👍🏾
I have both. PC in Studio. An maximal overclocked I9-7940X, 64 gb, with watercooling. No noise. Love the performance. Never had problems. But in the end a 5k €. My MacBook m1 max was about the same price and has roughly 30% better performance. As my main pc is so tightly connected and does the job I will use it till it dies, but there is simple no reason for investing 10k € in two computers when it all can be done with one. I would go with a Mac in the future.
They are great efficient machines... BUT, if almost any component fails you will need a new motherboard/computer. If you want lots of storage (highly recommended) you have to buy it from Apple for double or triple the price of the drive. I wish this wasn't the case. I don't understand why everything is soldered and impossible to repair. Actually I do know why because it's Apple 🙄😒
Windows user since...3.1. I AVOIDED Windows 8 by buying a Mac Pro (this was in 2012). Very nice machine but...I couldn't get used to how restrictive file management was compared to Windows. I know people who prefer it but for me, I still preferred Windows to work in and kept Win7 on my desktop machine for years. Every musician I know running MBPs complains when the OS updates and breaks compatibility with their DAW/software instruments/something else. My planned "transfer music making to Apple" didn't happen. Most branded consumer PC laptops are full of bloatware and poor components it seems. I have a good Dell bought 2 years ago which cost a 3rd of what the equivalent MBP cost at the time. And a spec'ed up bespoke PC both running W10 - which is less than perfect, absolutely. NOW, assuming more devs jump to support M1, I can see Apple making Windows laptops almost obsolete. They're not for me yet but hey, maybe next time either machine dies, I'll try again.
I think this has improved, when I switched to the Mac M2, _all_ plug-ins worked and were available as native VST3 versions. For some very old plugins there is a option with metaplugin, so even some very old ArtsAcoustic plugins work, as well as NI's discontinued Absynth. The performance of Cubase 13 is amazing. No Windows PC can keep up at the moment, especially: whisper quiet! Personally, I find MacOS much better than Windows... and I've been an absolute PC fanboy since Windows 3.1 (so over 30 years). Apple with the M1/M2/M3 etc. is brilliant, especially for musicians.
People who use mac for music productions are very stupid I pay 4000 for a imac pro Load 40 plugins it was game over I buy a pc for 3000 i can load a ton of plugins!! Pc rules no question about it!!
This myth that Mac just “work” and PC are not, is ridiculous. Fact is: I can build a better and faster PC for half the price of a similar Mac. This isn’t a myth. You can’t overclock on the Mac neither. But i do have a 2 Mac laptops. I’d would prefer the MacBooks over any pc laptop. Still, I don’t use them for music. Just for emails and business. :)
The problem with Macs as a music pro is the lack of sufficient usb ports. I have a Presonus 32s a Moog Sub Phatty ,Moog Sub 37 ,Auturia minibrut 2 Deepmind 12,Elektron Digitat, Digitone Auturia drumbrut,Roland TR8s etc. Not posable to connect all at once to a mac. A PC no problem
Hey Dom! Thank you so much for this amazing video. May I share a suggestion? Would you like to share what you are using with this Macbook Pro as accessories. It can be SSDs, it can be NVMe or SATA boxes, hubs, basically what are the details of your setup? Thank you!
Thing is, PC has been getting better and better for music production for years now and will only really get better as there will always be more finance collectively behind it. And it will always be more cost effective and edge others with more software. Even if Mac has a few perks which make some things run better, it has never been enough for me to justify being stuck into its eco system and spending more money on it. If your going to learn music production then learning how to get the best out of a PC is hardly going to top the shit you need to learn.
I got the m1pro 16” in December. Personally I don’t run Cubase in native mode due to plug-in compatibility and because well….I don’t feel like Cubase struggles under Rosetta so…. Love having a laptop though, getting so much more done.
I think it depends on the pc. I custom built my pc and I can easily keep up with these macs. I have ran 256 tracks at 128 sample rate, placed a convo reverb on every track, and hit record. 75 percent cpu usage. Ran it for 10 minutes with zero hiccups. This test was in PT. Keep in mind I built this PC 7 years ago. I have had zero issues with OS updates not working with plugins. I use Pro Tools, cubase, studio one, and reaper. Mainly PT and cubase. I can count on one hand the amount of crashes I've had on both daws combined in the last 7 years. You can hardly upgrade a mac, you can't repair them yourself for the most part, and for that you are pretty much pigeonholed immediately upon purchase. I love being able to upgrade my gpu when I want, upgrade my mobo or cpu when I want. Instead of buying a 3k-15k apple product that will be outdated in 10 years. PC is still king IMO. Too many limitations and walls to hurdle with Mac. I can also say that 99 percent of the issues I see posted on cubase forums, pt forums, etc are always mac related. I know more people use mac so that's part of it, but still. Why do so many people use it when it has so many issues. I know a top tier producer engineer that has like the 30k mac tower and he can't even open a session without it crashing. This is purely my experience. And btw, I own a mbp, an older one. I used to use my mbp for daily tasks and recording production. After switching to PC I have never been happier. No, PC isn't quite as good at video rendering, but I haven't used the rtx3080 gpu yet to test it.
I agree with you. I like the idea of repair something myself (not that I have needed to - but I can) I built my i9 64GIG ram Nvidea machine for around 1k maybe 3 years ago using Cubase. To get that performance on MAC I'd have to pay quarter to double the price.. for what? the look? When it comes to customisation, it has to be PC all the way, if Apple brought their prices down and you could customise I would concider. I still prefer Windows as an OS too, you simply can get more out of it. Only just though, MAC OS isnt actually too bad but not better.. I think thats the point. I disagree about the video rendering though I watched a video on UA-cam several years ago and the PC did better than the MAC overall in an unbiased test "same spec" situation. However out of several tests the MAC did pull in a few victories but didnt win overall. Mind you this is just one plausable set up in the world. I do not video edit, so I can't refer to real world experience. An old producer freind had a MAC and had several crashes. To be fair though, if the machine was optimised I guess performance would be about the same as a PC and stable. I think there is a myth surrounding Apple that you dont need to do anything. All computers need to be optimised to your workflow and none are immune to potential viruses; but I cant rememeber the last time I had a virus on my PC? I dont see why generally some people think that this is a thing? perhaps a little in the mid 90's. But that was ages ago! Plus can you even use Unreal engine properly on a MAC? I mean that is the future! I am getting really into it.. and also who doesnt love a bit of gaming? I've never met a gamer using a MAC. I know it is a thing but I just havn't met one. I have met a lot of Music Producers using MAC though. I just never saw the appeal really, I dont think it fits my lifestyle. If people like the retina display spend the money on a retina monitor you get same result but it is pricey. I did actually have a MAC for a year or so back in maybe 2010 I genuiny thought, maybe I was wrong about what I was using to produce on. However I went back to PC, So it wasnt like I didnt try. Too many limitations and the price. Nah not for me. Whilst in this Video it did make me raise an eybrow I am intruiged to see what the price is, but porting everything over for something that I have been building since 1994 when I started using Windows and Cubase seems like a massive pointless chore now in 2022. And I work as a professional producer so I need a stable system. I am open for change but it needs to be better all round for me to swap again. Besides I am seeing the new GPU usage on the horizon so I think Performance upgrade isnt far behind for PC users either.
anyone with adecuate pc building and troubleshooting skills would prefer a pc over a mac, I can't seem to fix anything in mac os when it decides to crap on itself (more times than I can count) when I tinker with a pc really heavily things can go wrong but other than that pc's are just as stable as macs given all parts are working correctly.
I was a pc user from 1998 until 2006, then switched to mac once they transitioned to Intel CPU for good. A white macbook was with me everywhere. Studio, gigs, on the road. There was simply nothing for that price in the pc laptop world. As the years went by, I was going deeper and deeper the Mac world. Had macbook pros, mac pro, started collecting PPCs and then it happened. My machines were outdated, and my money was not enough 😒 to buy new ones. Software was going forward, specially OSX, and plugins with it. I couldn't update my OS and get the plugins that I wanted. I was satisfied with what I had, but I couldn't even run demos. I was feeling cut out, unless I paid for a new machine. That's when I went down the Hackintosh lane. Not perfect, a bit cheaper solution, but unfortunately not portable at all. Slowly, getting fed up with the constant OS maintenance of a "hacked" version of OSX, I slowly shifted back to Windows in 2020. It was a long ride with Apple, and I still have several machines in my collection, G3 and G4 towers and laptops, ibooks, macpros, all functional with ready to go audio recording software. Windows 10, is flexible and can run plugins 10 years old as well as new ones. I am happy to have made the change but.... I miss the simplicity and efficiency of a mac, but it's a cash eating monster. Keep it up Dom. I hope that tape delay is still doing well 😉.
I switched to Mac about 12 years a go and never looked back. Its just works! my last macbook pro I got in 2018. I love this computer but I wanted more processing power and eventually I got the Mac pro (very expensive) and that solved any problem I had and its a beast! I highly recommend. Thanks Dom for everything! keep doing a great job.
@@DomSigalas This is why I switched to PC and built one after seeing your video about the AMD Processor. Now I have a super fast PC, compared to ongoing crashes, waiting for developers to release a fix etc for my m1 13” MacBook Pro. I sold my iMac for the same reason: so many delays while waiting for vst developers to release an update after Apple updates. Macs are great for Logic Pro and Apple-made vsts, but I’ve had a better Cubase experience on Windows and haven’t ever had a vst library make my projects broken, whether using Steinberg or non-Steinberg sample libraries. I had Cubase projects fail to load because my Mac was failing to load a Cubase project and the reason was a vst from a very well known company. They never found the solution and I had to re-create my whole project again, without using the said vsts :(
Been a PC user since the 90s. Tried switching to Mac, it's powerful but way to expensive. ...but the main reason I've returned to PC is all the hazzle with Mac. Half of the plugins didn't work or acted weird 🤥. Havn't made a proper test but my new I9 with ddr5 seems even more powerful than the Mac. AND I can game on it🤩
Hey Dom. I would be interested to see from film composing point of view how you find ram usage of kontslt and sample libraries etc. there’s not much out there on that but film composers tend to need lots of RAM.
I agree with you. On the other hand, compulsory Windows updates make PCs unbootable sometimes so… hahaha At least on the Mac you don’t have to update and you don’t have to hack your OS to avoid updates ;)
@@DomSigalas In over 20+ years of computing I've never once had a PC rendered (as you say) unbootable! I have made music on my PC for many years too. In fact I still have a laptop running Win7 .... So I'm not sure about these "compulsory" updates to which you are referring to. Only a year or two agao you were telling everyone that the best system was a windows system running a Ryzen 9 5900x ffs. Ah I see, it's who gives you the kickback wallet gets the highest praise hey ;> As they say in China.... Hong Bao!, ah ming bai la!
@@AeonHorus I am talking about Windows 10 and the fact that you cannot turn off the updates unless you use a specific app. The internet is full of reports of users having massive issues with this new MS policy and indeed, I had my computer not recognising any USB devices after one of those updates. W7 never had these issues. Now, regarding your accusation: You're wrong my friend. I *wish* Apple paid me to try their products. They didn't and I paid full price for it. So trust me, if it wasn't good I would be the first to grill it and return it (and it would have made more views, trust me!). And I didn't even suggest moving to Mac. My video was inconclusive but the new MacBooks are certainly impressive machines and for the first time in my professional life I consider switching. That's it, nothing more nothing less :) If Microsoft come up with a killer new OS and Intel with a new super efficient and fast processor I am still going to report it one year from now. From a working professional's point of view NOT from a hobbyist. For the hobbyist I would suggest getting anything that allows them to make music for the least amount of cash. So yes, PC in this case.
Recently started using (for mobile work out of the studio) an Asus Duo laptop. Twin touch screens and TB4 for the Apollo. Win11 and Cubase run perfectly. Touch screens are great for quick adjustments.
I’m anxiously awaiting for them to put the M3 chip in a Mac mini to create a new music production machine. With the Mac mini, you can use any keyboard, track pad, mouse, and monitor that you like. I plan on using all my current Apple stuff and some other monitor which I will mount on the wall w an arm. I’m super open to suggestions on the monitor and the mounting assembly. Once I hear some performance numbers from music production, then I’ll decide whether I’m gonna stick with the into or go for the M3.
Very much the same opinion, for mobile production, Macbook M1s are great, as well as for live DJ/DAW performance modes. Windows is good for studio production and will save budget savvy folks some coin. I am waiting for the Mac mini M2 to be released, the way the processor handles RAM management means that a 16GB MAC M series will give most folk all they need for visual and audio production (unless you really want to break the bank with the MAC studio, a little overkill though IMO). Great video as always Dom.
I switched to an Imac in 2012 to replace my custom Alienware pos and it was the best decision I ever made. Never had a crash on my mac which is still going strong even though I can no longer update the operating system. 🤪 I’ll probably upgrade to a new system within the year even though I don’t need to.😂
What about the price difference. Isn’t that one of the big reasons why people choose Windows? I’m not sure if the discussion is complete without bringing that topic up. Apple machines are currently very overpriced.
fan boy no one should EVER give you respect after this, its a choice we make without someone likes you cost in memory like 64Gb and your MAC is a sad example of exploitation
PC with Cubase since 1996, then Studio One. No need to blow a ton of money for Mac! I even run studio one on a bare bones laptop. I put an ssd in the laptop, and the only problem is that I can't increase the memory, or change the cpu so once I add a bunch of plug-ins, the system maxes out. With a few plug-ins I have run 75 audio tracks on this budget PC. Absolutely no need for a Mac for me.
Just ordered my MBP a bit ago. Always been a PC user prior, but going to a laptop setup was always my goal. Dpc issues and bloatware plagued every windows laptop I tried, but this time I am feeling insanely confident with what these new macs can do!!
@@sterling-beats I love it. Now that a lot of plugins have gone native, everything is working really good. Still some 3rd party plugs that may crash cubase every now and then, but I've been slowly cutting those plugs out or been using them sparingly when needed. And the speed of doing things is great. Rendering in place and exports are swift and the workflow is snappy. I did have to learn some of the shortcuts again coming from PC, but it was pretty quick.
My constant issue with PCs is not the power but the super flakey graphics drivers that are prone to creating DPC spikes and mess up the audio performance. And this happens still with both AMD and NVidia. :(
@@DomSigalas For me switching from nvidia graphics card to AMD massively reduced the dpc latency. But I didnt even have any kinds of problems with dpc latency before switching. Switched because i bought a 5k monitor with freesync =)
So I want to convert to Mac but my only concern is how to convert my vsts from pc to Mac without having to repurchase them. Anyone have any clue of how to do this ?
Thank you Dom .Perhaps Yamaha could build a dedicated hardware unit for Cubase ,standalone , like the Roland MV 8800 .Also a new synth ,sampler that is focused on instrument modeling .The AMD Ryzen 9 that I have is doing a good job .It depends how many instruments .Is a larger project nescesarily a better project ? I also like a nice sized monitor .I am worried that you might accidentally drop it . Won't perform so well then ?
I just read some articles about Hans Zimmer. He uses both Macs and PCs, but he does carry his Macbook Pro around with him everywhere. He also uses Cubase and ProTools. Cubase is his "go-to" Daw for music creation, then uses ProTools to combine music with video production. Interestingly he uses 2 Native Intruments midi keyboards and an upright acoustic piano for his live concert, "Pirates of the Caribbean." I thought he might be using NI software but he swears by a company called Zebra by u-he, to get sounds like no other.
I.m a pc user since 20 years and my last pc was an I7, very productive machine. But, year after year, it became slow, 11 years or good work. A friend, Mac supporter told me to buy a M1, It was a great question for me, I don’t Know anything about mac and Cubase will it work correctly,? Now, I have my new studio with an M1 mac mini and it’s wonderful for music, Cubase, plugin waves (I’m an old user of these plugin) and video producing always good, also I.m working with severals monitors and It’s vers cool. I have too a new laptop pc with Windows 11 but It doesn’t work fine with 2 monitors, for example GuitarPro 8 don’t show all the menu system or tracks are hidden, it’s drive me crazy… With my M1, no problems with GuitarPro8 The only thing I have to say is I needed time to understand apple thinking and shortcuts, new job to do on this new ‘‘brain’’!
I've been using Windows my entire life. Since the times when I could only use pirated software versions and low quality components. For about 15 years now I use only original software, components of the best quality, assembled with specialized technicians. But I never got to the point of having full functionality. Always dealing with little problems that pop up here and there from time to time. Based on my many years of experience with my iPhones and iPads, I decided to buy a Mac Mini M1 16Gb a year ago. I don't want to be an Apple funboy, but I have to admit, it's magnificent. Everything works perfectly. Other than the performance, it beats my 32Gb Ram i7 9700 PC with the greatest ease. Dead silent. And, in my opinion, cheap for what it offers. It is a pity that this is so, because in my country Apple products are a small fortune. Windows has served me (and still does) for decades. But as long as I have the financial means, Windows as my main music production computer never again.
Great video! I'm definitely a PC guy keeping his eyes open with this. However being a gamer usually keeps me on the PC side of things. But a macbook pro may be in my future. Looking forward to your future videos on this topic.
I swapped from PC to a Mac this year and will never look back. I was running an i9 9900k and it would complain using the granular engine on Omnisphere, not so with the Mac. It hasn't missed a beat since I got it and throughly enjoyed the experience so far.
@@Jursorama I went for the studio 64gb version and 1TB internal drive. I plug in a black magic SSD docking station to expand storage to 8TB all SSD. Works a charm and stuck with Cubase, currently Pro 12. If you need to know anything else feel free to drop me an e-mail through my website.
Hi Dom, how are you? what I hate about Windows is how easily you can get Viruses and that the OS became so slow over time, something that I never experience with Macs, MACOS is way superior...which model and specs of Macbook Pro are you are using? Thanks ..I actually installed two Mac Minis M1 Fully Spec'd for 2 studios, and no issues at all...I wonder why the Mac Studio would not be even better......yes, I feel like in 6 months most of the developers are going to be totally compatible and in the last 6 months, many became ready... personally, I am waiting for my new Mac as Apple released so many new laptops and Mac Minis with new Processors that is kind of nutz and until they release the new Mac Pros, is unclear yet for me which macs are the better options and when the Mac world settles with all these new offerings.
Macs get malware just as easily these days, Windows doesn't unless you make stupid decisions with downloading warez. If anything, it's getting faster over time these days. Very outdated perspective.
@@HammyHavoc yeah sure...you find that most windows users got viruses more than once...not quiet the same at all with Mac users...and that you know it!
@@bluematrix5001 I work as a technitian for folks doing music production, you'd be suprised at how many of them mac users get viruses and how hard it is to get rid of them sometimes.
Geekbench 5 (Single-Core) Core i7 12700K +20% 2105 M1 Pro 1757 Geekbench 5 (Multi-Core) Core i7 12700K +24% 15618 M1 Pro 12599 Macbook is great choice for th dj/producer who is always traveling BUT if you have studio then you can see the results ! AND its i7 not i9
Thanks for this video Dom 🙏 I am in a similar boat 😄But as a hobbyist I am taking it real slow. I am also giving Logic Pro a try before dropping all my Cubase stuff on there.
well, it's not that simple, sadly, I got old 2015 PC with i7-5820K, and it performs basically same as M1 MacMini (16GB) I also got, to be honest, neither of those machines struggles with any audio work I throw onto it, neither of those machines gets loud, Mac has ridiculously inferior connectivity, but spending another 300 bucks on a dock solves that problem, PC despite being older still offers native NVME (PCIe 3.0) and PCIe expansions, now the problem: MacOS - Apple rolls out new MacOS version every year, and there's literally zero chance all the software and plugins will work without developers releasing updates - in real world they usually brand them as new versions you need to pay (again) or even go subscriptions route (keep paying, without any guarantee of functionality on new systems) - it's even worse Macs cannot be downgraded prior to version of MacOS they were shipped with, so if for whatever reason you need older MacOS (be it your software, plugins, audio interface, midi controller, daw controller etc...), you're screwed, that's it, you can wait and hope for developer updates - means, even if you look at plugin and say "hey it's M1 native", there is no guarantee it will function properly on MacOS released next month or two (13, Ventura) so you end up in a rabbit hole of paying all the time for minor upgrades just to keep up-to-date with MacOS (because frankly nobody would stay on outdated MacOS on a Mac they pay few 1000 bucks)
Thanks for that video mate. I had to switch from my pc to a mobile pc. I have tried 3 different windows highend laptops in the last time. Compared, watched tons of review videos before buying. Problems here and there. And the machines were so loud because of the fans. So my last one was a lenovo thinkpad p14s with an amd ryzen 6850u, 32gb ram, and 1tb fast ssd. The machine run my biggest project. But man, the fans screaming, the laptop got hot on the surface and the overall build quality was feeling cheap. Now, I "downgraded" to a macbook air m2 with 16gb ram and 512gb ssd. And damn. That machine runs so fast even without fans. What you didnt mention in your video. The m-processors need a lot less watts then the intels or amds and deliver still better performance. That are all points that justify the higher price.
Hay Dom , Did you get a MacBook ? I just switched to Cubase and love it , but having problem with F4 audio connections , when ever you disconnect from your main IO rig and go back all connections are lost ! And external Fx or Synths done have a preset !
I recently bought a laptop because I travel so much. I read about these new Macbooks and saw some music related reviews. They sounded impressive. But the price soon put me off… I’m running a home built PC that is now 7 years old and it’s still going great. For the money that I saved by buying a capable, but not so expensive, laptop, instead of a MacBook Pro, I now have enough money to build a new mega PC when I eventually need to replace my existing beast, or more libraries, gear, whatever. The point is, I retained more money to spend on other things. The quietness of the MacBook is definitely a winner for us muso’s though. That would be a strong plus.
I have been mainly using Mac for a long time for music production. I am currently using Reaper. I was a huge Logic user for a long time. For a cupple of months, because of Logic acting weird and slowing stuff down, I decided to switch to Windows and try it out. While I enjoyed it really much, in my opinion, I really couldn't see myself using it long term. There are things that I can do on my Mac that Windows doesn't do... or if it does, its hard to do those things. One example is routing audio between apps. On the Mac, its really easy with a software called Loop Back. On Windows, there are options, but its really hard to get that up and running. Also, when it comes to Asio on Windows, you can't use another device for sending the output of whatever you are doing to a different device. On Mac, you can easily set up things where you have your audio interface as your input, then your headphones or whatever you have as the output. Anyway, sorry for the rant, but in conclusion, I'm going to be switching back to Mac. I still have my Mac Studio, and it still works fantastic!
I used Windows for years and years and finally built a Hackintosh having some past experience with Linux. Wow, the MacOS is so elegant and refined compared to Windows. Everyday tasks are so much easier and intuitive. I switched for good. I still have to maintain my wife's Windows laptop and I now detest every minute I have to spend on it!
Cubase 12 on Windows 11 i9 Dr mix 3XS Scan sys.... on tuesday , currently going thru the 21 hr dongle debacle as the stupid dongle imploded.....going withthat deal on upgrade on Cubase site.....very excited i cant lie....
My M1 mac studio is a beast. I love it. If the thing dies on me 6 months after applecare expires, ask me again if I love it. Have you discovered the beauty that is the apple composite audio device? You can join two 8 channel audio interfaces into a single 16 channel audio interface in mac os. It's a killer feature. Shots fired, Microsoft.
Was planning on making this switch 2 years ago when I bought a 16-inch Macbook pro with the M1 Max processor, then I ran into some unexpected difficulties. First of all, my current interface runs on a Firewire connection (and it works great with my PC). The new Macbook’s only have Thunderbolt 4, and there are NO interfaces (as of Sept 2023) that use that format. So either I have to buy a TB3 interface (very few options and very expensive!), or set up an elaborate string of adaptors to continue using my Firewire interface (adaptors into adaptors into adaptors = signal degradation between interface and DAW) Second, the MacBook Pro has no standard USB ports, meaning you have to add the additional cost of a hub if like most people you have 1 or more midi devices that use standard USB. The Macbook Pro is a monster of a platform, but it really shortchanges musicians by creating this interconnect limitation.
I started on the Digital Performer DAW in the year 2001 with a Mac G4. My mentor-- a pro TV composer at the time- used the same system, but they switched to Logic on PC's because they could build them and save $. Then Logic was discontinued for PC and they turned to Cubase and then Nuendo. I didn't want to switch till I needed a new CD burner (ha!) that would cost me $300... and upgrading to a Mac g5 would have cost me nearly 5k. But I eventually did it since my mentor could continue teaching me. So in the years after I switched to Cubase SX (haha) on PC, I've built a new state of the art computer every 6 to 8 years for $1500 to $2k. Massive savings and more power every time. The PC programs had some drawbacks and were over complicated at first, but the power I got was better than what I could afford on Mac. Most hi level pros have both in some form-- especially since video editing is part of the game these days. But I've found PC's make me understand the computer better. Macs are beautiful, but they hide what's under the hood. And repair/upgrade costs were huge. Anyway, great video. Just my $0.02. 😉
The PC just works for me, I always have and I just can't seem to justify the extra cost for the purchase of a mac, notwithstanding the higher price for plugins, having to buy extra gadgets, also being stuck with their proprietary products, etc...
And yet … I guarantee if and when you upgrade to Apple you will be kicking yourself why you didn’t make the jump years ago? If that wasn’t true, then it wouldn’t even be a debate. Unfortunately, it is true.
@@79Glitch I tried and came back to PC because of the cost and proprietary products. The reason I went back to PC is because the Mac was becoming outdated, and I really couldn't upgrade it with the equipment I had. Now I have had the same PC for 8 years upgrading components as I go until the motherboard doesn't support newer processors.
Gone M1 Mini. £600 refurbished and simply works. Yes a couple of things are not available I.e. halion full version but, and it's a big one.... it is unbelievable how well this little vox works. Been Windows since forever but now.... I am sold.
I have the 14"and my DAW uses enough energy to make the fans spin up. But I have never, ever heard them. Ever. Ever. They simply don't spin fast enough to make audible noise. If you think the M1 series of machines is good, just wait for the M2 or whatever Apple will call the series that uses processors made in the the 3nm fabrication process. Even Intel will use that process from TSMC for its processor chips.
Very timely video, and you nailed a lot of the things I've also been thinking. I'm also a long time Windows user and recently decided to make the switch. Got myself a MacBook M1 Pro with 32GB RAM and 2TB SSD using a SanDisk 4TB external SSD for sample libraries. This thing absolutely blows my PC OUT OF THE WATER, not only in terms of raw power, but the way the OS so seamlessly integrates with all of my peripherals (x10 if they are Mac). My workflow and creativity are thriving in ways that they never have before because for the first time ever, my computer gets out of my way and reacts exactly how I want it to 99% of the time. It's actively inspiring to use.
Hey Andrew, I’m considering switching from a PC to a MacBook Pro M1 also. I was just curious if 32GBs of RAM has been enough for any bigger projects you’ve worked on with lots of VSTs or not. Thanks, Alden
@@aldenhill I'm still in the process of moving over from old machine and haven't yet had the chance to put it through the paces with heavy VST & sample library use, so I can't comment from first hand experience. But it is my understanding that you can get away with half of what you would normally need.
What was your old PC?
@@damienlobb85 it was a Frankenstein home build. Intel i7 with 32GB RAM and an NvMe system drive. I suppose I may have had better luck if I’d had it built by someone who really knows what they are doing, but worth the extra cost that would incur, I’d have ended up paying about the same as I would for a Mac.
@@GeekOfAudio so wait, how do you know the Mac absolutely blows your PC out the water if you haven't put it through the paces with heavy VSTs? Have you had the chance to now 5 months later? Curious how it's going
Your points are all 100% valid. These things are beasts and are even kind of fair for the price, but there is one thing that drives me off from Apple: Predatory repair and maintenance policies.
If you watch some Louis Rossmann videos about this topic, Apple does everything to keep these systems as closed and inaccessible as possible. I don't want to support a brand where I know that my system can be bricked within seconds and the cost for a repair is far from economic.
I switched 3 days ago to Mac Studio Ultra. - 1. super quiet. 2. all plugins i use are running native /except Drumagog .. but maybe there is a similar plugin) 3. power efficinence - 70-80Watt max on Projects with more than 100 tracks + plugins. 4. switching from a Mac pro 2013 trashcan (intel Xeon 8x3,6 GHz, 32 Ram) and the difference: Project with over 100tracks could barely run with 2048 buffer. On Mac Studio it runs on 512 with round about 25% cpu. - i am running a rme fireface UFX. thats the quick information after 3 days. Thanks for the Video Dom! have a nice weekend everybody!
ou could try trigger from slate to replace drumagog
Video starts at 12:27
Thanks 🍻
Thanks 👌🏼
The future will not be company specific.
I meant that these machines are going to be widely supported eventually- I am looking forward to see the response from the PC side for sure :)
What a great service you provide to your community by doing a real world deep dive rather than relying on benchmarks, which frankly mean close to nothing in the large picture. I don’t know where you find the 25th hour every day but this is surely appreciated.
Not a chance. As an engineer who has had to deal with overpriced, under-engineered Apple hardware designed for failure and obsolescence, I enjoy extending the life of my PC by replacing parts ad-hoc from any manufacturer I choose. Apple products are designed to be next to impossible to service, they want you to use it for a few years, throw it in the trash and buy another new, overpriced piece of Apple gear. What? Your Apple gear is still running after four years? No problem, they'll issue a new OS that makes your hardware incompatible, forcing you to upgrade yet again.
No thank you.
I see your point Scott and that's why my main system has always been a PC for over two decades now. BUT, I have a few big but's:
1. If you are working as a professional with tight deadlines and your PC breaks, you are in serious trouble. I had it happen to me in the past when I was working on a National Geographic show and it really almost caused me to lose the gig. I just couldn't source the parts to repair it
2. I am sick and tired of the constant DPC spikes with the AMD and NVidia graphic cards. I know the person who writes all the PC -related articles on Sound On Sound and he is still baffled by these issues. Even on my own PC I have to compromise on how I setup my screens in case I bother the precious NVidia drivers. No problems like this on the Mac
3. For creative purposes and for video editing Final Cut Pro smokes every single other NLE out there. For pro work I use DaVinci but I've never seen a PC render a video so lightening fast like FCP on a basic model Mac. It's just night a day... and I happen to do a lot of video ;)
4. Airdrop is something that PC users have never tried and they cannot appreciate. Windows have to up their game on their OS.
5. Yes, for quite a few years both PCs and Macs have been using similar components. Not anymore. And M1s can render a full 4K video without even spinning the fan or draining your battery. This is remarkable
6. I had extremely good experience with Apple when it comes to support and after sales care. I still have a 2015 Macbook Pro and works flawlessly. I think some of the things people assume when they hear "Apple" are not fully true anymore
Yes, Macs are overpriced but in my opinion the only thing that remains overpriced is the ridiculous prices for the M2 storage and RAM. And yes, non being able to upgrade sucks big time!
And all this from a PC guy
@@DomSigalas I'll give you the POV from the other side of the fence. I was a very happy Mac user for many years. When you have a problem though here in Liverpool and Manchester, the Apple Stores tell you to come back in several days to weeks once they've sourced replacement components for your non-standard highest-specced machines, which they don't tend to carry in-store, and need to be ordered online, and they generally can't replace them same-day and you need to go back once again on the following day. That's a very expensive, time-consuming problem to have when I've got better things to be doing than farting around in Apple Stores waiting for Doris to have her iPhone battery fixed. That almost lost me a gig too.
Meanwhile, I could have same-day'd or next-day'd PC components, or picked them up in-person, and have been back up and running again. That kept happening with Macs. The reliability and QA has gone rapidly downhill since Steve Jobs passed.
Sourcing PC components isn't hard, and pros should have spares, and ideally a B rig for if the shit hits the fan, not a knock against you, just been there, got the t-shirt, now learned from past mistakes, now have spares, have a B rig, don't use Macs anymore, they're too impractical to get fixed, at least here in Liverpool, Manchester and occasionally Berlin.
Sure, it's interesting, but fan-noise isn't an issue if you're keeping your computers in another room, and you can even buy PC cases that are passively cooled with zero fans if someone doesn't have the luxury of space.
You know what's better than switching?
Switching back!
I got a good laugh at my peers when they cried because the Arch/Eng industry doesn't use mac.
Macs are for feeble-minded hacks.
Thanks Dom, I have been a life long PC user before switching last year to a MB Pro. It’s true desktop PCs are completely able to do what Macs do when it comes to music production and most of the time PC laptops can too. I need my computer to do more than just music production so I have had to use laptops and I’ve had real problems at times with PC laptops, particularly after windows updates. My last (expensive) PC laptop simply stopped being able to run Cubase after one update and after months of reconfiguring the machine, updating ram and even buying a new interface out of sheer frustration (and hearing good things about the M1 Macs) I decided to switch to a MacBook Pro M1 Pro the month after it launched. It was a very expensive outlay for me (which I know not everyone can afford) a consideration that up to that point had really put me off Macs.
I was never a Mac fanboy but almost a year down the road I can honestly say that I still absolutely love this machine. It is completely unflappable and lightening fast whatever I throw at it. I have recently updated to CB12 which is amazing but for months I ran CB11 it in Rosetta and even this it was way more stable and quicker than the PC. I have run very large projects with high numbers of audio files and plugins and on a couple of occasions when exporting Files from Logic to Cubase I have been surprised to find later that I have accidentally had Logic and Cubase open at the same time with no apparent detriment to performance.
My conclusions:
- Is it expensive? - yes
- Does it do music production well? Yes better than any computer I have ever used before
- Is it overpriced? - yes if you can’t afford it but IMHO if you can afford it and need a new machine for music production, it is well worth it in terms of its cast iron stability and reliability.
For that reason over time I have found that it has paid for itself in the fact that always works, saves me time and lowers my frustration levels.
Windows Automatic Updates just enrages me. But it can be deactivated…just not easily unfortunately.
@@Nightowl427272 yes I learned that after the damage was done unfortunately!
@@thefunkfactory - Same…
@@stephen4625 - I assume that’s short for Windows Updates Blocker. Unfortunately there are a lot of apps with that name. Which one do you use?
No no no!!! The way is to switch back or to Windows! That's the way!!
I don't see the value of switching from PC to macOS nowadays. When MAO became a thing a long time ago, MAC was the valuable computer to run a DAW with stability. Nowadays, PC and MAC are neck to neck. So the only question is for what utility ? For homestudio only ? For the stage ? Or for both ? And the answer to that question will led the end result in my opinion. :)
I think that if you're a hobbyist, PC is great. If you're working professionally, then you need to evaluate the options every time you need to update your PC. Being loyal to Mac or PC makes no sense- get the one that fulfills your needs ;)
@@DomSigalas 100% agree. But as a PC user, the reevaluation is less painful than MAC since the past years. But I'm very impressed with what you said about the M1. A person who will decided to start with the M1 for music production, will be confident enough to stay on it for years
Dom... Seriously. You WILL be working on something and their stupid update WILL find its way into your mac book and you will be pissed...
Since I enjoy having extra money for other equipment, I've stayed with Windows PC's and have mostly good luck for the last 20 years. My Mac friends often complain about the cost of upgrading, incompatibility, etc. For me, "if it's not broke, then don't fix it". I'll stick with my PC. :)
I’ve been a long time Windows (still am) and Apple user. I use Windows for gaming and Mac for music, graphics & video production and I’m not sure I understand your comment seeing that you don’t have to upgrade more often than a PC user. In fact I would argue the Macs holds their value and lasts longer than any PC I’ve ever had due to superior build quality which almost makes up for the fact that Apple SEVERELY overcharges for RAM and SSD’s. You also get a way more rock solid and hassle free experience due to Apple’s close integration and control of both hardware and software which is also the reason they’re so stubbornly closed off from everyone else.
In the end if you prefer windows however then that’s great. Whatever keeps you productive and inspired is the most important thing after all.
Me too! PC is just a good, if not better.
Same here, I’ve built 7 PC DAWs in the last 20 years (three for myself, four for others), all rock solid, all silent, all easily surpassing the build quality of any Mac ever snapped (soldered back in the day 🤨) together on an assembly line, and none of the problems that Mac users refer to regarding PCs…and none of the problems that Mac users refer to regarding Macs.
However, to build workstations like this, it takes time for me to research the hardware components for almost every build since the tech changes so frequently. Also, Windows automatic updates has become a problem because it can no longer be easily deactivated, so I had to take time to learn how to do that.
Also, to keep them quiet, cool and easily upgradable, the case had to be much larger than any Mac so that’s a drawback and sometimes a dealbreaker for anyone with space issues.
So if I had more money than time, it would make sense to pay more and just go with a Mac. Or if I had more work than time, I would likely have no choice but to go with Mac or an equally expensive DAW-specific windows workstation from companies like ADK or SilentPC.
Unfortunately Windows laptops have fallen almost entirely from relevance, success stories are more miss than hit because of the scarcity of Intel USB 3 controllers on laptop motherboards, although thunderbolt may make that problem irrelevant now. Again, companies like ADK or SilentPC seem to have gotten around this.
@Vic LTD Yes and no! The SSD not being replacable/upgradable is a pain in the ass but the ram is so closely integrated with the CPU architecture on the Apple silicon that removing it would be impossible as it is literally in the die. Love it or hate it but this integration is the reason for the amazing results of the Apple M series processors.
@Vic LTD To be fair my Macs last way longer than any of my Windows PC's.
I am a PC user! I will never switch, simply for one reason and one reason only. While i have no doubt that macs are very good in their own right, in my opinion they are massively OVERPRICED!!!! So, no i would not switch. I WOULD TEST their abilities if i got my hands on a freebie, but, obviously that won't happen. Lol
You don't have to switch! Keep in mind that I'm also a PC user but I am also doing video professionally so Mac makes sense for me in that regard. If I could have both my video and audio system in one machine then there's a happy Dom :) Not yet though!
We need an objectiv deffinition of "overpricing". 😉 $/flops? Flops/$?
I’ve just got myself a Mac Mini M1 16gb, and it’s stunning. And that’s coming from a Windows fanboy. 😎👍
Traditionally I would always have agreed with you. I've always been PC for that reason. But the M1 chip has changed everything and you'd pay the same price for a PC with the same power, if you could find a windows laptop with this power for music production.
So I'm switching to Mac for the first time ever... Help haha!
I would agree with you in a heartbeat before they released M1 but, the m1 are absolutely worth the money, you can get $5000 Mac Pro levels of performance for $999 for a MacBook Air m1. This is coming from a windows fanboy, was using windows for decades but man these m1 macs really changed my life, beats my $4000 Alienware laptop in terms of music production performance and stability
always pc in my „case“…. musicproduction and gaming! peripheral ipads, iphones all over the place at my place! nice weekend! thanks for the vid!💥
Hey Dom, you are amazing in talking about music and your positive vibes are amazing. I write cinematic music on an iMac 2016 model with i5 intel and 12 Ram..... I have to say that i am really limited in what i can compose. I'm saving from my daily job for a MacBook 16'' pro with M1 pro 32gb and 4TB of SSD drive and YES i want to give this amount of money cause i believe in my skills, everyone of you guys in the comments should do the same. BELIEVE IN YOURSELF!!! Thanks a lot Dom
I don't like laptops for studio use. I'm good with my Cubase on a Gaming pc. It works just fine. I'm never going to changing to Mac
I switched from lifelong PC user to a MacBook a year and a half ago. I got the M1 13" MBP with 16gb of ram. Up until now it has been running great. A few tracks or a lot of tracks, and as many effects as I want, the laptop doesn't even blink. I do have to say that I still need to run my DAW in Rosetta mode, mainly because Native Instruments is not yet M1 native. But even in Rosetta it works great. I can use all the plugins that used to use on Windows, I did not loose anything. I was able to run my old projects on the new laptop (besides a sample that was missing here and there). It just took some days to getting used to the OS.
Hey Dom, Great Video! I am in the market for a new laptop and I was thinking about the MacBook M1 Pro for music production, but I am scared to pull the trigger on it. Let us know how it goes!
I switched to Mac in late 2008, and couple of years later somehow caught myself that all my serious (paid) work is being done on Mac. :) It just works. I press power button, launch Nuendo, Logic or PT, whatever I need right now, and just do my daily job. I'm a long time PC user either, and I believe that Windows has made a long way. W7, 10 and 11 are pretty usable and solid. Hell, even 8.x was a pretty nice OS, not even mention good old XP. But when it comes to comfort and reliable ecosystem - IMHO Mac is absolute winner, it fits like a gloove. The only downside is Apple with their terrible, but well deserved reputation.
I'm too poor to even know what a Rosetta is. Windows, Mac.. Whatever helps you make music. Having the best specs or the lowest latency won't help you if you don't release music. Use whatever works for you.
2:58 Windows 11 is great. Only issue I have is with OneDrive but I just disabled it.
Switching from Mac to PC was one of the best decisions I made.
Hi Dom - looks like a lot of us are taking the plunge on the M1. Just watched Guy Michelmore's video doing the same. I started my conversion to the M1 Pro two weeks ago (MacBook Pro 16). Kind of painful with some of the VSTs and having to load everything again. Hoping the AXR4 h/w control becomes native soon (Halion 6, Komplete Control, etc.). Looking forward to watching your journey and learning! UF8 review soon? I won't consider buying until it get's the Dom stamp of approval : )
UF8 against the Softube Console 1 and Fader.... no contest. The Softube controllers win hands down.
Dom, love your content. First time commenting. I switched from a PC to a Mac Studio and have had no issues other than plugin compatibility. The Mac Studio is completely quiet and projects that would choke my old PC (i7 3.5Ghz 64GB RAM, I know its a bit old) run at about 10%-15% user CPU on the Mac Studio. My main complaint would be having to get thunderbolt docks or adapters for connectability, where on my PC other than a few powered Anker USB docks I didn't have to spend much. My monitors were all HDMI so I had to get a thunderbolt dock and a thunderbolt to two HDMI connector from OWC. I am currently running Cubase 12 in rosetta mode for some plugin compatibility so I expect that when those plugins are native (cough cough Native Instruments) my performance will be even better. Thanks again for all your content!
Thanks for sharing John! Good to hear the Studio is quiet for you! That’s really encouraging !
I’d like to see a real world comparison of your PC vs the Mac running Rosetta. In most cases Rosetta still out performs other options. So I’d be really curious to see it compared
You got it- I want to see some more plugins gain compatibility to do a real-world test!
As an M1 Mac Studio MAX owner, I can say that I haven’t been able to break it yet with any session or VI plug-in. It was worth the cash and as a former (recent) PC user, I much prefer OSX. Core Audio is so much smoother and fluid than dealing with ASIO drivers on the PC side.
@@terrygray7465 agreed 100%
I just switched to PC from Mac last year because my Mac is an old 2015 mid MBP and don't have the money to upgrade lol. Still using macbook for daily life but making music mainly on PC.
U did not make the wrong decision by switching to pc especially because Microsoft has the market share ua-cam.com/video/OcL932W6E1w/v-deo.html
I have been a mac user now since 2004 , i changed because i was a logic user. I had years of using windows and had nothing but trouble audio clicks and pops , since switching to mac never had any problems . With the m1 I couldn’t be more happy they are well built and when i can afford it will upgrade mu intel imac. Keep up the good work!
I bought a Macbook pro a few years ago to see what the fuss was all about. I found the old saying that switching from PC to Mac was like moving to a foreign country but not being able to speak the language. The Mac was just all backwards compared to Windows for me. After a couple of years with the Mac being used as a paperweight and a dust catcher, I sold it with no regrets.
Im still using W7 and it works great on 2011 HP Z800 Dual hexcores. I have 3 machines with 72 gigs of ram in each. 1 for main DAW ( Cubase ) and the other 2 are servers that handle all the CPU hungry VSTi's using Audiogridder and Vienna Ensemble Pro. Im running a MOTU Audio card and 4 - 24 i/o breakout boxes for 96 TRS ins and outs, at a buffer setting of 64 and it will also do 32 if I need it to. Bottom line, the system isnt broken. It works well so for me, theres no point in spending any amount of money to get newer computers to give me what I already have, and that is a working Cubase 10.5 set up to produce songs and Premiere to make videos. Im 67 now and Ive been thru the "shiny object syndrome" stuff when it comes to modules, and outboard gear. New gear if fun but if the system you have is doing the job and is making you money, then why do you need to upgrade to a new anything, when six months down the road something more powerful will be out and what you just upgraded to, is yesterdays news?
The best system is the one that works well enough for you. If its doin the job, great. If not upgrade. I just priced out the new MacBook pro 16" with the M1 pro chip and its $100 more than I paid for my three HP machines total. New, the HPs were over $10k each when they first came out, but I bought them refurbished a few years after they were new. Theyre industrial grade servers and designed to be run hard, 24/7. I dont run them near that hard. They still have more than enough horsepower to rum Cubase and Adobe Premiere for me without breaking a sweat. Your mileage may vary. Do you believe that having a new machine that goes a Gazillion miles an hour is gonna impress the clientele or is the quality of your finished production gonna do that? Remember, all of the work you admire from other producers was all done on old outdated tech. Its not the clubs...its the golfers skill with those old clubs that makes the difference.
Your mileage may vary...
Voice of reason
If anyone missed it, a company finally working on utilizing the GPU’s processing power on PCs and that is probably a game changer.
Yes, a virtually zero latency pc for music production will be here soon
It will be both amazing and a compatibility nightmare for years.
@@csdstudio78 I just checked the name of the company, it is simply called GPU Audio and they had some small demo at NAMM 22. The concept looks extremely good but I understand your concerns. Also, knowing that VST developers are still not interested even in multicore processing (at this point it's kinda ridiculous) I have the same thoughts about big developers jumping on the GPU idea.
@@tmxband Try the beta.
I was just watching your latest QBase 13 video and realized you finally switched over to the Mac. I just have to say one thing... Congrats and you’re welcome!👍🏾
Great! Quick one, is Waves Audio compatible?
I have both. PC in Studio. An maximal overclocked I9-7940X, 64 gb, with watercooling. No noise. Love the performance. Never had problems. But in the end a 5k €. My MacBook m1 max was about the same price and has roughly 30% better performance. As my main pc is so tightly connected and does the job I will use it till it dies, but there is simple no reason for investing 10k € in two computers when it all can be done with one. I would go with a Mac in the future.
just got the m2 MacBook Air, no need for the pro its so powerful
They are great efficient machines... BUT, if almost any component fails you will need a new motherboard/computer. If you want lots of storage (highly recommended) you have to buy it from Apple for double or triple the price of the drive. I wish this wasn't the case. I don't understand why everything is soldered and impossible to repair. Actually I do know why because it's Apple 🙄😒
Windows user since...3.1. I AVOIDED Windows 8 by buying a Mac Pro (this was in 2012). Very nice machine but...I couldn't get used to how restrictive file management was compared to Windows. I know people who prefer it but for me, I still preferred Windows to work in and kept Win7 on my desktop machine for years. Every musician I know running MBPs complains when the OS updates and breaks compatibility with their DAW/software instruments/something else. My planned "transfer music making to Apple" didn't happen.
Most branded consumer PC laptops are full of bloatware and poor components it seems. I have a good Dell bought 2 years ago which cost a 3rd of what the equivalent MBP cost at the time. And a spec'ed up bespoke PC both running W10 - which is less than perfect, absolutely.
NOW, assuming more devs jump to support M1, I can see Apple making Windows laptops almost obsolete. They're not for me yet but hey, maybe next time either machine dies, I'll try again.
I think this has improved, when I switched to the Mac M2, _all_ plug-ins worked and were available as native VST3 versions. For some very old plugins there is a option with metaplugin, so even some very old ArtsAcoustic plugins work, as well as NI's discontinued Absynth.
The performance of Cubase 13 is amazing. No Windows PC can keep up at the moment, especially: whisper quiet! Personally, I find MacOS much better than Windows... and I've been an absolute PC fanboy since Windows 3.1 (so over 30 years). Apple with the M1/M2/M3 etc. is brilliant, especially for musicians.
Why are there no automatic translations in Turkish? I couldn't understand the video.
People who use mac for music productions are very stupid
I pay 4000 for a imac pro
Load 40 plugins it was game over
I buy a pc for 3000 i can load a ton of plugins!!
Pc rules no question about it!!
Even that Mac is always good over the Windows because of the payd development; Only gods use linux for audio production :)
This myth that Mac just “work” and PC are not, is ridiculous. Fact is: I can build a better and faster PC for half the price of a similar Mac. This isn’t a myth. You can’t overclock on the Mac neither. But i do have a 2 Mac laptops. I’d would prefer the MacBooks over any pc laptop. Still, I don’t use them for music. Just for emails and business. :)
Price per performance, Windows can't be beat.
That's why we use Windows 10 in our creative computers.
One of my colleagues M1 Mac book went poofff.. No thank you
The problem with Macs as a music pro is the lack of sufficient usb ports. I have a Presonus 32s a Moog Sub Phatty ,Moog Sub 37 ,Auturia minibrut 2 Deepmind 12,Elektron Digitat, Digitone Auturia drumbrut,Roland TR8s etc. Not posable to connect all at once to a mac. A PC no problem
Good point. I have 7 hardware devices on my Windows laptop essential to my live performances and all perform perfectly
Hey Dom! Thank you so much for this amazing video. May I share a suggestion? Would you like to share what you are using with this Macbook Pro as accessories. It can be SSDs, it can be NVMe or SATA boxes, hubs, basically what are the details of your setup? Thank you!
Thing is, PC has been getting better and better for music production for years now and will only really get better as there will always be more finance collectively behind it. And it will always be more cost effective and edge others with more software. Even if Mac has a few perks which make some things run better, it has never been enough for me to justify being stuck into its eco system and spending more money on it. If your going to learn music production then learning how to get the best out of a PC is hardly going to top the shit you need to learn.
I got the m1pro 16” in December. Personally I don’t run Cubase in native mode due to plug-in compatibility and because well….I don’t feel like Cubase struggles under Rosetta so…. Love having a laptop though, getting so much more done.
I think it depends on the pc. I custom built my pc and I can easily keep up with these macs. I have ran 256 tracks at 128 sample rate, placed a convo reverb on every track, and hit record. 75 percent cpu usage. Ran it for 10 minutes with zero hiccups. This test was in PT. Keep in mind I built this PC 7 years ago. I have had zero issues with OS updates not working with plugins. I use Pro Tools, cubase, studio one, and reaper. Mainly PT and cubase. I can count on one hand the amount of crashes I've had on both daws combined in the last 7 years. You can hardly upgrade a mac, you can't repair them yourself for the most part, and for that you are pretty much pigeonholed immediately upon purchase. I love being able to upgrade my gpu when I want, upgrade my mobo or cpu when I want. Instead of buying a 3k-15k apple product that will be outdated in 10 years. PC is still king IMO. Too many limitations and walls to hurdle with Mac. I can also say that 99 percent of the issues I see posted on cubase forums, pt forums, etc are always mac related. I know more people use mac so that's part of it, but still. Why do so many people use it when it has so many issues. I know a top tier producer engineer that has like the 30k mac tower and he can't even open a session without it crashing. This is purely my experience. And btw, I own a mbp, an older one. I used to use my mbp for daily tasks and recording production. After switching to PC I have never been happier. No, PC isn't quite as good at video rendering, but I haven't used the rtx3080 gpu yet to test it.
I agree with you. I like the idea of repair something myself (not that I have needed to - but I can) I built my i9 64GIG ram Nvidea machine for around 1k maybe 3 years ago using Cubase. To get that performance on MAC I'd have to pay quarter to double the price.. for what? the look? When it comes to customisation, it has to be PC all the way, if Apple brought their prices down and you could customise I would concider. I still prefer Windows as an OS too, you simply can get more out of it. Only just though, MAC OS isnt actually too bad but not better.. I think thats the point. I disagree about the video rendering though I watched a video on UA-cam several years ago and the PC did better than the MAC overall in an unbiased test "same spec" situation. However out of several tests the MAC did pull in a few victories but didnt win overall. Mind you this is just one plausable set up in the world. I do not video edit, so I can't refer to real world experience. An old producer freind had a MAC and had several crashes. To be fair though, if the machine was optimised I guess performance would be about the same as a PC and stable. I think there is a myth surrounding Apple that you dont need to do anything. All computers need to be optimised to your workflow and none are immune to potential viruses; but I cant rememeber the last time I had a virus on my PC? I dont see why generally some people think that this is a thing? perhaps a little in the mid 90's. But that was ages ago! Plus can you even use Unreal engine properly on a MAC? I mean that is the future! I am getting really into it.. and also who doesnt love a bit of gaming? I've never met a gamer using a MAC. I know it is a thing but I just havn't met one. I have met a lot of Music Producers using MAC though. I just never saw the appeal really, I dont think it fits my lifestyle. If people like the retina display spend the money on a retina monitor you get same result but it is pricey. I did actually have a MAC for a year or so back in maybe 2010 I genuiny thought, maybe I was wrong about what I was using to produce on. However I went back to PC, So it wasnt like I didnt try. Too many limitations and the price. Nah not for me. Whilst in this Video it did make me raise an eybrow I am intruiged to see what the price is, but porting everything over for something that I have been building since 1994 when I started using Windows and Cubase seems like a massive pointless chore now in 2022. And I work as a professional producer so I need a stable system. I am open for change but it needs to be better all round for me to swap again. Besides I am seeing the new GPU usage on the horizon so I think Performance upgrade isnt far behind for PC users either.
My experiences are similar to yours…it depends on the PC.
anyone with adecuate pc building and troubleshooting skills would prefer a pc over a mac, I can't seem to fix anything in mac os when it decides to crap on itself (more times than I can count) when I tinker with a pc really heavily things can go wrong but other than that pc's are just as stable as macs given all parts are working correctly.
Truth.
Macs are an emotional thing for folks lost in life needing to "belong"
But you get a sticker to put on your car.
I was a pc user from 1998 until 2006, then switched to mac once they transitioned to Intel CPU for good. A white macbook was with me everywhere. Studio, gigs, on the road. There was simply nothing for that price in the pc laptop world. As the years went by, I was going deeper and deeper the Mac world. Had macbook pros, mac pro, started collecting PPCs and then it happened. My machines were outdated, and my money was not enough 😒 to buy new ones. Software was going forward, specially OSX, and plugins with it. I couldn't update my OS and get the plugins that I wanted. I was satisfied with what I had, but I couldn't even run demos. I was feeling cut out, unless I paid for a new machine. That's when I went down the Hackintosh lane. Not perfect, a bit cheaper solution, but unfortunately not portable at all. Slowly, getting fed up with the constant OS maintenance of a "hacked" version of OSX, I slowly shifted back to Windows in 2020. It was a long ride with Apple, and I still have several machines in my collection, G3 and G4 towers and laptops, ibooks, macpros, all functional with ready to go audio recording software. Windows 10, is flexible and can run plugins 10 years old as well as new ones. I am happy to have made the change but.... I miss the simplicity and efficiency of a mac, but it's a cash eating monster.
Keep it up Dom. I hope that tape delay is still doing well 😉.
Yeah!! I kind knew your main System was a PC. Since Cubase was only pc integration from the very begging!...
Wait, you're old enough to have used Win 3.1? Wow. Older than he looks?
I switched to Mac about 12 years a go and never looked back. Its just works! my last macbook pro I got in 2018. I love this computer but I wanted more processing power and eventually I got the Mac pro (very expensive) and that solved any problem I had and its a beast! I highly recommend. Thanks Dom for everything! keep doing a great job.
On PC I can easily use software and drivers for years without being forced to upgrade anything....but yeah, the laptop-argument is a good one
True, Apple is terrible when every new OS comes out they break things!
@@DomSigalas This is why I switched to PC and built one after seeing your video about the AMD Processor.
Now I have a super fast PC, compared to ongoing crashes, waiting for developers to release a fix etc for my m1 13” MacBook Pro. I sold my iMac for the same reason: so many delays while waiting for vst developers to release an update after Apple updates. Macs are great for Logic Pro and Apple-made vsts, but I’ve had a better Cubase experience on Windows and haven’t ever had a vst library make my projects broken, whether using Steinberg or non-Steinberg sample libraries.
I had Cubase projects fail to load because my Mac was failing to load a Cubase project and the reason was a vst from a very well known company. They never found the solution and I had to re-create my whole project again, without using the said vsts :(
Been a PC user since the 90s. Tried switching to Mac, it's powerful but way to expensive. ...but the main reason I've returned to PC is all the hazzle with Mac. Half of the plugins didn't work or acted weird 🤥. Havn't made a proper test but my new I9 with ddr5 seems even more powerful than the Mac. AND I can game on it🤩
Hey Dom. I would be interested to see from film composing point of view how you find ram usage of kontslt and sample libraries etc. there’s not much out there on that but film composers tend to need lots of RAM.
Yeh man...
Bollox to that...
Mac OS fucks everything up every single time it updates!!!
Good luck with your VST's and plug ins.....
I agree with you. On the other hand, compulsory Windows updates make PCs unbootable sometimes so… hahaha
At least on the Mac you don’t have to update and you don’t have to hack your OS to avoid updates ;)
@@DomSigalas In over 20+ years of computing I've never once had a PC rendered (as you say) unbootable!
I have made music on my PC for many years too. In fact I still have a laptop running Win7 .... So I'm not sure about these "compulsory" updates to which you are referring to.
Only a year or two agao you were telling everyone that the best system was a windows system running a Ryzen 9 5900x ffs.
Ah I see, it's who gives you the kickback wallet gets the highest praise hey ;>
As they say in China....
Hong Bao!, ah ming bai la!
@@AeonHorus I am talking about Windows 10 and the fact that you cannot turn off the updates unless you use a specific app. The internet is full of reports of users having massive issues with this new MS policy and indeed, I had my computer not recognising any USB devices after one of those updates. W7 never had these issues.
Now, regarding your accusation: You're wrong my friend. I *wish* Apple paid me to try their products. They didn't and I paid full price for it. So trust me, if it wasn't good I would be the first to grill it and return it (and it would have made more views, trust me!). And I didn't even suggest moving to Mac. My video was inconclusive but the new MacBooks are certainly impressive machines and for the first time in my professional life I consider switching. That's it, nothing more nothing less :)
If Microsoft come up with a killer new OS and Intel with a new super efficient and fast processor I am still going to report it one year from now. From a working professional's point of view NOT from a hobbyist. For the hobbyist I would suggest getting anything that allows them to make music for the least amount of cash. So yes, PC in this case.
Recently started using (for mobile work out of the studio) an Asus Duo laptop. Twin touch screens and TB4 for the Apollo. Win11 and Cubase run perfectly. Touch screens are great for quick adjustments.
I’m anxiously awaiting for them to put the M3 chip in a Mac mini to create a new music production machine.
With the Mac mini, you can use any keyboard, track pad, mouse, and monitor that you like.
I plan on using all my current Apple stuff and some other monitor which I will mount on the wall w an arm.
I’m super open to suggestions on the monitor and the mounting assembly.
Once I hear some performance numbers from music production, then I’ll decide whether I’m gonna stick with the into or go for the M3.
Very much the same opinion, for mobile production, Macbook M1s are great, as well as for live DJ/DAW performance modes. Windows is good for studio production and will save budget savvy folks some coin. I am waiting for the Mac mini M2 to be released, the way the processor handles RAM management means that a 16GB MAC M series will give most folk all they need for visual and audio production (unless you really want to break the bank with the MAC studio, a little overkill though IMO). Great video as always Dom.
I switched to an Imac in 2012 to replace my custom Alienware pos and it was the best decision I ever made. Never had a crash on my mac which is still going strong even though I can no longer update the operating system. 🤪 I’ll probably upgrade to a new system within the year even though I don’t need to.😂
What about the price difference. Isn’t that one of the big reasons why people choose Windows? I’m not sure if the discussion is complete without bringing that topic up. Apple machines are currently very overpriced.
fan boy no one should EVER give you respect after this, its a choice we make without someone likes you cost in memory like 64Gb and your MAC is a sad example of exploitation
My home setup will always be PC because I also need to edit videos and game. The laptop setup is up in the air today.
PC with Cubase since 1996, then Studio One. No need to blow a ton of money for Mac!
I even run studio one on a bare bones laptop. I put an ssd in the laptop, and the only problem is that I can't increase the memory, or change the cpu so once I add a bunch of plug-ins, the system maxes out. With a few plug-ins I have run 75 audio tracks on this budget PC.
Absolutely no need for a Mac for me.
Pcs are better ua-cam.com/video/OcL932W6E1w/v-deo.html
Just ordered my MBP a bit ago. Always been a PC user prior, but going to a laptop setup was always my goal. Dpc issues and bloatware plagued every windows laptop I tried, but this time I am feeling insanely confident with what these new macs can do!!
How do you like it?
@@sterling-beats I love it. Now that a lot of plugins have gone native, everything is working really good. Still some 3rd party plugs that may crash cubase every now and then, but I've been slowly cutting those plugs out or been using them sparingly when needed. And the speed of doing things is great. Rendering in place and exports are swift and the workflow is snappy. I did have to learn some of the shortcuts again coming from PC, but it was pretty quick.
Hi Dom, just upgraded to the Mac Studio base model, running Cubase 12 with zero issues. I have not heard the fans kick on once with the studio.
It's actually quieter than the M1 Mini
Ryzen 7000 is incoming if you want powerfull studio setup custom build PC with ryzen 7950x processor it will blow this apple overpriced crap.
My constant issue with PCs is not the power but the super flakey graphics drivers that are prone to creating DPC spikes and mess up the audio performance. And this happens still with both AMD and NVidia. :(
@@DomSigalas For me switching from nvidia graphics card to AMD massively reduced the dpc latency. But I didnt even have any kinds of problems with dpc latency before switching. Switched because i bought a 5k monitor with freesync =)
So I want to convert to Mac but my only concern is how to convert my vsts from pc to Mac without having to repurchase them. Anyone have any clue of how to do this ?
Thank you Dom .Perhaps Yamaha could build a dedicated hardware unit for Cubase ,standalone , like the Roland MV 8800 .Also a new synth ,sampler that is focused on instrument modeling .The AMD Ryzen 9 that I have is doing a good job .It depends how many instruments .Is a larger project nescesarily a better project ? I also like a nice sized monitor .I am worried that you might accidentally drop it . Won't perform so well then ?
I just read some articles about Hans Zimmer. He uses both Macs and PCs, but he does carry his Macbook Pro around with him everywhere. He also uses Cubase and ProTools. Cubase is his "go-to" Daw for music creation, then uses ProTools to combine music with video production. Interestingly he uses 2 Native Intruments midi keyboards and an upright acoustic piano for his live concert, "Pirates of the Caribbean." I thought he might be using NI software but he swears by a company called Zebra by u-he, to get sounds like no other.
u-he is the company. Zebra is the product. He also heavily uses Waldorf synths.
I.m a pc user since 20 years and my last pc was an I7, very productive machine. But, year after year, it became slow, 11 years or good work. A friend, Mac supporter told me to buy a M1, It was a great question for me, I don’t Know anything about mac and Cubase will it work correctly,? Now, I have my new studio with an M1 mac mini and it’s wonderful for music, Cubase, plugin waves (I’m an old user of these plugin) and video producing always good, also I.m working with severals monitors and It’s vers cool. I have too a new laptop pc with Windows 11 but It doesn’t work fine with 2 monitors, for example GuitarPro 8 don’t show all the menu system or tracks are hidden, it’s drive me crazy… With my M1, no problems with GuitarPro8 The only thing I have to say is I needed time to understand apple thinking and shortcuts, new job to do on this new ‘‘brain’’!
I've been using Windows my entire life. Since the times when I could only use pirated software versions and low quality components. For about 15 years now I use only original software, components of the best quality, assembled with specialized technicians. But I never got to the point of having full functionality. Always dealing with little problems that pop up here and there from time to time.
Based on my many years of experience with my iPhones and iPads, I decided to buy a Mac Mini M1 16Gb a year ago. I don't want to be an Apple funboy, but I have to admit, it's magnificent. Everything works perfectly. Other than the performance, it beats my 32Gb Ram i7 9700 PC with the greatest ease. Dead silent. And, in my opinion, cheap for what it offers.
It is a pity that this is so, because in my country Apple products are a small fortune. Windows has served me (and still does) for decades. But as long as I have the financial means, Windows as my main music production computer never again.
Great video! I'm definitely a PC guy keeping his eyes open with this. However being a gamer usually keeps me on the PC side of things. But a macbook pro may be in my future. Looking forward to your future videos on this topic.
I would never buy a macbook the vast majority of people are using PCs
ua-cam.com/video/OcL932W6E1w/v-deo.html
I swapped from PC to a Mac this year and will never look back. I was running an i9 9900k and it would complain using the granular engine on Omnisphere, not so with the Mac. It hasn't missed a beat since I got it and throughly enjoyed the experience so far.
Hey Adrian--just curious as I'm in need of an upgrade--been on pc for years--did you go M1? Studio or laptop? Cubase or other DAW?
@@Jursorama I went for the studio 64gb version and 1TB internal drive. I plug in a black magic SSD docking station to expand storage to 8TB all SSD. Works a charm and stuck with Cubase, currently Pro 12.
If you need to know anything else feel free to drop me an e-mail through my website.
Hi Dom, how are you? what I hate about Windows is how easily you can get Viruses and that the OS became so slow over time, something that I never experience with Macs, MACOS is way superior...which model and specs of Macbook Pro are you are using? Thanks ..I actually installed two Mac Minis M1 Fully Spec'd for 2 studios, and no issues at all...I wonder why the Mac Studio would not be even better......yes, I feel like in 6 months most of the developers are going to be totally compatible and in the last 6 months, many became ready... personally, I am waiting for my new Mac as Apple released so many new laptops and Mac Minis with new Processors that is kind of nutz and until they release the new Mac Pros, is unclear yet for me which macs are the better options and when the Mac world settles with all these new offerings.
Macs get malware just as easily these days, Windows doesn't unless you make stupid decisions with downloading warez. If anything, it's getting faster over time these days. Very outdated perspective.
@@HammyHavoc yeah sure...you find that most windows users got viruses more than once...not quiet the same at all with Mac users...and that you know it!
@@bluematrix5001 I work as a technitian for folks doing music production, you'd be suprised at how many of them mac users get viruses and how hard it is to get rid of them sometimes.
On my PC I can make Music AND play battlefield, what more to ask for? ;-)
Better Battlefield games? 🤷
38 years on Mac. Windows 22H2 BSOD. sick of Windows 11 drivers. I am switching to Mac 100%. Just ordered Mac studio
Geekbench 5 (Single-Core)
Core i7 12700K +20% 2105
M1 Pro 1757
Geekbench 5 (Multi-Core)
Core i7 12700K +24% 15618
M1 Pro 12599
Macbook is great choice for th dj/producer who is always traveling BUT if you have studio then you can see the results ! AND its i7 not i9
Thanks for this video Dom 🙏 I am in a similar boat 😄But as a hobbyist I am taking it real slow. I am also giving Logic Pro a try before dropping all my Cubase stuff on there.
well, it's not that simple, sadly,
I got old 2015 PC with i7-5820K, and it performs basically same as M1 MacMini (16GB) I also got,
to be honest, neither of those machines struggles with any audio work I throw onto it, neither of those machines gets loud,
Mac has ridiculously inferior connectivity, but spending another 300 bucks on a dock solves that problem, PC despite being older still offers native NVME (PCIe 3.0) and PCIe expansions,
now the problem: MacOS - Apple rolls out new MacOS version every year, and there's literally zero chance all the software and plugins will work without developers releasing updates - in real world they usually brand them as new versions you need to pay (again) or even go subscriptions route (keep paying, without any guarantee of functionality on new systems) - it's even worse Macs cannot be downgraded prior to version of MacOS they were shipped with, so if for whatever reason you need older MacOS (be it your software, plugins, audio interface, midi controller, daw controller etc...), you're screwed, that's it, you can wait and hope for developer updates - means, even if you look at plugin and say "hey it's M1 native", there is no guarantee it will function properly on MacOS released next month or two (13, Ventura) so you end up in a rabbit hole of paying all the time for minor upgrades just to keep up-to-date with MacOS (because frankly nobody would stay on outdated MacOS on a Mac they pay few 1000 bucks)
I am planning for a windows lappy helios i912 gen 16gb ddr5 ram model. Some people confused me by saying "in that budget, go for mac"
I AM CONFUSED
Thanks for that video mate. I had to switch from my pc to a mobile pc. I have tried 3 different windows highend laptops in the last time. Compared, watched tons of review videos before buying. Problems here and there. And the machines were so loud because of the fans. So my last one was a lenovo thinkpad p14s with an amd ryzen 6850u, 32gb ram, and 1tb fast ssd. The machine run my biggest project. But man, the fans screaming, the laptop got hot on the surface and the overall build quality was feeling cheap. Now, I "downgraded" to a macbook air m2 with 16gb ram and 512gb ssd. And damn. That machine runs so fast even without fans. What you didnt mention in your video. The m-processors need a lot less watts then the intels or amds and deliver still better performance. That are all points that justify the higher price.
Hay Dom , Did you get a MacBook ? I just switched to Cubase and love it , but having problem with F4 audio connections , when ever you disconnect from your main IO rig and go back all connections are lost ! And external Fx or Synths done have a preset !
I just decided to switch from Mac to a PC and ordered nearly 4k€ beast (i9, 64 gigs DDR5, 4 EVOs). Please don't make me regret :D
I recently bought a laptop because I travel so much. I read about these new Macbooks and saw some music related reviews. They sounded impressive. But the price soon put me off… I’m running a home built PC that is now 7 years old and it’s still going great. For the money that I saved by buying a capable, but not so expensive, laptop, instead of a MacBook Pro, I now have enough money to build a new mega PC when I eventually need to replace my existing beast, or more libraries, gear, whatever. The point is, I retained more money to spend on other things. The quietness of the MacBook is definitely a winner for us muso’s though. That would be a strong plus.
the only difference is LOGIC PRO.
Cosa usi cpme mac fisso? mentre questo macbook pro che capacità ha?
I have been mainly using Mac for a long time for music production. I am currently using Reaper. I was a huge Logic user for a long time. For a cupple of months, because of Logic acting weird and slowing stuff down, I decided to switch to Windows and try it out. While I enjoyed it really much, in my opinion, I really couldn't see myself using it long term. There are things that I can do on my Mac that Windows doesn't do... or if it does, its hard to do those things. One example is routing audio between apps. On the Mac, its really easy with a software called Loop Back. On Windows, there are options, but its really hard to get that up and running. Also, when it comes to Asio on Windows, you can't use another device for sending the output of whatever you are doing to a different device. On Mac, you can easily set up things where you have your audio interface as your input, then your headphones or whatever you have as the output.
Anyway, sorry for the rant, but in conclusion, I'm going to be switching back to Mac. I still have my Mac Studio, and it still works fantastic!
Loopback and Audio Hijack are the best apps ever!
pci mac would be cool, pop it in your pc slot. run both pc and mac zero latency to pc to mac. dam.
11 months later. Is everything compatible now with the M chips? Thanks
I used Windows for years and years and finally built a Hackintosh having some past experience with Linux. Wow, the MacOS is so elegant and refined compared to Windows. Everyday tasks are so much easier and intuitive. I switched for good. I still have to maintain my wife's Windows laptop and I now detest every minute I have to spend on it!
Cubase 12 on Windows 11 i9 Dr mix 3XS Scan sys.... on tuesday , currently going thru the 21 hr dongle debacle as the stupid dongle imploded.....going withthat deal on upgrade on Cubase site.....very excited i cant lie....
My M1 mac studio is a beast. I love it. If the thing dies on me 6 months after applecare expires, ask me again if I love it.
Have you discovered the beauty that is the apple composite audio device? You can join two 8 channel audio interfaces into a single 16 channel audio interface in mac os. It's a killer feature.
Shots fired, Microsoft.
I’ll stick to Mac ! Jumped from 2011 Mac book pro to M1 2020 MacBook Air.. and I’m VERY happy ! VERY
Was planning on making this switch 2 years ago when I bought a 16-inch Macbook pro with the M1 Max processor, then I ran into some unexpected difficulties.
First of all, my current interface runs on a Firewire connection (and it works great with my PC). The new Macbook’s only have Thunderbolt 4, and there are NO interfaces (as of Sept 2023) that use that format. So either I have to buy a TB3 interface (very few options and very expensive!), or set up an elaborate string of adaptors to continue using my Firewire interface (adaptors into adaptors into adaptors = signal degradation between interface and DAW)
Second, the MacBook Pro has no standard USB ports, meaning you have to add the additional cost of a hub if like most people you have 1 or more midi devices that use standard USB.
The Macbook Pro is a monster of a platform, but it really shortchanges musicians by creating this interconnect limitation.
I started on the Digital Performer DAW in the year 2001 with a Mac G4. My mentor-- a pro TV composer at the time- used the same system, but they switched to Logic on PC's because they could build them and save $. Then Logic was discontinued for PC and they turned to Cubase and then Nuendo. I didn't want to switch till I needed a new CD burner (ha!) that would cost me $300... and upgrading to a Mac g5 would have cost me nearly 5k. But I eventually did it since my mentor could continue teaching me. So in the years after I switched to Cubase SX (haha) on PC, I've built a new state of the art computer every 6 to 8 years for $1500 to $2k. Massive savings and more power every time. The PC programs had some drawbacks and were over complicated at first, but the power I got was better than what I could afford on Mac. Most hi level pros have both in some form-- especially since video editing is part of the game these days. But I've found PC's make me understand the computer better. Macs are beautiful, but they hide what's under the hood. And repair/upgrade costs were huge. Anyway, great video. Just my $0.02. 😉
The PC just works for me, I always have and I just can't seem to justify the extra cost for the purchase of a mac, notwithstanding the higher price for plugins, having to buy extra gadgets, also being stuck with their proprietary products, etc...
And yet … I guarantee if and when you upgrade to Apple you will be kicking yourself why you didn’t make the jump years ago? If that wasn’t true, then it wouldn’t even be a debate. Unfortunately, it is true.
@@79Glitch I tried and came back to PC because of the cost and proprietary products. The reason I went back to PC is because the Mac was becoming outdated, and I really couldn't upgrade it with the equipment I had. Now I have had the same PC for 8 years upgrading components as I go until the motherboard doesn't support newer processors.
@@79Glitch I jumped from macOS to Windows and never looked back. RME RayDat. Zero issues. 0.7ms latency.
Gone M1 Mini. £600 refurbished and simply works. Yes a couple of things are not available I.e. halion full version but, and it's a big one.... it is unbelievable how well this little vox works. Been Windows since forever but now.... I am sold.
I have the 14"and my DAW uses enough energy to make the fans spin up. But I have never, ever heard them. Ever. Ever. They simply don't spin fast enough to make audible noise. If you think the M1 series of machines is good, just wait for the M2 or whatever Apple will call the series that uses processors made in the the 3nm fabrication process. Even Intel will use that process from TSMC for its processor chips.
I thought I would never leave PC but since I switched to MacBook Pro M1 16 inches I'm going back to PC laptops.
I still use PC as my second system.