Mac DAW - lo-res recording & distribution

Apple Mac Mini M4 Pro

Roland Fantom 8

GOAL:
My goal for the beginning of 2025 is to complete my work converting old songs in older versions of Logic on the Mac Pro so that I can bring them into the latest version of Logic. Next I’ll work on the Cubase and Pro Tools files, of which there are far fewer. I am excited to have the new features in Logic Pro which include mixing in Spatial Audio.TRANSITIONING:
I’m in the process of upgrading from my old MacDAW [2010 Mac Pro] to a new MacDAW [2024 Mac Mini M4 Pro]. This means migrating from the Intel versions of Logic, Cubase, and Pro Tools to their Apple Silicon native counterparts. The initial benchmarks look good – increasing from a Passmark score of 13,000 to a Passmark score of 38,000. However the cost of the new computer compared to my old used workhorse is no joke – Apple’s RAM and SSD offerings are 400% more expensive than stand-alone SSD’s. Sure, it is faster than any mechanical drive but cripes! I have so much downloadable content that I am barely able to fit it all on the Mac Pro’s 8tb mechanical drive.

HARDWARE:

MacOS: Sequoia 15.2
CPU: M4 Pro, 14 core CPU, 20 core GPU
RAM: 64gb
SSD: 4tb + 4tb external
NAS: Drobo 5N2 w/ 5x WD Black 8TB drives
2x HP 28″ 4k displays
USB-C dock with USB A ports, HDMI jack, and RJ45 Ethernet – until there is a Thunderbolt 5 dock available

PLUGINS:
Of course this means updating my large collection of plugins, which is not an easy task. I occasionally run Ableton Live, Reaper, Reason Studio, and Studio One, mostly to keep current with competing DAWs. I highly recommend that anyone who is starting out with recording their own songs focus on a much more limited handful of tools and get familiar with them – do not do as I have done, since I’ve been recording music on my Mac since the late 1990’s.

NEW GEAR:
Additionally, my home studio has seen some physical changes the past couple of years, as I moved last summer and have since acquired several newer synthesizer models which have USB onboard. This means I’m more likely to focus on one or two keyboards or Volcas at my kitchen table when starting on new songs. It’s a real adventure.