Best DAW For Recording Vocals in Home Studio on MacBook Air? I have a MacBook Air 2019, so you can cancel out Pro Tools, and I would prefer Logic due to being in the Apple Ecosystem, and apparently easy ui for beginners. In the next couple years I would like to transition into producing beats and I heard Logic is also good for that. I used to make music at 96 or 44.1 kHz, but ever since I've started using 48 kHz in Logic, which is also in my Mac Audio/Midi. Replies: 0 views: 60: soundofmai 1 hour ago: Cubase vs. ? Best DAW 2020 to migrate to from Pro-tools. The upgrade pricing is such a joke at this point. I want to upgrade from 11. The Best Apple Mac Desktop Computers for Music Production Mac Pro. Ask any commercial studio facility what computer they use to run their DAW (digital audio workstation) and they’ll probably tell you a Mac Pro. Some will still be using Mac Pros as old as 2009 (cheese grater style), while others will sport the 2013 Mac Pro (black cylinder). The Best MacBook Air For Music Production Tips The Best MacBook Air For Music Production Tips. Let’s be real, when it comes to appearance, super performance or brand Apple is one of the top brands in the market! Now the real question is which Apple laptop is the best for music production?
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Right off the bat, I have to say that the MacBook Air is not the best computer for music production, due to its inherent limitations, for instance, the amount of RAM and the Processor Speed.
iMac, MacBook Pro, iPad, iPhone, and Apple, are all registered trademarks of Apple.
However, of course, a lot of people love the MacBook Air and insist on buying one for music production, despite what people may tell them.
If you insist on buying a MacBook Air for music production, you want to get the new 13″ MacBook Air with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of Storage.
If you’ve read my other articles on the necessary specifications for music production, you know there are certain requirements of your computer in order for plug-ins and software to run smoothly.
The recommended specifications are the following:
- 16 GB of RAM
- 3 GHz Processor Speed
- 4 Cores
- Solid State Harddrive.
- Graphics Card 2GB
If you want to read more about why certain specifications are important, I suggest you check out my other article on the best iMac for Garageband users. It’s at this link here.
In brevity, music production is a process that utilizes quite a bit of processing power and memory because each task has to be completed in one core at a time before the computer can then move on to the next task.
This is quite a bit different in comparison to other uses of a computer, like gaming or video editing, where each part of the process is spread across different parts of the computer and different cores simultaneously.
In other words, each part of the process is completed in one core at a time, and the computer’s cores need optimal performance, that way it can get things done so the computer can then move on to the next task.
It’s not like video editing or gaming, where many things are at work at once, including the graphics card and several other cores simultaneously.
Plug-ins are a good example of this.
If you’ve loaded up 4-5 plug-ins on a MIDI synth, for instance, there is a lot going on on that synth, and each part of that process is probably occurring in one core.
When you press on the MIDI keyboard, the computer has to make the sound of the synth, in addition to all of the plug-ins that are set up on the instrument.
This is one of the reasons why you may notice that some applications or instruments suddenly fail.
Essentially, when an instrument or sound fails, it means that the computer doesn’t have enough processing power within that core to complete all of the tasks at the rate at which the computer needs.
Hence, the crash and burning of the application or your computer warning you that something went down.
MacBook Airs Work For Music Production – But It’s Not The Best
With all that said, there are a lot of people out there that will argue that a MacBook Air works just fine for music production, and it will work just fine, especially if you have the best version with the most RAM, the highest processor speed, and the most storage capacity.
Frankly, the MacBook Air is going to serve your needs in the meantime, but as your demands of the CPU become more intense, you’ll start to notice the limitations of the computer.
If you plan on keeping your music quite simple with not a lot of plug-ins or third-party software, your computer will work sufficiently, but if not, it’s not going to be the best option.
For instance, I’m currently using a 2017 MacBook Pro with 2.3 GHz Intel Core i5, 8 GB 2133 MHz LPDDR3, and Intel Iris Plus Graphics 640 1536 MB.
And it does the job, but I should’ve got the upgraded MacBook Pro with more RAM, more storage space, and faster processor speed, because I’ve run into issues before, including not having enough storage space on the computer, or the computer not being powerful enough to run more than one software at a time.
I frequently make YouTube videos using the ScreenFlow Editor, and if I have Garageband running at the same time, I can expect problems while running two softwares simultaneously.
This is compounded if Google Chrome is running as well.
Furthermore, if you don’t have enough storage capacity on the computer, it’s going to get really annoying, really quick.
I almost always have to do a weekly cleaning on my computer, where I take some of my old tracks and put them on an external hard drive.
I guess I could put them in the iCloud, but that just seems shady to me, and I’d rather store them directly on my computer, to be frank with you.
MacBook Pro Versus MacBook Air for Music Production
The proper Macbook Pro out-performs the MacBook Air on a single and multi-core performance, which means that it’s much better for computer processing power and performance.
For instance, let’s compare two of the models right now:
MacBook Air 13″ 2018/2019, 1.6 GHz Intel Core i5-8210Y Dual Core:
Single-Core Score: 4006 points
Multi-Core Score: 7393 Points
VERSUS
MacBook Pro 13″ 2019, 1.4 GHz Intel Core i5-8257U Quad-Core”:
Single-Core Score: 4654 Points
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Multi-Core Score: 16713 Points
By looking at the two specifications above, you can see that the MacBook Pro outperforms the MacBook Air by a large margin, both in Single-Core performance and also in Multi-Core performance.
In other words, the MacBook Pro is going to be a much more powerful and faster machine.
While the MacBook Air will meet your demands in the beginning stages, the MacBook Pro is going to be a much better option as time goes on, especially considering the way that macOS has continued to evolve over-time and demands more from the CPU.
The Importance Of RAM
RAM is super important for the computer’s processing speed and power, and most people argue that 8GB is the bare minimum of what’s needed, with 16GB being much better.
For instance, my computer has 8GB of RAM, and as I’ve already mentioned, it’s not enough.
The computer can’t take more than 2-3 complicated tasks at once.
ScreenFlow, Garageband, and Google Chrome are pretty much all it can take at one time, and it even struggles to do that.
Furthermore, it’s definitely worth mentioning that Apple has made it so that nothing can be replaced in them anymore, so the purchase you make in the beginning stage will be final.
Conclusion
All-in-all, the MacBook Pro is going to be the superior option for making music, however, some of you will still want to get the MacBook Air.
In that case, just get the absolute best model available and you may get away with it in the meantime.
If you’re really in the market for a music production device, you could actually get the iPad Pro 11 with optimal specifications and that would do a lot better than a MacBook Air.
The iPads are slowly becoming a lot better as time goes on, as it seems like Apple is recognizing that mobility is the future.
For the price of an upgraded MacBook Air, you could grab the best iPad Pro 11 and you’d probably be the wiser for it.
Who would say no to a MacBook air for music production? If you are a MacBook lover in general then give me a high five because we are gonna talk all about using a MacBook air for music production!
The Best MacBook Air For Music Production Tips
Let’s be real, when it comes to appearance, super performance or brand Apple is one of the top brands in the market!
Now the real question is which Apple laptop is the best for music production?
personally, I have been using MacBook air from a few months so I will be sharing with you a brief review and things that you will find it helpful when thinking of using a MacBook air for music production.
My comparison will be between MacBook air and a regular laptop of similar price range and let’s also pick a MacBook PRO.
Why Macbook Air Rocks
Here are some benefits of using a Macbook air compared to a Non-Apple laptop: I love the fact that it is Slim and lightweight for daily travel.
Let’s appreciate the battery life: 10-11 hours battery backup on normal usage. Now if you compare them to any premium laptop Apple touchpads are awesome, smooth and responsive. Don’t you think?
Okay, the audio quality on macbook air speakers is good, but let’s be true, it’s not as loud as a MacBook Pro’s speakers. Skype call coming up? Another thing is that Apple front camera works the best in low light which is best for low light skype calls!
SSD Power: despite the low power processor apps launch very fast on a MacBook air due to SSD. I also love the metal body construction that gives it a nice finishing touch.
Mag safe charger can be very helpful if you are really careless plus you’re working on an important music production project.
The ambient light sensor that adjusts brightness automatically is a nice feature although many people are not aware of this feature!
If you happen to keep your Air closed or you just drop it somewhere idle you will find out that the battery has dropped less than 3 or 4 % even tho you checked back after 2 or 3 days.
This could be the best part: Mac OS, contains some pretty needed apps like a calendar, To-do’s app, notes, Quicktime, Mail app etc. Hassle free OS
Something that many people face with non-apple laptops is the heating issues. there are no heating issues on a MacBook air laptop.
But If you are working on really BIG and I mean BIG projects let’s be real here, MacBook air won’t be able to pull it off. In that case, I recommend the Macbook Pro for several reasons.
The Air is perfectly capable of being used as a music production device, but within the size & price range, the Pro has some luxuries that make it a better experience to work on day after day.
While the 15″ macbook pros offer even more benefits in terms of power and upgradability let’s compare them and see what you can learn from it:
Tip #1 Think of the Retina screen resolution:
Having this screen to me was worth the price difference between the Air and Pro alone, and the biggest deciding factor for me.
At 2560-by-1600 native resolution, the retina screen operates at 1680 by 1050 scaled resolution for my DAW, which allows me to see more of the workspace as compared to the current Air, which operates at 1440 by 900.
Screen real estate is very nice to have when working in Ableton – being able to see more tracks and channels helps a lot in managing projects.
A macbook air can be a great fit when we talk price here but you could get external monitors to help with the screen resolution!
Tip #2 Check which CPU and RAM specs is best for you:
The Air is a lot less powerful in terms of specs. There is a noticeable difference between a 1.6ghz Core I5 and 2.6ghz Core I5 when it comes to using VSTs and effects in my music production.
The same can be said of 4gb and 8gb ram – I would not recommend anything less than 8gb for a studio computer. No joke!
I say this because I have maxed out both before while producing. For the price of upgrading an Air from 4gb to 8gb ram, it’s more cost effective to go for the Pro, which has 8gb standard, as well as a better CPU and screen.
So think about the CPU when it comes to a mcbook air for music production. Are you willing to upgrade if yours is less than 8gb ram?
Tip #3 Don’t overlook the power of the Size, Weight and Battery life!
The advantages of the Air is its portability. It’s so lightweight that makes music production easier and on the go most of the times.
The extra hours of battery life and slightly lighter weight is nice to have over the Pro, but for a studio environment when you’ll be plugged into the wall, I find it doesnt make too much of a difference, especially when the weight difference between the two models is around half of a pound!
If you are a person that travels a lot the macbook air for music production could be the way to go.
But if you’re stuck in your studio in the long run, the Pro has by far the better price/performance out of the two.
The lightness and thinness of the Air is something to behold, but for a few hundred dollars more, I recommend making the jump to a computer that can handle a lot more of your production needs.
Macbook Air, while very good for the purpose it is designed for. It is light. efficient, portable notebook type device but if you’re a music production guy it is not really suitable for use with a very resource demanding application such as Logic Pro.
Of course, you could use it but depend on how complex your arrangements are, the number of tracks, the type of plugins or even the number of audio tracks etc.
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Have in mind you would likely soon run into it’s limitations.
Conclusion
All of them will work but finally, the decision is on your workload.
The large your projects the more powerful your setup should so you can either start with a Macbook air which is cheaper but works well for basic projects then when you see things get heavier you consider migrating to a pro that works for logic pro , cubase , Protools etc… a MacbookPro with minimum 16GB & a 4core processor is advised.
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If you can afford a MacPro or a iMac (if you want something portable skip this one) at the least … it can be a greater fit.
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There you have it, Macbook Air For Music Production Tips!
What is your pick, macbook air for music production or Macbbok Pro?
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See ya, Cosby!