MacBook Pro SSD Retina is it worth for Production?

[sw84244]

I decided to go with a new 11.6" MBA again, but with much better performance. I have some preferred models, which are close from the price point .. what would you recommend?

1) 2013 Model, Core i5 1.3 GHz, 8GB, 256 SSD, 950 EUR
2) 2012 Model, Core i5 1.7 GHz, 8GB, 128 SSD, 850 EUR
3) 2012 Model, Core i5 1.8 GHz, 8GB, 128 SSD, 900 EUR
4) 2012 Model, Core i7 2.0 GHz, 8GB, 128 SSD, 1.000 EUR

Based on what I have learned from the last couple of days, CPU power is one of the most important criteria. Therefore, my favorite is number 4) right now. It's an 2012 Model but with an i7 and 2.0GHz. RAM is almost the same for all models and the SSD is fine as I could go with an external USB 3.0 SSD on top.

What do you think?

[niknok]

Are you serious about production??? On an 11" mba??
Keep your old mba for on-the-move stuff and get a mac mini for home/production. 2.3 quadcore, 1tb ssd for 799. Buy a decent sized monitor and still get change from your $1000 plus a brand new machine with full warranty etc. if you're planning on the usb3 ssd you can just use that on the mini then hook it up to your current mba.

[sw84244]

Of course, I will use an external screen .. 24" or 27" ..
But I need the flexibility and mobility when visiting the studio of a friend e.g.
On top, if I work with mini, all my data progs, samples, are on the mini and I don't want to have two system.

[niknok]

get what you've already decided and be happy.

at least I'd spend $200 more and get a new macbook pro 13 - more than 2x the power, 500gb hard drive, cheap customizable RAM and warranty that you can extend to 3 years, good resale value too. If you're looking at used mba with no warranty then $1000 isn't a good deal I think. Check geekbench and see how they compare for the money. By the time you add your external hard drive and power supply mba plus drive will probably be heavier than a 13 mbp.

[makar1]

The 13" Pro does not have anywhere near twice the power of the Air. Also, I wouldn't waste money on an Ivy Bridge based laptop given the huge battery gains that come with Haswell.

http://www.primatelabs.com/blog/2013...ro-benchmarks/

[TCMuc]

[QUOTE=sw84244;658344
1) how reasonable is it from the port connections point of view to go with a MBP instead of a MBA?
2) why do I mainly see the MBP's on the stage while the MBA can do the same things?[/QUOTE]

1) Like someone already said, just get a hub and you'll be fine. You'll probably be needing more than two ports anyway (e.g. Interface + Maschine + Push)

2) Because the MBA can't do the same things. MBP vs. MBA is basically like a Formula 1 race car vs. a Porsche. A Porsche is a nice and fast car, but doesn't stand a chance vs. the F1 car.

I'd recommend getting a non-retina macbook pro and upgrading it to 16gb for a lot cheaper then the retina counterpart. You can also have dual drives so you can have a SSD + HDD. I'll be adding a 480gb ssd in the coming months to my machine. I currently have a 1tb hdd so I'll have plenty of space and 16gb of ram.

+1

Do you see any BIG disadvantages on the 11.6" MBA beside of the missing Retina display

The missing retina display isn't a disadvantage when it comes to music production.

The disadvantages of the MBA are CPU power, RAM, harddisc space and screen size. Which is basically everything that matters for music production.

I decided to go with a new 11.6" MBA again, but with much better performance. I have some preferred models, which are close from the price point .. what would you recommend?

1) 2013 Model, Core i5 1.3 GHz, 8GB, 256 SSD, 950 EUR
2) 2012 Model, Core i5 1.7 GHz, 8GB, 128 SSD, 850 EUR
3) 2012 Model, Core i5 1.8 GHz, 8GB, 128 SSD, 900 EUR
4) 2012 Model, Core i7 2.0 GHz, 8GB, 128 SSD, 1.000 EUR

Based on what I have learned from the last couple of days, CPU power is one of the most important criteria. Therefore, my favorite is number 4) right now. It's an 2012 Model but with an i7 and 2.0GHz. RAM is almost the same for all models and the SSD is fine as I could go with an external USB 3.0 SSD on top.

What do you think?

I think you should take none of them...

The CPU of the fastest model is still a lot slower than the minimal CPU of the smallest MBP.

A MBA is a nice computer if mobility is very important for you and if you only need to do 'light' work, e.g. office work or web browsing. It's meant to be used for stuff like music production. The MBPs are called "pro" for a reason.

You should also get at least a 500GB harddisc. Sample libraries and sample based instruments like NI's kontakt instruments need a lot of disc space. I don't know if a external SSD makes that much sense, even if it's usb 3.0.

Also, the biggest advantage of the MBA is portability. Combining a MBA with an external hd is like getting a sportscar, then use it to tow a trailer...


I'd suggest you try getting a refurbished non-retina MBP 15" with as much RAM, CPU and harddisk size as possible. You can also switch the superdrive for a SSD drive.
If you don't need a portable solution you could also consider getting an iMac, which is much better for production than any laptop.

You may need to save up for these options a little longer, but I'm quite sure you would not regret it.

[makar1]

The CPU of the fastest model is still a lot slower than the minimal CPU of the smallest MBP.

Nope. The 2012 i7 Air comes out on top of the base 13" Pro.

http://www.macrumors.com/2012/06/18/...-pro-by-10-15/

Air: http://www.cpubenchmark.net/cpu.php?...0U+%40+1.70GHz

Pro: http://www.cpubenchmark.net/cpu.php?...0M+%40+2.50GHz

[TCMuc]

Nope. The 2012 i7 Air comes out on top of the base 13" Pro.

Allright, my bad.


Still, getting a MBP with maxed out specs makes much more sense for music production than even the fastest MBA with 11" screen and 128GB SSD, imho.

[sw84244]

Thanks a lot for all your comments. Honestly .. I am struggling again. I do see all your points .. and obviously they are all more than fair. I will take some more days to make my decision.

[deevey]

Thanks a lot for all your comments. Honestly .. I am struggling again. I do see all your points .. and obviously they are all more than fair. I will take some more days to make my decision.

I think you have to seriously consider which is more important to you, longevity and power or size.

Bottom line is that with either 13' 11' 15' you are paying for what you get, no more, no less.

With the 11' you lose the High Res Display, which maybe not a deal breaker now, but in 3 or 4 years it'll be antiquated.

With the 13' retina, sure its heavier and 1 inch all round bigger, but is designed for high CPU tasks like audio and video production.

Honestly I would not touch a 128 HDD, regardless of which computer you choose its very easy to fill up with day to day stuff and will require constant monitoring/backing up to check you aren't running out of space, again, I'dgo with a bare minimum of 256 if this is going to be your Main Machine.

I would NOT recommend a non-retina 13' (I have one) and the screen is really starting to show its age with everything from HD movies to websites, I can't imagine how it would feel in a year or two. Sure its upgradeable to a point, but the processor and GPU are year+ old technology and cannot be upgraded - pointless purchase IMHO. Once you are finished upgrading to an SSD / Ram you are going to be hitting the 1.4k mark anyhow and still lacking a higher res display.

Any reason you did not mention a 13' Air ? There has been a few popping up on the mac Refurb Shop for around $1299 with the i7/256/8gb..... Theres one at the Moment with an i7/512/8gb for $1550 which is not a bad deal considering the price of SSD.

The 11' is a tidy little machine, has enough Power to run the majority of Applications out there pretty well ... but then again my Lenovo s10 ran Traktor pretty well too. But i would not consider using it as my "DJ" machine just because it worked - it simply was not comfortable in day to day use.

You've already used an 11' for day to day work, so I'm guessing you already convinced yourself that it's "just what you need". Well trust me when I say when you try a 13' retina for a few days you will seriously be wondering how the hell you managed to work on an 11' ever before.