The new macbook has dropped SPDIF support.
For me it means macbook is now a no-go computer for music. I was using the optical out to test some stuff on windows via bootcamp. Since bootcamp does not provide any drivers for the macbook ports under windows (thunderbolt especially but USB-C alike), SPDIF was the only option there. Now that they scrapped it, it's the end for me and Apple's future computers...

Also, here is what Eric Persing of Spectrasonics , one of the leading developpers of pro virtual instruments in the audio world, and not exactly prone to tantrums, posted on his FB :
"APPLE HAS COMPLETELY LOST IT. I am absolutely FURIOUS about this news! This is literally a feature that our entire team at Spectrasonics utilizes EVERY DAY, dozens of times a day! The removal of optical out is INSANE! In our world of audio, this is a feature that made MacBook Pros truly a mobile/professional audio machine! Native core audio with simple digital audio output is one of the essential reasons that these laptops have always been the best for audio and music. NOW THEY'VE TAKEN IT AWAY SO THEY SAVE A PENNY!
I hate you apple! (Never thought I'd every say that)"

http://www.macrumors.com/2016/11/04/new-macbook-pro-models-lack-optical-audio-out/

 

I'd have a close look at hardware news, probably a usb-connected "Pro Audio iBox" is coming soon, offering optical out for just a few hundred $

 

well the SPDIF out (toslink) does not rely on the operating system, it's like an analog jack, but digital.

Any other port, thunderbolt, usb-c requires drivers and operating system compatibility.

If you buy a dongle it will require drivers/OS compatibility.

So all audio developers, mixers, engineers, amateurs who run both OS X and Windows on their mac would require the dongle to be recognized by Windows. Even 2015 macbooks already have thunderbolt 2 ports that can't be used under windows... So your iBox or dongle usb-c won't be recognized by windows. SPDIF was of course....
Any audio interface which has optical in could be used without drivers and official compatibility.
Now macbooks have a LED touchbar but things you can connect to it/support have dropped by thousands...

 

Last edited: Nov 5, 2016

Just one word: Ouch!

 

let me also say, for mixing, SPDIF is very efficient (no driver, no audio interface app to run in background, nothing to install)

USB/thunderbolt needs at least a process/compatibility

anyway even if most users don't use it, I think it's very very bad that Apple did this to spare $10

 

I have no knowledge of any PC laptop offering toslink jack anymore (besides macs) after HDMI was introduced.

However...

 

Last edited by a moderator: Nov 5, 2016

Everything doesn't have to be made for "creatives"... they are entitled to make things for profit too.

 

Everybody was expecting that Apple would eventually drop their support for pro audio.
They are like a ship with no captain aboard, lack of vision and direction.
A phone and watch company they have become only serving the interest of shareholders who want more and more money. Very sad and disappointing indeed.

 

apple cares about generating value for themselves, why would they care about us?

I was kind of happy that new macbooks came out, hoping the old ones will get cheaper.

No, it does not happen, the new ones are simply more expensive the price for 2015 (2014 in fact with forcytouchypaddy) macbooks stays the same

still have to figure out how to block apple updates on my router

 

I don't really care much about PC and low-end computers in general except for the sake of competition and price.
Macbooks have always had the best screens, the best SSDs, the best overall integration, and in my opinion, the best OS.
Also the best compatibility since you could use both OSX and win. I suppose for developers like Spectrasonics who want to test their stuff both on win and OSX, they need a mac which can run both...

PCs don't have a toslink jack anymore for long but all recent pro audio interfaces do...

 

what a shame…!
#applemyass

 

@ShadowOfTheZ From where I stand, the things are simple: if the advantages according to your own preferences (the best screens, the best SSDs, the best overall integration, and in my opinion, the best OS.) overcome the minuses (lack of xxx ports) and there is no hardware on the market that works better for you, then staying with macbook pro is the natural solution. When the situation reverses, it's only natural that you should search for a better alternative for you.

As for the Spectrasonics guy: there's no audio soundcard (with optical spdif on board) in this world that can't be connected via usb or firewire. The trend these days is for everyone to complain of "what Apple did" including half of them out of macrumors forum who don't even own or plan to own a mac.

 

That's what happens when designers get to take decisions about product specs.

This is no more in the tradition of Steve Jobs who said:
"Design is not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works."

Looking at the latest product lines, this principle seems obsolete.

 

Last edited: Nov 5, 2016

1. Yes, Apple has no clue. My MBP just had its 4th birthday, the Mac Pro will be a teenager in about one year.
In the past I have bought a new machine about every 2 or 3 years or so. But when I felt it was time for a new Mac Pro there was only the dust bin, and when it was time for a new laptop there was the retina MBP. A nice machine, but without any upgrade path for memory and mass storage. If you bit the bullet and bought their way overpriced BTO extensions, still a very useable machine. After it's introduction Apple felt their design was so great that there was no need to update it in any serious way, they continued using old processors and some slow SSDs.
But they still managed to keep a loyal pro user base: software developers, that liked OSX as "Unix with a GUI" and media freelancers that needed commercial software but lacking support of a company's helpdesk wanted to avoid Windows. Beside others.

All those pros have been in "Don't replace your old laptop now, there will be an update soon"-mode since at least 2014. Ready to spend a lot of cash. Only to see that it got worse now.

I've jumped the boat earlier this year, I was tired of waiting for what I increasingly expected to be a thin gadget. I bought an used Mid-2012 MBP with HiRez non-glossy display, 16GB of memory modules and a Terabyte SSD. Cheap, pro-grade. And seeing today what touchbar-thingy I would have been waiting for, no regrets.

Which leads me to this loosely-related question:

2. I just discovered that now-gone S/PDIF optical out 2 weeks ago and it perfectly fits my headphone amp because that amp provides no analog input.
And if I understand correctly optical out can also provide a 5.1 signal.
I'm a complete noob and have never mixed anything than stereo, but would like to start exploring surround sound with Cubase.
Tried to set up Cubase -> S/PDIF, but didn't work like expected.

Any idea/advice/link how to do it right?

tia

timer

 

While I'm at it, an additional Apple rant:

My minimal live setup is an iPhone connected via Bluetooth with a Korg Microkey Air. Fits into a small bag and sounds decent for that application.
This wouldn't work anymore with an iPhone 7, because you can't charge it and use its audio out at the same time without additional hardware.

Maybe I just should quit all that digital stuff and start to learn playing piano.
In the past electronic music used to be cool and experimental, but what to to if all the tools are owned by morons.

Rant over.

No problem. I will use the tools I have, I don't need an update.
If I can't do it on a 2012 computer I can't do it at all, it's not about the gear, it's about me, knowledge and creativity.
But if you still want to sell me some gear: good luck!

 

Personally, I went back to working with 10.6.8 this past two weeks on my old MacPro.
Completely got rid of all those heavy CPU plugins I was using and kept the ones that I really care for that are stable and useful.
I noticed how snappy and responsive 10.6.8 was and got off the urge and compulsion of upgrades to concentrate on doing music instead of loosing my time with sorting out incompatibilities between software and OS upgrades.
Been so occupied doing upgrades lately that I forgot to do music in the process always wanting that new thing coming out.
It's been a liberating experience and I strongly recommend it.
Let's work with what we have, be content and use it to the fullest...

 

I get your point, but Snow Leo is no option for me anymore since I'm on Cubase 8.5, stable with Craptain.
Yesterday I set up my old C2D Macbook with Windows XP to convert old tracks from Atari and Cubase VST times.
It works fine, but being completely unsafe it will never see the internet.

Seems like Apple does not like pros, because they know too much.
They think before they buy.

OTOH my current audio/music production setup is good enough for anything I can imagine to to within the next few years.
If it doesn't work -> it's me!
Seriously: I would go offline anytime, using a phone or tablet for the web and concentrate on real people being here.
You don't need all that online stuff, ask later for details, please!

Apple used to build great hardware, even the 1985 Macintosh a friend gave me is still working.

 

I wrote a full article, some times ago, about Apple and professionals on this forum. And why i dropped my hackintosh for Win 7 ;)

Things are going worse and worse for ONE simple reason : once upon a time, Apple was a computer system maker. Hardware AND software.
Now, Apple sells computers as iPhone accessories...that's all you need to understand.

Computers are second behind iDevices (TV,phone,tablet) AND associated content (softs,films, music...).

"Think different" was good when only a few ppl got one. Professionals were the elite, pushing ppl to buy very expansive computers.
Now it is "think mainstream", like iDevices.
Apple don't give a f*ck about professional/power users anymore. Because those ppl NOW represent very few of their computer sales compared to mainstream ones.

One day (soon), they will kill FinalCut and merge it with iMovie.
The day after, they will kill Logic and merge it with GarageBand.
And so they will make mainstream ppl think they can produce the same quality, but faster and easier...
They already done that with Aperture.

I don't even speak about yearly updates, breaking professional software and hardware...every year. Because when you buy a new computer, you get the last version. And you can't downgrade in most situations.
I could speak about Mac Pro loosing their second internal HDD slot, used by a lot of ppl "on the go", to avoid external HDD.

And probably a lot more. It is not a matter of Apple bashing, it is a matter of awakening ppl and telling them the big plan : elite > mainstream.

 

Apple has left the "pro" world long long time ago...... In fact, I don't understand why people still buy Apple stuff....