Hallo, I need a new computer to finish my mixes and I don´t know which one will be more than ok as difference in price is more than 1000 usd. I want to do mixes and masters in one session. Sometimes probably around 100-120 tracks. Few plugins on them and not on every track. Few buses and basic plugins on tracks like eq, compression, saturatution etc. Few Kontakt instances but not too many like for complex orchestral stuff.
I am currently on Windows with Intel i5 and 16gb RAM and with like 50 tracks all is ok until it all goes into the master with Ozone plugins.
Which one you will choose? I don´t want to do video stuff. Just audio. Mac studio or Mac mini will be enough with M4 chip and 64gb RAM?

 

if you're already looking at 64GB ram spec, then I'd definitely lean towards Mac Studio,
aside from better performance, it has better cooling and better connectivity too,

no idea where you got price difference being 1000 bucks, it's merely 600$ difference between:
14-core M4 Pro Mac Mini with 64GB/1TB and 10Gbe network
16-core M4 Max Mac Studio with 64GB/1TB,

if you want to save up some money, then base model Mac Studio (36GB/512GB) is probably best value,
or you may look at used market, for audio work you might find older M2 Max Mac Studio which probably won't make that huge difference

 

Thanks for reply. In my country the Mac Studio M4 cost 3600usd, Mac Mini around 2600usd. This is big difference for me living in Czech Republic with current prices/job payment. I would like to get a new machine too with guarancy and M4 model is more electricity sufficient. I don´t know if cooling is big problem for audio production among this two models and don´t know if 36gb RAM will be enough when 16gb on Windows isn´t.

 

you're comparing wrong specs then, here's what I mean:

 

I am just fine with 512gb hard disc. Just now I have 256gb and I am still fine with it when I got extrernal 2tb ssd

 

You will be great with either machine, if you can afford it go studio. Either will make your current system seem like a Nokia flip phone compared to an iPhone...
Just sayin...

 

M4 with 32Gb should be enough

 

Your question sounds awfully familiar. I remember someone with 666 in their username asking a similar question 2-3 months ago - was that you? Or is there also an Audiophile666 on Facebook perhaps?

Regardless, the answer is still the same, but I'll put it more succinctly: buy the best spec'ed Mac you can afford (and don't cheapen out on the Apple Care+ or whatever it's called in your country) - specs mean RAM but also SSD size (the bigger, or roomier, the faster).

Good luck to you.

 

lol, if I can change my nick now Ill do it. I do always struggle with nicknames. Next time Ill nick myself as my real name is probably. And no, I am asking this for the first time. Thanks for reply! I did not know that bigger ssd make the machine run faster.

 

I wouldn't go with the Base M4.
It just has 4 Performance cores.
Go minimum with the M4 Pro or switch to a AMD PC.
I dont know where all the good ratings come from.
I have a m1 Pro actually for testing and reaching 95% cpu with 40 tracks.

 

What you got on those 40 tracks? I see on my projects that cpu is not really problem as RAM on i5 laptop running 4 neural dps plugins, various other vst´s and one kontakt library at 512-1024 bitrate

 

Last edited: Mar 12, 2025 at 7:17 PM

Around 15x sylenth1
2x Nexus
The rest samples
And then the mixing plugins.
For example Arts acoustic reverb or Fabfilter stuff.
On the master also 8 plugins for master chain.
Project can't be played anymore.

Daw is FL studio which can use all cores from a M cpu

But imagine you buy m4 and throw some Acustica audio or other cpu intense stuff on the project.
I know that some plugins eat more cpu then other plugins. But if you like your plugins and really want to use them and you can't. This will be sad.

 

I am deciding whether to go with a Studio (base model) or Mini, but when maybe having to add a TB hub for more connectivity, Mini winds up as or more expensive. Even w/o hub Mini is not much less. My 2012 Mini is still going strong but after 14 years, I'm totally out of the loop in terms of the new usb specs and it's different cables and what adapters I'd need for all my usb cables.

TB and what it advatages are I'm clueless. At the time, I was scratching my head when I found out the minidisplay connector was the same as a TB connector, but I was only using it to connect to a monitor I used the HDMI port for my second monitor.

As far as connectivity on the new Mini's, do I need a TB port, and it's speed I presume, for extra usb ports or would just plugging all my shit....controllers, audio interface, external sample/content drives. into a simple usb hub and expect no bottlenecks.

 

Last edited: Mar 12, 2025 at 4:44 PM

Would be interesting to try cracked and legit plugins and daw too. I have only few legit plugins personally but thinking about spending some more money and get it legit. May also affect the performance.

 

Good way to go
I also wanted to go the legit way.
Less Plugins = more Creativity
FL For Example you can get 180 Day keys (Legit on Ebay)
Sylenth1 = Rent 2 Own (9€ per month)

There are good ways to go legit these days

 

You have a maxed out M4 because your workflow is lunacy. You are trying to cram your Production, Mixing, Mastering all into one FL!! session. You are "using plugins because you like them and want to use them", instead of using plugins when you need to use them. You are using a DAW that has its origins in sampling, resampling; but then instead leaving all your samples unprocessed and throwing more plugin load at the CPU to fix them inside your session. You are running mixing plugins on un-bounced virtual instruments. You are doing production with mastering plugins on your master channel. You are talking about using some heavy reverb plugins, with no mention of using any of all these plugins on sends and buses.

 

Some heavy words here.
Sure, i want to have the "Luxus" to make everything in one project.
The Genre is Hardstyle --) 4-8 Layers of a VST can make one "Lead"
The Kick alone can be routed through 20 Plugins

What i want to say is: when the OP wants to mix 120 Tracks, and i have something around 50 on a M1 Pro, then the M4 Base can be a bit weak.
Also Ableton for example Can´t use all Cores of the M Chip.
So he stucks with 4 Cores Base M4 at brandnew 2024 Apple Computer.

Thats the video which can explain a lot