Hi!

I currently own a self-built PC (Windows 10, 64GB DDR5, i7-13700K, 4TB M.2 NVMe) which rarely gives me any trouble. I also have a Lenovo ThinkBook 16 G6 IRL (Windows 11, 16GB DDR5, 13700H, 512GB + 2TB NVMe) for when I’m travelling and performing. However, the latter has been serving me quite a few issues; especially regarding performance and DPC-latency, which I cannot seem to put an end to, despite a lot of effort.

I’ve been contemplating exchanging the laptop for a MacBook Pro because of all the rave reviews. I’m also looking to apply to various conservatories/music schools where they all use macOS-based systems in the studios; it’s even a requirement to own an Apple laptop at one of the schools for sound design.

I’m warez-based. I get my stuff from the sister site. I’ve always installed the exact same k’ed plugins/vsts (and versions) on each of my Windows-devices, so when transferring projects, I won’t have to worry about plugins not showing up. It actually works flawlessly, and I’m quite content with it. However, I assume that won’t be the case if I joggle between two different OSs.

Is there anyone out there who is actively doing that? Using a Windows desktop at the studio and a Mac on the road, moving between projects (while using warez) without running into hiccups with missing plugins and such.

P.S. I’ve already checked the sister site’s macOS availability for my go-to plugins. There are only three or four plugins I’d miss dearly (Soundtoys — ouch).

 

Just leave everything as it is and buy a powerful Mac for your studies. Simply separate your Mac for your studies and your usual Windows for personal use. Please don't use Mac and Windows together for your studies. That will only lead to errors and stress.

 

Last edited: May 7, 2025

You're going to have lots of issues going back and forth from mac to windows. Typically the file structures and paths between OS's are wildly different and audio project files and plugins are typically going to mirror the OS's file structure it was saved/installed on.

Your best bet is to get the highest configured MacBook you can afford and use it for both home producing and on the go producing.

 

what an amazing school, I bet they also expect students to do sound jobs for free without getting paid

yea it's pain, not worth it

 

You can easily just transfer stems/multitracks when you want to take a project from one platform to the other. You might just have to alter your workflow a little bit. Also, for the plugins you have on PC not Mac, you can run Windows inside Parallels Desktop as long as the Mac has enough resources. I only really miss Soundtoys when they give us a free plugin and it isn't Decapitator.

 

Yeah, that’s also kinda the direction my mind is heading. I just have a difficult time rationalising exchanging my custom built desktop for a flat and thin laptop and expect it to run as well and hold up in the long run. Surely it is probably completely on par, but it just seems counterintuitive. A studio has to have a desktop, is my current mindset, kinda.

On another note. Is it ever logical to acquire a Mac Studio and a somewhat-similar specced MacBook Pro for such a purpose? Is it like buying the same machine twice, but the MacBook is a bit more expensive though mobile?

 

That's true. Good points!

 

i'd way rather have the desktop computer be the Mac than the laptop. It sounds like you already know this. Laptops are always more expensive than a desktop machine, or less powerful for the same money. Sometimes both.

 

Example

MacBook Pro. The all-in-one professional tool Hughes trusts to prepare burgeoning creators and producers for successful careers. Logic Pro on Mac serves as the foundation for his entire music and sound design curriculum. Students learn to record, edit, and mix all kinds of music with a pro-level sonic palette — and create pro-level portfolios to prepare for the music industry.

APPLE MacBook Pro (2024), notebook, with 14 inch display, Apple M4 chip, 16 GB RAM, 10-core GPU, 512 GB SSD, space black - €1719

 

Macbook Air M2 16/256 for around 800 bucks is the ticket for mobile device, personally I wouldn't drag Pro or anything 15" around, but YMMV.

 

that's not at all feasible
you can transfer edits if you consolidate stems,
you can't run basically anything in Parallels on Apple Silicon Macs because those virtualized Windows inside will be Windows for ARM which lacks compatibility with basically anything except beta version of Reaper

 

I guess if you are stuck using Windows for anything like that scenario, you could just use Audiogridder between the two machines. Neither platform have Soundtoys newest up-to-date versions so if that is all he would be missing he could use the Windows laptop for a doorstop. They are easy enough to substitute others with.