Hello everyone, I will be switching laptops very soon and I have one question in mind. Now I'm using my M1 Air base model for professional compositions but the RAM has given me enough trouble already. I will be switching to M2 Pro with 32 GB of RAM but I'm unsure if the M1 and M2 cracks are the same for the VST's. Are all Apple Silicon cracks the same or should I get an M1 Pro? I really appreciate any help you can provide.

 

When cracks/apps refer to "M1" or "M1 compatible", what they really mean is that it is built for the "Apple Silicon" architecture. It doesn't matter whether it's first gen or second gen. It's just an unfortunate misspelling that confuses people like you.

 

I have 32GB in my 2018 Intel MBP. I'll have to get a new MBP at some point and I have no idea how much RAM to pay for. It seems like I'm only using 16GB (I have an app that shows me how much memory I'm using). So I'm VERY curious about how much RAM you have that was giving you problems. If you can spare more info about how you use that laptop in music production, I'd like to know that too.

Many thanks in advance.

 

Thank you for the clarification buddy, I appreciate it!

 

Yeah sure, I can definitely explain it a little more. I've been using M1 Air base model (8 GB RAM, 256 GB SSD) for around two years now. Due to my workflow (a ton of Kontakt libraries which are all above 20 GB or more), the RAM can't handle it. I'm a composer, composing for films, commercials, and shows. I always need to freeze some tracks in order to continue working. Otherwise, I get the "System Overload" once in a while. And also, playing some instruments from Kontakt at once uses a TON of RAM, it also gives me problems when just playing.

Other than that, I have zero issues with my CPU whatsoever. My CPU doesn't even hit 50% usage. Obviously, the RAM is the problem in my case.

For the SSD, I have no problems with 256 GB storage. I install VST's on my internal storage and install all the libraries of the VST's on a 5 TB external HDD. My Kontakt libraries, which are over 1 TB now, also work as such. I still have over 100 GB of free space on my internal SSD after two years of everyday usage!

Hope I did explain myself a little bit better and hope this information helps you.

 

The thing with newer Apple products is that, once you pay for the device, thats it. There's no upgrade path from the specs you buy as everything is either soldered (ssd) or integrated into the actual system-on-a-chip (ram, CPU, GPU, everything else). So spending more upfront will at least make sure you get the most longevity out of your device. If you can afford the 32gb, go for that version 100% at least that way you'll have some room to grow, especially if you're already using 16. Tbh if you plan on using a lot of sample libraries like Kontakt or Omnisphere, 16gb goes out the window very very quickly (I easily can hit 17gb+ in just a handful of Kontakt+Omni instances) and going over your physical RAM limit leads something called page-swapping and that will shorten the life of the aforementioned soldered and non-replaceable SSD.

 

I second this! I use Omnisphere, Trillian, Kontakt, and Keyscape almost every day and god damn, lord have mercy on my 8 GB RAM lol. I would 100% recommend getting 32 GB's of RAM if you are planning to use these VST's.

 

Hi Curry. That's a big help. I dunno when exactly I'll order another MBP, but I'll be sure to go for 32GB or so. Thank you!

 

Glad I could help!

 

Hi DiRG, thank you for your reply. My 2018 memory and SSD is all soldered in. I haven't yet wished I had gotten more than what I ordered (32GB and 500GB), but I'll keep all this info in mind

 

I heart this damn forum!