Best Mac For Music And Video Production

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When choosing a Mac for music production, you have a few choices.

Best Music Program For Mac

The first thing you have to decide is if you rather have a desktop computer or a laptop.

Typically, if this is your first mac, or you don’t already have a reliable laptop, I’d recommend going for a laptop. Having the ability to bring your studio anywhere is important.

If you prefer to have a large screen when making music and don’t plan on working in too many locations, a desktop computer might be a better option for you.

Best Laptop For Music Production

Once you have made that decision, you have to choose the best model for you.

Down below are my top 5 picks for the best Macs for music production.

Tip: When writing this article, I found that most of these computers were cheapest on Amazon. I recommend comparing prices on Amazonbefore buying directly from Apple.

Mac Pro

If money is not an issue, go for a Mac Pro.

Not to be confused with the Macbook Pro, the Mac Pro is apple’s most powerful desktop computer.

Its price starts at $3000.

The Mac Pro is packed with 12GB of ram. Its processor is quad-core and is 3.76GHz.

There are 4 usb 3.0 ports and 6 thunderbolt ports. As for connecting display, you can use either the provided thunderbolt ports or the hdmi port.

The hard drive is 256GB. Don’t be alarmed by the small storage capacity (compared to the 1TB+ computers that are standard today). The hard drive is a solid state drive (SSD). This means that there are no moving parts.

Solid state hard drives are a LOT faster than normal hard drives. Doing anything, from booting up, to loading up your favorite DAW, will happen in a fraction of the time that it would with a normal hard drive.

The newest Mac Pro model is noticeably compact.

The first thing you’ll notice about the Mac Pro is how small and compact it is. It is perhaps one of the smallest powerhouse computers in the market.

You can tell that the Mac Pro was designed very well. It runs incredibly efficiently and stays cool during use.

iMac

The nice part about buying an iMac, compared to a Mac Pro, Is that the display is built-in. No additional purchases are needed to get up and running with the iMac.

There are 2 main types of iMacs you could get: The Retina and non-Retina version.

The best iMac available is the 27 inch iMac Retina display model.

The Retina iMac starts at $2000 and has a few different variations.

The baseline iMac has 8GB of ram and a 1TB hard drive. It has a nice and powerful 2GB video card as well.

For the average producer, this is more than enough power. Even if you need more power down the road, the iMac is upgradable to 32GB of RAM.

To save some money, you can buy the non-Retina version for only $1099. It still has plenty of power from its 8GB of ram, 500GB hard drive, and 1.4GHz processor.

Mac Mini

Mac Minis have gone down in price a lot over the years.

They are still an amazing performer in the studio and have quite impressive specs for their price.

The cheapest one you could get is $500. If this is all you are willing to spend, by all means go for it, but I would recommend the next option up.

The next option up is $700, BUT has twice the ram, a 1 terabyte hard drive, and a much faster 2.5GHz processor.

The Mac Mini has 4 usb 3.0 ports, 2 thunderbolt 2 ports, and also an hdmi connector if you prefer hdmi over thunderbolt.

$700 is an incredibly low entry barrier to get a Mac. Of course you also need a monitor. Apple has their own expensive displays, but if you’re on a budget, you can pick up a third party thunderbolt monitor, such as the ASUS MX279H for only a couple hundred bucks.

Overall, the Mac Mini is an excellent choice for music production.

Macbook Pro

Without a doubt, the Macbook Pro is the best laptop for music production.

Out of all of the few laptops that Apple offers, the Pro model is the most powerful. While it is not as thin as the Air, it is still a lot more portable then most other laptops in the market.

Just like the iMac, there are both Retina and non-Retina versions. The non-Retina Macbook Pro starts at $1099 while the Retina Macbook Pro starts at 1299.

The Retina Macbook Pro comes in both 13 and 15 inch variations. It has 8Gb of RAM and a 2.7Ghz processor.

There is even a 128GB SSD hard drive built-in. If you pay a little more, you can get a 256GB hard drive.

The Macbook Pro has a long-lasting battery that will last for 10 hours. (That would probably translate to roughly 6 hours of heavy audio-editing in a DAW.)

Macbook Air

I included the Macbook Air on this list because it is what I found to be the cheapest Apple Laptop that would hold up to music production.

The Macbook Air starts at $900 and goes as high as $1199.

You can get your Air in either 11 or 13 inch variations. I would recommend going with the 13 inch model. Those extra 2 inches make a big difference!

The baseline 13 inch Macbook Air will cost you $1000. It has a 1.6GHz processor and has 4GB of ram. You’ll immediately notice that the Macbook Air is really fast! This is because of the 128GB flash SSD hard drive inside.

I don’t think I even need to mention how portable the Air is. You can stick the think in an envelope if you wanted to!

Overall the Macbook Air is a dream for producing on the go! It is surprisingly powerful and inexpensive.

Summary:

So there you have it!

I hope you have learned a bit more about which mac are best for music production. If you still have a question, drop a comment down below!

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Ridiculously powerful. Seriously creative.

Live LoopsFor spontaneous composition.

Live Loops is a dynamic way to create and arrange music in real time. Kick off your composition by adding loops, samples, or your recorded performances into a grid of cells. Trigger different cells to play with your ideas without worrying about a timeline or arrangement. Once you find combinations that work well together you can create song sections, then move everything into the Tracks area to continue production and finish your song.

Remix FX

Bring DJ-style effects and transitions to an individual track or an entire mix with a collection of stutters, echoes, filters, and gating effects.

Logic Remote

Control features like Live Loops, Remix FX, and more from your iPad or iPhone using Multi-Touch gestures.

Novation Launchpad

Live Loops supports Launchpad for a tactile experience. Use an 8x8 grid of colorful and expressive pads to dynamically trigger cells, input notes, adjust mixer levels and more.

Step SequencerPure beat poetry.

Step Sequencer is inspired by classic drum machines and synthesizers. Using the Step Sequence editor, quickly build drum beats, bass lines, and melodic parts — and even automate your favorite plug-ins. Add sophisticated variations to your pattern with a wide range of creative playback behaviors. Use Note Repeat to create rolling steps, Chance to randomize step playback, and Tie Steps Together to create longer notes.

Logic RemoteTouch and flow.

Logic Remote lets you use your iPhone or iPad to control Logic Pro on your Mac. Use Multi-Touch gestures to play software instruments, mix tracks, and control features like Live Loops and Remix FX from anywhere in the room. Swipe and tap to trigger cells in Live Loops. And tilt your iPhone or iPad up and down and use its gyroscope to manipulate filters and repeaters in Remix FX.

New

Sequence your beats

Program drum patterns and melodic parts from your iPad or iPhone. Create dynamic rhythmic performances, and automate your plug-ins — all with a quick tap of your finger.

Multi-Touch mixing

Control your mix from wherever you are in the room — whether that’s next to your computer or on the couch — with Multi-Touch faders.

Pair and play

Use a variety of onscreen instruments, such as keyboards, guitars, and drum pads, to play any software instrument in Logic Pro from your iPad or iPhone.

Key commands

Create at the speed of sound with key commands in Logic Remote. Choose from curated commands for popular workflows, or create your own custom set.

Sampler

We redesigned and improved our most popular plug-in — the EXS24 Sampler — and renamed it Sampler. The new single-window design makes it easier to create and edit sampler instruments while remaining backward compatible with all EXS24 files. An expanded synthesis section with sound-shaping controls brings more depth and dynamics to your instruments. The reimagined mapping editor adds powerful, time-saving features that speed the creation of complex instruments. Use the zone waveform editor to make precise edits to sample start/end, loop ranges, and crossfades. And save hours of tedious editing with new drag-and-drop hot zones.

Quick Sampler

Quick Sampler is a fast and easy way to work with a single sample. Drag and drop an audio file from the Finder, Voice Memos, or anywhere within Logic Pro. Or record audio directly into Quick Sampler using a turntable, microphone, musical instrument, or even channel strips playing in Logic Pro. In a few steps, you can transform an individual sample into a fully playable instrument. And with Slice Mode, you can split a single sample into multiple slices — perfect for chopping up vocals or breaking up and resequencing drum loops.

Drum Synth

This powerful but easy-to-use plug-in creates synthesized drum sounds. Choose from a diverse collection of drum models and shape their sound with up to eight simple controls. Drum Synth is also directly integrated into the bottom of the Drum Machine Designer interface — giving you a focused set of sound-shaping controls.

Drum Machine Designer

Redesigned to be more intuitive and integrated, Drum Machine Designer lets you effortlessly build electronic drum kits. Apply individual effects and plug-ins on each discrete drum pad to experiment with sound design and beat-making in new ways. You can also create a unique layered sound by assigning the same trigger note to two different pads. To help you quickly edit sounds, Quick Sampler and Drum Synth are directly integrated into the Drum Machine Designer interface.

DrummerCompose to the beat of a different percussionist.

Using Drummer is like hiring a session drummer or collaborating with a highly skilled beat programmer. Create organic-sounding acoustic drum tracks or electronic beats with the intelligent technology of Drummer. Choose from dozens of drummers who each play in a different musical genre, and direct their performances using simple controls.

Compositions and PerformancesYour studio is always in session.

Logic Pro turns your Mac into a professional recording studio able to handle even the most demanding projects. Capture your compositions and performances — from tracking a live band to a solo software-instrument session — and flow them into your songs.

The ultimate way to record.

Seamless punch recording. Automatic take management. Support for pristine 24-bit/192kHz audio. Logic Pro makes it all easy to do — and undo. You can create projects with up to 1000 stereo or surround audio tracks and up to 1000 software instrument tracks, and run hundreds of plug-ins. It’s all you need to complete any project.

Get the most out of MIDI.

Logic Pro goes beyond the average sequencer with an advanced set of options that let you record, edit, and manipulate MIDI performances. Transform a loose performance into one that locks tight into the groove using region-based parameters for note velocity, timing, and dynamics. Or tighten up your MIDI performances while preserving musical details like flams or chord rolls with Smart Quantize.

Industry-leading tools

As your song develops, Logic Pro helps organize all your ideas and select the best ones. Group related tracks, audition alternate versions, and consolidate multiple tracks. Lightning-fast click-and-drag comping helps you build your best performance from multiple takes.

Smart Tempo

Best Macbook For Video Editing And Music Production

Go off-script and stay on beat with Smart Tempo, a way to effortlessly mix and match music and beats without worrying about the original tempo. Record freely without a click track. And easily combine and edit MIDI and audio tracks — from vinyl samples to live instruments to multitrack audio stems — with constant or variable tempo.

Flex Time

Quickly manipulate the timing and tempo of your recording with Flex Time. Easily move the individual beats within a waveform to correct drum, vocal, guitar, or any other kind of track without slicing and moving regions.

Flex Pitch

Edit the level and pitch of individual notes quickly and easily with Flex Pitch. Roll over any note and all parameters are available for tweaking.

Track Alternatives

Create alternate versions of a track or multiple grouped tracks, and switch between them at any time to audition different options. Create, store, and select from different edits and arrangements of track regions to make it easier to experiment with various creative ideas.

Takes and Quick Swipe Comping

Click and drag to choose the best sections of each take to create a seamless comp, complete with transition-smoothing crossfades. Save multiple comps and switch among them to pick the one you like best.

Track Stacks

Consolidate multiple related tracks into a single track. Use a Summing Stack as a quick way to create submixes. Or create layered and split instruments.

Project Alternatives

Create as many alternate versions of a project as you’d like, each with its own name and settings but sharing the same assets — efficiently saving storage space. Load any version to make changes without compromising your original.

Track Groups and VCA Faders

Manage large mixes with Track Groups and VCA faders. Assign any selection of channels to a track group, then control the levels or other parameters of all tracks in the group from any single channel in the group.

Automation

Easily capture changes to any channel strip or plug-in parameter. Just enable automation, press Play, and make your changes.

Even more pro features in the mix.