audioMIDI.com Apple Computer Recommendations
With so many Apple computers and options to choose from, it can be difficult to select a model for your music needs. Luckily, we’ve done the research for you.
Music computers should have a 7200RPM or SSD internal drive and 4GB of RAM. Because of this we do NOT recommend the Mac mini or the Mac Book.
Keep in mind that you’ll want at least one extra 7200RPM drive for audio recording. This allows the internal drive to focus on the operating system and running applications. A second drive is recommended for audio playback. If your audio interface is USB, use a FireWire drive. If your interface is FireWire, use a USB 2.0 drive; this will maximize data throughput translating to the ability to play back more simultaneous audio tracks. Internal drives can always be added in a Mac Pro.
Here are some questions to ask to help select the right Apple computer:
A. What is my budget?
B. Do I need the portability of a laptop?
C. If so, do you foresee the need for an Express Card /34 slot in the future?
D. Will a larger display speed up your work flow with the ability to see multiple screens simultaneously?
E. Do you require PCIe slots for DSP cards, audio interfaces, video cards, etc?
Listed below are models pre-configured with options best suited for music creation:
1. $1799 15” 2.53GHz MacBook Pro: Upgraded to 320GB 7200RPM drive. This is where MacBook Pros for music start.
2. $2549 17” 2.8GHz MacBook Pro: Upgraded to the 7200RPM drive for $50. The 17" model has the ExpressCard/34 slot. This allows you to use products like the UAD-2 Solo DSP cards, Apogee Symphony Systems, RME audio interfaces, and more.
3. $4049 17” 3.06GHz MacBook Pro: Fully upgraded to the 3.06GHz CPU, 8GB RAM and the 256GB SSD drive. This is only $200 more than the 15” fully upgraded and you get the larger screen and the ExpressCard/34 slot. This is the state-of-the-art portable recording computer.
4. $1199 21.5” iMac stock: Perfect for home recording right out of the box! Plenty of RAM, a 7200RPM hard drive and a beautiful 21.5" screen, wrapped up in a sleek, modern piece of art! It even comes with GarageBand! Stop trying to figure out how much it will cost you to build a Windows 7 PC plus the cost of a monitor- save money and get an iMac!
5. $1699 27” iMac stock: Twice the storage and a giant, gorgeous screen. For an extra $500 it's a tempting upgrade. The extra-large display give plenty of real estate for windows. The improvement in work flow really is worth the difference in price!
6. $2649 27” iMac with options: More powerful than an entry-level Mac Pro at the same price and you get 2TB of storage instead of just 640GB! 2.8GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i7 and 8GB RAM. A dream come trueFor the serious project studio that doesn't require PCIe slots.
7. $3299 Mac Pro 8-core stock: Perfect right out of the box. Faster than the devil on his way to a KKK meeting, plenty of RAM, plenty of 7200RPM storage and an NVIDIA GeForce GT 120 512MB video card. Pick up a 32" HD Flat screen at Costco for $399 and you've arrived!
