iMac Pro iMac pro - Adobe CC apps!

[kingjames1970]

Ok, just got my iMac Pro (10 core, 64GB Ram, Vega 64) and thought the point I'm making below could do with a new thread.

Although I had justified the cost with all the Final Cut Pro X I'll be doing, I'll be honest and admit I wasn't 100% sure how well Illustrator, Photoshop and InDesign would run and they are my main income source. So before doing anything else, I had to do some 'unscientific' testing but tests that would mean something to the way I work.

I currently use a full spec 15" 2016 MBP with a LG 5K and a 2013 i7 iMac. There are some files that I have really struggled with - some illustrations with many complex paths, shadings and meshes. They would take a while to load up properly, especially when changing zoom levels - not anymore - wow!

But the killer for me is an InDesign file of an exhibition I did that includes many of those Illustrator files, along with photographs and text. I have a spread that is 8 pages wide (each page is 10005mm x 1960 mm) that I always worked in 'typical display' with as it was impossible to view in high quality display - it would even take about a minute to change view options with scrolling impossible and I'd need to make a PDF to view at a decent resolution. This iMac Pro acts like it is scrolling though my address book, it is that smooth!! I'm completely taken aback by how amazing it is.

Still got to dive into Photoshop but I went for the most challenging files first. I really didn't expect performance of this magnitude so I'm obviously delighted!

I have to say, don't listen to the naysayers who go on about how this machine is overkill for graphic design. It might be for a lot of files/use cases but I've now got the ability to do work that I simply couldn't do in an optimal way before and will save a lot of time. I tried to trip the machine up with extreme files and it passed with flying colours. I'll no longer be dreading editing some files and that is worth a lot too!

There's been so much negativity on this forum about cost etc, if you can justify in time-savings, tax or whatever - you'll know yourself. Well done Apple, not been so excited about the possibilities of a new Mac ever really

 

[Bryan Bowler]

Wow, thank you for providing this feedback! This is exciting to hear!! I can't wait to hear more as time goes on. It's very hard for me to wait, but I'm holding out for at least two months to see this beast of a machine can really do before placing an order. Please keep your observations coming!

 

[kingjames1970]

Wow, thank you for providing this feedback! This is exciting to hear!! I can't wait to hear more as time goes on. It's very hard for me to wait, but I'm holding out for at least two months to see this beast of a machine can really do before placing an order. Please keep your observations coming!

No problem, just trying out Logic Pro X quickly. I don't push it too hard but it's also passed with absolutely flying colours! Very rough guess 4X faster than my MBP at sharing a song to iTunes. The speakers on this thing are also amazingly loud.

(Been trying to find an app that will allow me to turn off my attached LG 5K without pulling out the lead. No luck so far. Hope somebody somewhere has a workable solution as it is a pain.)

 

[ejb60]

This is more like the reviews I have been wating for. I spend 4-6 hrs a day working with InDesign-Photoshop-Illustrator. It seems that most reviews are concerned with frame rates and encoding/conversion speed. I think the silent majority are more concerned with the day to day user experience. Thank you and keep it up.

 

[kingjames1970]

This is so much fun! Lightroom Classic (CC 2017). Launches in about one second. Swapped to a catalogue with 210 x 20.9 megapixel RAW images and showed perfect thumbnails in under 2 secs. Can only see any pixellation in previews for a tiny fraction of a second but only if skimming really really quickly. Zooming in and out is buttery smooth.

Imported 77 RAW files from Sandisk Extreme Pro Micro SD from the iMac Pro SD card slot. Finished and built previews etc in under 30 secs.

I know I'm not pushing it to its limit in any sense but again, is real life for me.

 

[phobos]

Very nice to hear that it performs well with CC apps.
I was fearing that the performance there would suffer since the retina iMacs have a lot of issues with slowness and CC apps. Very good to hear that all works fine!

Can't wait to get mine!

 

[Miss_Mac]

Thank you for sharing your research. I am not in the market for one of these, but I am a design fan and am happy to hear how wonderfully the iMac Pro works using the Adobe CC apps.

Looking forward to reading more. Congrats on your new bit of kit.

 

[kingjames1970]

I don't have any huge or complex Photoshop files, there's not even any point trying mine as it will be done so quickly. If anybody wants to send me a PS file and to try specific things, let me know. Otherwise I've got a mate who has files with over 200 layers (yes, I've told him too!) and I'll try some of his out soon when I see him.

 

[farslan]

This is so much fun! Lightroom Classic (CC 2017). Launches in about one second. Swapped to a catalogue with 210 x 20.9 megapixel RAW images and showed perfect thumbnails in under 2 secs. Can only see any pixellation in previews for a tiny fraction of a second but only if skimming really really quickly. Zooming in and out is buttery smooth.

Imported 77 RAW files from Sandisk Extreme Pro Micro SD from the iMac Pro SD card slot. Finished and built previews etc in under 30 secs.

I know I'm not pushing it to its limit in any sense but again, is real life for me.

Wow. This is indeed great. I have the same configuration and looking forward to use it. Thanks for writing. Actually this justifies my purchase becasue things like this was the number one choice I’ve opted in to get the iMac Pro.

 

[Bryan Bowler]

I'm looking forward to seeing how well Capture One performs with the new iMac Pro as well as bulk processing of thousands of 50+ megapixel Canon 5DsR files. (I can't wait to read more from Vincent Laforet when he posts more.).

When it comes to software usage, on the photography side of things I primarily use Photo Mechanic, Capture One Pro, PTGui, Aurora HDR, and Affinity Photo. I try to avoid Adobe products as much as possible (personal choice). I also bulk process timelapse sequences with up to two Canon 5DsR cameras.

On the video side of things, I routinely multicam in FCPX with up to three Canon 1D X Mark II cameras shooting in 4K at 60 fps. On rare occasion, I have edited with 8K RED footage when collaborating with others. And as mentioned above, I cut and edit large file timelapse sequences.

I can't wait to hear what other's experiences are!

 

[mossback]

This is indeed great to hear. I'll be using my machine extensively with Premiere, Media Encoder, Audition and Photoshop and a review like this is heartening. Hopefully Adobe does anything and everything possible to allow the entire CC suite to take full advantage of these incredible machines.

I probably won't have mine until mid January, so in the meanwhile, if anyone some work with an extensive Premiere timeline and complex encoding I'd love to hear your thoughts!

 

[bxs]

Ok, just got my iMac Pro (10 core, 64GB Ram, Vega 64) and thought the point I'm making below could do with a new thread.

Although I had justified the cost with all the Final Cut Pro X I'll be doing, I'll be honest and admit I wasn't 100% sure how well Illustrator, Photoshop and InDesign would run and they are my main income source. So before doing anything else, I had to do some 'unscientific' testing but tests that would mean something to the way I work.

I currently use a full spec 15" 2016 MBP with a LG 5K and a 2013 i7 iMac. There are some files that I have really struggled with - some illustrations with many complex paths, shadings and meshes. They would take a while to load up properly, especially when changing zoom levels - not anymore - wow!

But the killer for me is an InDesign file of an exhibition I did that includes many of those Illustrator files, along with photographs and text. I have a spread that is 8 pages wide (each page is 10005mm x 1960 mm) that I always worked in 'typical display' with as it was impossible to view in high quality display - it would even take about a minute to change view options with scrolling impossible and I'd need to make a PDF to view at a decent resolution. This iMac Pro acts like it is scrolling though my address book, it is that smooth!! I'm completely taken aback by how amazing it is.

Still got to dive into Photoshop but I went for the most challenging files first. I really didn't expect performance of this magnitude so I'm obviously delighted!

I have to say, don't listen to the naysayers who go on about how this machine is overkill for graphic design. It might be for a lot of files/use cases but I've now got the ability to do work that I simply couldn't do in an optimal way before and will save a lot of time. I tried to trip the machine up with extreme files and it passed with flying colours. I'll no longer be dreading editing some files and that is worth a lot too!

There's been so much negativity on this forum about cost etc, if you can justify in time-savings, tax or whatever - you'll know yourself. Well done Apple, not been so excited about the possibilities of a new Mac ever really

Thanks for reporting your findings. Very much appreciated. I have the 10core/128GB RAM/1TB SSD/Vega 64 on order and Adobe CC is used in our office primarily.... along with other stuff. We have 3x MP6,1 workhorses and even though we get our work done these machines are showing their age somewhat, and they've behaved well for almost 4 years now without a single hardware issue. I'm hoping the new iMac Pro will live up to the reliability of our MP6,1 over a 5 yr stretch.

Thanks agin for taking the time to report your findings.

 

[Rockadile]

Ok, just got my iMac Pro (10 core, 64GB Ram, Vega 64) and thought the point I'm making below could do with a new thread.

Although I had justified the cost with all the Final Cut Pro X I'll be doing, I'll be honest and admit I wasn't 100% sure how well Illustrator, Photoshop and InDesign would run and they are my main income source. So before doing anything else, I had to do some 'unscientific' testing but tests that would mean something to the way I work.

I currently use a full spec 15" 2016 MBP with a LG 5K and a 2013 i7 iMac. There are some files that I have really struggled with - some illustrations with many complex paths, shadings and meshes. They would take a while to load up properly, especially when changing zoom levels - not anymore - wow!

But the killer for me is an InDesign file of an exhibition I did that includes many of those Illustrator files, along with photographs and text. I have a spread that is 8 pages wide (each page is 10005mm x 1960 mm) that I always worked in 'typical display' with as it was impossible to view in high quality display - it would even take about a minute to change view options with scrolling impossible and I'd need to make a PDF to view at a decent resolution. This iMac Pro acts like it is scrolling though my address book, it is that smooth!! I'm completely taken aback by how amazing it is.

Still got to dive into Photoshop but I went for the most challenging files first. I really didn't expect performance of this magnitude so I'm obviously delighted!

I have to say, don't listen to the naysayers who go on about how this machine is overkill for graphic design. It might be for a lot of files/use cases but I've now got the ability to do work that I simply couldn't do in an optimal way before and will save a lot of time. I tried to trip the machine up with extreme files and it passed with flying colours. I'll no longer be dreading editing some files and that is worth a lot too!

There's been so much negativity on this forum about cost etc, if you can justify in time-savings, tax or whatever - you'll know yourself. Well done Apple, not been so excited about the possibilities of a new Mac ever really

How come you didn't get a Mac Pro years ago instead?
It seems like the appropriate computer for you instead of a quad-core all in one and laptop powering a 5k.

 

[kingjames1970]

Because I only went freelance a few years ago and only just started with video in the last 6 months and now need the extra oomph. I deliberately picked my most difficult ‘design’ files as a worthwhile test. The MBP is fine a lot of the time although Apple did show it driving two 5K screens at launch so rather over-sold it imho.

 

[pajako]

I ordered the same config and come from the same set and it is so good to hear it is working this good. Cannot wait to test it myself, will take 1-2 weeks unfortunately. Good things always come at a pace

And as an answer to a few posts back: why I chose a MacBook Pro first: I started using a MBPro late 2014 when I got into a project where I had to work on away locations. Transporting iMacs was no big fun. I updated my late 2014 when the 2016 tb came out and in the mean time I started working freelance. In the end I work 90-95% from my homestudio so having a superfast workhorse like the iMac Pro promised to be -and as I read is- I chose to take that path. Needless to say my business went well enough to justify the investment(s).

 

[kingjames1970]

I ordered the same config and come from the same set and it is so good to hear it is working this good. Cannot wait to test it myself, will take 1-2 weeks unfortunately. Good things always come at a pace

And as an answer to a few posts back: why I chose a MacBook Pro first: I started using a MBPro late 2014 when I got into a project where I had to work on away locations. Transporting iMacs was no big fun. I updated my late 2014 when the 2016 tb came out and in the mean time I started working freelance. In the end I work 90-95% from my homestudio so having a superfast workhorse like the iMac Pro promised to be -and as I read is- I chose to take that path. Needless to say my business went well enough to justify the investment(s).

Cool. I've been a Mac user since 89 at college and have worked them ever since - going through LC's, variety of PowerBooks, PowerMacs, G3's, MacBooks, Mac Pros etc. through work and at home. (Only used a PC once for a year in a job - needless to say, it was a huge pain in the proverbial. Especially with getting accurate colour.)

At the moment, I don't think I've ever noticed such a jump in performance with a new machine. Maybe 2017 iMac users won't feel it as much and everybody else's use case will be different but nothing feels like a chore anymore. I'm going to try some Neat Video (noise reduction) on some 4K footage later - that's the big reason I got this. My MBP would just freak out. I've got a project to do in Jan and need to get things done quite quickly and is the complete justification for this purchase as it will pay for itself within the month.

 

[teohyc]

I have to say, don't listen to the naysayers who go on about how this machine is overkill for graphic design. It might be for a lot of files/use cases but I've now got the ability to do work that I simply couldn't do in an optimal way before and will save a lot of time. I tried to trip the machine up with extreme files and it passed with flying colours. I'll no longer be dreading editing some files and that is worth a lot too!

There's been so much negativity on this forum about cost etc, if you can justify in time-savings, tax or whatever - you'll know yourself. Well done Apple, not been so excited about the possibilities of a new Mac ever really

The question is whether the iMac Pro has significant performance advantage over the top end iMac for doing the type of work you do.

 

[pajako]

Cool. I've been a Mac user since 89 at college and have worked them ever since - going through LC's, variety of PowerBooks, PowerMacs, G3's, MacBooks, Mac Pros etc. through work and at home. (Only used a PC once for a year in a job - needless to say, it was a huge pain in the proverbial. Especially with getting accurate colour.)

At the moment, I don't think I've ever noticed such a jump in performance with a new machine. Maybe 2017 iMac users won't feel it as much and everybody else's use case will be different but nothing feels like a chore anymore. I'm going to try some Neat Video (noise reduction) on some 4K footage later - that's the big reason I got this. My MBP would just freak out. I've got a project to do in Jan and need to get things done quite quickly and is the complete justification for this purchase as it will pay for itself within the month.

Same Mac-career for me, in college the Classics (essentially the iMac Pro then got just replaced my the lc’s which I later bought myself and since pretty much followed the Apple model-line. Even interupted by a clone. Really looki g forward to feel the iMac Pro myself!
[doublepost=1514480335][/doublepost]

The question is whether the iMac Pro has significant performance advantage over the top end iMac for doing the type of work you do.

For one thing: it surely has the spacegray reality field distuptor

 

[kingjames1970]

The question is whether the iMac Pro has significant performance advantage over the top end iMac for doing the type of work you do.

No it isn't. The supposition was I got the iMac Pro for FCP X, and would I get impressive results compared to my MBP 2016 from my Adobe apps? Not in a scientific way but in a way that meant real improvements for me. There are plenty of iMac 2017 v iMac Pro comparisons now - but not many relate to the work I actually do and I think the response to this thread has shown I'm not the only person who feels that way. Getting a bit bored by geeks frothing at the mouth over numbers rather than being able to finish work an hour earlier or get more work done and make more money.

I've used the high end 2016 iMac for a job and from what I have read, the 2017 model doesn't give the performance jump that I'm experiencing now. Not to say that the 2017 iMac isn't a very impressive machine of course. Don't forget that this is all completely subjective and I was only giving some personal experience - maybe the 2017 iMac is better in lots of ways for other people.

Truth is, people buy things for a lot of reasons and the price difference isn't actually that significant for somebody that makes their living from it. I got very excited by the trials I was putting it through yesterday, that was enough for me start the thread for people in a similar situation. I didn't want to regret my purchase - I'd also be lying if I didn't say I simply just wanted one. Didn't 'need' my iPhone X either really - how many people actually did? Anybody with an iPhone 7 or above that upgraded didn't really have any urgent need, is still a fine and powerful device.

Can't see any debate if a painter and decorator spends a few thousand more on a van with better fuel economy or just because it might last him another year - he just gets what he wants and puts it against his tax bill - same deal.

 

[Bryan Bowler]

No it isn't. The supposition was I got the iMac Pro for FCP X, and would I get impressive results compared to my MBP 2016 from my Adobe apps? Not in a scientific way but in a way that meant real improvements for me. There are plenty of iMac 2017 v iMac Pro comparisons now - but not many relate to the work I actually do and I think the response to this thread has shown I'm not the only person who feels that way. Getting a bit bored by geeks frothing at the mouth over numbers rather than being able to finish work an hour earlier or get more work done and make more money.

I've used the high end 2016 iMac for a job and from what I have read, the 2017 model doesn't give the performance jump that I'm experiencing now. Not to say that the 2017 iMac isn't a very impressive machine of course. Don't forget that this is all completely subjective and I was only giving some personal experience - maybe the 2017 iMac is better in lots of ways for other people.

Truth is, people buy things for a lot of reasons and the price difference isn't actually that significant for somebody that makes their living from it. I got very excited by the trials I was putting it through yesterday, that was enough for me start the thread for people in a similar situation. I didn't want to regret my purchase - I'd also be lying if I didn't say I simply just wanted one. Didn't 'need' my iPhone X either really - how many people actually did? Anybody with an iPhone 7 or above that upgraded didn't really have any urgent need, is still a fine and powerful device.

Can't see any debate if a painter and decorator spends a few thousand more on a van with better fuel economy or just because it might last him another year - he just gets what he wants and puts it against his tax bill - same deal.

x2! Well said.

 

[Miss_Mac]

No it isn't. The supposition was I got the iMac Pro for FCP X, and would I get impressive results compared to my MBP 2016 from my Adobe apps? Not in a scientific way but in a way that meant real improvements for me. There are plenty of iMac 2017 v iMac Pro comparisons now - but not many relate to the work I actually do and I think the response to this thread has shown I'm not the only person who feels that way. Getting a bit bored by geeks frothing at the mouth over numbers rather than being able to finish work an hour earlier or get more work done and make more money.

I've used the high end 2016 iMac for a job and from what I have read, the 2017 model doesn't give the performance jump that I'm experiencing now. Not to say that the 2017 iMac isn't a very impressive machine of course. Don't forget that this is all completely subjective and I was only giving some personal experience - maybe the 2017 iMac is better in lots of ways for other people.

Truth is, people buy things for a lot of reasons and the price difference isn't actually that significant for somebody that makes their living from it. I got very excited by the trials I was putting it through yesterday, that was enough for me start the thread for people in a similar situation. I didn't want to regret my purchase - I'd also be lying if I didn't say I simply just wanted one. Didn't 'need' my iPhone X either really - how many people actually did? Anybody with an iPhone 7 or above that upgraded didn't really have any urgent need, is still a fine and powerful device.

Can't see any debate if a painter and decorator spends a few thousand more on a van with better fuel economy or just because it might last him another year - he just gets what he wants and puts it against his tax bill - same deal.

Great post. It works for you, saves time and brings in more money, why would anyone question those reasons? Fits your needs and wants, that's all that matters. I am not in the market or usage, but I respect there is finally another Mac that people can use for heavy lifting in a variety of areas. And if you just want one? Go for it. Thanks for posting your results.

 

[joema2]

...Neat Video (noise reduction) on some 4K footage....that's the big reason I got this....

...The question is whether the iMac Pro has significant performance advantage over the top end iMac for doing the type of work you do....

He just stated in the prior post that a top priority is performance of Neat Video noise reduction on 4k material. Anybody who has worked with this knows it is *extremely* compute-intensive and slow to render.

Neat Video can be configured to use all CPU, all GPU or a mix of CPU+GPU rendering. No matter how it's configured it's a difference of slow vs really slow. Anyone prioritizing Neat Video or similar compute-intensive video plugins is a good fit for an iMac Pro.

 

[kingjames1970]

He just stated in the prior post that a top priority is performance of Neat Video noise reduction on 4k material. Anybody who has worked with this knows it is *extremely* compute-intensive and slow to render.

Neat Video can be configured to use all CPU, all GPU or a mix of CPU+GPU rendering. No matter how it's configured it's a difference of slow vs really slow. Anyone prioritizing Neat Video or similar compute-intensive video plugins is a good fit for an iMac Pro.

Cheers, the concept is simple really! As I said, I'm pretty new to video and not planning big scale stuff but just some short and simple things for eBooks. I've just testing on a short 4K clip (straight from my iPhone X) and to be honest, the iMac Pro will now be the difference between using Neat and not - it's still hard going but it is a multitude of times faster. Was around the 10 min mark.

One thing I noticed (I reckon you're the person most likely to know!), is that it said it was utilising all 10 cores but it couldn't use the graphics card. Not sure exactly what that means?
[doublepost=1514488303][/doublepost]Screen shots of Neat Video that may help.

 

[joema2]

...it said it was utilising all 10 cores but it couldn't use the graphics card. Not sure exactly what that means?...

It means Neat Video needs to update their software.

 

[kingjames1970]

It means Neat Video needs to update their software.

That’s what I thought but didn’t want to be dumb!