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Need a MacBook that can run Logic Pro X - URGENT!!!

LawlsMcPasta

LawlsMcPasta

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Oct 27, 2015
10
1
Hey there,

I've recently started a music course and we use Logic Pro X, now I thought I could be a naughty boy and emulate Mac OS X on my windows PC to run it but it's unbearably laggy I can't get anything done so I've decided to throw in the towel and buy a MacBook.
I'm looking to get a 15" MacBook pro, since I'm used to a 17.3" laptop so getting a 13" is completely out of the question, but I haven't got a spare £1600 laying around unfortunately, so I've been looking at some second hand models on eBay and I was looking at some 2010/11 models and they seem to have pretty darn decent specs, this one here for example:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/MacBook-P...084935?hash=item25ae3df107:g:UugAAOSwQTVWBGjw
Could I run the most recent version of Logic Pro X on a MacBook Pro similar to the one seen in that eBay listing? If so that'd be brilliant.

Thanks ~ Aaron
 
am on a 13" 2011 macbook pro, running logic X 10.2 and os x 10.11.1. pretty decent, but sometimes it struggles (with complex mixes, ie lots of plugins, automation, etc). at that point i reboot with wifi off, and run ONLY logic. that helps.

i would not go earlier that 2011, personally. and an i7 is better than an i5. also...8 gigs ram at least. have fun..!
 
As someone who uses LPX, I have a couple of things that I'd definitely recommend you look for in your MBP.
As the previous poster said, definitely look for an i7. LPX can use hyperthreading, and having a quad core machine will definitely run much better than a dual core or i5 machine.
Secondly, RAM is a must, especially if you're running lots of plug ins - 4GBs won't cut it at all, and on the newer OSes you want it to be higher.
An SSD could also be really useful... so what I'd recommend is trying to find a decent MBP with an i7 chip, then upgrading it yourself, especially since it'll be much cheaper (RAM and SSD)
 
Thank you both so much for your replies, hopefully I can find an i7 8gb model for my price point, I don't know much about macs but from what I've heard I can't just buy a 4gb version and crack it open and bump it up to 8gb?
 
as soon as you start producing, everything you will want from Logic you can find in Ableton live, Cubase, Studio one(windows versions)... but in a different way. Just figure it out how,
Otherwise look for max higher spec for your budget (not later than 2012 )
 
LawlsMcPasta said:
Thank you both so much for your replies, hopefully I can find an i7 8gb model for my price point, I don't know much about macs but from what I've heard I can't just buy a 4gb version and crack it open and bump it up to 8gb?
Click to expand...
Depends on the model - You can only do this on non-retina Macbook Pros. Retina models have soldered RAM.
 
Definitely don't buy a 2011 model - those things are unreliable as hell unfortunately.

The 2012 onwards are absolutely fine however.

In all honesty I would recommend you go down to an Apple store and try the 13" model - it's surprisingly usable, even if you are used to larger computers. You can also adjust the retina scaling in System Preferences - for example, have it emulate I believe a 1680x1050 display.

Dead0k said:
as soon as you start producing, everything you will want from Logic you can find in Ableton live, Cubase, Studio one(windows versions)... but in a different way. Just figure it out how,
Otherwise look for max higher spec for your budget (not later than 2012 )
Click to expand...

Whilst I'd agree there's no "one" DAW, Logic Pro X really is incredible value for money, even with the price of a Mac.

I really like Ableton Live as well but I find that Logic Pro X's built in effects and plugins are just incredible. Also features such as Logic Pro X's drummer are incredibly useful for putting tracks together quickly.

With that said, I'd definitely suggest taking a look at the other options - I really do quite like Ableton Live but it really depends on what kind of music you're making.
 
Well you see, I have to use Logic Pro X as it's what we're using and being marked on in my music course so I don't really have a choice in what I use unfortunately, though I must say it really is growing on me, all the plugins in Logic Pro X work really nicely with each other and what not.

Back to the main point, I'd love to go to the Apple store and buy a brand new MacBook pro but I only have around £800 to buy a Macbook and Logic Pro X so my budget is extremely limited unfortunately.
Though I've seen some on eBay which are i7 and have 8GB of RAM for a decent price, though not sure if it's a Quad Core on this particular one:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Apple-Mac...087171?hash=item3ab4e62e43:g:8hEAAOSwI-BWLm-g
 
LawlsMcPasta said:
Well you see, I have to use Logic Pro X as it's what we're using and being marked on in my music course so I don't really have a choice in what I use unfortunately, though I must say it really is growing on me, all the plugins in Logic Pro X work really nicely with each other and what not.

Back to the main point, I'd love to go to the Apple store and buy a brand new MacBook pro but I only have around £800 to buy a Macbook and Logic Pro X so my budget is extremely limited unfortunately.
Though I've seen some on eBay which are i7 and have 8GB of RAM for a decent price, though not sure if it's a Quad Core on this particular one:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Apple-Mac...087171?hash=item3ab4e62e43:g:8hEAAOSwI-BWLm-g
Click to expand...
It is a Dual-Core, check the "Detailed item information" section of the listing.
 
LawlsMcPasta said:
Ah yes I see now, mind you though I've found one which I know is quad core... though the price ain't nice, going to push be over budget, but only by £50 though so I guess it's not too bad, and I'm getting the screen I want and the 8GB of RAM.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/APPLE-MAC...569223?hash=item1e7d8f6847:g:nk8AAOSwpDdVBJsu
Click to expand...
That is a 2011 with a AMD GPU (dGPU), which have a known failure problem. JoelTheSuperior warned you about the 2011s in his post. Apple has even implemented an extended repair program because of the problems:
https://www.apple.com/support/macbookpro-videoissues/
Also there is a bit of conflicting information in the listing. In the "Item specifics" section it says 4 Gb of memory, but in the other sections and title it say 8 Gb.
 
I used Logic Pro X on a 2012 Mac Book Air and now on a 2015 Mac Book Pro 13". Logic worked exceptionally well on both machines. The MBP has 8 GB RAM which helps when I run a VM in the background, as I do sometimes. Unless you have hundreds of tracks and synths pretty much any recent Mac Book will run Logic Pro just fine.
 
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Get a 2012 non-retina IMO. It's the only model from 2011-2013 without unusually high GPU failures, with the 2011 models being far and away the worst. I use one for Logic and it screams. Also, many plugins....even some of Apple's (!)...aren't retina optimised and have GUI weirdness. I also have the hi-res antiglare screen on both of my MBPs and they are great for Logic, shrinking it's clunky transport etc. You don't necessarily have to pay more for those screens as many eBayers (people who buy bulk from institutions, for example) don't know they're selling them. Just look for the silver, rather than black, bezel and look for lack of reflectiveness in the photos.
 
LittleDavid said:
Get a 2012 non-retina IMO. It's the only model from 2011-2013 without unusually high GPU failures, with the 2011 models being far and away the worst. I use one for Logic and it screams. Also, many plugins....even some of Apple's (!)...aren't retina optimised and have GUI weirdness. I also have the hi-res antiglare screen on both of my MBPs and they are great for Logic, shrinking it's clunky transport etc. You don't necessarily have to pay more for those screens as many eBayers (people who buy bulk from institutions, for example) don't know they're selling them. Just look for the silver, rather than black, bezel and look for lack of reflectiveness in the photos.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the tips!
I'll definitely have to try get a 2012 model then, I thought it strange that there was a huge amount of 2011 models haha
 
I'm looking on eBay now for some 2012 models, some of them look pretty decent... I think the challenge here is finding a quadcore i7 with 8gb of ram and have it be a 2012 model and in my price range. I'm sure in time something will pop up!
Hopefully I can get one of those fancy "Hi-Res Antiglare" screens
 
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LawlsMcPasta said:
I'm looking on eBay now for some 2012 models, some of them look pretty decent... I think the challenge here is finding a quadcore i7 with 8gb of ram and have it be a 2012 model and in my price range. I'm sure in time something will pop up!
Hopefully I can get one of those fancy "Hi-Res Antiglare" screens
Click to expand...

Don't forget that you can upgrade the RAM and disk on those 2012 non-retina systems. So you don't "have" to get one with 8GB RAM "right now". Focus on getting the quad core i7.
 
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duervo said:
Ke


Don't forget that you can upgrade the RAM and disk on those 2012 non-retina systems. So you don't "have" to get one with 8GB RAM "right now". Focus on getting the quad core i7.
Click to expand...
Good to know!!! Thanks :)
 
Good point about the RAM and disk. Or should I say disks as you can get a kit to replace the optical drive with a second hard drive, as I've done. Then you can have a clone of your disk/partitions right in the box, which you'll be glad for if your drive ever goes south. I think I'll get another 2012 cMBP if something happens to my machine...it feels like it's made for work rather than to be cute.
 
LittleDavid said:
Good point about the RAM and disk. Or should I say disks as you can get a kit to replace the optical drive with a second hard drive, as I've done. Then you can have a clone of your disk/partitions right in the box, which you'll be glad for if your drive ever goes south. I think I'll get another 2012 cMBP if something happens to my machine...it feels like it's made for work rather than to be cute.
Click to expand...
That could actually be very handy, could get an SSD ;)
 
A thought just occurred to me, would I be able to go the hackintosh route and still run logic well?
I wouldn't install it on my laptop, I've done some research and found some laptops which apparently work really well with it, but would everything run all right?
 
if you don't mind tinkering, then it would probably work for you.

Caveats to that approach:

1. Something will most likely break with the software upon the very first OS X update. Impacts of this can vary depending on what changes with the updates, but expect to gain lots of experience with debugging kernel crashes, boot failures, and the like. If that's the type of experience and skill that you want to gain while learning Logic Pro for school, then go for it.

2. With the first caveat in mind, you will typically be lagging in the security and general update area, as the "hackintosh" community (or you) deals with the "how's" to fix whatever breaks with the updates.

In either case, stick to quad core i7 though. That holds true wether it's Apple hardware, or a "hackintosh".
 
LawlsMcPasta said:
A thought just occurred to me, would I be able to go the hackintosh route and still run logic well?
I wouldn't install it on my laptop, I've done some research and found some laptops which apparently work really well with it, but would everything run all right?
Click to expand...

Imagine this: You have worked on a project for quite some time and then suddenly your hackintosh causes problems, it fails and the whole oprating system needs to be reinstalled and you have lost everything.

Sure a Hackintosh can run fine, but it can fail too. Ask yourself if you are ready to take such a risk. Maybe it wont be a big deal if you can back up your projects automatically every few minutes or so.
 
As said, best not go the hackintosh route while you're in school. There *will* be problems, and that's bad enough on a lazy Sunday afternoon. When you have deadlines, fuggitaboutit.
 
If you buy the right hardware from the start, a hackintosh can be pretty straightforward and stable. But I wouldn't do it unless you have a "real" mac for backup. That said, you can find old Core2Duos (old MBPro or mac mini) that can run the latest OS for pretty cheap. Yes it will be slower but in a pinch at least you can open and work on your projects. Whether you can find all that within your budget, I don't know, but you will certainly come out with way more power per $ than an MBPro alone.
 
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