Been browsing around YouTube seeing a lot of people (who are very rich) comparing their MacBook Pro to the Mac Studio and getting about the same render results in their workflow. o they don't seem to be getting much of a improvement. That combined with the MacBook Pro being silent while idling and browsing the web would make it better for a actual studio that needs silence for recording audio etc. What little benefit the Mac Studio may have in price to performance seems to be a non issue for people who already have a 2000 to 2500 dollar MacBook pro that they can connect to a display and external keyboard and mouse. This has been my observation. I see many people surprised that their workflow was not improved VS the Mac Studio
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So Connecting A MacBook Pro To A Monitor Seems To Be Better Than Mac Studio
- Thread starter Iliketheapples
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As a musician, I take it for granted with total silence. And I connect an additional screen to my macs. Maybe the Macbooks are better for musicians, and the Mac Studio is for the graphic people ? This is valuable info, what you say - since I did not order yet, and find myself strangely attracted to the macbooks.
My brother has like 5 macbooks and he has one being used as a stationary desktop pc. its closed with a hdmi cable connected to it to a display. i currently have a noisy desktop pc with several neumann microphones. never cared too much about the fan noise in my recordings since im mainly just streaming not producing music. but i think i may do what my brother does and just buy a macbook pro. that way my room will be dead silent and ill have a nifty portable computer.
My issue with that idea is that I have zero need for portability, so it adds the expense of a very nice display that I wouldn't use. I don't think the fan noise is going to be a issue for me--I only notice it when I pay very close attention and I really doubt it is going to bleed into my recordings based on where I set up my mics in relation to the computer, though I am keeping an ear out for it. Worst case scenario I would have to put it under my desk or devise some kind of sound barrier. Even just putting a gobo between the computer and mic would probably do the trick if there is any issue at all. And of course this is a complete non issue for anyone with control/isolation rooms.
Sure, if you only need one machine, and already have a machine with an M1 Max in it, you probably won't benefit from buying another, different computer with the exact same SoC.
For those who *don't*, the Studio offers the same performance - and more I/O - for about $1000 less. That's not insignificant, especially if you neither need nor want portability.
Not hard to figure out one of the basic differences. The base Mac Studio M1 Max costs US$2000. A 16" MacBook Pro with the same specs (except that it has 1TB rather than 512GB storage) costs $3300. The Mac Studio with 1TB storage is $2200, still $1100 less.
In my case, I have a high-end Eizo monitor. I have no need for, nor interest in, a laptop display. I do have an interest in the Mac Studio's four USB 4 ports and two USB 3.1 Gen 2 ports, as well as in the fact that it runs very cool and I don't have to concern myself with it throttling under full load.
As a musician myself, I also keep my computer away from microphones as a matter of common sense.
In my case, I have a high-end Eizo monitor. I have no need for, nor interest in, a laptop display. I do have an interest in the Mac Studio's four USB 4 ports and two USB 3.1 Gen 2 ports, as well as in the fact that it runs very cool and I don't have to concern myself with it throttling under full load.
As a musician myself, I also keep my computer away from microphones as a matter of common sense.
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CASE: I feel my personality is split, I am wanting to buy a Studio with 2TB/64GB - but I lean towards a macbook because of habit/friends and the dream I would start to have own concerts. (Adding, that I do not have a car for transport.)
Hardware mini-choices in order of likeliness / (Need)
Heavy orchestrator: Samples from both Spitfire Audio and EastWest Soundsonline. (SSD of 2TB or 4TB)
Heavy live digital orchestra two concerts a year in same city: Complicated strings live (RAM)
Professional Music Producer: movies/tv (RAM)
Izzy, intuitive, strange feeling and habit + need for portable for zoom/video talks, and other mobile thoughts. Though I hate bring anything more expensive than $1300 out of my house. (Any cheap mac/iPHONE 12 WILL DO)
Daily On-the-road musician / piano samples and ochestra samples / bring one unit on the road, which isn´t too expensive / without to much insurance (14/16 INCH MACBOOK)
Part time Music Video Editor: Make my own music videos in 4K and Final Cut. (MAX)
Professional Streamer: Streaming a concerts with 2 or 8 audio streams and 1 camera, using 1 or 2 macs (16 INCH MACBOOK)
Hardware mini-choices in order of likeliness / (Need)
Heavy orchestrator: Samples from both Spitfire Audio and EastWest Soundsonline. (SSD of 2TB or 4TB)
Heavy live digital orchestra two concerts a year in same city: Complicated strings live (RAM)
Professional Music Producer: movies/tv (RAM)
Izzy, intuitive, strange feeling and habit + need for portable for zoom/video talks, and other mobile thoughts. Though I hate bring anything more expensive than $1300 out of my house. (Any cheap mac/iPHONE 12 WILL DO)
Daily On-the-road musician / piano samples and ochestra samples / bring one unit on the road, which isn´t too expensive / without to much insurance (14/16 INCH MACBOOK)
Part time Music Video Editor: Make my own music videos in 4K and Final Cut. (MAX)
Professional Streamer: Streaming a concerts with 2 or 8 audio streams and 1 camera, using 1 or 2 macs (16 INCH MACBOOK)
I have this quandary too. I'm not a musician, but I do a lot of podcast recording and I require a very quiet environment. I have a Shure SMB7 mic connected to a swing arm on my desk along with a Babyface Pro. Right now I have an iMac Pro on the desk, and it is completely silent.
This combo works well, but I also do a lot of photography (Lightroom and Photoshop), and I've noticed that both of these apps are much faster on my 14" M1 Pro Macbook Pro.
I was considering upgrading my iMac Pro to a Mac Studio Max + ASD. But based on all of the reviews I've read, and the fact that the Mac Studio seems to make noise even at idle, I'm now considering another option: trade in my M1 Pro MBP for an M1 Max MBP, and then get an external display (maybe a BenQ) and a dock.
This way I'd still get the portability and silence of the MBP, but when I'm at home I can connect it to the dock and have a more powerful computer for photography work than my current setup.
I'm also considering waiting for the upgraded Mac Mini, which may have an M2 Pro. That would likely be plenty of power for me, and it will probably be silent, unlike the Mac Studio.
This combo works well, but I also do a lot of photography (Lightroom and Photoshop), and I've noticed that both of these apps are much faster on my 14" M1 Pro Macbook Pro.
I was considering upgrading my iMac Pro to a Mac Studio Max + ASD. But based on all of the reviews I've read, and the fact that the Mac Studio seems to make noise even at idle, I'm now considering another option: trade in my M1 Pro MBP for an M1 Max MBP, and then get an external display (maybe a BenQ) and a dock.
This way I'd still get the portability and silence of the MBP, but when I'm at home I can connect it to the dock and have a more powerful computer for photography work than my current setup.
I'm also considering waiting for the upgraded Mac Mini, which may have an M2 Pro. That would likely be plenty of power for me, and it will probably be silent, unlike the Mac Studio.
Putting the fan noise to one side, the Max Studio seems a capable machine being sold for a little more than it should do given the lack of storage and the basic accessories of a keyboard and mouse.
The Ultra Studio should be more interesting, and has no laptop equivalent, but I am struggling to see many reports of use cases where that performance is unlocked.
The Ultra Studio should be more interesting, and has no laptop equivalent, but I am struggling to see many reports of use cases where that performance is unlocked.
Apple has not released the updated Final Cut Pro to take advantage of the new silicon yet. These reviewers are doing a bad job at this.
I have the M1 Max 14" MacBook Pro and dock to a 5k LG and 4k LG at work and its great for that. I use it for hours a day and the machine is rock solid and quiet.
At home I tried doing this with the Studio Display, and while it works I have a home studio that I currently am using an M1 Mac mini with, and simply put having a dedicated desktop is just better.
I want to buy the Studio, but I am fine for now and will likely wait for M2 machines...an M2 pro mini would likely suffice fine.
At home I tried doing this with the Studio Display, and while it works I have a home studio that I currently am using an M1 Mac mini with, and simply put having a dedicated desktop is just better.
I want to buy the Studio, but I am fine for now and will likely wait for M2 machines...an M2 pro mini would likely suffice fine.
Yeah, after thinking about it a bit more this morning, I think I agree. A dedicated desktop is just a lot easier than a MBP with a dock. And, for whatever reason, I've noticed that some of my peripherals just don't work reliably when they're plugged into a dock. This is another argument for a dedicated desktop, where those peripherals can just remain plugged in directly to the computer all the time.
I think I will also wait for the M2 Pro Mac Mini—at least to see how it is. By then, maybe there will have been a software update for the ASD that fixes the webcam, and/or I will have received an Opal C1 invite!
I recently bought a 14" MacBook Pro M1 Pro to replace my i5 MacBook Air. I wanted something that could process my A7R IV and Fuji images in Lightroom Classic on the go. I traded in my 2019 iMac for Apple credit pending buying a new Mac Studio and a new BenQ SW321C display. However, because the 14 MBP is so crazy fast and nearly as good as the top M1 Max Mac Studio, I'm contemplating keeping it as my only computer. This is my do everything computer: Leave it in the kitchen, family room, other people use it, ordering take out online, photography, Lightroom, Photoshop, printing, etc.
The benefits of a dedicated desktop revealed themselves yesterday when on a zoom with family, the baby knocked over a glass of beer onto the MacBook. Computer is fine, but made me nervous for any photos etc. that weren't yet backed up. And literally EVERYONE touches the screen needing constant cleaning.
So the question is: Do I get a Mac Studio or a 16 MBP to use as a dedicated desktop but can also take with me when I go on a trip. The MBP would also be quieter as there is no fan noise for basic tasks.
While many of these are nit-picky, if one truly doesn’t have a need for portability then why deal with them?
- When you connect and reconnect a laptop, all of your windows get moved around and resized - you need apps like Moom to save layouts.
- Most hubs and adapters I’ve used (other than really simple ones) can sometimes be flaky. I always prefer direct inputs if possible.
- Many people benefit from an always-on system for thinks such as a Plex servers, file servers, etc. I know there is dedicated systems you can get (a Mac mini or Synology), but I like being able to just manage my desktop which handles all these needs too. A laptop by nature may not always been on and at home. If it is, maybe consider a desktop since portability isn’t relevant. Given how little power draw there is with Apple Silicon, this aspect gets even better.
Great points. I have a 14" MBP for portability and travel—definitely need it. But I've also always had a desktop, for many of the reasons you pointed out above (and that I mentioned earlier).
I guess I will just be patient and wait for the M2 Pro Mac Mini before deciding.
But if the Mac is recording audio (along with possibly applying effects, playing virtual instruments etc.) then it’s not idle or browsing the web. The question is how much of a load the Studio can take before the fans start running at higher speeds.
What the reviews seem to show is that whereas the MBP fans don’t run at all at idle, and speed up with load, the Studio fans always run at low speed but are very quiet, and it is very difficult to get them to ramp up. As long as the noise at idle is quiet enough it’s better to be confident that theyre less likely to suddenly take off during a recording.
Reality is that, if you’re actually going to be recording in the same room as a running computer, you really need it in a soundproofed box, and that might be easier with a desktop (it certainly means you‘re not going to get any advantage from the laptops display and keyboard).
I’m planning to pick up a base studio in the fall, and hopefully the new mini will be out by then so I can cross-shop.
by the by, badlydrawnboy, love your username. They were a favourite of mine.
by the by, badlydrawnboy, love your username. They were a favourite of mine.
I record a podcast at my desk with a Shure SM7B mic attached to a Rode swing arm. I sit about 18 inches away from my iMac Pro while recording. The audio engineer who mixes the recording has never mentioned or complained about noise from the iMac Pro. It is inaudible on the recordings and to my ear.
If the Studio fan is audible on recordings, or to my ear, that's a deal-breaker given my current setup. If there's a high-end M2 Pro Mini with 32 GB of RAM, I think that will be a better fit for me. Lightroom and Photoshop already run great on my M1 Pro 14" MBP with 16 GB of RAM. The M2 Pro Mini is likely to be completely silent, and even if it has a few less ports than the Studio, I already have an OWC Thunderbolt 3 Dock which can solve that problem. (If I buy a ASD it will also have 3 USB 3 ports.)
My Studio Ultra is going in an air-conditioned machine closet. The closet is going to be a lot cooler and emptier when the Mac Pro is gone. For folks without such a space, a little distance + small gobo (as aurora-sect suggests) should do the trick, as the reported Mac Studio noise is not low frequency rumble.