Wait For New MacPro?

[fastlanephil]

I'm going to go back to a single machine for better work flow so I'm planning on buying a six-core Mac Pro.

I'm wondering if I should wait for the next revision as the nMac Pro has been out for a year and could be updated in early 2015. It sounds to me like there could be just a moderate spec bump for the audio side so maybe there is no advantage to waiting for it.

I can get by just using my 2011 iMac for now connected to the Dell U3014. I want to sell my 2012 2.6 i7 16GB Fusion drive Mac Mini now as they seem to be a hot item on eBay.

Does anyone have any other information or thoughts about this?

 

[ChrisA]

You are talking about computers, not about audio. Tell use what you are doing and why you can't use the iMac to do it. No one can give meaningful advice if they don't know what you are trying to do.

My general advice is to NOT upgrade until you can point to very specific problems and you can explain how the new hardware will fix those problems.

I'm going to go back to a single machine for better work flow so I'm planning on buying a six-core Mac Pro.

I'm wondering if I should wait for the next revision as the nMac Pro has been out for a year and could be updated in early 2015. It sounds to me like there could be just a moderate spec bump for the audio side so maybe there is no advantage to waiting for it.

I can get by just using my 2011 iMac for now connected to the Dell U3014. I want to sell my 2012 2.6 i7 16GB Fusion drive Mac Mini now as they seem to be a hot item on eBay.

Does anyone have any other information or thoughts about this?

 

[fastlanephil]

Yes, it's a computer question but the dudes on the Mac Pro forum are graphic users not audio so I thought I'd post it here.

I compose using "professional" orchestral libaries mostly and sometimes get the track count up there. It works the CPU.

My iMac is not a fast computer anymore so it's time to upgrade to a computer that is a little more robust. VE Pro 5 works wonders but it has drawbacks for me.

The iMac is so locked down now and the nMac Pros are over priced for audio work only.

I have thought about going to the dark side but no Logic Pro there. I own DP 6.5 but it's track set up is archaic. I also own Studio One but it's midi side is minimal. Cubebase is $500.

Mac Of All Trades has a loaded TOTL 2013 iMac with AppleCare for about $1000 off new. No iLife but I don't need it. Maybe

 

[wesk702]

I'm going to go back to a single machine for better work flow so I'm planning on buying a six-core Mac Pro.

I'm wondering if I should wait for the next revision as the nMac Pro has been out for a year and could be updated in early 2015. It sounds to me like there could be just a moderate spec bump for the audio side so maybe there is no advantage to waiting for it.

I can get by just using my 2011 iMac for now connected to the Dell U3014. I want to sell my 2012 2.6 i7 16GB Fusion drive Mac Mini now as they seem to be a hot item on eBay.

Does anyone have any other information or thoughts about this?

get a refurb now. It's one hell of a deal. Maybe even a base quad if you want to save even more. My 6core is a powerhouse for audio and should last me quite a few years. If I had to go back, I wouldn't mind a 4 core. I don't do much video and audio barely makes it break a sweat. Load up on ram and the 1tb though.

Edit: oh I just saw your orchestral interests. Get the 6 core.

 

[fastlanephil]

get a refurb now. It's one hell of a deal. Maybe even a base quad if you want to save even more. My 6core is a powerhouse for audio and should last me quite a few years. If I had to go back, I wouldn't mind a 4 core. I don't do much video and audio barely makes it break a sweat. Load up on ram and the 1tb though.

Edit: oh I just saw your orchestral interests. Get the 6 core.

There's a six-core 300 GPU in the refurbished section but it has 512 storage and I'd like the TB storage if I go that route. It's super fast for loading big pianos with multi thousand files. Anyway the sales tax here is 8.6 percent and I can order from PowerMax which is only about 100 miles from me and not pay any tax/free shipping.

 

[wesk702]

There's a six-core 300 GPU in the refurbished section but it has 512 storage and I'd like the TB storage if I go that route. It's super fast for loading big pianos with multi thousand files. Anyway the sales tax here is 8.6 percent and I can order from PowerMax which is only about 100 miles from me and not pay any tax/free shipping.

Get an external hd enclosure with a TB port. Then install a 1TB Evo and store all your samples there. That's where I have my samples and they load up super fast.

 

[fastlanephil]

Get an external hd enclosure with a TB port. Then install a 1TB Evo and store all your samples there. That's where I have my samples and they load up super fast.

I have 2TB WD Thunderbolt Velociraptor Duo which is close to SSD speeds and it's fast enough most of my samples but I think it's a slower access time issue with so many piano sample files.

The Mac Pro storage isn't inexpensive but it does write at 1GBps.

I probably will also be running Windows in a large Bootcamp partition. I use a DAW that is cross platform but only 64-bit in the Windows version.

I read that some users are now having issues with the Samsung Evo drives. Data seems to become corrupted if it's always in the same spot on the drive for long periods. I would check that out. I would guess the solution is to erase the SSD once a year or what ever and restore it from Your backup.

 

[wesk702]

I have 2TB WD Thunderbolt Velociraptor Duo which is close to SSD speeds and it's fast enough most of my samples but I think it's a slower access time issue with so many piano sample files.

The Mac Pro storage isn't inexpensive but it does write at 1GBps.

I probably will also be running Windows in a large Bootcamp partition. I use a DAW that is cross platform but only 64-bit in the Windows version.

I read that some users are now having issues with the Samsung Evo drives. Data seems to become corrupted if it's always in the same spot on the drive for long periods. I would check that out. I would guess the solution is to erase the SSD once a year or what ever and restore it from Your backup.

Ooh that's interesting. Any links about the Evo issues? Also any recalls of yet?

 

[fastlanephil]

Ooh that's interesting. Any links about the Evo issues? Also any recalls of yet?

I can't remember where I read it. I was surfing around getting information on different storage options. If you do a search about it and there is actually anything to it something should come up.

 

[fastlanephil]

I can't remember where I read it. I was surfing around getting information on different storage options. If you do a search about it and there is actually anything to it something should come up.

It looks like it was a performance issue which an October 15th 2014 firmware update took care of.

 

[DPUser]

It looks like it was a performance issue which an October 15th 2014 firmware update took care of.

Yes. Issue was with stale data, not written for awhile… like sample sets.

http://www.anandtech.com/show/8617/...e-to-fix-the-ssd-840-evo-read-performance-bug

DOS bootable version is available now, too.

Consider a 2010/2012 dual processor octo MP upgraded to two hex 5680's or 90's, running about $5-600 a pair on Ebay. Total cost about $2k. For VI work, CPU rules, and a 5,1 so equipped is eclipsed only by a 6,1 12 core.

 

[fastlanephil]

Well, now I've done it now!

I auctioned off my TOTL Mac Mini on eBay and it went for $1580.80. That's $100 more than I had into it but eBay and PayPal will take their cut and I'll hopefully get an email soon from eBay or PayPal about a deposit into my account.

But now I've discovered that without using the Mac Mini and VE Pro 5, my 2011 2.7 i5 iMac's CPU is being crushed by my DAW plugins. And that's with not very many tracks. Sh-t.

Logic Pro X is less CPU intensive but I'm just starting to learn it.

I'll probably bite the bullet and get the 6 core Mac Pro/300 GPU and 1TB of storage. Maybe one will show up on the Apple refurb page soon.

 

[Tucom]

Apple is pushing the 5K Retina concept, and I bet it looks incredibly gorgeous, and given that Yosemite is really made for Retina displays (it looks relatively bad on non-Retina, blurry text, blurry everything), I'd get a Mac that can push 5K at 60Hz over Thunderbolt, which the current Mac Mini, iMac (even Retina iMac for external displays), and the CURRENT new Mac Pro cannot do.

I know it may not seem like a BIG DEAL, but if I was investing that much into a machine, I'd want the whole experience to be able to be in the direction Apple envisions, and because it really does make a HUGE difference to text and overall clarity of the user interface. IF and when Apple releases 5K displays, of which I imagine will enable Retina support on Apple desktops, I'd want a machine that would support those.


Let us know what you go with

 

[fastlanephil]

Apple is pushing the 5K Retina concept, and I bet it looks incredibly gorgeous, and given that Yosemite is really made for Retina displays (it looks relatively bad on non-Retina, blurry text, blurry everything), I'd get a Mac that can push 5K at 60Hz over Thunderbolt, which the current Mac Mini, iMac (even Retina iMac for external displays), and the CURRENT new Mac Pro cannot do.

I know it may not seem like a BIG DEAL, but if I was investing that much into a machine, I'd want the whole experience to be able to be in the direction Apple envisions, and because it really does make a HUGE difference to text and overall clarity of the user interface. IF and when Apple releases 5K displays, of which I imagine will enable Retina support on Apple desktops, I'd want a machine that would support those.


Let us know what you go with

Well, I checked out both the Retina iMac and the 27" iMac again at The Mac Store, and again I could see no decernible difference between the two displays. Anyway, it would be my DAW computer but my utility display and my Dell U1430 my main display. I'll rarely be viewing text on it and I'm not into high end photography or video. I have an iPad Air for email and a MacBook Pro for my office.

So this morning I ordered an Apple refurbished 2013 27" iMac, 3.5 i7- 16GB of memory- 1TB SSD. It should arrive next Monday.

If it doesn't do the job I'll return it. If I keep it I'll use until it dosen't do the job and then if I move up to the Mac Pro it will still be my utility display via Target Display Mode and my DAW backup computer.

Once the Retina iMac becomes a slower computer that display option is not avialable and resale value doesn't look great either.

 

[fastlanephil]

Well, I'm going to send or take back my new iMac, that hasn't arrived yet, to Apple. I learned from an article that when you fill up the slots in Kontakt 5 with instruments in Logic Pro X they all access just one core. So you need to load one or maybe four samples to a instance of Kontakt so Logic Pro spreads them out. I tested this with some of my most demanding samples and it made a huge difference.

So I think I'm set until next fall or longer.

 

[wesk702]

There's a six-core 300 GPU in the refurbished section but it has 512 storage and I'd like the TB storage if I go that route. It's super fast for loading big pianos with multi thousand files. Anyway the sales tax here is 8.6 percent and I can order from PowerMax which is only about 100 miles from me and not pay any tax/free shipping.

The pci TB really make a worlds difference. I don't think any third parties even get anything close to those speeds. I'm still in the honeymoon phase with my computer and it's been 7 months! Money well spent. The only thing bad is whenever I use any other machine, it feels like I've stepped into the dark ages.

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Well, I checked out both the Retina iMac and the 27" iMac again at The Mac Store, and again I could see no decernible difference between the two displays. Anyway, it would be my DAW computer but my utility display and my Dell U1430 my main display. I'll rarely be viewing text on it and I'm not into high end photography or video. I have an iPad Air for email and a MacBook Pro for my office.

So this morning I ordered an Apple refurbished 2013 27" iMac, 3.5 i7- 16GB of memory- 1TB SSD. It should arrive next Monday.

If it doesn't do the job I'll return it. If I keep it I'll use until it dosen't do the job and then if I move up to the Mac Pro it will still be my utility display via Target Display Mode and my DAW backup computer.

Once the Retina iMac becomes a slower computer that display option is not avialable and resale value doesn't look great either.

Yeah for general use I really didn't see much difference from the 5k to the legacy thunderbolt monitor. For photos on the other hand yes, but the TBD wasn't exactly bad either.