#1

Hello everyone!

I've been working out of my M1 macbook air with 16gb ram for the last 4 years. I'm now investing in a studio setup with a desktop computer, and am considering going for the new m4 mac mini. I use Logic Pro so Windows OS is not an option.

My upper end budget is 1.5k, and these are my options:

Mac studio M1 max, 32gb/512gb, 1500€
Mac mini m4, 32gb/512gb, 1250€
Mac mini m4 pro, 24gb/512gb, 1550€

I have been making hybrid compositions mixing synths and VI's, so I haven't felt the 16gb ram too much in terms of limitations, except in a few occasions where I had to bounce some tracks and it more or less worked out in the end. However, now I'm planning to shift to using a lot more virtual instruments with sample libraries, and am thinking whether 24gb ram would be enough.

I also heard that these computers can use swap memory very efficiently, so I wonder if the m4 pro chip with 24gb ram could compensate for 32gb ram on the m4 standard chip.

If anyone has experience with these machines, or any advice, I would appreciate it!

#2

There's not much difference between the regular and Pro m4 in terms of processing power, but it definitely matters a lot for graphic-intense applications.

Regarding ram, it largely depends on your workflow. To me, 64 GB is the absolute minimum, but 32 might also work for your use case and being future proof never hurts.

While swap is very efficient with Silicon, it's still wear and tear on your built-in SSD, so I would avoid that as much as possible.

#3

There's not much difference between the regular and Pro m4 in terms of processing power

The Pro has 25% more performance cores (which are the only ones Logic uses), so I think that's significant. Personally I would try to stretch the budget and go for M4 Pro 32Gb.

#4

Save up a bit longer and get the M4 Pro with 48 GB or even 64 GB of RAM. You'll be set for several years with that.

#5

Save up a bit longer and get the M4 Pro with 48 GB or even 64 GB of RAM. You'll be set for several years with that.

Probably a lot more than several years... maybe a decade!

#6

The Pro has 25% more performance cores (which are the only ones Logic uses), so I think that's significant.

Due to how Logic uses one core per track/channel strip, it won't necessarily end up using the additional cores. You are right in saying that that 25% could be significant (six minutes of render time could be done in about 4 minutes and 30 seconds for example), but that is only if we assume that the workload is even, in an ideal condition.

#7

Probably a lot more than several years... maybe a decade!

Definitely. I'd say six years at the absolute very least, and likely longer.

#8

In the music you currently make, is ram or processor the bottleneck? It could be either depending how much you use samples vs soft synths and effects.

But if you can. Save up until you can buy the pro with 64gb.

#9

The CPU is probably more important to you than the RAM.

Of course it depends on what you do. If you overtax RAM you are in for a bad time.

As always, I would order the smaller RAM machine at a place where you can return it. Put it through its paces. If it pages a lot return it.

#10

Due to how Logic uses one core per track/channel strip

This is not how it works.

#11

planning to shift to using a lot more virtual instruments with sample libraries

Then go for the most RAM

#12

The Pro has 25% more performance cores (which are the only ones Logic uses)

Actually it's 100%! The regular M4 has 4 performance cores and the Pro has 8 (10 if you go for the bump up).

That was why I let them shake me by the ankles so hard when I got my MacBook Pro a couple of weeks ago. They set it up to make it tempting.

#13

There's not much difference between the regular and Pro m4 in terms of processing power, but it definitely matters a lot for graphic-intense applications.

Is that true? About the graphics, that is?

I haven't compared my M1 Max Mac Studio with 32 graphics cores and new M4 Pro MacBook Pro with 20, but it would be interesting to know... not that it would really make any difference.

#15

Is that true? About the graphics, that is?
I haven't compared my M1 Max Mac Studio with 32 graphics cores and new M4 Pro MacBook Pro with 20, but it would be interesting to know... not that it would really make any difference.

IIRC I've seen youtube comparisons and for the M2 Max Studio it definitely was significant.

Extrapolating this to the M1, you'd think it'd still be significant, but less-so.

If the OP isn't rendering / exporting video all day those extra graphics cores will be a waste of money IMHO.

#16

Thank you so much for all the advice. In the end I went with the m4 mini, 24gb and 256gb ssd.

I figured all my apps and plugins stored on my main disk are worth 40-50gb, so that will still leave me with 200gb free space on the SSD, which should be plenty. All the libraries will be on external SSD.

And then since I've hit a few walls on 16gb ram but not that many, 24gb should be great to give me breathing room.

#17

You need ram for using VIs, 64gb would be ideal, I have m1 MAX 32gb and Ram is always running low.

#18

I figured all my apps and plugins stored on my main disk are worth 40-50gb, so that will still leave me with 200gb free space on the SSD, which should be plenty.

Don't forget macOS though! On my "surfing around the house" M1 MacBook Air that has no music apps on it, macOS and System Data combined total about 120GB, not including Apps.

macOS itself is 32GB.

You'll still have space left over, but not as much as you are expecting.

#19

Don't forget macOS though! On my "surfing around the house" M1 MacBook Air that has no music apps on it, macOS and System Data combined total about 120GB, not including Apps.
macOS itself is 32GB.
You'll still have space left over, but not as much as you are expecting.

For some reason System Data includes many files that aren't part of the OS itself. So plugins, app storage, caches, etc. is all part of that. A fresh install of my plugins+apps including all system data I calculated at 40-50gb, thats why I know I'll have plenty left.

#20

Don't get the 256 GB version. Not only do you not get enough storage, the SSD speeds are significantly slower than the 512 GB or higher models.

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