Is anyone running a Mac Mini M1?

[Elwood]

I see that the mac mini now runs Studio 1.

I am totally blown away by the silent performance of my iPad (and iPhone for that matter) and am sick of my high freq noise from my PC. Building a computer holds no charm for me, been there, would rather play.

My daughter in Law uses a mini for her photo/video stuff and loves it, and it is nearly silent!

With the mini I would use all my existing peripherals and just get a kvm sw and/or some docking hardware to allow quick change from pc to mac operation.

I think @Many Moons is a mac guy, there must be others. (MM, you using logic pro? that is a price option for the mini also, you like it?)

Is anyone running the mac mini with a DAW? How is it???

I would prefer a computer that eliminates all bad notes being transmitted to the DAW and has a robust musical taste generator.

 

[PapaRaptor]

A few guys in the Studio One group I hang out with either have or have recently had access to the M1. It's an impressive little beast and the reports are that Studio One does an excellent job.
Having said that, if you run a lot of third party plug-ins those are what should be checked for M1 compatibility. Apparently the plug-in manufacturers have been somewhat slow in updating to M1 compatibility.
If you do have a lot of plug-ins, the recommendations I've seen have been to run Studio One and the plug-ins under Rosetta and everything works quite well (and still freaking fast). If that's the direction you're headed, it might make for a good stopgap measure until the plug-in guys get their acts together.

Full disclaimer, I'm only repeating what I've heard. I'm not a MAC user and have virtually no familiarity with any Apple products.

I don't know if @Cowboy Bob has a copy of Studio One on his, but I believe he has mentioned having a M1 based machine in his recording arsenal. This mention should ping him next time he checks in.

 

[Elwood]

That is great feedback from the S1 group!!!
The Rosetta 2 emulation looks like the answer to the quest, a mac running pc software too, can it do it right this time? (my pc transporter in my IIgs was not that stellar).
Like you said Papa, this is in transition. I expect more compatibility as time passes.

I am on the brink. That M1 looks very hot indeed!

 

[D. R. Miller]

My Co-worker has an M1 Mac mini that he runs logic on and loves it. I will probably get one at the next iteration as it's the only current Mac with enough I/O ports for studio use.

 

[Elwood]

Great Dennis!!! I am getting Logic Pro in the build so I will give that a try for sure!
This is like getting a nice guitar, I plan on using the M1 for music, videos, photos. My PC is ready and able to do the dishes.
Getting excited yup.

 

[JohnHurley]

My old mac mini is still in use given away a while back to a relative.

I am hanging on a 2013 macbook pro but about ready to switch to newer gear at some point.

I dunno the latest gen macbook air M1 also worth considering instead of mini?

 

[MarkDyson]

I dunno the latest gen macbook air M1 also worth considering instead of mini?

I'm using one of those right now but, while it's really a great little machine, it only has two USB-C ports and one of those is taken up if you plug it into power. Not very useful if you want a lot of ports for gear unless maybe you team it up with a hub.

 

[JohnHurley]

I'm using one of those right now but, while it's really a great little machine, it only has two USB-C ports and one of those is taken up if you plug it into power. Not very useful if you want a lot of ports for gear unless maybe you team it up with a hub.

Yes agreed but think lots of options for USB-C hubs and port extenders ( not cheap exactly but not horrible ).

 

[MarkDyson]

Yeah, that's true; just don't know whether those introduce latency. I'm not experienced with recording signal chains and such.

On the plus side, the battery under normal use is good for well over 12 hours so as a recording hub you might have both ports available.

 

[Cowboy Bob]

A

I don't know if @Cowboy Bob has a copy of Studio One on his, but I believe he has mentioned having a M1 based machine in his recording arsenal. This mention should ping him next time he checks in.

No I don't have any of the Apple silicon based hardware as yet. Still using Intel based Apple in the studio for both Pro Tools Ultimate and Studio One Pro as well as a very little bit of Logic Pro.

BUT, from reports that I have seen and some folks that I have talked to, the M1, M1 Pro, and M1 MAX are getting overall great reviews. True, quite a few of the plugin mfgs are not yet on board, and Avid still requires Rosetta 2 (which is basically and instruction set so that the hard ware can talk to software that is not native to it. Like using an interpreter to translate a foreign language).

Obviously Logic Pro has run natively on the new RISC (Apple silicon) from the git.

Studio One is now also able to run natively on Apple silicon (Studio One 5 (UPDATED/September 14, 2021) The Studio One 5.4 release on September 14, 2021 brings native compatibility to M1 Macs.

Please read this article which details Studio One Native support.

https://support.presonus.com/hc/en-...ple-Silicon-Macs-everything-you-need-to-know-

If you are running an intel based Mac, disabling the turbo boost cuts the fan noise to nearly nil. I am running an i9 intel chip in my main studio computer and an i7 intel chip in my VI server computer. Both have disabled turbo boost. No impact on performance.

 

[Elwood]

Please read this article which details Studio One Native support.

https://support.presonus.com/hc/en-...ple-Silicon-Macs-everything-you-need-to-know-

Thanks Bob! That article says it all. It also made me glad I resisted the discount outlets this time, I really want a current release model, compatibility issues and all. I am just getting more excited! For my outhouse operation it really looks like the M1 mini will be a great fit!!!

Yeah, that's true; just don't know whether those introduce latency. I'm not experienced with recording signal chains and such.

Mark, if that was a problem, wouldn't you be able to manage the latency issue by cabling your computer so the interface gets a direct usb port and all the necessary garbage gets into a hub? Maybe not, but I would try.

My friends and family think I have been abducted by aliens or had a brain swap with a chicken....I have been a long time brand loyalist - against Apple!!! Now they have won me over once again.
That's the good thing about making up your mind, then you're all ready to change it when the time comes....

 

[PapaRaptor]

Yeah, that's true; just don't know whether those introduce latency. I'm not experienced with recording signal chains and such.

On the plus side, the battery under normal use is good for well over 12 hours so as a recording hub you might have both ports available.

Latency shouldn't be an issue with a hub. I'm using a USB 3.1 7-port hub on my PC. but it connect to the PC with a conventional USB A connector. Both my old StudioLive AR-12USB and my Eleven Rack are routed through the hub, as well as my keyboard, StreamDeck, Presonus Atom and a pair of Behringer BCF-2000 control surfaces, all without issue and no noticeable increase in latency over direct connections. Studio One reports Input/Output latencies of 7.3ms/5.8ms with a Device Block Size of 256 samples on my Studio Live and 8.64ms/8.64ms on the 11r. Normal roundtrip monitoring latencies are <20ms on both the Studio Live and Eleven Rack.

I have a USB-C port on my PC, but currently, nothing to plug in to it.
You may already be aware of this, but the USB-C is pretty much just a new connector. There are a lot of devices out there using the USB C connectors that only support the USB 2.x spec. However, if you have a USB C connector on the panel of your PC or Mac, you can be reasonably certain it is USB 3.x.
Notably, the Presonus line of Studio Live Mixers (AR-8C, AR-12C, AR-16C, etc.) are equipped with C connectors but electrically run the USB 2.0 spec.

 

[Elwood]

Well I may as well ask...
My monitor has two HDMI connections and smart switches between them depending on what it sees, no problem there.
For the Keyboard and mouse / does anyone have a preferred bit of hardware to allow fast switching between two computers, using the same keyboard and mouse?
I am admittedly being lazy here, have not looked much yet. You guys are so far ahead I thought it best to just do some more brain picking. Thanks!

 

[dvs]

Well I may as well ask...
My monitor has two HDMI connections and smart switches between them depending on what it sees, no problem there.
For the Keyboard and mouse / does anyone have a preferred bit of hardware to allow fast switching between two computers, using the same keyboard and mouse?
I am admittedly being lazy here, have not looked much yet. You guys are so far ahead I thought it best to just do some more brain picking. Thanks!

I use both my desktop and my touchscreen laptop with the same keyboard and mouse. I have two monitors connected to the desktop, the laptop screen is separated from its keyboard (like a tablet, see photo) and I have Logitech wireless keyboard and mouse (links below) that can be paired with up to three devices by wireless, USB, or bluetooth. You can switch between devices with buttons on the keyboard and the bottom of the mouse (Logitech has other mouses that have a more accessible switch), and they are also linked together by software so if I hold the control key down and drag from one PC to the other the kbd and mouse both switch, and the clipboard is transferred also (cut & paste from one computer to the other). Very happy with this setup.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07S92QBCJ
https://www.amazon.com/Logitech-Anywhere-Wireless-Mouse-Rechargeable/dp/B075Y8ZVBB

 

[Elio]

Yeah, that's true; just don't know whether those introduce latency. I'm not experienced with recording signal chains and such.

On the plus side, the battery under normal use is good for well over 12 hours so as a recording hub you might have both ports available.

My experience with the extender hubs has not been positive. Pretty much any time I run into unexplained latency and drop out from the interface, I find that bypassing the hub seems to resolve it. I recorded a conga track recently where I was banging my head against the wall trying to figure out why my timing sounded so inconsistent on the recording. I finally measured the latency on each mic and realized that one of the two identical interfaces was plugged into a USB hub that introduced noticeable latency on just that one mic/drum, while the two other mics were in time. Removing the hub and switching to a single 4-input digital interface solved the problem.

 

[Elwood]

I have Logitech wireless keyboard and mouse (links below) that can be paired with up to three devices by wireless, USB, or bluetooth. You can switch between devices with a button on the keyboard or the bottom of the mouse (Logitech has other mouses that have a more accessible switch), and they are also linked together by software so if I hold the control key down I can drag from one screen to the other they both switch, and the clipboard is transferred also (cut & paste from one computer to the other). Very happy with this setup. I use multiple monitors, btw.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07S92QBCJ
https://www.amazon.com/Logitech-Anywhere-Wireless-Mouse-Rechargeable/dp/B075Y8ZVBB

Good tip, Thanks! I have a really nice mechanical keyboard, a gaming hand me down, that I would like to continue to use. This keyboard/mouse set is a fine solution if I want to change. I really appreciate it, I just don't stay up on techy stuff anymore so stuff like these peripherals that can switch between cpus, that is new to me!

That looks just great @dvs !!! I may end up going with that stuff??? Pondering....and with no kvm - no switch and cables - hmmm....

 

[Many Moons]

All my stuff is done on Logic ProX 10.4 Elwood. I can't upgrade to the latest 10.5 version as my graphics card won't support it, so I'll have to wait. I'm actually waiting to see how the new Mini's are spec'd. I think this will be my last computer, so I want to 'future proof' it as best I can. If you are getting Logic Pro with it, you should take a crash course in using it, I don't think you'll be disappointed. This bundle from Groove3 is amazing value for money. Logics own plugins are amazing!!! It's a pity I only really found this out after spending probably in excess of £1000 on plug-ins that 'the people' said 'I must have'!!!! I didn't need them. Be careful going down that rabbit hole. You'll enjoy it.

the-ultimate-logic-pro-tutorial-bundle

Check out this video from the guy who runs 'Why Logic Pro Rules'. He puts it through it's paces.
https://youtu.be/xkGPy3wri3E

 

[Elwood]

Thanks!!! That is very encouraging!!! You driving LP and me driving LP, well we're just not gonna see the same driving, for a number of reasons.
I feel like you, I do not look forward to buying more hardware. I got the 1TB SSD because the ransom on the 2 is too much for me, I'll go external first. 'The rest I better like because I am stuck with it. Still, it looks like a great place to be stuck! I will take a look at the video and the course link.

 

[Many Moons]

You’ll not need to buy any more plug-ins Elwood. Honestly, Logics own plugins are superb. I recently discovered how good Logics drummer is. I still use SD3 for most things, but for jazzy/blues rhythms with brushes I’ve found a really cool drummer within Logic. Feel free to ask if there’s anything you need help with. I’m, no expert but I’d be only to glad to help if I can.

 

[Elwood]

Hey @Many Moons I just watched that video. My response...

Oh yeah!!! Can't wait!

I do get it about the plug ins. With garage band I have used native or free stuff and would not go past that. Also, the drummer in g-band is really fun. I think it was on "like a rolling stone" I took two tracks of drummers and set one to follow and one not. Interesting.

My dear better half is responsible for me even putting Logic Pro in the build. She reasoned that I will want to try it so I might as well get it over with, love it! She also pushes me to quit thinking about it and just get the lesson pkg in the link (done). Same logic, "you're gonna wish you had..." yup, love it!

Yeah, your video got me all (more) excited! You may get a question some time...