I did the switch nearly 2 years ago. From a home build AMD 5800x to an m2 pro (10 core) Mac mini. Performance is about the same, however for me it is the lack of noise in a recording environment that is key. As a Solo musician in a small space (loft room), PC fan noise (and heat) would always come through when using an ultra sensitive microphone. I even have to shut my flatulent dog out at times. It has it's compromises. To keep costs down I've had to go with external hard disks. I had to pay the apple tax with an upgrade to 32GB to keep it future proof and there are a few old legacy VSTs that I can't run. But it is rock solid and small enough to hide so to maximise desk space
Best of luck, Mike. I'll be looking forward to your future Mac produced videos. I've also been a PC guy for 30+ years and used Cakewalk since Version 2. However, I reached the same conclusion as you regarding that DAW, and made the switch to Studio One several months ago. I've never looked back and now wish I'd made the change even sooner.
As a long time PC user I switched to the Mac Studio a few years back and it's helped me to be more productive so I can focus on the art instead of the tech. One recommendation is go with the CalDigit Thunderbolt docks because they are reliable if you need additional ports on a Mac.
The thing is - you can use both. I have both in the studio- and each have their pros, and cons. I had a pro-built hi-end machine built to my spec to run Nuendo/Cubase- and it is utterly silent, it hasn't crashed at all. Ever. In 3 years. The Macbook M2 was a must for live shows, as I need to run Mainstage - do I like it? Not really, I don't like the OS and it seems a very clumsy way to get from A-B. I also got the Mac Studio for the production, and It's brilliant, it's fast, and again silent, but I prefer the workflow using Windows. Both machines are necessary tools - I think the answer is ' you generally get what you pay for'.
Love my Mac, switched to one 2 years back thanks to a costco deal. It's been simply brilliant, the most surprising aspect are the speakers on the Macbook if you're just having fun on the go. Plus you can use the built in speakers or headphones out across multiple applications, this is something that used to drive me nuts with a PC laptop, the ASIO drive would lock the audio to that app. So many items i've purchased in the past 10 years have left me with a bit of buyers remorse but never had it once with it. Use it 10-12 hours a day as a desktop machine as it's main use, and it's so efficient. The touchpads are also brilliant for navigating DAW timelines.
I moved to Mac last year. Like you, noise, rather the lack thereof, was my main motivation. But Logic Pro being such a low one-time cost was the icing on the cake. Like you though, I had Mac experience so there wasn’t much of a learning curve for me. I can understand somebody with zero Mac experience being hesitant. But even then, I still think it’s worth it. Doubly so if they are iPhone users, or willing to switch to iPhone. The integration and cooperation between iPhone and Mac is something the Windows world just doesn’t have.
I've been on PC and Intel for years. With my latest build I went with AMD AM5 Ryzen 7 7700. It is extremely powerfull. Power use, even when pushed, is less than 100 watts. I use all "quiet" cooling components. I run Cubase Pro and Studio One Pro along with lots of VSTs etc. Also record guitar. This system has been rock solid with silent operation.
Mike, first of all thank you for your excellent videos, both here and on the Studio One channel. I am a PC user also, since Windows 3.1 and DOS. I've thought about trying a Mac for some of the same reasons, but 2 things always stop me. One is the price. If the initial switch was a one time thing, it wouldn't be as much of an issue, but that brings me to my second reason. As I look around in TH-cam, I always notice things about existing software either being incompatible with the latest OS update, or with the latest processor. This seems to be a VERY common problem (seems like every major OS update or processor update), that I would think may force people to upgrade. On my PC I can still run software that was made for Windows XP if I want (as long as it isn't 16 bit) and it works just fine. I have never had a program that wouldn't run on the latest processor, and I have gone from a 286 to my current 12th gen I9. And like you said, Windows has been very stable for many years. From an outsider viewpoint, it seems Mac users are forever having to update either hardware or software, or both. At the price of a hardware update, this would seem quite expensive, at something like 3 or 4 times the cost of a PC. I may be wrong... but that has always been a showstopper for me.
You will love it! I went MacBook years ago and I never looked back. I’m a logic pro user as of a couple years ago and I love it as well. However, I love studio one pro. Things just run smoother with the MacBook and I love it.
I just switched to MacBook myself for much the same reasons Mike. I’ve been researching for a year as my PC was old and needed heavy upgrades to move to Win 11. Then the PSU died and I didn’t want to spend the money to replace it when I needed to make major upgrades later anyway. So I was forced to make a quick decision and went with the MacBook Pro M4…just like you. I bought a docking station to link in to my studio gear that makes life better. I’m still learning things and it’s taken a couple of weeks to get up and running but I’m still happy. I’ll be watching for your videos on using Mac with Studio One as I gave up on Calkwalk last year.
I used Cakewalk since the DOS era when I lived in Melbourne 30+ years ago but, after making endless upgrades to it and my PC, I also felt a little uneasy about its future. I went to Acoustica Mixcraft about 6 years ago, bought the most expensive high-end gaming laptop soon after (when I discovered my current laptop at the time couldn’t quite keep up), and the rest is history. I still enjoy and use Macs for watching TH-cam and other little apps (such as guitar amps simulators), but I am very happy with Mixcraft. Thank you for the great video, and good luck with your new direction!
Great vid, as usual! I have to make a remark about AMD Ryzen CPUs, through. I currently have the second Ryzen build since 2019, dedicated exclusively to professional video editing, graphics and music production. And honestly I will never go back to Intel. Yes, AMD CPUs used to have a bad reputation, and I had a less-than-perfect experience with one of their old FX line CPUs, but these days, they just obliterate Intel in every way, especially when you consider the price/performance ratio. I have never had any problems with Ryzen (7 and 9 series, never had a 5), but have friends who have struggled with the latest 13 and 14 gen top line Intel CPUs because of their high failure rate. Good luck on your switching process! :)
I made the switch 14 years ago. This video captures precisely what I do not miss about PC. I used to spend months preparing for an upgrade, researching online, shopping for different parts, then going back to the drawing board because of this or that. And even when I wasn’t looking to upgrade, that process was always running in the background - you’re always reading about current technology, parts, incompatibilities, and this and that, and storing that info for future reference. The first time I upgraded my Mac after the switch… When I decided it was time to upgrade, I visited the Apple site one night, found a model that worked for me, went to the Apple Store the next morning, came home, unboxed the computer, logged into my account, downloaded Logic and I was working on music. To me, that’s priceless. I use my Mac to make music, as a tool, just like I use a fridge to keep my food fresh. I don't want to waste mental energy thinking about their bits and parts.
I'm also someone who has done the switch back and forth. I know that the backbone of an Apple should make it better but I've just had bad experiences. Plus, i REALLY don't like apples attempts to force a lack of choice onto users. However, your argument makes complete sense for your particular requirements and position. So fingers crossed that it works for you. 🤞🤞
Thanks so much for all your fantastic and very easy to understand videos on cakewalk! Wish you nothing but the best with your MAC journey! I have been thinking about the jump myself, but I am holding out hope with Sonar….
Great video! I also switched from Windows to PC in 2021 for music production for similar reasons. I built my last audio production PC. It was my first time ever building a PC, and honestly, it was way harder than everyone says, and I certainly don't ever want to do that again. I'm sure it's easy for those who do it a LOT, but I'm not an IT professional and all I want is a great computer to do creative work. Just the amount of time and effort I had to spent to figure out what components to put, where to buy the Windows OS, how to install the OS, how to put the thermal paste, how to POST etc-I just felt like it wasn't worth my time or energy. Great point about upgrading components not being as awesome as many people make out to be. My custom build PC has an Intel i7-6700K. I use it for gaming and it's probably due for an upgrade, but just the thought that I might have to swap out the motherboard (which would in turn require me to unmount all the RAM sticks), the PSU, and even buying new RAM sticks just makes me not want to do it haha. But also, the fact that you can get desktop performance out of a MBP (even when unplugged) is just incredible. It's like I could take my entire studio to go.
I recorded and mixed in Windows starting in the '90s, and I switched too. I actually switched my daily machine to Linux, but switched my media production to Mac. Logic is just more fun and feature-rich than all the other DAWs. It's not even close.
Well, you're certainly not "making a mistake", as is evident by the reasoning being the decision. And if you focus on Studio One, there's probably not much difference. Good luck with it! I'm one of the hardcore Cakewalk users though and will try to support the channel dedicated to this DAW as long as possible 😀
i don’t think you’re going to regret it, the apple silicon machines are absolute tanks and will last you a long time. it’s honestly amazing how they’re efficient enough to have the same crazy performance whether plugged in or not, while staying really quiet
This was fascinating. I just this year upgraded my very old PC with a new PC. I was amazed at how how the CPUs run, that I was including a radiator, etc. When I got the new computer home, I had to spend a good deal of time dealing with temperature / fan speed graphs and learned a lot more than I wanted to about quieting the fans down. So far, in my limited audio recording the fans aren't too loud or noticeable, and hopefully it will stay that way. I also really liked the part where you discuss that the ability to upgrade the machine is more limited than you think, since by the time you start upgrading the CPU (if that's the problem) one thing leads to another and eventually you're upgrading the entire machine.
I had the switch back in 2022 to a M1 MacBook Pro and will never go back. I too have always built my own PC’s, and never even looked at a mac until a couple of years ago. I was surprised at the amount of apps that crash on Mac still, but on the whole it’s been much more stable for music, especially Cubase.
Excellent points Mike. I'm not switching to Mac anytime soon. PCs are working well for me. I'm right there with you when it comes to SONAR. Loved it and have used it for more than 20 years, but it doesn't feel (to me) like there's a solid foundation under it anymore. Not sure I can explain it any more than that. I recently switched to Studio One and am happy so far. I love and will continue watching your well thought out and presented videos. Thank you for all you give!
Same here. I wish that the "new " owners of the Cakewalk/Franchise would make up their minds and either put something solid out there or let it go. I have the Beta testing version of Sonar and thus far is working beautifully for me.
On thing that is still true about PC Upgrades is Video Cards. I'm on my fourth Video card in my current PC (which it used the GPU from the previous system). Back a while back changing sound cards was a thing. But the sound capabilities on good mother boards is so good that a separate sound card isn't necessary. I max out my memory when I built this one so that upgrading my memory would be crazy expensive now. Oh, and I've gone through many hard drives over time, I upgraded my NVME drive three times as capacities improved, my "boot" drive is 2 TB now. I've also increased the spinning drives a couple times to get more capacity. And Optical Drives... and... well, PCs really are fairly upgradable still.
I left Windows years ago and only run Mac now with Logic Pro. The Mac ecosystem really shines through if you also use other Apple devices (iPhone / iPad) … things will magically transfer to any other device you own, and in my experience, my MacBook Pro runs flawlessly and quickly the first time, every time. Not once in over a decade have I gotten a pinwheel of death, or even a sluggish response! It simply fires up and goes to work. With the M2 or M3 variants, there is a noticeable increase in speed from the older i7 chips. Like you stated, so long as your MacBook is spec’d correctly (which simply means loading up as much unified memory as you can comfortably afford AND the hard drive space being at least 1TB, you won’t have any issues even with 100+ tracks open with multiple plugins on each track… your MacBook will easily handle it. Not even a question about it… the M-Series chips are honestly workhorses … I Spec’d mine with the M3 Pro chips but you can also go M3 / M4 Max… but even the standard or Pro chips will be enough.
Personally, I'm concerned about the future direction of Studio One, as well. (Since Fender took over) Now they've shut down the forums. I'm starting to do a little work with Reaper to see if I can switch to it if worse comes to worst with Presonus. I already played this game once with Sonar, which is how I ended up on Studio One.
I just discovered Cakewalk. I was using FL Studio very long time for rock mixes. I know it's strange because FL is more compatible for pop and rap beats. But now I noticed when I use instruments and effects with Cakewalk CPU is much better than using plugins with FL and even stock plugins specially effects can be very useful for Rock music. Thank you for Cakewalks tutorials and I hope Cakewalk will come back soon in better shape. I use Windows but I can understand there is very powerful Mac laptops for music producers. 👍
I switched to the M2 pro (mac mini) after being on pc my entire life - about a year ago. I'm a programmer analyst and have been for 34 years. I used Adobe Audition for 20 years (was cooledit before that) on an i7 with 32gb ram (before the switch to mac). Nothing compares to the speed of the M2 pro and I'm even thinking about switching to the M4 Ultra when it comes out because I've been so impressed. I'll take the M2 pro and replace another pc I have. Apple has hit a major home run with the M series chips. I also switched to Logic Pro after getting the mac and it took a while to get used to it, but it's definitely better than Audition (except Audition is so much easier to fade and cross fade than stupid logic, what in the world is up with that?). I think you're making the right choice for YOU it sounds like. If I can do a major paradigm shift (pc to mac, audition to logic) in one fell swoop then I bet you can too with (pc to mac, cakewalk to studio 1) Best of luck.
I am still using the cakewalk and it is working great don't know why company announced that after sometime it will be again named Sonar. But till it is free i will use it, your videos on cakewalk really helped me during the COVID 19 lockdown and those are wonderful tutorials on it. Lots of thanks from India Regards, Aniruddha Joshi ☺️🙏☺️
Mike , I hope this goes well for you. I'm pretty dissapointed you will no longer make Cakewalk tutorials But , you have already posted more than I will probably ever learn. Thanks for all the support . Mark Alan Skinner
I have had my cycles of PC and Mac. Started on PC, then moved to Mac, back to PC, then built a hackintosh, and now back to Mac. My issues with PC are two 1. I did not like having to cram what DAW uses what audio driver (ASIO vs WDC vs Direct X..) then again, TH-cam Could not play if a DAW was open... there were workarounds , but if anything was a creativity killer, this was it. 2. Thunderbolt.. Gave me a couple of blue screens (in front of clients..) This was the final straw. On the same PC, I installed a hackintosh, and Thunderbolt worked like a charm. Not a single Kernel or app crash I finally purchased a Mac since a lot of my tools we're ending support for Intel Macs (of which my Hackintosh was). Mac is expensive to acquire.. but the freedom to work painlessly is priceless, in my view.
I am used to Cakewalk and also prefer PCs. Some people believe, that Macs are better than PCs because they are overpriced. They say cost more. But it is the pricing structure that has put me off Macs. In the UK, Macs are twice the price of an equivalent PC. I used Macs for music production at college and the experience was no different to using a PC. Jobs, Wozniack and Wayne gave an alternative, sort of. They were just too greedy when pricing their product. Dearer does not always mean better. A £50000 write-off Porsche is not better than a £3000 Vauxhall in great condition. The Porsche is just an enthusiasts DIY job. I know that there are many Mac user who cannot stand using PCs. That is their choice..
MAC are tax on the dumbest, use Linux on a PC if you are anti-windows. I mean who does not have a dedicated windows machine that does not get messed with, especially if you are pro.
Great video Mike! You helped me with a lot of my PC performance optimization with your videos, so I think you get a pass to go to whatever suits you best lol stay well mate 👍
Made switch from pc to mac about 6 months ago. The performance has been solid but was good on old pc as well. There is a cohesiveness to everything in the mac world that is different. That whole thing about things "just working" on a mac is generally true. The transition has not been without some challenges. The mac file system still confounds me at times. Couple of things that are big plusses in my smallish space are the small form factor of m2 max studio and the fact that it is abolutely SILENT. I mean dead silent. My pc was water cooled and ,i thought, very quiet but the absence of any audible noise still blows me away. I know you said your pc is super quiet but I think you still might notice a difference.
Mike, I truly understand and appreciate your decision. I myself have been a Cakewalk user for some time but have been very disappointed in the way they have dragged their feet, so to say, on the development of and distribution of the newest direction of Cakewalk. I also have transitioned to Studio One and only occasionally open Cakewalk (the BandLab version) to view some of my older songs. Cakewalk, to me, has done itself a disservice by the development and distribution choices of their new release. That in itself was the last straw for me. Regarding PC vs MAC, I understand your points, but I personally will more than likely stay with my Windows PC. I've been a PC/Windows user for at least 50 years. I recently upgraded/replaced my PC about a year ago, and at my age, I hope it was my last big purchase! One thing about MAC's, at least my limited experience with them, you appear to be locked in to buying any replacement hardware from Apple. PC's just seem to have a few manufacturer options to choose from. Again, I have very limited experience with MACs, so I could be wrong and hope people don't criticize me too much! I've learned a great deal from watching your videos, and I plan on continuing to be a loyal follower and subscriber to your channels.
Welcome to the healthy side... We have Apples ! 😁 On a more serious note, I started with Cakewalk Some years ago. Switched to Mac (GB first and then Logic) 4 years ago when the M1 came out and I never looked back. My M1 still can take anything I throw at it without even a hiccup... Have a fun journey, my friend !
I have a friend who is into music production as his second job (so to speak) and he's been using AMD Phenom for the last... well, I don't even know how many years - but it served him very well. He once borrowed a M1 laptop from a friend and said this would be the only update hardware-wise he would consider (but would rather buy M2). Personally, I used win-pc most of the time and it was bit of a struggle, and once I even went for Ubuntu Linux - and that was the most enjoying experience I had, once I set it up the way I wanted it to work. But then I had HDD failure and went back to Win, sadly. Good luck with Mac and I hope Cakewalk finds some sense finally! 🙋🏼♂️
Thanks for your thoughts! I moved to Mac in 2017 and have used Studio One Pro since then. I've never had a problem. A new Mac Mini M4 Pro is in house and awaiting its monitor and will hopefully up and running this weekend. (The bigger change is moving to Logic Pro. I can't bring myself to buy into the new Presonus pricing structure.)
I switched to Mac Mini M4 Pro this past week 🙋🏾♂️It’s pretty snappy. Biggest thing is needing compatibility for plugins. My Waves Horizon bundle doesn’t work unless I buy the update 😅
If I could get a mac with 64gb of ram and easily upgradable storage for less than $2500, I might switch, but that doesn't seem to be the case, so I'll stick with my PC for half that price that can do all that and more.
You should roll with whatever computer you vibe well, and which helps you to make music. Its your music that counts, not the -whatever- it was created on. If a machine, OS or DAW doesnt work for you, your creative mood will be ruined. So pick whatever works best for you and focus on what really counts: the end result, music!
I've really been enjoying your content, Mike. I spent thirty years in the IT industry as a hard core Windows and Unix user. I dove into music production after retiring and, based on the advice of a friend and much research, chose to go with an iMac running Pro Tools in 2015. While I've since switched to Studio One, I've stuck with the iMac across multiple generations and have been very pleased with the results. However, I'm not a pro and my music productions have rarely exceeded 30 tracks. That's important because based on the link I've provided below, there can be a real issue running Studio One on an M4 with larger productions (80+ tracks). This is because Studio One apparently does not make good use of the efficiency cores, making it the lowest performer when compared to the other DAWs tested. Did you come across this issue in your research of the Mac OS and M4 CPU? Here's the link to the test I'm referring to: th-cam.com/video/hccy19Hm6M8/w-d-xo.html. The Studio One evaluation starts at 12:37.
You may regret it. I've switched between the 2 for ages but finally settled on the PC. Apple's proprietary ethos just doesn't cut it even though I have the latest MacBook.
I can confirm. It could be a case but the best achievements, including the platinums, always produced with Windows...and I switched back and forth at least 5 times...🎉🎉🎉
@@djki2565 The Mac's core audio and OS is undoubtedly better but with the right set up and no proprietary limitations I've had a better experience with the PC. Probably no right or wrong answer though.
@@CreativeSaucePlease don’t let anyone talk you out of the switch. There are a lot of music/audio producers/creators who have documented their switch to the Mac on this platform and are satisfied with the decision. Just take your time and reach out to the Mac community to help you resolve any problems you might face. After all, everyone should just use what best suits their use case. And there is no harm in trial.
@rns325 I’m not even sure I understand what you’re complaining about? How does the Apple proprietary ethos limit you? What’s actually missing or not working?
I just started a very similar journey with the M4 Mac Pro mini. I’ve also been a cakewalk user since windows 3.1 and absolutely loved that journey all the way up until present time. I am very curious and optimistic about the M4 Mac Pro and music production.
On a more constructive note, I was interested with the new ARM M1 architecture but tbh the new Ryzen CPU ran all cores at a stable 5.2ghz with a 5.7 boost, it uses less power and has better thermals than the last generation and in a couple of years they'll be $200 and this is just the first of the new Ryzen generation, imagine that with 16 cores, that's insane....appreciate the video and I'm not a professional so I dunno, but for the cost....it's a no brainer....Intel are looking to be bought out as they are completely out of the game now...
I use to have both, and for me MacOS has been an all around simpler and cleaner experience for audio production. Its the little things like ASIO overtaking the audio system on windows making it a pain in the neck to just do simple things like reference a song on Spotify while your DAW is open on windows and the fact that every USB device needs a driver and little things like that. Because when I started MacOS wasn't an option in the Mac System 7&8 days, but once Apple move to the Unix based OS X (modern MacOS) everything changed. Apple dropped ASIO support for Core audio, and I kept up with both platforms and some of the same issues that plagued windows audio in 2002 are still there in 2024. So it was just easier to get a mac and work without the headaches. Windows is fine and I could use it if I had too, but in all honesty I don't want too because of the drawbacks. But thats just my experience and everyone's will be different.
Well I made the transition to Mac in 2013 and I have to say it was painful as a life long fan of pc’s, but now I would NEVER ever go back as they say , they just work. no more endlessly tinkering to keep the pc up and running and virus free now I just do music, well apart from the constant software instrument updates 😂 but that happens on both pc and Mac’s. With Apple care I don’t have any worries and their support is awesome if you do have an issue. Good luck with the transition.
I don’t really enjoy the Mac environment because it’s so closed off and presents an idealized experience to users, even though it can have issues just like any PC. Things like downscaled resolutions with blurry pixels or the lack of flexibility. That said, I understand why you’re switching, it sounds reasonable specially because of the battery life! As for Thunderbolt compatibility, it might just depend on getting a good-quality, compatible motherboard, but I can’t say for sure since I don’t use Thunderbolt myself. Good luck with your Mac! I’d be interested to see videos on your experience using it as your main computer in contrast to a windows pc
Totally understand your reasoning Mike but will be very sorry to lose your expertise from the Cakewalk community (though hoping you may still find time for the occasional tutorial as you have said you are going to get a machine that will run it). Like you I have some concerns about the direction of Cakewalk and their recent marketing and insistence on the new SONAR being a sub only model. I'll be hanging on to Cakewalk until it no longer works as it does everything I need. I'm glad I got my new PC a couple of years ago before the chip issues started! Hope your adventure with the Mac goes really well and thanks for everything you have taught us over the years! PS I'm hoping you will be keeping the CbB Facebook forum!
Thanks for your incredible support Joe! Yes, the Facebook group will 100% continue, and I'll be keeping up with any changes to Cakewalk. That laptop will be Cakewalk dedicated :)
Thanks @CreativeSauce for this movie, I'm also switching to M4 from PC where I used Cakewalk and currently strongly considering the Studio One DAW, but I saw this benchmark (th-cam.com/video/hccy19Hm6M8/w-d-xo.htmlsi=LqJUaTvEz80pfw3y) which shows that it is not well performing on M4 compared to e.g. Reaper or Cubase. This makes me confused if this is a good, future proof choice. Have you already tried your Studio One projects on apple silicon? Wondering if you observed any performance issues in real life scenarios? Other guys here with Studio One on M[1234] experience?
The thing about Macs is we don't even notice they are there. You buy it, turn it on, and never think about it again until it's time to upgrade to a new one. This whole conversation about Windows tech, fans, motherboard, chips, cooling systems, thunderbolt, etc. etc. is just none-existent. You can focus 100% on the music.
You don't have to go down the route described above of building your own PC. For me it has always been equally simple; buy a competent machine and have it working for years, before it's time to upgrade. And I'm talking 5-7 years mostly. The only tech I'm into is the music tech. The computer just runs. So, you can do things differently, and achive the same result: a well working productive hassle free environment for your studio. I do worry about the future of Sonar/Cakewalk tho, as Mike.
I’m not qualified to evaluate whether you’re making a mistake. My own experience is similar to yours, as my main machine is a Pc build about 5 years old. I use both Apple & Windows devices and have been educating myself on the latest versions of M4 machines so I can make an informed decision when it becomes necessary. I don’t do video so no concerns there and my interface is an RME that works perfectly with Widows and uses USB rather than thunderbolt. I’ll be watching your journey closely Good Luck
Ruh-Roh! Cue the Platform Wars music! Overall, great video. You can make great music on both. For the "Windows isn't reliable" myth, I agree - Windows has been rock solid for me. For the "PC's are louder" myth, I disagree - a custom-built tower with megafans might be quiet, but if you have a high powered PC laptop and you push it hard with plugins, it's way louder than a M3 MacBook Pro. For the third myth, I used to agree in general - Mac and PC operating systems were comparable, but Microsoft has gone out of their way to make Windows annoying with Windows 11. I spend too much time turning things off and getting rid of things. Also, I think the Mac OS methods for handling audio are better. Fourth myth, yep, Windows is more upgradable. SOO true that the Ryzen path is not ready for prime time. I wouldn't do it. Once that is ready, PC laptops will be able to compete with the Mac when it comes to power + battery life. But right now, the Mac is the better laptop for that.
Question, does S1 use all cores on the M4? It has been demonstrated on TH-cam channels that S1 doesn't use the efficiency cores on M1 and M2 processors.
I'm always worried about Mac OS updates breaking plugins and the DAW until their updated. Waves charges you to update the plugins after an OS update. But even if there isn't a charge to upgrade, it would suck to not be able to open a project til the OS updates. Again, this is only what I've heard as I'm a PC user. I also have nothing that's thunderbolt and haven't needed it, so I can't speak to that.
On MacOS you can turn OS updates off and you will still get security updates. To be honest most people wait an stay one OS behind for stability purposes updating to last years OS when this years comes out. But otherwise I haven't really had those but I stay 1 behind like a professional should. The plugin update thing is just part of the cycle if you know you are going to update and your plugins need to be updated then you add that to your budget but I have 90% of the waves plugins and the updates are about once every 3 years and its $150ish dollars so about the price of 2 Softube plugins to update 120 Waves plugins about a $1 each LOL But Both platforms have their strengths and MacOS isn't perfect by any stretch of the imagination but it is nice to just buy a machine and work without hassles for 6 to 8 years at a time. Thats why I use it in the studio.
@@joesalyers Thanks for all the clarification. I've never used a mac unless I was in someone else's studio. I've had my rig for about 6 years now and have updated hardware and plugins, but was never charged for it. That is just the only thing holding me back from mac. I don't know why I'd have to pay to upgrade anything unless I was upgrading an OS. I could see paying for that. But plugins? No. Especially if the plugin itself wasn't updated in fit or function.
I have been a Mac user for about a decade now. The most frustrating part of changing over is just what you described. MacOS dropped support for 32bit plugins some years back and every OS upgrade after that seemingly broke everything. I will say that since the transition to M1, this has been a non issue. Fabfillter, waves, sound toys, sonible, and pretty much every other mainstream third party plugin has worked across OS upgrades with no issues.
Long as you get a very good cooling system, pc not a problem, fact you can get better performance. The issue depends if you change your hardware like audio interface as thunderbolt 4 does out perform USB C or 3 etc but still depends on if there is any benefit to audio hardware latency 🤷😊
I am eying a switch as well. Two things that hold me off for the moment 1. the mental (mental!) Apple prices for SSD storage and RAM 2. I actually like to build PCs and be able to open the box and switch things around. This has often extended the lifetime of my PCs and Laptops (SSD, RAM, Battery) where the closed Apple approach would have meant EOL.
Not only that but at some point they'll come out with a version of the OS, or Logic if you're using that, that is not supported on your Mac. Been down this road. Some daws, Reaper included, won't care but regardless at some point Apple will pull the plug on your still perfectly functioning, performant, machine.
I built my PC at the end of 2015 and did two major processor upgrades (I'm on a Ryzen 5900x). I love it, it's super quiet, and it does what it needs to. But it's also chunky (I used a Fractal Design case) and I can't take it with me when travelling. That's why I'm thinking of making the switch to Mac (my last Windows laptop experience wasn't terrible, but not that great either). I'm fairly patient with my machines, but lately Windows has become rather unpleaseant to use and I generally don't like the direction Microsoft is heading in. However, at the same time, it feels like I'm leaving some part of myself behind since I've been a PC user since I was six years old. Yet on the other hand the truth for me personally is that building PCs isn't fun anymore.
The MacBook Pro M2 has been wonderful for with with StudioOne Pro7. a little learning curve on the apple OS and their way of placing things, but once you get it it's a smooth ride.
I remember Cakewalk, a great DAW. Really, I used it 20 years ago, if not more. Then there was Cubase SX, Samplitude. But I always wanted to work in Logic. That's why I work in Logic Pro. But Logic was bought by Apple and I had to move to Mac. Who knows what would have happened to Logic if Apple hadn't bought it?
I am an S1 user and honestly, they have not coded the software well at all to work with any of the Apple Silicon chips. It´s true, M4 gives more performance but, Reaper, Protools and Cubase get about 30% to 40% more out of the same machine. The reason is, they use the efficiency cores and not just the performance cores. Studio One , Ableton and I think Fruity loops do not. Logic kind of half does which is crazy as it is Apples own software. It is not really cool that the first 3 DAWs will give you more "or around" the same VSTI and Plugin counts on an M1 system than the latter will on M4 machines. Still though, I couldn´t be arsed learning Reaper ;)
People forget, At least you can still use that old PC over internet to run PC Specific plugs via a porthole (say Vienna Ensemble pro, plus there a few freebies ) as the cost of a Mac , yes it can be an outlay, but also people forget they hold their value in comparison to the ever changing upgradable PC market.... And to add... Though Apple is a walled garden, the benefits it can bring can be mind-blowing.... say, even adding you iPhone, iPad to core audio as a device! Pretty cool......... (Disclaimer : still running a Mac Pro 4.1 FW flashed to a 5.1, Upgraded..Dual Hex 3.33 , 64Gb ram, running Big Sur, 2 x Apogee FW ensembles, 18tb of SSD, plus some spinners, and other components, and have even done short films to Feature.. from Audio post to Score... Its never let me down.....Literally my daily driver unless im out and about, a MacBook pro 13" M1, I cant truly imagine what a new m4pro would give me in performance... wow)
To add... Ive never done a clean install of an OS since 10.6 Snow Leopard from PPC...... Yep.. Sure.. Ive backups of every system, but know, I updated the OS , every time on top of the previous..... Obviously skipping every few iterations.... As why,, when it Just Works! Thats got to be something... surely ....
I'm also considering a switch to mac after 20+ years of pc. A new mac will be shipped with the latest mac os. Aren't you concerned that your plugins won't work?
I was a cakewalk user exclusively until Gibson screwed everyone. I started on a MAC with studio one pro Shortly there after. I continue to use cakewalk on a pc with acid pro and sound forge. I track with cakewalk but I then export files to my MAC via a shared NAS and finish everything up on Studio One Pro with my VST’s like IZATOPE etc. The only thing I miss on the MAC is a good wave editor like Sound Forge (I use WAVEPAD as a poor substitute). BTW; I also run a development machine with linux Ubuntu with Studio One Beta, Reaper, and Mixbus 32c, but MAC is my main production platform and I have not looked back. Thank You
Did buy a MacBook some years ago, as my industries main software only runs on Mac. Despite my best efforts I ended up installing Bootcamp, and gradually the MacBook got used far more as a Windows machine. For someone who likes to get elbows deep into an OS, I found the MacBook constantly frustrating tbh. Just my take, Mike
I can't say you are making a mistake going to a Mac, there is a reason they are the "default" for music production and video (probably mostly because of Logic). But sticking with Windows is probably not nearly as silly as it once was. Linux is a crazier idea. But I can be crazy. If I find a good DAW that works in Linux, I'll make that jump.
Good luck with MAC's. I had 3 in the past and all 3 ended up in the bin due to major hardware problems, one of them actualy self destructed with heat problems. I'm now using studio one on a Laptop with much more success, we have to be careful with that word success as it is relative to how much you will put up with, suffice to say its a lot easier than a mac. Hope you have better luck than I did. MAC support by the way was terible.
@CreatveSauce - I'm sure you've done your research, so why not? I trust you are keeping your current rig until you are sure. As a Logic PC refugee, I'd always toyed with the idea, but Macs always seemed more expensive, but as a hobbyist, other PC DAWs have met or exceeded the capabilities of Logic. I don't like the feeling of limited upgradability with Macs, but there is something to be said for standardized hardware components. For Calkwalk users, you should always make your choices based on software first, platform second.
My Cyberpower High End Pc: Crashed alot, Extremely Hot, Sounds like a Jet Plane & always needed to be plugged in for best performance. My M1 Max MacBook Pro 14: Super Quiet, Very Cool, in fact only warms up when it's being charged No Crashes, Most Powerful computer I've ever owned, Doesn't need to be plugged in for best performance, I edit mostly on battery.
I just changed my main DAW two months ago. I used Cakewalk since it was DOS… and loved it. But recently I switched to Luna but on the PC platform. It’s very fast and with 64 gig memory. A new PC is still way cheaper than a Mac.
I've been thinking the exact same thing. The M4 is looking really sweet, but waiting to see what Mac Studio looks like, even though I may still opt for a bit of portability in a Macbook Pro. I've been a systems administrator and have worked with Windows and Linux systems, with what feels like my entire life, but also support some Macs these days. We also have iPhone 16 Pros and the wife has an iPad. While I realize they are different OS's, they do work well together. I built a mid tier system and a high end system, that I will be selling, as the Macs will replace both. For me though - changing over to Mac is more about form factor, than anything. I'd love to build a SFF system, but they can run fairly hot. Mac seems to have solved this, much better than PCs, in general. When a CPU hits its heat limit, it is called throttling. It happens so you don't end up frying it. A Mac also gives me the addition of using Logic Pro.
Hi Mike, may the force be with you!! haha Seriously, thanks for sharing your experience. Considering your experience you will be fine. In the worst case you would have to redistribute tasks between devices/OS (musical or audiovisual production, mastering...). In no case will it be a lost investment. Regarding vst, fx, etc. libraries... Do you have all the versions for Mac or was it left behind? A hug from Argentina!
I''m in the same boat. Started with Cakewalk too. I've had no real stability issues on PC over the past 30 plus years, and also no issues with tunderbolt/USB4, even on AMD Ryzen, but Microsoft has really pissed me off recently with the new bloat they keep addding to Windows 11 and their lack of care for privacy. Apple isn't perfect there, but they are certainly better. I also see Apple going the right direction with their hardware. A little over a week ago I bought a Mac Mini for my studio for music software as well as for video editing. The audio and midi stack on MacOS is a joy to use. I've run into no single host MIDI driver issues, and Core Audio runs perfectly with no dropouts at 64 buffer samples in the same projects, using the same audio interface I had to run with at least 128 samples on my Windows machine. And my Windows machine was no slouch. It's a 2023 AMD Zephyrus G14, with a Ryzen 9 7940HS and an NVidia RTX 4090 and 32GB RAM. Besides music and video editing, i do a fair amount of DevOps stuff for work, as well as gaming, so I can't fully switch to Mac. That being said, I loaded up Fedora Linux on my G14, and gaming with Proton works perfectly. I even get better framerates in games like Cyberpunk 2077 than I did in Windows. So now I do my DevOps work and gaming on my Linux laptop, and I use the Mac (and an iPad Pro M2) for music and video production. I'm happier than I've ever been with this setup. I have a Windows VM in case I need it, but haven't touched it in over a week. Time will tell how this all works out for me, but it's great so far! BTW, DAWs for me are Reaper, Bitwig, and FLStudio, with a bit of Maschine thrown in there, depending on what workflow I want. Those all work great on the base model M4 Mac Mini, as does Davinci Resolve. Best $500 I've spent in a long timel
My studio is my workplace office, because that's the only computer thar runs Windows. Linux guy here, but I wouldn't bother with music production since the vast majority of .VSTs I've purchased won't run natively in it.
Unfortunately, Studio One can NOT utilize all the cores efficiently on the M1, M2, M3 and M4 processors. I'm a Studio One user on a MacBook M1 and it hurts to see that Presonus did not improve this issue from version 6 to 7. Avid Pro Tools on the other hand has improved this area greatly to now support the M chip sets much better than previously.
I don’t like Mac I find the OS way too hard to use. I am however thinking of switching to a Linux OS only because of the way windows is going, I have only just upgraded my PC to a 12th gen cpu and motherboard so won’t be doing it again for quite awhile. I’m not a business I’m just a simple musician/songwriter, I think though for your business you’re doing the right thing😊
I can't wait to stop using Cakewalk, it's become so hard to use on my old system and now I have won a full version of FL Studio, I am switching to that. Just as soon as I get my new PC up and running I will no longer be using Cakewalk, it's just a pain, it loses my keyboard on a regular basis and now it can't find my Audio Interface, even though the day before it was fine. I am so done with Cakewalk, it just slows down my music production too much now!!
Would love to see comparision videos between same budget windows & apple computers.. a lot of comparisions tend to compare macbook pro with the pro versions of windows computers.. however what's often not taken into account is that the apple computer is often twice the price.. So a better comparision would be between the apple air and a similarly priced windows computer which at that price are usually considered pro-levels..
I was upgrading my portable platform and did consider M4 Macbook Pro, but it was about 3500 quid for 24GB RAM and 512GB ssd with Logic pre-installed, instead I got a 8-core Ryzen Zen 4 laptop with 32GB/1TB for 1100 quid on "Black Month" I installed Windows 11 Pro 24H2 and can keep using Cubase Artist. It's actually rather quiet, and very snappy, it's a Thinkpad Mobile Workstation. A noticeable price difference, and no learning curve.
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I did the switch nearly 2 years ago. From a home build AMD 5800x to an m2 pro (10 core) Mac mini. Performance is about the same, however for me it is the lack of noise in a recording environment that is key. As a Solo musician in a small space (loft room), PC fan noise (and heat) would always come through when using an ultra sensitive microphone. I even have to shut my flatulent dog out at times. It has it's compromises. To keep costs down I've had to go with external hard disks. I had to pay the apple tax with an upgrade to 32GB to keep it future proof and there are a few old legacy VSTs that I can't run. But it is rock solid and small enough to hide so to maximise desk space
Look into audiogridder and parallel but look into audiogridder mainly to run legacy plugins
Best of luck, Mike. I'll be looking forward to your future Mac produced videos. I've also been a PC guy for 30+ years and used Cakewalk since Version 2. However, I reached the same conclusion as you regarding that DAW, and made the switch to Studio One several months ago. I've never looked back and now wish I'd made the change even sooner.
As a long time PC user I switched to the Mac Studio a few years back and it's helped me to be more productive so I can focus on the art instead of the tech. One recommendation is go with the CalDigit Thunderbolt docks because they are reliable if you need additional ports on a Mac.
The thing is - you can use both. I have both in the studio- and each have their pros, and cons. I had a pro-built hi-end machine built to my spec to run Nuendo/Cubase- and it is utterly silent, it hasn't crashed at all. Ever. In 3 years. The Macbook M2 was a must for live shows, as I need to run Mainstage - do I like it? Not really, I don't like the OS and it seems a very clumsy way to get from A-B. I also got the Mac Studio for the production, and It's brilliant, it's fast, and again silent, but I prefer the workflow using Windows. Both machines are necessary tools - I think the answer is ' you generally get what you pay for'.
Love my Mac, switched to one 2 years back thanks to a costco deal. It's been simply brilliant, the most surprising aspect are the speakers on the Macbook if you're just having fun on the go. Plus you can use the built in speakers or headphones out across multiple applications, this is something that used to drive me nuts with a PC laptop, the ASIO drive would lock the audio to that app.
So many items i've purchased in the past 10 years have left me with a bit of buyers remorse but never had it once with it. Use it 10-12 hours a day as a desktop machine as it's main use, and it's so efficient.
The touchpads are also brilliant for navigating DAW timelines.
I moved to Mac last year. Like you, noise, rather the lack thereof, was my main motivation. But Logic Pro being such a low one-time cost was the icing on the cake.
Like you though, I had Mac experience so there wasn’t much of a learning curve for me. I can understand somebody with zero Mac experience being hesitant. But even then, I still think it’s worth it.
Doubly so if they are iPhone users, or willing to switch to iPhone. The integration and cooperation between iPhone and Mac is something the Windows world just doesn’t have.
Both systems are great. The human who controlled the Maschine defines his own benefit. The same like daw war.
I've been on PC and Intel for years. With my latest build I went with AMD AM5 Ryzen 7 7700. It is extremely powerfull. Power use, even when pushed, is less than 100 watts. I use all "quiet" cooling components. I run Cubase Pro and Studio One Pro along with lots of VSTs etc. Also record guitar. This system has been rock solid with silent operation.
And you can play games.
@@predigr system is dedicated to music studio production only. That said: It would certainly handle high end gaming just fine
Mike, first of all thank you for your excellent videos, both here and on the Studio One channel.
I am a PC user also, since Windows 3.1 and DOS.
I've thought about trying a Mac for some of the same reasons, but 2 things always stop me. One is the price. If the initial switch was a one time thing, it wouldn't be as much of an issue, but that brings me to my second reason. As I look around in TH-cam, I always notice things about existing software either being incompatible with the latest OS update, or with the latest processor. This seems to be a VERY common problem (seems like every major OS update or processor update), that I would think may force people to upgrade.
On my PC I can still run software that was made for Windows XP if I want (as long as it isn't 16 bit) and it works just fine. I have never had a program that wouldn't run on the latest processor, and I have gone from a 286 to my current 12th gen I9. And like you said, Windows has been very stable for many years.
From an outsider viewpoint, it seems Mac users are forever having to update either hardware or software, or both. At the price of a hardware update, this would seem quite expensive, at something like 3 or 4 times the cost of a PC. I may be wrong... but that has always been a showstopper for me.
You will love it! I went MacBook years ago and I never looked back. I’m a logic pro user as of a couple years ago and I love it as well. However, I love studio one pro. Things just run smoother with the MacBook and I love it.
I just switched to MacBook myself for much the same reasons Mike. I’ve been researching for a year as my PC was old and needed heavy upgrades to move to Win 11. Then the PSU died and I didn’t want to spend the money to replace it when I needed to make major upgrades later anyway. So I was forced to make a quick decision and went with the MacBook Pro M4…just like you. I bought a docking station to link in to my studio gear that makes life better. I’m still learning things and it’s taken a couple of weeks to get up and running but I’m still happy. I’ll be watching for your videos on using Mac with Studio One as I gave up on Calkwalk last year.
I used Cakewalk since the DOS era when I lived in Melbourne 30+ years ago but, after making endless upgrades to it and my PC, I also felt a little uneasy about its future. I went to Acoustica Mixcraft about 6 years ago, bought the most expensive high-end gaming laptop soon after (when I discovered my current laptop at the time couldn’t quite keep up), and the rest is history. I still enjoy and use Macs for watching TH-cam and other little apps (such as guitar amps simulators), but I am very happy with Mixcraft. Thank you for the great video, and good luck with your new direction!
Great vid, as usual! I have to make a remark about AMD Ryzen CPUs, through. I currently have the second Ryzen build since 2019, dedicated exclusively to professional video editing, graphics and music production. And honestly I will never go back to Intel. Yes, AMD CPUs used to have a bad reputation, and I had a less-than-perfect experience with one of their old FX line CPUs, but these days, they just obliterate Intel in every way, especially when you consider the price/performance ratio. I have never had any problems with Ryzen (7 and 9 series, never had a 5), but have friends who have struggled with the latest 13 and 14 gen top line Intel CPUs because of their high failure rate.
Good luck on your switching process! :)
I made the switch 14 years ago. This video captures precisely what I do not miss about PC. I used to spend months preparing for an upgrade, researching online, shopping for different parts, then going back to the drawing board because of this or that. And even when I wasn’t looking to upgrade, that process was always running in the background - you’re always reading about current technology, parts, incompatibilities, and this and that, and storing that info for future reference.
The first time I upgraded my Mac after the switch… When I decided it was time to upgrade, I visited the Apple site one night, found a model that worked for me, went to the Apple Store the next morning, came home, unboxed the computer, logged into my account, downloaded Logic and I was working on music. To me, that’s priceless. I use my Mac to make music, as a tool, just like I use a fridge to keep my food fresh. I don't want to waste mental energy thinking about their bits and parts.
I'm also someone who has done the switch back and forth. I know that the backbone of an Apple should make it better but I've just had bad experiences. Plus, i REALLY don't like apples attempts to force a lack of choice onto users.
However, your argument makes complete sense for your particular requirements and position. So fingers crossed that it works for you. 🤞🤞
Well thought out and considered video. Best of luck with your Mac plans.
Thanks Dave ;)
Thanks so much for all your fantastic and very easy to understand videos on cakewalk! Wish you nothing but the best with your MAC journey! I have been thinking about the jump myself, but I am holding out hope with Sonar….
Great video! I also switched from Windows to PC in 2021 for music production for similar reasons. I built my last audio production PC. It was my first time ever building a PC, and honestly, it was way harder than everyone says, and I certainly don't ever want to do that again.
I'm sure it's easy for those who do it a LOT, but I'm not an IT professional and all I want is a great computer to do creative work. Just the amount of time and effort I had to spent to figure out what components to put, where to buy the Windows OS, how to install the OS, how to put the thermal paste, how to POST etc-I just felt like it wasn't worth my time or energy.
Great point about upgrading components not being as awesome as many people make out to be. My custom build PC has an Intel i7-6700K. I use it for gaming and it's probably due for an upgrade, but just the thought that I might have to swap out the motherboard (which would in turn require me to unmount all the RAM sticks), the PSU, and even buying new RAM sticks just makes me not want to do it haha.
But also, the fact that you can get desktop performance out of a MBP (even when unplugged) is just incredible. It's like I could take my entire studio to go.
I recorded and mixed in Windows starting in the '90s, and I switched too. I actually switched my daily machine to Linux, but switched my media production to Mac. Logic is just more fun and feature-rich than all the other DAWs. It's not even close.
Well, you're certainly not "making a mistake", as is evident by the reasoning being the decision. And if you focus on Studio One, there's probably not much difference. Good luck with it!
I'm one of the hardcore Cakewalk users though and will try to support the channel dedicated to this DAW as long as possible 😀
i don’t think you’re going to regret it, the apple silicon machines are absolute tanks and will last you a long time. it’s honestly amazing how they’re efficient enough to have the same crazy performance whether plugged in or not, while staying really quiet
This was fascinating. I just this year upgraded my very old PC with a new PC. I was amazed at how how the CPUs run, that I was including a radiator, etc. When I got the new computer home, I had to spend a good deal of time dealing with temperature / fan speed graphs and learned a lot more than I wanted to about quieting the fans down. So far, in my limited audio recording the fans aren't too loud or noticeable, and hopefully it will stay that way.
I also really liked the part where you discuss that the ability to upgrade the machine is more limited than you think, since by the time you start upgrading the CPU (if that's the problem) one thing leads to another and eventually you're upgrading the entire machine.
I just switched from win 2 weeks ago, and man I can confirm that macos is way better for me. I had intel 10Gen 32Gb moved to M2 pro 12c 32Gb 1t.
Good to hear thanks!
I had the switch back in 2022 to a M1 MacBook Pro and will never go back. I too have always built my own PC’s, and never even looked at a mac until a couple of years ago. I was surprised at the amount of apps that crash on Mac still, but on the whole it’s been much more stable for music, especially Cubase.
Excellent points Mike.
I'm not switching to Mac anytime soon. PCs are working well for me.
I'm right there with you when it comes to SONAR. Loved it and have used it for more than 20 years, but it doesn't feel (to me) like there's a solid foundation under it anymore. Not sure I can explain it any more than that. I recently switched to Studio One and am happy so far.
I love and will continue watching your well thought out and presented videos.
Thank you for all you give!
Same here. I wish that the "new " owners of the Cakewalk/Franchise would make up their minds and either put something solid out there or let it go. I have the Beta testing version of Sonar and thus far is working beautifully for me.
What I appreciate about this person is the way he reasons and thinks! Truly admirable! His perspective is very healthy and reasonable.
On thing that is still true about PC Upgrades is Video Cards. I'm on my fourth Video card in my current PC (which it used the GPU from the previous system). Back a while back changing sound cards was a thing. But the sound capabilities on good mother boards is so good that a separate sound card isn't necessary. I max out my memory when I built this one so that upgrading my memory would be crazy expensive now. Oh, and I've gone through many hard drives over time, I upgraded my NVME drive three times as capacities improved, my "boot" drive is 2 TB now. I've also increased the spinning drives a couple times to get more capacity. And Optical Drives... and... well, PCs really are fairly upgradable still.
I switched from a PC to a Mac Mini a couple months ago. Couldn’t be happier.
I left Windows years ago and only run Mac now with Logic Pro. The Mac ecosystem really shines through if you also use other Apple devices (iPhone / iPad) … things will magically transfer to any other device you own, and in my experience, my MacBook Pro runs flawlessly and quickly the first time, every time. Not once in over a decade have I gotten a pinwheel of death, or even a sluggish response! It simply fires up and goes to work. With the M2 or M3 variants, there is a noticeable increase in speed from the older i7 chips. Like you stated, so long as your MacBook is spec’d correctly (which simply means loading up as much unified memory as you can comfortably afford AND the hard drive space being at least 1TB, you won’t have any issues even with 100+ tracks open with multiple plugins on each track… your MacBook will easily handle it. Not even a question about it… the M-Series chips are honestly workhorses … I Spec’d mine with the M3 Pro chips but you can also go M3 / M4 Max… but even the standard or Pro chips will be enough.
Personally, I'm concerned about the future direction of Studio One, as well. (Since Fender took over) Now they've shut down the forums. I'm starting to do a little work with Reaper to see if I can switch to it if worse comes to worst with Presonus. I already played this game once with Sonar, which is how I ended up on Studio One.
I just discovered Cakewalk. I was using FL Studio very long time for rock mixes. I know it's strange because FL is more compatible for pop and rap beats. But now I noticed when I use instruments and effects with Cakewalk CPU is much better than using plugins with FL and even stock plugins specially effects can be very useful for Rock music. Thank you for Cakewalks tutorials and I hope Cakewalk will come back soon in better shape. I use Windows but I can understand there is very powerful Mac laptops for music producers. 👍
I switched to the M2 pro (mac mini) after being on pc my entire life - about a year ago. I'm a programmer analyst and have been for 34 years. I used Adobe Audition for 20 years (was cooledit before that) on an i7 with 32gb ram (before the switch to mac). Nothing compares to the speed of the M2 pro and I'm even thinking about switching to the M4 Ultra when it comes out because I've been so impressed. I'll take the M2 pro and replace another pc I have. Apple has hit a major home run with the M series chips. I also switched to Logic Pro after getting the mac and it took a while to get used to it, but it's definitely better than Audition (except Audition is so much easier to fade and cross fade than stupid logic, what in the world is up with that?). I think you're making the right choice for YOU it sounds like. If I can do a major paradigm shift (pc to mac, audition to logic) in one fell swoop then I bet you can too with (pc to mac, cakewalk to studio 1) Best of luck.
I am still using the cakewalk and it is working great don't know why company announced that after sometime it will be again named Sonar. But till it is free i will use it, your videos on cakewalk really helped me during the COVID 19 lockdown and those are wonderful tutorials on it.
Lots of thanks from India
Regards,
Aniruddha Joshi ☺️🙏☺️
Mike , I hope this goes well for you. I'm pretty dissapointed you will no longer make Cakewalk tutorials But , you have already posted more than I will probably ever learn. Thanks for all the support . Mark Alan Skinner
I’ve been using M1 Max MacBook since it came out , but switching to PC Laptop currently
Interesting. What made you make the switch?
I have had my cycles of PC and Mac. Started on PC, then moved to Mac, back to PC, then built a hackintosh, and now back to Mac.
My issues with PC are two
1. I did not like having to cram what DAW uses what audio driver (ASIO vs WDC vs Direct X..) then again, TH-cam Could not play if a DAW was open... there were workarounds , but if anything was a creativity killer, this was it.
2. Thunderbolt.. Gave me a couple of blue screens (in front of clients..) This was the final straw. On the same PC, I installed a hackintosh, and Thunderbolt worked like a charm. Not a single Kernel or app crash
I finally purchased a Mac since a lot of my tools we're ending support for Intel Macs (of which my Hackintosh was). Mac is expensive to acquire.. but the freedom to work painlessly is priceless, in my view.
Welcome to the world of Apple, Mike! I’ve used both PC and Mac, and for me there’s just no better than a Mac. They seldom freeze up.
Don't want to start a DAW war, but now is also the greatest time to go Reaper, especially on an M4. All cores utilized/efficient.
I am used to Cakewalk and also prefer PCs.
Some people believe, that Macs are better than PCs because they are overpriced. They say cost more. But it is the pricing structure that has put me off Macs. In the UK, Macs are twice the price of an equivalent PC.
I used Macs for music production at college and the experience was no different to using a PC.
Jobs, Wozniack and Wayne gave an alternative, sort of. They were just too greedy when pricing their product. Dearer does not always mean better. A £50000 write-off Porsche is not better than a £3000 Vauxhall in great condition. The Porsche is just an enthusiasts DIY job.
I know that there are many Mac user who cannot stand using PCs. That is their choice..
MAC are tax on the dumbest, use Linux on a PC if you are anti-windows.
I mean who does not have a dedicated windows machine that does not get messed with, especially if you are pro.
@@mhavock There is no decent professional software for Linux. And the Macs are quiet.
The ARM Macs are the best value for money you can get. Professional windows user since 1995, switched to ARM Mac, never go back.
Great video Mike! You helped me with a lot of my PC performance optimization with your videos, so I think you get a pass to go to whatever suits you best lol stay well mate 👍
Made switch from pc to mac about 6 months ago. The performance has been solid but was good on old pc as well. There is a cohesiveness to everything in the mac world that is different. That whole thing about things "just working" on a mac is generally true. The transition has not been without some challenges. The mac file system still confounds me at times. Couple of things that are big plusses in my smallish space are the small form factor of m2 max studio and the fact that it is abolutely SILENT. I mean dead silent. My pc was water cooled and ,i thought, very quiet but the absence of any audible noise still blows me away. I know you said your pc is super quiet but I think you still might notice a difference.
I did the switch 3 years ago after 30+ years on Windows. Will never look back.
Mike, I truly understand and appreciate your decision. I myself have been a Cakewalk user for some time but have been very disappointed in the way they have dragged their feet, so to say, on the development of and distribution of the newest direction of Cakewalk. I also have transitioned to Studio One and only occasionally open Cakewalk (the BandLab version) to view some of my older songs. Cakewalk, to me, has done itself a disservice by the development and distribution choices of their new release. That in itself was the last straw for me.
Regarding PC vs MAC, I understand your points, but I personally will more than likely stay with my Windows PC. I've been a PC/Windows user for at least 50 years. I recently upgraded/replaced my PC about a year ago, and at my age, I hope it was my last big purchase! One thing about MAC's, at least my limited experience with them, you appear to be locked in to buying any replacement hardware from Apple. PC's just seem to have a few manufacturer options to choose from. Again, I have very limited experience with MACs, so I could be wrong and hope people don't criticize me too much! I've learned a great deal from watching your videos, and I plan on continuing to be a loyal follower and subscriber to your channels.
Welcome to the healthy side... We have Apples ! 😁 On a more serious note, I started with Cakewalk Some years ago. Switched to Mac (GB first and then Logic) 4 years ago when the M1 came out and I never looked back. My M1 still can take anything I throw at it without even a hiccup... Have a fun journey, my friend !
I have a friend who is into music production as his second job (so to speak) and he's been using AMD Phenom for the last... well, I don't even know how many years - but it served him very well. He once borrowed a M1 laptop from a friend and said this would be the only update hardware-wise he would consider (but would rather buy M2).
Personally, I used win-pc most of the time and it was bit of a struggle, and once I even went for Ubuntu Linux - and that was the most enjoying experience I had, once I set it up the way I wanted it to work. But then I had HDD failure and went back to Win, sadly.
Good luck with Mac and I hope Cakewalk finds some sense finally! 🙋🏼♂️
Thanks for your thoughts!
I moved to Mac in 2017 and have used Studio One Pro since then. I've never had a problem.
A new Mac Mini M4 Pro is in house and awaiting its monitor and will hopefully up and running this weekend.
(The bigger change is moving to Logic Pro. I can't bring myself to buy into the new Presonus pricing structure.)
I switched to Mac Mini M4 Pro this past week 🙋🏾♂️It’s pretty snappy. Biggest thing is needing compatibility for plugins. My Waves Horizon bundle doesn’t work unless I buy the update 😅
Yeah, waves ain't the best like that :(
If I could get a mac with 64gb of ram and easily upgradable storage for less than $2500, I might switch, but that doesn't seem to be the case, so I'll stick with my PC for half that price that can do all that and more.
I did the switch back in 2004, Never Used a PC since for music production !!!
You should roll with whatever computer you vibe well, and which helps you to make music. Its your music that counts, not the -whatever- it was created on. If a machine, OS or DAW doesnt work for you, your creative mood will be ruined. So pick whatever works best for you and focus on what really counts: the end result, music!
I've really been enjoying your content, Mike. I spent thirty years in the IT industry as a hard core Windows and Unix user. I dove into music production after retiring and, based on the advice of a friend and much research, chose to go with an iMac running Pro Tools in 2015. While I've since switched to Studio One, I've stuck with the iMac across multiple generations and have been very pleased with the results.
However, I'm not a pro and my music productions have rarely exceeded 30 tracks. That's important because based on the link I've provided below, there can be a real issue running Studio One on an M4 with larger productions (80+ tracks). This is because Studio One apparently does not make good use of the efficiency cores, making it the lowest performer when compared to the other DAWs tested. Did you come across this issue in your research of the Mac OS and M4 CPU?
Here's the link to the test I'm referring to: th-cam.com/video/hccy19Hm6M8/w-d-xo.html. The Studio One evaluation starts at 12:37.
You may regret it. I've switched between the 2 for ages but finally settled on the PC. Apple's proprietary ethos just doesn't cut it even though I have the latest MacBook.
Oh my... you're making me nervous!!
I can confirm. It could be a case but the best achievements, including the platinums, always produced with Windows...and I switched back and forth at least 5 times...🎉🎉🎉
@@djki2565 The Mac's core audio and OS is undoubtedly better but with the right set up and no proprietary limitations I've had a better experience with the PC. Probably no right or wrong answer though.
@@CreativeSaucePlease don’t let anyone talk you out of the switch. There are a lot of music/audio producers/creators who have documented their switch to the Mac on this platform and are satisfied with the decision. Just take your time and reach out to the Mac community to help you resolve any problems you might face.
After all, everyone should just use what best suits their use case. And there is no harm in trial.
@rns325 I’m not even sure I understand what you’re complaining about? How does the Apple proprietary ethos limit you? What’s actually missing or not working?
I was here for the cakewalk videos. Thank you for your time and education.
I just started a very similar journey with the M4 Mac Pro mini. I’ve also been a cakewalk user since windows 3.1 and absolutely loved that journey all the way up until present time. I am very curious and optimistic about the M4 Mac Pro and music production.
On a more constructive note, I was interested with the new ARM M1 architecture but tbh the new Ryzen CPU ran all cores at a stable 5.2ghz with a 5.7 boost, it uses less power and has better thermals than the last generation and in a couple of years they'll be $200 and this is just the first of the new Ryzen generation, imagine that with 16 cores, that's insane....appreciate the video and I'm not a professional so I dunno, but for the cost....it's a no brainer....Intel are looking to be bought out as they are completely out of the game now...
Yeah, they havnt been going the best :(
I use to have both, and for me MacOS has been an all around simpler and cleaner experience for audio production. Its the little things like ASIO overtaking the audio system on windows making it a pain in the neck to just do simple things like reference a song on Spotify while your DAW is open on windows and the fact that every USB device needs a driver and little things like that. Because when I started MacOS wasn't an option in the Mac System 7&8 days, but once Apple move to the Unix based OS X (modern MacOS) everything changed. Apple dropped ASIO support for Core audio, and I kept up with both platforms and some of the same issues that plagued windows audio in 2002 are still there in 2024. So it was just easier to get a mac and work without the headaches. Windows is fine and I could use it if I had too, but in all honesty I don't want too because of the drawbacks. But thats just my experience and everyone's will be different.
Look forward to see how your journey progresses. I've been too chicken to switch.
Unless I missed it, you didn't mention the cost of buying Mac versions of all the software you use. That would be a big hurdle for me.
most software comes with a license for both platforms at no extra cost
Well I made the transition to Mac in 2013 and I have to say it was painful as a life long fan of pc’s, but now I would NEVER ever go back as they say , they just work. no more endlessly tinkering to keep the pc up and running and virus free now I just do music, well apart from the constant software instrument updates 😂 but that happens on both pc and Mac’s. With Apple care I don’t have any worries and their support is awesome if you do have an issue. Good luck with the transition.
I don’t really enjoy the Mac environment because it’s so closed off and presents an idealized experience to users, even though it can have issues just like any PC. Things like downscaled resolutions with blurry pixels or the lack of flexibility. That said, I understand why you’re switching, it sounds reasonable specially because of the battery life!
As for Thunderbolt compatibility, it might just depend on getting a good-quality, compatible motherboard, but I can’t say for sure since I don’t use Thunderbolt myself.
Good luck with your Mac! I’d be interested to see videos on your experience using it as your main computer in contrast to a windows pc
Totally understand your reasoning Mike but will be very sorry to lose your expertise from the Cakewalk community (though hoping you may still find time for the occasional tutorial as you have said you are going to get a machine that will run it). Like you I have some concerns about the direction of Cakewalk and their recent marketing and insistence on the new SONAR being a sub only model. I'll be hanging on to Cakewalk until it no longer works as it does everything I need. I'm glad I got my new PC a couple of years ago before the chip issues started!
Hope your adventure with the Mac goes really well and thanks for everything you have taught us over the years!
PS I'm hoping you will be keeping the CbB Facebook forum!
Thanks for your incredible support Joe!
Yes, the Facebook group will 100% continue, and I'll be keeping up with any changes to Cakewalk. That laptop will be Cakewalk dedicated :)
@@CreativeSauce Excellent news!
Great Video. Well thought and reasonable, wellfounded. Only Thing I ask myself - why don't you use Cubase?
Thanks @CreativeSauce for this movie, I'm also switching to M4 from PC where I used Cakewalk and currently strongly considering the Studio One DAW, but I saw this benchmark (th-cam.com/video/hccy19Hm6M8/w-d-xo.htmlsi=LqJUaTvEz80pfw3y) which shows that it is not well performing on M4 compared to e.g. Reaper or Cubase. This makes me confused if this is a good, future proof choice. Have you already tried your Studio One projects on apple silicon? Wondering if you observed any performance issues in real life scenarios?
Other guys here with Studio One on M[1234] experience?
The thing about Macs is we don't even notice they are there. You buy it, turn it on, and never think about it again until it's time to upgrade to a new one. This whole conversation about Windows tech, fans, motherboard, chips, cooling systems, thunderbolt, etc. etc. is just none-existent. You can focus 100% on the music.
You don't have to go down the route described above of building your own PC. For me it has always been equally simple; buy a competent machine and have it working for years, before it's time to upgrade. And I'm talking 5-7 years mostly. The only tech I'm into is the music tech. The computer just runs.
So, you can do things differently, and achive the same result: a well working productive hassle free environment for your studio.
I do worry about the future of Sonar/Cakewalk tho, as Mike.
I’m not qualified to evaluate whether you’re making a mistake. My own experience is similar to yours, as my main machine is a Pc build about 5 years old.
I use both Apple & Windows devices and have been educating myself on the latest versions of M4 machines so I can make an informed decision when it becomes necessary. I don’t do video so no concerns there and my interface is an RME that works perfectly with Widows and uses USB rather than thunderbolt.
I’ll be watching your journey closely
Good Luck
What is it about Cakewalk that's making you feel uneasy? I haven't used it for a long time so I haven't noticed anything new or different
Not the DAW. More the way they have handled the marketing of all the changes.
@@CreativeSauce got it, thanks Mike, I love your content
Ruh-Roh! Cue the Platform Wars music! Overall, great video. You can make great music on both. For the "Windows isn't reliable" myth, I agree - Windows has been rock solid for me. For the "PC's are louder" myth, I disagree - a custom-built tower with megafans might be quiet, but if you have a high powered PC laptop and you push it hard with plugins, it's way louder than a M3 MacBook Pro. For the third myth, I used to agree in general - Mac and PC operating systems were comparable, but Microsoft has gone out of their way to make Windows annoying with Windows 11. I spend too much time turning things off and getting rid of things. Also, I think the Mac OS methods for handling audio are better. Fourth myth, yep, Windows is more upgradable. SOO true that the Ryzen path is not ready for prime time. I wouldn't do it. Once that is ready, PC laptops will be able to compete with the Mac when it comes to power + battery life. But right now, the Mac is the better laptop for that.
Question, does S1 use all cores on the M4?
It has been demonstrated on TH-cam channels that S1 doesn't use the efficiency cores on M1 and M2 processors.
I'm always worried about Mac OS updates breaking plugins and the DAW until their updated. Waves charges you to update the plugins after an OS update. But even if there isn't a charge to upgrade, it would suck to not be able to open a project til the OS updates. Again, this is only what I've heard as I'm a PC user. I also have nothing that's thunderbolt and haven't needed it, so I can't speak to that.
On MacOS you can turn OS updates off and you will still get security updates. To be honest most people wait an stay one OS behind for stability purposes updating to last years OS when this years comes out. But otherwise I haven't really had those but I stay 1 behind like a professional should. The plugin update thing is just part of the cycle if you know you are going to update and your plugins need to be updated then you add that to your budget but I have 90% of the waves plugins and the updates are about once every 3 years and its $150ish dollars so about the price of 2 Softube plugins to update 120 Waves plugins about a $1 each LOL But Both platforms have their strengths and MacOS isn't perfect by any stretch of the imagination but it is nice to just buy a machine and work without hassles for 6 to 8 years at a time. Thats why I use it in the studio.
@@joesalyers Thanks for all the clarification. I've never used a mac unless I was in someone else's studio. I've had my rig for about 6 years now and have updated hardware and plugins, but was never charged for it. That is just the only thing holding me back from mac. I don't know why I'd have to pay to upgrade anything unless I was upgrading an OS. I could see paying for that. But plugins? No. Especially if the plugin itself wasn't updated in fit or function.
I have been a Mac user for about a decade now. The most frustrating part of changing over is just what you described. MacOS dropped support for 32bit plugins some years back and every OS upgrade after that seemingly broke everything. I will say that since the transition to M1, this has been a non issue. Fabfillter, waves, sound toys, sonible, and pretty much every other mainstream third party plugin has worked across OS upgrades with no issues.
Long as you get a very good cooling system, pc not a problem, fact you can get better performance. The issue depends if you change your hardware like audio interface as thunderbolt 4 does out perform USB C or 3 etc but still depends on if there is any benefit to audio hardware latency 🤷😊
I am eying a switch as well. Two things that hold me off for the moment 1. the mental (mental!) Apple prices for SSD storage and RAM 2. I actually like to build PCs and be able to open the box and switch things around. This has often extended the lifetime of my PCs and Laptops (SSD, RAM, Battery) where the closed Apple approach would have meant EOL.
Not only that but at some point they'll come out with a version of the OS, or Logic if you're using that, that is not supported on your Mac. Been down this road. Some daws, Reaper included, won't care but regardless at some point Apple will pull the plug on your still perfectly functioning, performant, machine.
I built my PC at the end of 2015 and did two major processor upgrades (I'm on a Ryzen 5900x). I love it, it's super quiet, and it does what it needs to. But it's also chunky (I used a Fractal Design case) and I can't take it with me when travelling. That's why I'm thinking of making the switch to Mac (my last Windows laptop experience wasn't terrible, but not that great either). I'm fairly patient with my machines, but lately Windows has become rather unpleaseant to use and I generally don't like the direction Microsoft is heading in. However, at the same time, it feels like I'm leaving some part of myself behind since I've been a PC user since I was six years old. Yet on the other hand the truth for me personally is that building PCs isn't fun anymore.
The MacBook Pro M2 has been wonderful for with with StudioOne Pro7. a little learning curve on the apple OS and their way of placing things, but once you get it it's a smooth ride.
I'll take your old PC !!🙂
I remember Cakewalk, a great DAW. Really, I used it 20 years ago, if not more. Then there was Cubase SX, Samplitude. But I always wanted to work in Logic. That's why I work in Logic Pro. But Logic was bought by Apple and I had to move to Mac. Who knows what would have happened to Logic if Apple hadn't bought it?
I am an S1 user and honestly, they have not coded the software well at all to work with any of the Apple Silicon chips. It´s true, M4 gives more performance but, Reaper, Protools and Cubase get about 30% to 40% more out of the same machine. The reason is, they use the efficiency cores and not just the performance cores. Studio One , Ableton and I think Fruity loops do not. Logic kind of half does which is crazy as it is Apples own software.
It is not really cool that the first 3 DAWs will give you more "or around" the same VSTI and Plugin counts on an M1 system than the latter will on M4 machines.
Still though, I couldn´t be arsed learning Reaper ;)
People forget, At least you can still use that old PC over internet to run PC Specific plugs via a porthole (say Vienna Ensemble pro, plus there a few freebies ) as the cost of a Mac , yes it can be an outlay, but also people forget they hold their value in comparison to the ever changing upgradable PC market....
And to add... Though Apple is a walled garden, the benefits it can bring can be mind-blowing.... say, even adding you iPhone, iPad to core audio as a device!
Pretty cool.........
(Disclaimer : still running a Mac Pro 4.1 FW flashed to a 5.1, Upgraded..Dual Hex 3.33 , 64Gb ram, running Big Sur, 2 x Apogee FW ensembles, 18tb of SSD, plus some spinners, and other components, and have even done short films to Feature.. from Audio post to Score... Its never let me down.....Literally my daily driver unless im out and about, a MacBook pro 13" M1, I cant truly imagine what a new m4pro would give me in performance... wow)
To add... Ive never done a clean install of an OS since 10.6 Snow Leopard from PPC...... Yep.. Sure.. Ive backups of every system, but know, I updated the OS , every time on top of the previous..... Obviously skipping every few iterations.... As why,, when it Just Works! Thats got to be something... surely ....
I'm also considering a switch to mac after 20+ years of pc. A new mac will be shipped with the latest mac os. Aren't you concerned that your plugins won't work?
I was a cakewalk user exclusively until Gibson screwed everyone. I started on a MAC with studio one pro Shortly there after. I continue to use cakewalk on a pc with acid pro and sound forge. I track with cakewalk but I then export files to my MAC via a shared NAS and finish everything up on Studio One Pro with my VST’s like IZATOPE etc. The only thing I miss on the MAC is a good wave editor like Sound Forge (I use WAVEPAD as a poor substitute). BTW; I also run a development machine with linux Ubuntu with Studio One Beta, Reaper, and Mixbus 32c, but MAC is my main production platform and I have not looked back. Thank You
Did buy a MacBook some years ago, as my industries main software only runs on Mac. Despite my best efforts I ended up installing Bootcamp, and gradually the MacBook got used far more as a Windows machine. For someone who likes to get elbows deep into an OS, I found the MacBook constantly frustrating tbh. Just my take, Mike
I can't say you are making a mistake going to a Mac, there is a reason they are the "default" for music production and video (probably mostly because of Logic). But sticking with Windows is probably not nearly as silly as it once was. Linux is a crazier idea. But I can be crazy. If I find a good DAW that works in Linux, I'll make that jump.
Good luck with MAC's. I had 3 in the past and all 3 ended up in the bin due to major hardware problems, one of them actualy self destructed with heat problems. I'm now using studio one on a Laptop with much more success, we have to be careful with that word success as it is relative to how much you will put up with, suffice to say its a lot easier than a mac. Hope you have better luck than I did. MAC support by the way was terible.
Better late than never, macOS is great for music production and vidoe editing especially with the Apple Silicon and specifically M4/Pro
@CreatveSauce - I'm sure you've done your research, so why not? I trust you are keeping your current rig until you are sure. As a Logic PC refugee, I'd always toyed with the idea, but Macs always seemed more expensive, but as a hobbyist, other PC DAWs have met or exceeded the capabilities of Logic. I don't like the feeling of limited upgradability with Macs, but there is something to be said for standardized hardware components. For Calkwalk users, you should always make your choices based on software first, platform second.
My Cyberpower High End Pc: Crashed alot, Extremely Hot, Sounds like a Jet Plane & always needed to be plugged in for best performance.
My M1 Max MacBook Pro 14: Super Quiet,
Very Cool, in fact only warms up when it's being charged
No Crashes,
Most Powerful computer I've ever owned,
Doesn't need to be plugged in for best performance, I edit mostly on battery.
I just changed my main DAW two months ago. I used Cakewalk since it was DOS… and loved it. But recently I switched to Luna but on the PC platform. It’s very fast and with 64 gig memory. A new PC is still way cheaper than a Mac.
Cakewalk in dos? wow did u have a soundblaster?
@ yes… those were the days! Things greatly improved soon after with windows 3.1 😂🎶
The PC is cheaper than Mac isn’t true since ARM Macs.
Trust me on this. You will not regret the switch. Especially if you're already familiar with MacOS. The M chips are truly amazing.
Been there, done that, and switched back! You couldn't pay me to use another mac!
After I switched to ARM Mac I would never ever go back to Windows.
I've been thinking the exact same thing. The M4 is looking really sweet, but waiting to see what Mac Studio looks like, even though I may still opt for a bit of portability in a Macbook Pro. I've been a systems administrator and have worked with Windows and Linux systems, with what feels like my entire life, but also support some Macs these days. We also have iPhone 16 Pros and the wife has an iPad. While I realize they are different OS's, they do work well together. I built a mid tier system and a high end system, that I will be selling, as the Macs will replace both. For me though - changing over to Mac is more about form factor, than anything. I'd love to build a SFF system, but they can run fairly hot. Mac seems to have solved this, much better than PCs, in general. When a CPU hits its heat limit, it is called throttling. It happens so you don't end up frying it. A Mac also gives me the addition of using Logic Pro.
Hi Mike, may the force be with you!! haha Seriously, thanks for sharing your experience. Considering your experience you will be fine. In the worst case you would have to redistribute tasks between devices/OS (musical or audiovisual production, mastering...). In no case will it be a lost investment. Regarding vst, fx, etc. libraries... Do you have all the versions for Mac or was it left behind? A hug from Argentina!
Welcome home to Mac. We have been waiting for you. I hope you enjoy the switch. I think you will find it a good change for you
I''m in the same boat. Started with Cakewalk too. I've had no real stability issues on PC over the past 30 plus years, and also no issues with tunderbolt/USB4, even on AMD Ryzen, but Microsoft has really pissed me off recently with the new bloat they keep addding to Windows 11 and their lack of care for privacy. Apple isn't perfect there, but they are certainly better. I also see Apple going the right direction with their hardware. A little over a week ago I bought a Mac Mini for my studio for music software as well as for video editing. The audio and midi stack on MacOS is a joy to use. I've run into no single host MIDI driver issues, and Core Audio runs perfectly with no dropouts at 64 buffer samples in the same projects, using the same audio interface I had to run with at least 128 samples on my Windows machine. And my Windows machine was no slouch. It's a 2023 AMD Zephyrus G14, with a Ryzen 9 7940HS and an NVidia RTX 4090 and 32GB RAM. Besides music and video editing, i do a fair amount of DevOps stuff for work, as well as gaming, so I can't fully switch to Mac. That being said, I loaded up Fedora Linux on my G14, and gaming with Proton works perfectly. I even get better framerates in games like Cyberpunk 2077 than I did in Windows. So now I do my DevOps work and gaming on my Linux laptop, and I use the Mac (and an iPad Pro M2) for music and video production. I'm happier than I've ever been with this setup. I have a Windows VM in case I need it, but haven't touched it in over a week. Time will tell how this all works out for me, but it's great so far! BTW, DAWs for me are Reaper, Bitwig, and FLStudio, with a bit of Maschine thrown in there, depending on what workflow I want. Those all work great on the base model M4 Mac Mini, as does Davinci Resolve. Best $500 I've spent in a long timel
My studio is my workplace office, because that's the only computer thar runs Windows. Linux guy here, but I wouldn't bother with music production since the vast majority of .VSTs I've purchased won't run natively in it.
Unfortunately, Studio One can NOT utilize all the cores efficiently on the M1, M2, M3 and M4 processors. I'm a Studio One user on a MacBook M1 and it hurts to see that Presonus did not improve this issue from version 6 to 7. Avid Pro Tools on the other hand has improved this area greatly to now support the M chip sets much better than previously.
I don’t like Mac I find the OS way too hard to use. I am however thinking of switching to a Linux OS only because of the way windows is going, I have only just upgraded my PC to a 12th gen cpu and motherboard so won’t be doing it again for quite awhile. I’m not a business I’m just a simple musician/songwriter, I think though for your business you’re doing the right thing😊
I switched to MacBook Pro after my pc died there super smooth to run never had a daw crash on me
I can't wait to stop using Cakewalk, it's become so hard to use on my old system and now I have won a full version of FL Studio, I am switching to that. Just as soon as I get my new PC up and running I will no longer be using Cakewalk, it's just a pain, it loses my keyboard on a regular basis and now it can't find my Audio Interface, even though the day before it was fine. I am so done with Cakewalk, it just slows down my music production too much now!!
Would love to see comparision videos between same budget windows & apple computers.. a lot of comparisions tend to compare macbook pro with the pro versions of windows computers.. however what's often not taken into account is that the apple computer is often twice the price.. So a better comparision would be between the apple air and a similarly priced windows computer which at that price are usually considered pro-levels..
I was upgrading my portable platform and did consider M4 Macbook Pro, but it was about 3500 quid for 24GB RAM and 512GB ssd with Logic pre-installed, instead I got a 8-core Ryzen Zen 4 laptop with 32GB/1TB for 1100 quid on "Black Month" I installed Windows 11 Pro 24H2 and can keep using Cubase Artist. It's actually rather quiet, and very snappy, it's a Thinkpad Mobile Workstation. A noticeable price difference, and no learning curve.
Please do another video when you switch back.