M1 Max MacBook Pro for Music Production: In-Depth Testing & Review by An Audio Engineer

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How does Rosetta mode affect plugins' performance compared to native mode in Logic Pro X and REAPER? How to get Intel-based plugins working in ARM Logic Pro X? Should I use Logic in Rosetta mode or native mode if my plugins are mostly Intel-based? Is Logic more optimized on M1 Max chip compared to REAPER? Is plugin compatibility an issue on Apple Silicon Macs? How much RAM should I choose?

These are just SOME of the questions that this video will address! As a professional audio engineer, I find that most M1 Max review and benchmarking videos don't cover enough grounds when it comes to audio engineering and music production, particularly mixing and mastering, so I created this video in the hopes of providing some helpful insights to my fellow audio engineers who are considering the new M1 Pro or M1 Max MacBook Pros.

⏰ Timestamps:
00:00 Start
00:56 YOU HAVE TO SMELL NEW TECHNOLOGY
01:02 Audio plugin compatibility with M1 Max MacBook Pro
02:20 Some plugin companies that have native M1 support
02:32 How to get Intel-based plugins to work in ARM version of Logic Pro X
03:47 Experience mixing with Intel-based plugins
04:40 Performance comparison 1, multi-core: ARM plugins vs Intel-based plugins in Logic Pro X
05:23 Performance comparison 1 done in REAPER: ARM plugins vs Intel-based plugins in REAPER
06:47 Is there a performance difference between ARM AU and ARM VST for the same plugin in REAPER?
07:10 Should I use Intel plugins in ARM REAPER or in Rosetta REAPER?
07:44 Performance comparison 2, single-core: How many instances of Saturn 2 with crazy settings can you put on one single track in Logic Pro X? ARM vs Rosetta performance difference
08:27 Performance comparison 2 done in REAPER: How many instances of Saturn 2 with crazy settings can you put on one single track in REAPER? ARM vs Rosetta performance difference
09:00 Performance comparison 3, multi-core: How many tracks can Logic handle with Ozone Maximizer on the master bus, and Saturn 2 on each track
09:53 Performance comparison 3, Ozone Maximizer swapped with Pro-L 2 with crazy settings
10:22 Performance comparison 3, done in REAPER and with Pro-L 2
10:43 RAM stress test with Superior Drummer 3: How responsive is M1 Max MBP when all RAM has been used up?
13:10 M1 Max MacBook Pro vs My Custom Build PC
13:31 My PC specs
13:37 M1 Max vs PC, Multi-core: Amp sim test
13:50 M1 Max vs PC, Single-core: Single track Saturn 2 test
13:59 M1 Max vs PC, Multi-core: How many tracks can the computer handle with Ozone Maximizer on the master bus, and Saturn 2 on each track
14:12 M1 Max vs PC, Multi-core: How many tracks can the computer handle with Pro-L 2 on the master bus, and Saturn 2 on each track
14:31 M1 Max vs PC, RAM stress test: How responsive is the computer when all RAM has been used up?
14:49 My thoughts on the M1 Max MacBook Pro for music production
16:12 IG QnA: How many plugins of yours don't work?
16:35 IG QnA: How has the performance been? Running big sessions with no issues?
17:25 IG QnA: What interface are you using? How do you connect all your hardware to the MacBook Pro?
18:05 IG QnA: Compatibility with projects created in Intel-based computers
20:25 James excitedly unboxing 16" M1 Max MacBook Pro on launch day

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