Featuring the 8-core CPU, 8-core GPU, 16-core Neural engine M1 chip, 8GB memory, and 512GB SSD, it can handle quite heavy loads. These are capable computers for music production, no doubt about it. 13″ MacBook Pro (M1)Ī more budget-friendly MacBook Pro is the current line of 13″ laptops. Standard specs offer a 10-core CPU, 32-core GPU, 16-core Neural engine, 32GB memory, and a 1TB SSD. The current generation of 16″ MacBook Pros are insane, and at the top of the line is the laptop with the M1 Max chip.

This is the universal laptop for creators, and has been for many years now. If you just want a fixture in your home studio, desktop is a good bet. Portability is a huge draw for on-the-go producers and engineers, though, so if you find yourself working in multiple locations, go for the laptop. Laptops tend to be pricier than equally-specced desktops, and you can often spec a more powerful desktop for less money than a laptop. But overall, most mainstream software is cross-platform these days.įinally, you should decide whether you want a laptop or desktop. If you plan to run an OS-exclusive DAW like Logic (Mac) or Cakewalk by Bandlab (Windows), then that makes the decision for you. Mac is still the industry-standard in professional studios, but lots of engineers prefer Windows if they’re more accustomed to that operating system. Any moderately powerful 2023 machine should be able to handle music production in the home studio. I typically work with smaller hip-hop/rap sessions (usually 40-50 total tracks, including all of my aux returns), though I’ve worked on 80+ track sessions with minimal stress. Thus far, I haven’t encountered any issues with power that have prohibited me from getting my work done. The specs really don’t have to be insane, but you should shoot for at least a quad-core processor, at least 16GB of RAM, and as much storage as you think you need consider whether this will be a dedicated computer for music, or a multipurpose machine.įor reference, I’m running Pro Tools 2019.6.0 on a late 2016 13″ MacBook Pro with 16GB memory an Intel Core i5 2.9GHz dual-core processor and 1TB SSD. That, and being able to comfortably handle multitrack recording. Understanding Music Production Computers: Laptop vs DesktopĬomputers for music production have to be powerful enough to host all the software you want to use without seizing up. Luckily, there isn’t a single best computer for music production, but rather a number of choices based on intended use, budget, and more.

The computer is the hub of the digital recording studio, so you’ll want to make sure you get the appropriate one for the job.

Best budget mac for music production