- Macbook For Music Production 2015 Wikipedia
- Best Macbook For Music Production 2015
- Macbook For Music Production 2016
The 2nd best mac laptop available for music production is the MacBook Air’s newest version. This laptop is simply perfect for people on a tight leash financially, yet they still want a laptop that helps music production. MacBook Air is an extremely light weighted laptop, so it is very comfortable to be carried around. The MacBook Pro has delivered laptops that suit DJs since 2012 and beyond. Even that 2012 model with the 2.4GHZ i5 and 16GB or RAM is easily usable today. Going beyond that, MacBooks have evolved into better machines culminating in the 2018 MacBook Pro. This MacBook Pro is very capable of processing nearly any task across music production.
After some careful considerations, I bought the Macbook Pro 2015 instead of the Macbook Pro 2016 to record, mix and produce music. Let me tell you why.
Before this, I was mainly making music on an Asus GL552VW gaming laptop, which itself packed a heck of a performance at a fairly decent price.
Why did I make the change? It’s all down to personal preference, but I finally had enough with the issues I was facing on my Windows laptop. Of the many frustrations I had, the two major pain points were because of blue screens I was facing (my laptop came with a faulty graphics card) & the fact that I always had to use an audio interface to make music, even if I’m not recording.
Part of why I made the switch is also because I was leaning back to using Logic Pro X.
But with that said, there’s nothing wrong producing facetime music on a PC vs a facetime mac.
Even composers like Hans Zimmer, compose with Cubase on a PC system:
So this post isn’t about Mac systems being better than PCs. In fact, they’re pretty much the same and down to your preference.
Bust the myth of the elitism that unless it’s a Apple computer you can’t play music on it. If it’s a laptop, you can make music on it.
Why The Macbook Pro 2015 over the Macbook Pro 2016?
The new Macbook Pro 2016 looked honestly good. But it’s also very expensive.
I won’t talk about the design and the graphic the newer model has over, the older model since we’re mainly talking about functionality for music production. So first, let’s talk about the performance.
Performance
Undoubtedly the newer model has better performance with a newer processor. However, according to CultOfMac, the performance of the newer model is just a slight bit faster.
The SSD in the newer model is much faster than, the older version, with faster write & read speeds. This means starting up programs, and streaming tracks in your DAW would be snappier on the new Macbook Pro.
The small performance increment here wasn’t something that is worth paying more. That’s why on performance alone, I chose to buy the Macbook Pro 2015 model.
Ports
No running away from USB-C hubs with the Macbook Pro 2016The number of available ports on the Macbook Pro is important for most music producers. Even on the Macbook Pro 2015 15″, I find myself running out of ports to use, given the many devices in the studio – from midi controllers, audio interfaces, hard disk drives, etc.
Buying the newer Macbook Pro model means I’ve to get a few sets of USB-C hubs to support all the devices that I need connected to the Macbook Pro.
You might call me silly, but I’ll guarantee you, there will be a time when you will forget to bring your USB hubs to a live performance or recording session. Not to mention, hubs can easily break too.
Call me old-fashioned, but I prefer to focus on the music and less on the nit-picky-ness of USB hubs.
Touch Bar
I’ll be honest with you. I tried the touch bar in an Apple Store, and it felt great. I like how you could use it to quickly move around your DAW arrangement and tweak automation or filter knobs.
However, I don’t think that it’s a huge win that will make me consider throwing more money down for it.
It’s nice to have, but not something you’ll need.
Besides, I find that if you prefer controlling your DAW physically, consider buying some hardware controllers. They’ll give you more musical inspiration, and I guarantee you that they’ll work better for music producers like us.
Here are some recommended DAW controllers:
Icon Pro Audio Platform
A control surface with motorized faders to control your DAW & plugins. Set up fast with quick auto-mapping features with major DAWs, such as Logic Pro X, Cubase, Pro Tools & more.
Price: $349
Korg nanoKontrol 2
An inexpensive and compact DAW controller that provides you with 8-tracks to control major DAW software. The slim designed nanoKontrol makes it easy for placement even in front your laptop.
Price: $59.99
Behringer X-Touch Compact
Featuring 9 touch-sensitive motorized faders to control your DAW, instruments and plugins. It connects to your Mac or PC, while also working as a MIDI interface, should you need to plug in any MIDI devices.
Price: $399.99
The Macbook Pro 2016 Keyboard
The lack of key travel on the new MacBook Pro 2016, is a huge disappointment. Other than making music on the computer, I also write a lot.
Having tried the new butterfly keys, I immediately felt that I needed an external keyboard. I don’t see myself writing a lot with the butterfly keyboard. It felt like tapping on a solid touchscreen and was very hard to get used to.
Not to mention, typing on the butterfly keys are also much noisier. Perhaps it’s time to disturb your co-producers in the studio with your loud typing.
I felt the keyboard on the earlier model was much more functional & so I’m staying more productive with it.
Price
When Apple launched the new MacBook Pro 2016, they dropped the price of the 2015 model.
This seemed like a no-brainer to get the 2015 model at a price drop, given that performance impact in the new one was not too significant, and when producing music, you’d definitely need more ports.
You get as much as $300 savings on the MacBook Pro 2015 that does near the exact same thing as the newer model, so in my case, I see why not.
Conclusion
I intendedly missed out on many details that could make the Macbook Pro 2016 more appealing to you, such as the smaller size, touch ID & Apple Pay and the bigger storage.
However, the reason I left them out was that I felt they don’t make any significant difference to how you would record & make music.
It’s probably a bad time to buy a MacBook Pro currently & it has been advised that you should wait for the next MacBook Pro if you can wait. As for myself, I needed a new laptop, so I took the jump and went for the 2015 model.
Which MacBook Pro model are you using to make muic now? Would you have bought the 2015 or 2016 model if you were in my shoes? Let me know by commenting below.
Your computer is one of the most important pieces of hardware you’ll need if you want to get into music production. Desktop computers are great investments for your home recording studio, but laptops provide more portability if you ever need to hit the road while working on a project or if you constantly perform live.
It goes without saying that if you’re going to get a laptop, you’ll need to go all out and get a reliable one that comes with all the necessary specs that meet your workflow requirements. After all, its quality will affect your performance and efficiency as a music producer.
To help all you budding music producers or sound engineers with your buying decisions, we’ve compiled a list of the best laptops for music production—read on to see which ones made the cut.
8 Best Laptops for Music Production
Apple Macbook Pro 15.4” (Mid 2015)
Adorama Price:
When it comes to music production, Macbooks have been known to dominate the market—and this laptop is no exception. From memory to storage, the Macbook Pro 15 provides everything you need to produce music. It’s virtually a plug-and-play laptop that works with almost any audio interface, MIDI controller, and digital audio workstation (DAW). And speaking of DAW, it already has the beginner-friendly Garageband preinstalled to help you get started on producing music or podcasts right away.
This most basic version already comes with a 2.2GHz quad core Intel Core i7 processor, 16GB RAM, and 256GB storage, which is good enough for most music production applications. If you have the money to upgrade, you can go with models that have a faster processor (either the 2.5GHz or 2.8GHz) or bigger storage space (512GB or 1TB). Of course, if you want the biggest and fastest, you can get the Macbook Pro 15 () with the 2.8GHz Intel Core i7 and 1TB SSD storage.
You can of course opt for the more recent models like the MacBook Pro 15.4” with Touch Bar () that came out in late 2016, which has roughly the same specs. However, it may not be the most convenient choice due to the fact that it has fewer ports—and when working with music production equipment, you’re definitely going to need a few of those.
Key Specs:
- Processor: 2.2GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i7 (up to 3.4GHz Turbo Boost)
- Memory: 16GB
- Storage: 256GB
- Graphics: Intel Iris Pro
- Display: 15.4in LED-Backlit with IPS (Retina Display)
- Native Resolution: 2880 x 1800
- Wi-Fi: 802.11AC
- Bluetooth: Bluetooth 4.0
- Ports: 2x Thunderbolt 2 / 2x USB 3.0 (up to 5Gbps) / 1x HDMI
- Operating System: MacOS High Sierra
- Battery Life: Up to 8 Hours
Apple Macbook Pro 13” with Touch Bar (2017)
Adorama Price:
As we’ve already established, Macbooks are widely considered to be standard laptops for music production. Fasttasks 2 47 – the troubleshooting approach. This Macbook Pro 13-inch with Touch Bar is somewhat more expensive, mainly because of the added touch bar feature. However, if your top requirements for a laptop are portability and convenience, this may be a better option than the first MacBook we mentioned.
Music producers who are constantly on the go will usually need something a bit lighter (not everyone needs 15 inches of screen) and thinner, and this model is less than 1 centimeter thick and weighs just a little over three pounds—1.5 pounds lighter than its 15-inch, touch bar-less counterpart. It has a dual-core Intel Core i7 3.5GHz processor, 16GB RAM, and 512GB SSD, which should give you more than enough space and just the right processing power for producing and storing music.
This Macbook Pro also comes with Garageband, so you’re also killing two birds with one stone. If your budget is a bit more flexible, you can get the Macbook Pro 13” with Touch Bar () to enjoy 1TB storage capacity for all your music.
Key Specs:
- Processor: 3.5GHz Dual-Core Intel Core i7 (Up to 4GHz Turbo Boost)
- Memory: 16GB
- Storage: 512GB
- Graphics: Intel Iris Plus Graphics 650
- Display: 13.3in LED-Backlit with IPS (Retina Display)
- Native Resolution: 1680 x 1050
- Wi-Fi: 802.11AC
- Bluetooth: Bluetooth 4.2
- Ports: 4x Thunderbolt 3 (USB Type C)
- Operating System: MacOS Sierra
- Battery Life: Up to 10 Hours
Dell Alienware 15 R3
Adorama Price:
Laptops from Dell’s Alienware series are designed for hardcore gaming, but for music production, its specs list definitely fits the bill. The Alienware 15 R3 in particular offers 16GB of RAM (with a maximum capacity of up to 32GB) and at least 1TB HDD of storage, giving you more than enough extra space for your sample libraries and tracks. As a Dell laptop, it also features a superior cooling system to greatly reduce the operating temperature when using intense applications.
Moreover, the Alienware 15 provides all the ports you need for connecting your external hardware. You can also choose to go with the Dell Alienware 15 with 1.5TB () to enjoy a slightly faster processing speed of 2.9GHz and additional 512GB SSD storage.
Key Specs:
- Processor: 2.8GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i7-7700HQ (up to 3.8GHz Max Turbo)
- Memory: 16GB RAM (32GB Max. Upgrade)
- Storage: 1TB Drive
- Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 (6GB GDDR5)
- Display: 15.6in LCD with IPS
- Native Resolution: 1920 x 1080
- Wi-Fi: Dual-Band 802.11AC
- Bluetooth: Bluetooth 4.1
- Ports: 1x Thunderbolt 3 / 1x USB 3.0 Type-C / 2x USB 3.0 Type-A / 1x Docking Port
- Operating System: Windows 10 Home
Lenovo Ideapad Y700 17.3”
Adorama Price:
The Lenovo Ideapad Y700 is much more affordably priced, but it doesn’t fall short in terms functionality and performance. It’s equipped with a pretty decent 8GB RAM for standard music production and a large 1TB HDD storage that can accommodate your heavier samples and tracks.
If you’re looking for a laptop with a bigger display (compared to the 15-inch model), the Lenovo Ideapad Y700 has a 17-inch full HD screen for better viewing. Despite being less than $1000, this budget-friendly laptop definitely delivers optimal performance for your basic music production needs.
Key Specs:
- Processor: i5 Intel Core Skylake 14nm 6th Gen (up to 3.2GHz Max Turbo)
- Memory: 8GB
- Storage: 1TB
- Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M
- Display: 17.3in IPS LCD with LED Backlight (Anti-Glare)
- Resolution: 1920 x 1080
- Wi-Fi: 802.11AC (Wireless LAN)
- Bluetooth: Bluetooth 4.0
- Ports: 2x USB 3.0 / 1x USB 2.0 / 1x HDMI
- Operating System: Windows 10 Home
- Battery Life: Up to 4.5 Hours
Microsoft Surface Pro 4
Adorama Price:
Touchscreen computers are becoming a popular option for on-the-go music production. The Surface Pro is possibly the best, most versatile laptop-tablet hybrid that you can use on stage, as its 12.3-inch PixelTouch display provides more dynamic use of the computer, compared to a laptop with a trackpad and keyboard.
The all-touch capability enables you to access your apps during live sets quickly and easily, making it a great alternative to analog DJ stations. One more thing we love about the Surface Pro 4 is that its bright and sharp display is great for low light situations, such as clubs and enclosed concert spaces. It also has an impressive battery life (it can last up to 9 hours while watching videos) despite its thin and lightweight body.
Key Specs:
- Processor: 6th Gen Intel Core m3
- Memory: 4GB
- Storage: 128GB SSD
- Graphics: Intel HD Graphics 515
- Display: 12.3in PixelTouch (with 10-point Multi-Touch)
- Resolution: 2736 x 1824
- Wi-Fi: 802.11AC
- Bluetooth: 4.0
- Ports: 1x USB 3.0 / 1x Mini DisplayPort
- Operating System: Windows 10 Pro
- Battery Life: Up to 9 Hours
Apple Macbook Air 13.3” (2017)
Adorama Price:
The 2017 13.3-inch Macbook Air is ideal for music producers who want a reliable computer but prefer an even thinner and lighter device to work with. How to run parallels on macbook pro. Fortunately, the lack of bulk means the Air comes at a slightly lower price than the Pro.
It’s the perfect mix of sophistication, performance, and portability. It has the latest dual-core i5 processor with Turbo Boost of up to 2.9GHz, as well as 8GB RAM, which are just enough for you to start making tunes. Surprisingly, it also includes enough ports for at least your audio interface, MIDI controller, and monitor—a definite plus for those who are worried about the Mac not having enough ports. 3d modeling software for product design.
If you have a bit more cash to spare, you can get the same Macbook Air 13.3” () model with the more powerful 2.2GHz i7 Dual-Core processor.
Key Specs:
- Processor: 1.8GHz Dual-Core Intel Core i5 (up to 2.9GHz Turbo Boost)
- Memory: 8GB
- Storage: 512GB
- Graphics: Intel HD 6000
- Display: 13.3in LED-Backlit
- Native Resolution: 1440 x 900
- Wi-Fi: 802.11AC
- Bluetooth: Bluetooth 4.0
- Ports: 2x USB 3.0 / 1x Thunderbolt 2.0 USB
- Operating System: MacOS Sierra
- Battery Life: Up to 12 Hours
Microsoft Surface Book 2 13.5”
Macbook For Music Production 2015 Wikipedia
Adorama Price:
The Microsoft Surface Book 2 is perfect for big, high-resource recording productions. Its powerful quad-core Intel Core i7 processor has a maximum turbo boost of 4.2GHz and 16GB memory enable music producers to run intensive audio recording operations smoothly.
Its SD card slot and three USB ports are perfectly compatible with most audio interfaces, plus it has a detachable touchscreen monitor that can provide convenience for audio recording applications and other activities that don’t require the use of the bulky keyboard bottom.
Should you need the extra space for all your tracks, you can upgrade to the Microsoft Surface Book 2 15” ($3,195) with 1TB storage.
Key Specs:
- Processor: 8th Gen Quad-Core Intel Core i7-8650U (up to 4.2GHz Max Turbo)
- Memory: 16GB
- Storage: 512GB
- Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 (6GB GDDR5)
- Display: 13.5in PixelSense (with 10-point Multi-Touch)
- Resolution: 3000 x 2000
- Wi-Fi: IEEE 802.11 A/B/G/N/AC Compatible
- Bluetooth: Bluetooth 4.1
- Ports: 2x USB 3.1 Type-A / 1x USB 3.1 Type-C / 2x Surface Connect Ports
- Operating System: Windows 10 Pro Creators Update
- Battery Life: Up to 17 Hours
5 Important Laptop Specs for Music Production
There’s no point in spending money on the most expensive laptops if they don’t even have the specifications and features you need to be able to efficiently use them for your desired applications. Computer specifications may seem confusing, especially if you’ve never purchased a laptop for intensive applications, but you’ll only really have to check the following:
Processor
The computer’s processor is one of the most important specs to consider for any user who needs a workhorse that can run smoothly and fast even while using several heavy applications at once. When choosing a laptop for music production, check the number of cores its processor has. Four cores are pretty standard with laptops, but if you want something lighter and more compact, you may have to settle for a dual-core processor.
Best Macbook For Music Production 2015
Another thing to consider is clock speed. For music production, it’s best to go with something within the 2.4 to 4.2GHz range. Again, you may have to go a little slower than that if you want a light and portable machine.
RAM
Macbook For Music Production 2016
Nobody wants to deal with slow and glitchy programs—it can disrupt your workflow and may even affect the quality of your final product. To ensure that this doesn’t happen, make sure to get a laptop that has enough Random-Access Memory or RAM. Music production requires at least 8GB of RAM to enable you to work smoothly without any issues, but 16GB would be ideal.
Storage Capacity
Working with audio files will require you to have a lot of storage space. Before purchasing your laptop, decide whether you want one that has plenty of built-in storage space, or if you want to simply use an external hard drive to store all your files.
If you do want to store most of your files on the laptop itself, go for at least 1TB of storage.
You may also want to consider SSD vs. HDD when it comes to your laptop’s built-in storage. SSD reads and writes data much faster, but it’s definitely more expensive (per GB) than HDD. You can also go with a combination of both, similar to the storage setup on the Dell Alienware 15 R3.
Ports
Music production involves the use of several equipment, including microphones, instruments, control surfaces, audio interfaces, and more. With that in mind, one of the most important things to consider is whether a laptop has enough ports to create a seamless and efficient music production setup.
Of course, you can always purchase a USB hub—if you have one, the number of ports on your laptop may not matter as much. However, if you require a more portable setup, keep in mind that this is another added item to your gear list.
Screen Size
Finally, consider the screen size of the laptop you want to get. If you’re monitoring more than 10 tracks, then you’re obviously going to want a bigger screen. This specification is mostly a matter of preference or convenience, as anyone can easily work with whatever screen size they feel comfortable with.
Keep in mind that the more complex your productions are, the better, faster, and bigger these specifications have to be. There are many choices out there that may not have been mentioned here, but hopefully our list can help narrow down your choices.