That leaves plenty of room on your desk for a MIDI keyboard and other peripherals. Because the computer is built into the display, it doesn’t take up any space on your desk either. Its large screen can display a huge amount of information, yet it takes up a little area on the desk because it’s so thin. It offers plenty of ports, both USB and USB-C, and more than enough power to run today’s DAW software. The iMac 27-inch is my first choice for music production in a home studio.
The last thing you want is for your CPU usage to peak at just the wrong time, no matter how seldom it happens! Best Mac for Music Production: Our Top Picks Best Desktop Mac for Audio: iMac 27-inch The decision wasn’t hard, because most Macs are quite reasonable when it comes to audio, but I wanted a frustration-free experience. Six months ago I finally upgraded my ten-year-old iMac, and one of my criteria was that it be suitable for music production and live playing with MainStage.
I have quite a bit of experience using Windows and even Linux for music production before moving over to Macs.
It ran Band-in-a-Box and other Windows sequencing software that controlled a General MIDI sound module. In the 1990s it was common to see a tiny Toshiba Libretto computer on top of my digital piano. The audio recording wasn’t done on the computer itself, and I opted for a Yamaha MT44 four-track cassette recorder. It featured eight MIDI ports on the back as well as built-in sequencing software. I’ve used quite a number of computers for music production myself, starting with the Yamaha C1, a DOS-based laptop released in 1987 (well before USB ports were invented). In that role, I kept up with trends in audio hardware and software, including the choice of the right computer for music production. My name is Adrian Try, and I’ve been a musician for 36 years and was the editor of Audiotuts+ for five.
Computing Needs of Someone Working with Music Production.Other Good Mac Machines for Music Production.
Without compromising on performance, the models that give you the best bang for the buck are currently the iMac 27-inch and MacBook Pro 16-inch.īoth offer specs high enough for frustration-free work with music production software, as well as plenty of screen real estate so you can see what you’re doing when scrolling through all of your tracks. There’s a wide range of software and plugins available for the platform, the system is quite stable, and they’re durable and of high quality.īut which Mac should you choose? In this roundup, we only consider current Mac models, but we consider all of them. There’s a wider range of PCs available, their prices start lower, and many people are already familiar with the way Windows works.īut you’re reading this review because you’re considering a Mac, and I think that’s a great idea. You should consider your needs (both software and hardware) before making a final decision. For those who get creative with audio, they’re a great choice, and you’ll find them in many recording studios. They’re dependable, look amazing, and offer little friction to the creative process.