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Advice getting Mac Mini M2 for music making?

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Comments

  • bigcatrikbigcatrik

    Personally, on an M2 Mac Mini I'd go the extra $200 for the extra drive space, but the extra $500 to go up from there to 16GB would be too much to ask for the possible benefits, which seem too theoretical to be worth that much of a price increase. I have an 8/256 M1 Macbook Air and I haven't even scratched the surface of its abilities.

  • AlmostAnonymousAlmostAnonymous

    @Osidenick said:
    In doing some research on Mac Minis, I read multiple times that the 512GB drive and bigger is a lot faster than the 256GB drive. Something to consider, even though they charge a premium for RAM and HD upgrades.

    This. If you are getting an m2, get the 512. m1 256s don’t suffer from this

  • ervinervin
    edited March 2023

    @gkillmaster - similar to other commenters, I would also suggest going for 512 for minimal comfort. When I said no need for extra Apple storage I meant the terabyte options. 512 internal + 1 or 2 TB external SSD is a great combo.

  • jazzmessjazzmess

    I'd go for the 12 core pro version, base model ;-)

  • ervinervin

    @ExAsperis99 said:
    I'm a little unnerved by the prospect of my existing monitor/keyboard/mouse being used (one at a time) by the Mini and my work laptop. But people seem to make it work.

    As was I. But it works flawlessly. I have two Bluetooth Logitech keyboards (decent but not the fanciest) that can switch between multiple computers at the touch of a button. The smaller one is a tad bit slower - not annoying but perceptible. The bigger one switches instantly.

    The computers are mixed, Windows 10 work laptop, Windows 11 home laptop and a Mac mini, so that's not a problem either.

    Mouse is also Logitech, and it switches instantly, too.

  • knewspeakknewspeak

    @monz0id said:

    @gkillmaster said:

    @ervin said:
    Go for the 16gb, if only for future proofing purposes, because you'd be fine with 8gb as well, really.

    For storage, a good external SSD is absolutely fine and MUCH cheaper than upgrading to extra internal storage. I have an M1 mini and I have all my samples and most instruments on the external SSD, with no issues whatsoever. No need to pay the ransom for Apple's extra storage.

    For display, Philips has very good value cheap monitors. If you want more than that, Dell or one of the Korean brands have you covered. Again, for music making you don't need to pay the Apple surcharge.

    Good luck!

    Just to I understand, can I just get the smaller 256 gig SSD Drive and then add an external larger SSD drive without hampering the performance (like someone suggested)? Is the internal SSD Drive essential to the system? Would I need to use the external SSD Drive to install the OS? Little unclear about this.

    You can boot from a an external drive, but (if I’ve read this correctly), there are essential things hotwired into the internal drive that, if it dies, you can’t boot from the external drive again.

    Personally I would go for 512 - I keep as much as possible on external drives, but mine is half full.

    Also if you’re just going for 8gb RAM, you’ll be using the internal SSD for disk swapping.

    Honestly, if you’re using it for music production I wouldn’t recommend skimping on RAM and internal storage - you can’t upgrade it at a later date. It’s a big, painful jump in price, but you’ll get years more use from it.

    Have you any information about external booting with the new Silicon MacMini’s because I do believe it’s not so much if it dies, more when, I’m sure they have a life expectancy, which could be the biggest downside to the Silicon Macs.

  • [Deleted User][Deleted User]
    edited March 2023

    @knewspeak said:

    @monz0id said:

    @gkillmaster said:

    @ervin said:
    Go for the 16gb, if only for future proofing purposes, because you'd be fine with 8gb as well, really.

    For storage, a good external SSD is absolutely fine and MUCH cheaper than upgrading to extra internal storage. I have an M1 mini and I have all my samples and most instruments on the external SSD, with no issues whatsoever. No need to pay the ransom for Apple's extra storage.

    For display, Philips has very good value cheap monitors. If you want more than that, Dell or one of the Korean brands have you covered. Again, for music making you don't need to pay the Apple surcharge.

    Good luck!

    Just to I understand, can I just get the smaller 256 gig SSD Drive and then add an external larger SSD drive without hampering the performance (like someone suggested)? Is the internal SSD Drive essential to the system? Would I need to use the external SSD Drive to install the OS? Little unclear about this.

    You can boot from a an external drive, but (if I’ve read this correctly), there are essential things hotwired into the internal drive that, if it dies, you can’t boot from the external drive again.

    Personally I would go for 512 - I keep as much as possible on external drives, but mine is half full.

    Also if you’re just going for 8gb RAM, you’ll be using the internal SSD for disk swapping.

    Honestly, if you’re using it for music production I wouldn’t recommend skimping on RAM and internal storage - you can’t upgrade it at a later date. It’s a big, painful jump in price, but you’ll get years more use from it.

    Have you any information about external booting with the new Silicon MacMini’s because I do believe it’s not so much if it dies, more when, I’m sure they have a life expectancy, which could be the biggest downside to the Silicon Macs.

    Yep, I’ve kept my 2012 MacBook Pro going via RAM updates and booting from an external SSD, though I hit processor limits on occasion.

    I found all this stuff out when researching for mine: “ The M1 boot process requires a working SSD to boot macOS. The SSD contains a Signed System Volume that is cryptographically sealed by Apple. No seal, no bootable System.”

    Probably via Macrumors, but the above is from here: https://www.zdnet.com/article/how-bad-is-the-m1-macs-ssd-failure-problem/

    This is why I didn’t go for 8gb, as it involves disk swapping, which causes wear on the internal drive, and definitely not 256 storage. A combination of the two might be ok for basic office duties, but wouldn’t be good for the relatively intensive strain from music making.

    The reliance on the internal drive dies worry me - I’ll be interested to see how long mine lasts - if I get 5 years out of it (bearing in mind I used my Windows desktop for 10 years - though with hardware upgrades), I’ll be happy, and get another. Anything less and the next one would be a cheap base model.

  • knewspeakknewspeak

    @monz0id said:

    @knewspeak said:

    @monz0id said:

    @gkillmaster said:

    @ervin said:
    Go for the 16gb, if only for future proofing purposes, because you'd be fine with 8gb as well, really.

    For storage, a good external SSD is absolutely fine and MUCH cheaper than upgrading to extra internal storage. I have an M1 mini and I have all my samples and most instruments on the external SSD, with no issues whatsoever. No need to pay the ransom for Apple's extra storage.

    For display, Philips has very good value cheap monitors. If you want more than that, Dell or one of the Korean brands have you covered. Again, for music making you don't need to pay the Apple surcharge.

    Good luck!

    Just to I understand, can I just get the smaller 256 gig SSD Drive and then add an external larger SSD drive without hampering the performance (like someone suggested)? Is the internal SSD Drive essential to the system? Would I need to use the external SSD Drive to install the OS? Little unclear about this.

    You can boot from a an external drive, but (if I’ve read this correctly), there are essential things hotwired into the internal drive that, if it dies, you can’t boot from the external drive again.

    Personally I would go for 512 - I keep as much as possible on external drives, but mine is half full.

    Also if you’re just going for 8gb RAM, you’ll be using the internal SSD for disk swapping.

    Honestly, if you’re using it for music production I wouldn’t recommend skimping on RAM and internal storage - you can’t upgrade it at a later date. It’s a big, painful jump in price, but you’ll get years more use from it.

    Have you any information about external booting with the new Silicon MacMini’s because I do believe it’s not so much if it dies, more when, I’m sure they have a life expectancy, which could be the biggest downside to the Silicon Macs.

    Yep, I’ve kept my 2012 MacBook Pro going via RAM updates and booting from an external SSD, though I hit processor limits on occasion.

    I found all this stuff out when researching for mine: “ The M1 boot process requires a working SSD to boot macOS. The SSD contains a Signed System Volume that is cryptographically sealed by Apple. No seal, no bootable System.”

    Probably via Macrumors, but the above is from here: https://www.zdnet.com/article/how-bad-is-the-m1-macs-ssd-failure-problem/

    This is why I didn’t go for 8gb, as it involves disk swapping, which causes wear on the internal drive, and definitely not 256 storage. A combination of the two might be ok for basic office duties, but wouldn’t be good for the relatively intensive strain from music making.

    The reliance on the internal drive dies worry me - I’ll be interested to see how long mine lasts - if I get 5 years out of it (bearing in mind I used my Windows desktop for 10 years - though with hardware upgrades), I’ll be happy, and get another. Anything less and the next one would be a cheap base model.

    Cheers, I upgraded from a 2012 MacMini which I upgraded RAM and Internal Disk but it was also possible to boot from an external SSD, which I eventually did. I’ve got a couple of M2 drives attached to the M1 MacMini and run quite a few Apps from that along with data saves, hopefully this will extend its life a little longer.

  • [Deleted User][Deleted User]
    edited March 2023

    @knewspeak said:

    @monz0id said:

    @knewspeak said:

    @monz0id said:

    @gkillmaster said:

    @ervin said:
    Go for the 16gb, if only for future proofing purposes, because you'd be fine with 8gb as well, really.

    For storage, a good external SSD is absolutely fine and MUCH cheaper than upgrading to extra internal storage. I have an M1 mini and I have all my samples and most instruments on the external SSD, with no issues whatsoever. No need to pay the ransom for Apple's extra storage.

    For display, Philips has very good value cheap monitors. If you want more than that, Dell or one of the Korean brands have you covered. Again, for music making you don't need to pay the Apple surcharge.

    Good luck!

    Just to I understand, can I just get the smaller 256 gig SSD Drive and then add an external larger SSD drive without hampering the performance (like someone suggested)? Is the internal SSD Drive essential to the system? Would I need to use the external SSD Drive to install the OS? Little unclear about this.

    You can boot from a an external drive, but (if I’ve read this correctly), there are essential things hotwired into the internal drive that, if it dies, you can’t boot from the external drive again.

    Personally I would go for 512 - I keep as much as possible on external drives, but mine is half full.

    Also if you’re just going for 8gb RAM, you’ll be using the internal SSD for disk swapping.

    Honestly, if you’re using it for music production I wouldn’t recommend skimping on RAM and internal storage - you can’t upgrade it at a later date. It’s a big, painful jump in price, but you’ll get years more use from it.

    Have you any information about external booting with the new Silicon MacMini’s because I do believe it’s not so much if it dies, more when, I’m sure they have a life expectancy, which could be the biggest downside to the Silicon Macs.

    Yep, I’ve kept my 2012 MacBook Pro going via RAM updates and booting from an external SSD, though I hit processor limits on occasion.

    I found all this stuff out when researching for mine: “ The M1 boot process requires a working SSD to boot macOS. The SSD contains a Signed System Volume that is cryptographically sealed by Apple. No seal, no bootable System.”

    Probably via Macrumors, but the above is from here: https://www.zdnet.com/article/how-bad-is-the-m1-macs-ssd-failure-problem/

    This is why I didn’t go for 8gb, as it involves disk swapping, which causes wear on the internal drive, and definitely not 256 storage. A combination of the two might be ok for basic office duties, but wouldn’t be good for the relatively intensive strain from music making.

    The reliance on the internal drive dies worry me - I’ll be interested to see how long mine lasts - if I get 5 years out of it (bearing in mind I used my Windows desktop for 10 years - though with hardware upgrades), I’ll be happy, and get another. Anything less and the next one would be a cheap base model.

    Cheers, I upgraded from a 2012 MacMini which I upgraded RAM and Internal Disk but it was also possible to boot from an external SSD, which I eventually did. I’ve got a couple of M2 drives attached to the M1 MacMini and run quite a few Apps from that along with data saves, hopefully this will extend its life a little longer.

    My hunch is they’ll last donkeys years - the box is completely silent, and I can’t feel any heat from it at all - so the prospect of mechanical wear and tear is reduced, and Apple use high quality SSD’s, hence the prices.

    I just spent another £500 I think it was, to be on the safe side, and if it does last years - the extra RAM and disk space should accommodate future OS bloat, as it can’t be upgraded.

    I’ve got about 20tb of external storage and back-up drives, and the USBC is lighting fast, so 512 internal feels like the sweet spot.

  • knewspeakknewspeak

    @monz0id said:

    @knewspeak said:

    @monz0id said:

    @knewspeak said:

    @monz0id said:

    @gkillmaster said:

    @ervin said:
    Go for the 16gb, if only for future proofing purposes, because you'd be fine with 8gb as well, really.

    For storage, a good external SSD is absolutely fine and MUCH cheaper than upgrading to extra internal storage. I have an M1 mini and I have all my samples and most instruments on the external SSD, with no issues whatsoever. No need to pay the ransom for Apple's extra storage.

    For display, Philips has very good value cheap monitors. If you want more than that, Dell or one of the Korean brands have you covered. Again, for music making you don't need to pay the Apple surcharge.

    Good luck!

    Just to I understand, can I just get the smaller 256 gig SSD Drive and then add an external larger SSD drive without hampering the performance (like someone suggested)? Is the internal SSD Drive essential to the system? Would I need to use the external SSD Drive to install the OS? Little unclear about this.

    You can boot from a an external drive, but (if I’ve read this correctly), there are essential things hotwired into the internal drive that, if it dies, you can’t boot from the external drive again.

    Personally I would go for 512 - I keep as much as possible on external drives, but mine is half full.

    Also if you’re just going for 8gb RAM, you’ll be using the internal SSD for disk swapping.

    Honestly, if you’re using it for music production I wouldn’t recommend skimping on RAM and internal storage - you can’t upgrade it at a later date. It’s a big, painful jump in price, but you’ll get years more use from it.

    Have you any information about external booting with the new Silicon MacMini’s because I do believe it’s not so much if it dies, more when, I’m sure they have a life expectancy, which could be the biggest downside to the Silicon Macs.

    Yep, I’ve kept my 2012 MacBook Pro going via RAM updates and booting from an external SSD, though I hit processor limits on occasion.

    I found all this stuff out when researching for mine: “ The M1 boot process requires a working SSD to boot macOS. The SSD contains a Signed System Volume that is cryptographically sealed by Apple. No seal, no bootable System.”

    Probably via Macrumors, but the above is from here: https://www.zdnet.com/article/how-bad-is-the-m1-macs-ssd-failure-problem/

    This is why I didn’t go for 8gb, as it involves disk swapping, which causes wear on the internal drive, and definitely not 256 storage. A combination of the two might be ok for basic office duties, but wouldn’t be good for the relatively intensive strain from music making.

    The reliance on the internal drive dies worry me - I’ll be interested to see how long mine lasts - if I get 5 years out of it (bearing in mind I used my Windows desktop for 10 years - though with hardware upgrades), I’ll be happy, and get another. Anything less and the next one would be a cheap base model.

    Cheers, I upgraded from a 2012 MacMini which I upgraded RAM and Internal Disk but it was also possible to boot from an external SSD, which I eventually did. I’ve got a couple of M2 drives attached to the M1 MacMini and run quite a few Apps from that along with data saves, hopefully this will extend its life a little longer.

    My hunch is they’ll last donkeys years - the box is completely silent, and I can’t feel any heat from it at all - so the prospect of mechanical wear and tear is reduced, and Apple use high quality SSD’s, hence the prices.

    I just spent another £500 I think it was, to be on the safe side, and if it does last years - the extra RAM and disk space should accommodate future OS bloat, as it can’t be upgraded.

    I’ve got about 20tb of external storage and back-up drives, and the USBC is lighting fast, so 512 internal feels like the sweet spot.

    I think they should be fairly comparable to iPads internally only with ports for external gear, minus the battery which in my iPad seems to be the weakest part, yes USB C has the potential to be blisteringly fast although I’m only running at USBC 3.2 speeds which is still super fast compared to USB A speeds

    My Native Instruments big sample Kontakt instruments used to take several minutes to load fully via USB A, now it’s almost instantly within about 5 seconds.

  • knewspeakknewspeak

    Only just realised that booting MacOS is again possible via an external drive hope to give it a test soon.

    https://support.apple.com/en-us/111336#:~:text=If you have an external,as a Mac startup disk.

  • yellow_eyezyellow_eyez

    Def get the Mac mini 8gb
    You can use any hubs as many as you want
    Mac mini is their best desktop/deal and it runs logic completely perfectly and all au

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