In this article Roger Guerin shares his experience as a busy Post Production mixer of moving from a Mac Pro to the Mac Studio.

Is it the best time to switch? A question we ask ourselves every time a potential new technological leap is suggested. Should I jump on that bandwagon before my existing setup isn’t worth anything anymore?

This time the bandwagon is called Apple Silicon, and it’s a doozie. Like most of us I work from home. I work in post production and I do it in Dolby Atmos (7.1.4). My setup was based on a 2013 Mac Pro 12 Core Intel Xeon E5 with 64G of RAM, hooked up to two monitors, a projector, a MTRX interface via Dante, and a plethora of accessories. Additional to that list are all the applications’ and plugins’ compatibility which has to be considered before making a move.

Every time Apple make a technological leap forward, we are left dangling on the edge of an abyss. Remember when they took away the diskette? We couldn’t authorize Pro Tools or its plugins without that drive. Or the removal of Firewire connectors? Rendering all our hard drives, and interfaces, obsolete. Or more recently the upgrade to 64 bit only applications? I am die hard Apple fanboy, and I know it’s for the best, but sometimes…

Thankfully in this industry we are driven by passion, curiosity, and the need to express and reinvent ourselves on a daily basis. So, of course, we embrace each new leap, but always with caution.

At the time my train of thought was if, or when, Apple comes out with a souped up (64G of RAM) M1 Mac mini it will be my time to jump. In the meantime I‘ll have to do my homework. I’ll have to make sure that my workflow will be improved, not compromised by any move to a new computer.

Preparation

I took screenshots of my Applications folder as well as my Plugins folders. Then I subscribed to Avid’s latest news on updates and compatibility, in fact, it’s still my homepage when I open Safari.

Then Production Expert’s plugins compatibility chart. What a godsend having everything under one roof saved me so much time!

I also had to consider how the new computer would interact with my existing hardware devices - slight panic attack! Dante was not compatible yet. It’s my connection to my interface, and I definitely don’t want to spend extra for a 10 years plus old HD Native Thunderbolt box.

This is when I stopped: The technology offered was not going to play well in my playpen.

Mac Studio Announced

In March 2022, to everyone’s surprise, Apple announced a brand new computer, the Apple Studio, which looked a lot like my wished-for, souped-up Mac mini. But which model to choose? The M1 Max or the M1 Ultra? And what about future-proofing my decision?

Reviews and YouTube to the rescue. After some serious thought and consideration, I went for a M1 Max (64G of Ram & 2T HD). The M1 Ultra, although an amazing machine, is expensive, and geared more towards the video side of our industry.

A couple of days later Dante was Apple Silicon compatible and most of my day-to-day plugins where also on the Apple Silicon bandwagon. At last, the wait is over, and I could start gathering all the applications and plugins to be able to do a clean install. I didn’t want to carry anything across from my previous computer, apart from one thing - my MTRX profiles and calibration setups. I didn’t want to have to recalibrate twelve loudspeakers.

However, in the words of a great man “… one more thing.”

As soon as I pressed Add to Cart, another rumour mentioning that a Mac Pro based M1 computer might be revealed at WWDC next June surfaced. Now that’s beyond tempting. Should I buy the Studio, or should I wait?

My future Apple Studio was promised for delivery in four months so if the rumours were right, I could get the rumoured Mac Pro and cancel the Apple Studio. If the rumours were false, I would have a head start with my Apple Studio. Win-win right?

However, soon afterwards I got an email informing me that my computer was ready for pickup ahead of schedule. Three months ahead of schedule, and weeks before WWDC! I couldn’t resist. I got my Apple Studio hoping the theoretical Mac Pro would be a false rumour or way too expensive. Luckily for me it did turn out to be a false rumour and no Mac Pro was announced at WWDC 2022.

My previous computer had six Thunderbolt 2 connectors for Hard Drives, Monitors, and a Dock for additional connectivity. I got four Apple adaptors from Amazon (Thunderbolt 3/USB-C to Thunderbolt 2), unfortunately only the one going to my hard drives was compatible, my screens and Dock didn’t work. (official Apple connectors compatibility chart). Within 24 hours different cables were delivered, and I could benefit the full potential of this wonderful machine.

Setup And Migration

Wonderful in what way? By logging into my Apple account, I got back my life as I left it (emails, bookmarks, purchased applications, etc.). Then into my Avid account, I was able to download only the necessary and compatible applications and plugins.

McDSP and iZotope were next in line, and once logged in their respective sites, I was able to download and install my previously purchased plugins without a sweat.

Of course the ultimate test is opening a previous session, a real-world test that should point out anything that might have slipped. I kept a keen eye on all the plugins loading while I booted up Pro Tools. Everything was going smoothly, Bootup was fast. Everything going well… except… My Waves Dorrough Meters were nowhere to be seen. In my preparation I’d forgotten about my Waves Plugins. Double clicking on Waves Central I find out that most of my plugins are version 12.0.0 (29 different plugins plus the 360 Surround Tools bundle) and are incompatible with Apple Silicon. So how much would it cost to upgrade? Let’s just say that the amount was more than I was prepared to pay for something that I bought so many times. Thankfully, Waves had a promotion going on for the Dorrough Meters… add to cart… greeted by… “this plugin is already part of a bundle you own”, tell me something I don’t already know… Seconds later I was able to install and authorize the plugin and reopen my session without a glitch. At last technology serving humankind.

The new Mac Studio has been in constant operation for two weeks now, and the only hiccup to speak of were the two USB ports in the back of the unit. For some reason whatever was plugged in them randomly unmounted (iLok, external Dropbox drive, Time Machine Drive).

I spoke with Apple Support about this issue and they suggested resetting the SMC (System Manager Controller), and parted with these kindly words :

“… Let your smile change the world but don’t let the world change your smile.” Beyond good service.

Conclusion

This computer is blazing fast, stable, and it boots up and shuts down in less than 30 seconds. My previous Mac Pro was no slouch, but this new one! Maybe that’s why I can’t get $1000 for my old Mac Pro. That doesn’t matter though, it has served me well. I’ve mixed and edited dozens of features and television shows without many headaches. I’ve changed interface twice, I went from 5.1 to Dolby Atmos. All in all it has served me well. Armed with this new computer, I can quote a certain Space Ranger “To infinity… and beyond!”

What are your thoughts on the new Mac Studio? Are you considering making the jump? Please share your comments and questions below.