Switching from PC to Mac Mini M1

AlbertC

Hi, I’m thinking of getting a Mac Mini M1 to replace my aging Windows PC - this is specifically for audio recording.

To accommodate this potential change, what do I need to consider and what else will I need to buy?

My current DAW is Studio One 4 – I presume I don’t have to re-purchase Studio One completely for the Mac version but it looks like I’ll have to upgrade to the latest version for optimum performance with the M1 chip. 

My audio interface is a Focusrite 18i20 (1st Gen) -  according to the Focusrite website, with the latest drivers this will work okay with the M1.

VSTs -  Will I need to download Mac versions of my third party VST instruments (Kontakt/Addicted Drums/EZ Drummer, etc) and FX (Fab Filter, Valhalla, etc)?

Monitor – I have a large BenQ one. Will this be okay with the Mac? Will I need a specific cable?

Keyboard (Qwerty)/Mouse – will I need a Mac specific ones?

Anything else I should think about or advice to offer?

Thanks

Kasalic

Your existing keyboard and mouse will work (assuming they are USB connections), just be aware that the Windows key becomes the CMD key in ‘Apple Land’ and that the @ and “ are swapped around by default.

Regarding the monitor, how do you currently connect it, HDMI, VGA or DisplayPort?

The Mac Mini has an HDMI port, but I prefer to use a USB-C to DisplayPort adapter - https://www.ebuyer.com/874218-cables-direct-usb-c-to-displayport-4k-1m-cable-usb3c-dp-1m

I am not sure on the VST instruments/plug-ins, I suspect they should be platform agnostic and work on either, but hopefully someone else with more experience can confirm.

spark240

 Ports and storage is a big one  with the M1 mini, I use the HDMI for one monitor and an Apple AV adaptor for the 2nd monitor, the cheap chinese ones don’t work…you will almost certainly need a USB hub of some sort.

I use a usb C Samsung remote SSD for sample storage.

Apple wireless keyboard works fine…..the mouse not so well so I go with wired.

I did a vid a while ago about going to M1 ( from older Mac mini ]

https://youtu.be/GjQD-eXJL08

AlbertC

Thanks for the replies.

Monitor currently connects VGA (PC) to HDMI (monitor) so presumably I'll just need an HDMI to HDMI cable.

One thing I forgot to mention was additional storage. Obviously expanding internal storage with Apple is expensive so I was thinking of going for the 256GB version Mini and then getting a remote drive. Does this work okay or should I shell out for Apple storage?
Any recommendations/advice on a remote drive to go for?

Cheers

spark240

AlbertC said:

Thanks for the replies.

Monitor currently connects VGA (PC) to HDMI (monitor) so presumably I'll just need an HDMI to HDMI cable.

One thing I forgot to mention was additional storage. Obviously expanding internal storage with Apple is expensive so I was thinking of going for the 256GB version Mini and then getting a remote drive. Does this work okay or should I shell out for Apple storage?
Any recommendations/advice on a remote drive to go for?

Cheers

If you get a used machine with larger on board storage that’s fine, I wouldn’t pay new prices for extra storage.

as I say I use a Samsung 2TB remote drive USB C which is super fast and works fine.

AlbertC

spark240 said:

If you get a used machine with larger on board storage that’s fine, I wouldn’t pay new prices for extra storage.

as I say I use a Samsung 2TB remote drive USB C which is super fast and works fine.

@spark240 Thanks for your knowledge on this.

So if you store your Kontakt sample libraries on the external drive, will they load just as well as if they were on the internal drive?
And the same with Studio One - if your song/audio files, etc are all stored on the external drive, will they load/save just as well as an internal drive?

Sorry if these are dumb questions but I've only ever used a PC with an internal drive. 

andy_k

I am splitting my mixing / recording across PC / Mac / Raspberry Pi, and am using Reaper, which makes the process a little easier for me.
If you restrict your on board storage to hosting the DAW and essential plugins, you can keep your libraries and projects on external storage.
Most VST plugins will need installing to your internal ( C ) drive, and Mac has similar protocols, but uses different terms.
Anything that has a library of samples, will be asking you where to store the samples, so this is something to set up in advance if using externals.
I am not familiar with your DAW, and how it loads / saves projects, but I would assume there are just paths to set in settings.
Macs generally do not have enough ports, and can be fussy with hubs, which will need power if using any number of hard drives etc. ( I have the same problem with my Pi setup, and on my Macbook, the hub often disconnects in the middle of a session, which is a major problem when using an ILok )
It might be easier to transition across, rather than simply drop one platform for another, depending on what you need to get done, and on your new machine, it might be an opportunity to update your workflow, rather than just recreate you old workflow?
I do know that many plugins are still not up to speed with the M1, and some will never be updated, so if you need those plugins, you may have to find alternatives.
Macs might even come with Logic, ( which has massive content libraries that can be stored externally), so that is another option to consider, but most things are available in either Mac or PC versions, with different ways / paths of installing.
All your Libraries of sounds should be ok cross platform, but may need to be mapped to your PC / Mac in different ways.
If buying new, I would be looking for the highest spec processor and the highest Ram as a priority over storage, but storage can also be expensive for being fast enough to use externally, the price comes down over time, so it is worth having a sort of rolling upgrade process, as storage comes down in price, libraries tend to get bigger so it never ends.

AlbertC

@andy_k many thanks 

spark240

AlbertC said:

spark240 said:

If you get a used machine with larger on board storage that’s fine, I wouldn’t pay new prices for extra storage.

as I say I use a Samsung 2TB remote drive USB C which is super fast and works fine.

@spark240 Thanks for your knowledge on this.

So if you store your Kontakt sample libraries on the external drive, will they load just as well as if they were on the internal drive?
And the same with Studio One - if your song/audio files, etc are all stored on the external drive, will they load/save just as well as an internal drive?

Sorry if these are dumb questions but I've only ever used a PC with an internal drive. 

AlbertC said:

spark240 said:

If you get a used machine with larger on board storage that’s fine, I wouldn’t pay new prices for extra storage.

as I say I use a Samsung 2TB remote drive USB C which is super fast and works fine.

@spark240 Thanks for your knowledge on this.

So if you store your Kontakt sample libraries on the external drive, will they load just as well as if they were on the internal drive?
And the same with Studio One - if your song/audio files, etc are all stored on the external drive, will they load/save just as well as an internal drive?

Sorry if these are dumb questions but I've only ever used a PC with an internal drive. 

Pretty much yes….I don’t know the transfer speed off hand but I’m sure it’s good…anything I’ve done using a remote drive has been fine 

ssuttie

I recently upgraded to a Mac Mini M1 16GB / 256GB - 16GB RAM is more important than internal storage in my opinion. I added a Samsung X5 thunderbolt 3 external drive for storing the Logic Sample library and it is lightning fast

roberty

ssuttie said:

I recently upgraded to a Mac Mini M1 16GB / 256GB - 16GB RAM is more important than internal storage in my opinion

Agreed

octatonic

I've run a Mac Mini previously and now have a Mac Pro and an M1 MBP.

M1 is still a work in progress if you want to record audio on it.
Hugely capable but the software migration to M1 still isn't there for a number of software manufacturers, so you will be using rosetta, which is mostly fine but not entirely fine.

I actually wouldn't buy an M1 right now- the Studio has just come out and I expect a new mini will be coming soon.
Personally I'd want 64GB of RAM in any system for maximum longevity, but certainly no less than 32GB.
YMMV of course.

AlbertC

Well I've ordered a Mac Mini M1 with 16gb RAM and the basic 256gb storage but I've also bought a 1Tb Sandisk SSD external drive. Thunderbolt drives seem pretty pricey, but I'll see how I go with the Sandisk first, I can always upgrade to something faster at a later point if necessary. 
I looked briefly at the new Studio but it's double the price+ and the specs look overkill for my requirements.

MrTee

AlbertC said:

Well I've ordered a Mac Mini M1 with 16gb RAM and the basic 256gb storage but I've also bought a 1Tb Sandisk SSD external drive. Thunderbolt drives seem pretty pricey, but I'll see how I go with the Sandisk first, I can always upgrade to something faster at a later point if necessary. 
I looked briefly at the new Studio but it's double the price+ and the specs look overkill for my requirements.

May I ask where you ordered from that has 16gb available? Assuming you're in UK that is? Thanks 

AlbertC

@MrTee As far as I could tell, you have to order direct from Apple to get 16gb RAM, it’s not available off the shelf,  which means having to wait. Mine is due for pickup on 21 April.