We've had the Apple MacBook Pro M1 for about a month now. This space of time allows us to continue to use it every day, and the big question is, do we still think it's as good as when we first started using it? Russ Hughes tells of his month with a new Mac and his verdict.
It is said that the most attractive thing is something you can't have. I'm sure many looking at the new Silicon powered Apple Macs think it's an attractive proposition, but when they honeymoon is over am I still in love with this machine?
A Warning
Before I share my findings, I need to make it as CLEAR AS I CAN (block caps for shouting!) that at no point since the launch of the new Apple Macs, have we claimed compatibility with DAWs like Pro Tools, Studio One and other Intel based apps. Most software at this time is unusupported, as has been made clear in the articles written. Any tests done have been to show the performance of UNSUPPORTED (yes, block caps again for the hard of thinking) DAWs using Rosetta 2, to indicate how UNSUPPORTED apps should function when running as native apps when SUPPORTED. If you read anywhere we've made claims of the M1 being supported they are wrong.
The Bumps In The Road
So with that said, what would I change about the new Apple MacBook Pro? Not a lot, to be honest. It's only got two Thunderbolt ports, but as I have a CalDigit dock and a well thought out connection workflow, I only need two to run my studio. Of course I would like more ports but with my set-up two ports has been enough.
Security on the new machines is locked down tighter than a supermax prison, so there have been a couple of occasions when I've been unable to install software that makes system changes that Apple doesn't like. In one case it was for the DisplayLink software that is necessary to add additional monitors to the system now Apple has dropped support for more than one Extended Display. In previous versions of Mac you can often find workarounds and brute force the system, but in this case it wasn't possible. I've also had the same issue trying to run the supported app Audio Hijack, which again needs to make some system changes. This is acknowledged by the Apple OS and tells me how to deal with it, however after carefully following the Apple instructions, I'm still unable to make it work. In summary, if you rely on apps that need to make system changes you might find yourself shouting at an M1 Mac.
As outlined in my earlier summary, my Apogee Ensemble remains unsupported.
What this all means is that unless you plan to run something like Logic Pro using just factory plugins and a few early adopters such as Blue Cat Audio and FabFilter then for pro work the M1 Macs aren't ready for showtime.
The Good Stuff
With that said, Rosetta 2 is a bloody miracle, you can run most Intel-based apps and not realise you are running an UNSUPPORTED app 99% of the time. Of course there are exceptions to that rule, but if you've read this article in the order it has been written then you will understand the context of the previous sentence.
Heat is minimal, even on tougher tasks the CPU temp doesn't climb above 40 degrees C, which also means the power consumption of this baby is a huge improvement over my Intel MacBook Pro.
I converted my studio to being based around an Intel i9 MacBook Pro some time ago, this was to try and rationalise my set-up and just have one Mac for all my work. However, since I've had this M1 MacBook Pro I've found myself wanting to use this for my non-studio work, simply because of the battery life and low temperature of the machine when working on my lap. Not hearing a fan takes some time to get used to.
Summary
So a month on has the shine worn a little on my earlier findings of the new Silicon-based MacBook? No, I went into this with my eyes wide open, knowing the restrictions placed on me and I've continued to be impressed even though many of the apps I’ve been using are running on Rosetta 2.
So in summary, if you have a working machine already that you can continue to use as M1 adoption takes place, and my estimate is months, possibly a year, and want a new Mac as a second machine, then these are little monsters.
For one final time for the people at the back of the room, this is not an endorsement of compatibility, caveat emptor!