Mar 23, 2017  How to Optimize Your Computer for Music Production (PC and MAC). Below is a summarised list of things that will help you get the most out of your DAW and create large projects without glitches.

Posted on by Ever since Apple released the iMac Pro, my email has been clogged with people asking advice on how to configure their system. So, I did some research and here’s what I learned. This article is designed to help you make more informed decisions when you don’t have an unlimited budget.

Also, the iMac Pro is designed for many different markets. In this article, I’m just focusing on digital media. NOTE: Here are two other configuration articles you may find useful: • for video editing • for video editing EXECUTIVE SUMMARY If money is no object, buy the top of the line. It will be blindingly fast, it will work great and you’ll have enormous bragging rights.

But, if money IS an object, then you need to make trade-offs, balancing the performance you need with the money you have. The good news is that you don’t need to buy the top-of-the-line to get a system today that can meet your editing needs for the next several years.

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SOME BACKGROUND When Apple rebuilt Final Cut to create FCP X, they focused on upgrading its underlying architecture to take advantage of coming advances in hardware. This includes an all-64-bit architecture, optimization for core technologies including Metal, tight integration with both CPU and GPU, and the ability to take advantage of faster i/o – both to the processors and storage. There are no optimizations in Final Cut, Motion or Compressor that focus specifically on the iMac Pro. Instead, Apple’s media apps take advantage of whatever technology or performance benefits are provided in the hardware. In other words, there are no new features in FCP X that appear if it is running on an iMac Pro.

What does appear is faster performance. Apple’s website states: iMac Pro takes Mac performance to a whole new level, even when compared to our fastest quad-core iMac. • Photographers can work with enormous files and perform image processing up to 4.1 times faster. • Music producers can bounce (export) massive multi-track projects up to 4.6 times faster and use up to 12.4 times as many real-time plug-ins. • Video editors can edit up to eight streams of 4K video, or edit 4.5K RED RAW video and 8K ProRes 4444 at full resolution in real time without rendering. The iMac Pro can also export HEVC video 3 times faster. NOTE: Keep in mind that Apple reports these performance numbers are based on: “Testing conducted by Apple in November 2017 using pre-production 2.3GHz 18-core Intel Xeon W-based 27-inch iMac Pro systems with 128GB of RAM and pre-production 3.0GHz 10-core Intel Xeon W-based 27-inch iMac Pro systems with 64GB of RAM, both configured with Radeon Pro Vega 64 graphics with 16GB of HBM2.” In other words, these numbers are based on the high-end 18-core system, which won’t be shipping until next year and, as you’ll see, may be more than you need.

DO YOU REALLY NEED AN IMAC PRO? Well, “need” is a relative term. If you principally work with SD or HD material, an iMac will be perfectly fine. The performance benefits of the iMac Pro don’t justify the expense. If you are hobbyist, no, you don’t need an iMac Pro. This is not the same as not wanting one, but you don’t need it.

Spotify on MacBook Pro running Snow Leopard. Discussion in 'MacBook Pro' started by Wongiranger, Dec 11, 2011. Spotify will not load for long periods of time on mac book problems. MY Mac Book Pro purchased last Aperil has begun to take a long time to load webpages. Photos and videos on the pages add to length of time. The computer is a MacBook Pro, retina,15 inch mid 2014. 2.5ghz Intel core 17. I've just switched laptops to a MacBook Pro and can't download spotify. I've tried to download the mac version and it downloads as 'unconfirmed862551 crdownload. I've then tried the one for windows - this downloads as spotify.installer exe without the spotify logo - but when I move it to applications, nothing happens. After the last update Spotify really takes a looooooong time to load. I'm on Mac mini. Tons of RAM, really fast internet. Can you give some explanation, tips? Spotify now has special features for the new MacBook Pro. As I'm sure you know, Apple launched a new MacBook Pro model this year, which adds quite a few new and interesting capabilities. Since Spotify doesn't want to fall behind with this new technology, the company has recently released an update for its Mac app, which takes advantage of these abilities creating some useful features from them.

However, if the bulk of your work involves 4K or greater frame sizes, 360° VR, RAW files, or HDR, the performance benefits of this new system make it worth considering, because the design of the iMac Pro significantly speeds working with larger frame sizes, faster frame rates, more effects, more processor-intensive codecs (such as HEVC). With that being said, let’s take a look at the specific components to see which ones make the most sense for video editing. DISPLAY The iMac Pro uses the same display technology as the 5K iMac.

So everything you see on a current iMac looks the same on the iMac Pro: • 5K display • One billion colors • P3 wide color gamut • 500 nits But, while the display of the iMac Pro is the same as an iMac, the display capability of the iMac Pro is greater: • It can drive two other 5K displays or up to four other 4K displays. • It has enhanced external connectivity and more Thunderbolt 3 ports (so you still have Thunderbolt ports left over for other accessories after connecting a display). CPUs Before the shouting starts, let me say again that if money is no object, buy the top-of-the-line iMac Pro. However, for most of the editing that most of us are doing, we don’t need to buy the top-of-the-line system to get significantly improved editing performance. The 8-core system is fine for most editing and compression. For example, H.264 compression takes advantage of a hardware encoder which is built into all current Macs. This hardware encoder is independent of CPU cores.