So you are a music producer or just learning these things, and you’re looking for a good laptop. But don’t tell me that someone just recommended you a Macbook Pro, Really? Well, I’m just kidding, They have sent you to the super right place.
For music production, you can’t find a better option than Macbook Pro 2021 powered by the Apple silicon’s M1 chip. Here’s why:
Is MacBook Pro The Right Choice For Music Production? Features At A Glance:
Well, we are going to give you some quick highlighted features for music production about the Macbook Pro below:
- It’s equipped with a Liquid Retina XDR screen powered by True Tone technology to make your screen time as comfortable as possible, not to mention keeping the colors true to their nature. The adaptive refresh rate of up to 120Hz is impressive, too.
- To keep you producing music for long hours, the Pro is powered by a 100W Lithium-Polymer battery that provides a backup of up to 14 hours of internet surfing over Wi-Fi. These aren’t the only things to consider.
- Just the basic version has a storage of 512 GB to give you enough room to save your raw files.
- Unlike the previous model, which only had 2 Thunderbolt ports, the latest version offers 3 Thunderbolt ports, an HDMI port, and an SDXC port giving more authority to music producers to connect additional peripherals. The 3.5mm headphone jack is now compatible with high-impedance headphones that detect a minute of noise in your music.
- The absence of a USB port can be surprising to potential users.
- Including a six-speaker audio system with the support of spatial audio and Dolby Atmos give a unique experience. An impressive triple-microphone array is included for better sound recording. Another noticeable upgrade is the 1080p FaceTime HD webcam, which unfortunately doesn’t support FaceID.
?Do you know? - You can add a USB port to a laptop if you need if but there is not available. - You can charge a laptop with an HDMI port. - You can convert the laptop's HDMI output into an HDMI Input.
While these are some of the things I could think of instantly, let’s dive deeper into why Macbook Pro will change your life as a music producer.
8 Features That Make MacBook Pro Godsent For Music Production
With so many upgrades, these are the 8 most stunning features that make the Macbook Pro number one choice for music production.
1. A Bright And Better Screen.
The blazing and vibrant 16.2-inch Liquid Retina XDR display in the new Macbook Pro is the best you can find in a laptop. Supported by Apple’s ProMotion, it has an adaptive refresh rate of 120Hz.
Compared with its previous versions, Macbook Pro 2021 has a better resolution as the earlier version had 2500 x 1600 resolution, while the 2021 Pro has 3456 x 2234 in a 16-inch version and 3024 x 1964. When dealing with complex mixing, or audio-to-video, it is preferred to have a bigger screen because viewing the mixer, editing window, and plugins all in one place will boost your productivity. If you don’t understand the basic difference between resolutions of laptop screens, then read this linked article.
The former versions were packed with Retina Display, while the latter has a Liquid Retina XDR display with Apple ProMotion, which are all there to reduce strain on your eyes.
Compared with other high-end laptops like Dell XPS OLED, there is a significant difference in refresh rate. The XPS OLED has a refresh rate of 60Hz, while the Pro 2021 has an adaptive refresh rate of 120Hz. While refresh rates have more meaning in terms of videos, who doesn’t want a fluid screen that doesn’t skip a beat like your music?
2. 100KW Battery To Get You Going For a Long Time.
Another reason to fall for Macbook Pro 2021 is the 100KW battery that continuously gives a whooping backup of 14+ hours. The battery supports MagSafe 3 for fast charging, charging 50% within 30 minutes. You can also use Thunderbolt 4 ports for fast charging.
The battery is a significant upgrade, as the 2020 variant has a 58.2W battery. That means running extensive music-producing software like Apple Logic Pro, Garageband, FL Studio, and Audacity for longer hours than the previous Mac will be a piece of cake for the 2020 variant. However, as these DAWs are performance-extensive software, the Pro battery will last about 6-10 hours which is still surprisingly good.
3. Better Speakers and Mic.
Speakers are one of the most crucial factors in editing sounds and producing or mixing music. With built-in high-fidelity six speakers featuring force-canceling woofers and native support for Dolby Atmos, the speakers on the new Macbook Pro have been excellent, with 80% more bass.
Compared to a flagship laptop like Dell XPS OLED with a 4 speakers array, Macbook Pro speakers are way better in resonant vocals and more effective bass. I recommend a machine with better speakers for music production – Macbook Pro 2021.
You’ll have a better output even if you wear Airpods with the help of the Spatial audio with dynamic head tracking feature.
Apart from that, the studio-quality mic offers a 60% better signal-to-noise ratio than its older variant, which becomes very handy when you’re putting in vocals right in your studio.
If you’re not into Airpods, the all-new 3.5mm headphone jack is packed with advanced support for high-impedance headphones that allows you to detect a mere glitch or noise in your produced music.
4. Touchpad and keyboard.
The latest Pro 2021 has a backlit Magic Keyboard featuring a full array of 12 function keys. There is no touch bar like in the previous model, and 4 arrow keys are in an inverted-T arrangement. The travel is still good, but there is room for improvement.
The trackpad on the Macbook Pro 2021 has upgraded in size as there is no Touch Bar. It is a Force Touch trackpad designed for precise cursor control and pressure-sensing capabilities with support for Multi-Touch gestures.
The trackpad is so accurate that you won’t need an external mouse while working on your favorite DAW. With its Multi-Touch gesture feature, you can assign gestures for repetitive tasks in music production.
Moreover, the trackpad is backed by feedback like when you drag an object, you will feel a subtle vibration when aligned, leading to improved precision. This feature is handy when dragging sound clips and dropping them into the right section of the mixer.
5. Ports and Wireless connection.
There are additional ports on Macbook Pro 2021 as compared to 2020. In the older variant of the Macbook, there were only 2 Thunderbolt ports, but the 2021 model has 3 Thunderbolt 4 (type-C) ports, an SDXC port, and an HDMI port.
Thunderbolt 4 ports are physically the same as type-C USB ports, but their speed is twice of type-C ports. You can connect up to 4 external displays to your Pro 2021, 3 using the Thunderbolt 4 ports and one using the HDMI port.
The multi-screen display is always beneficial when producing music because you can open multiple software simultaneously, and the interface will be clean.
6. Powerful M1 Chip.
The Apple M1 Pro Chip is an essential upgrade to Macbook Pro 2021. The M1 Pro Chip has up to 10 cores CPU, where 8 are performance cores, and 2 are efficiency cores with up to 16 cores GPU.
To give you a little perspective, it’s better in power consumption compared to the latest Intel CPU Core i9-12900, which comprises 14 cores, 6 performance cores, and 8 efficiency cores.
The M1 Pro chip also offers a seamless experience and can handle heavy DAWs like Audacity, Garageband, and Apple Logic Pro. For music producers, the M1 chip will give music apps and plugins an immense boost.
7. Highly Portable.
Pro 2021’s dimensions are slightly different from Pro 2020 as the latest one is slightly bigger.
It is also marginally heavier, weighing 2.1 kgs, compared to the former, weighing 1.4 kgs. The reason for being slightly bulky is the bigger screen size of 16.2 inches instead of 13 inches. The difference in weight is compromisable, but upgrading to a bigger screen will be a treat for you. The portability of 2021 Pro will undoubtedly enable you to work on your music production on the go.
8. No Heat.
The Macbook Pro 2021 is a beast when performing resource-intensive tasks. Besides music production, you won’t feel the machine is heated even if you play high graphics games or professional-level video editing, Thanks to the new Thermal System and excellent compatibility with the M1 chip (power-efficient), which has the efficiency of removing over 50% of heat with lower fan speed.
That is good news for music producers like you because working tirelessly on producing music has the hazard of heating the machine. With the Macbook Pro 16 inch, you don’t need to worry about it, all thanks to the power-efficient M1 Chip and the updated Thermal System.
Some Other MacBook Related Articles:
Hey, below are a few articles about the capabilities of MacBooks. So check out the details:
Which Macbook Version to Choose for Music Production?
MacBook Pro has upgraded substantially, and the Pro version has two variants. One is the 14-inch version, and the other is the 16-inch version.
Both these models are powered by either the M1 Pro chip or the M1 Max Chip. As a music producer, how can one decide which is perfect for creating music? These variants have the same 10 Core CPU (optional in 14 inches) and up to 32-core GPU.
Let us have a detailed specifications breakdown to narrow it down and decide which is perfect for you. I will highlight specifications that are different in both models.
Display Of 14-Inch Vs 16-Inch.
The screen size is the first noticeable difference when you look at both Macbooks side by side without going into details of technical specifications. The screen size of the 14-inch variant is 14.2 inches diagonally, and the 16-inch variant is 16.2 inches. Both these variants are equipped with Liquid Retina XDR displays but with different resolutions. The 14-inch variant display has a resolution of 3024 x 1964, while the bigger screen features 3465 x 2234. The True Tone and ProMotion technology feature for an adaptive refresh rate of 120Hz is identical. It can be a personal choice, but for music production, I recommend going with a bigger screen, so my choice would be a 16-inch version.
Size and Weight Of 14-Inch Vs 15-Inch.
There is a significant difference in size and weight between the two variants. The smaller version weighs 3.5 pounds, and the bigger version weighs 4.7 pounds. There is a substantial difference in width and depth; the 14-inch version is 31.26cm, while the other is 35.57cm. The same goes for depth, as one is 22.12cm and the other is 24.81cm. Some people prefer lightweight machines and can opt for the 14-inch version. Still, I recommend that music producers go with the 16-inch version as the screen is more extensive.
Battery and Power Of 14-Inch Vs 16-Inch
The significant difference other than size and weight is the battery of the Pro 2021 variant. The 16-inch variant is powered by a 100W Lithium-Polymer battery that is charged by a 140W USB C power adapter, giving somewhat 14 hours of backup on wireless web browsing and around 21 hours of backup on Apple TV. It also supports fast charging and will charge the crucial 50% in less than 30 minutes.
In contrast, the 14-inch variant has a 70W Lithium-Polymer battery powered by a 67W USB C power adaptor or 96W USB C power adaptor, depending on the number of cores in the M1 chip as per Apple specifications. The 67W power adapter doesn’t support fast charging, while the 96W supports fast charging. The battery gives a backup of 11 hours on wireless web browsing and 17 hours on Apple TV.
As you might have gathered from this comparison, if you have no budget constraints and are comfortable with a little heavy machine, then Macbook Pro 2021 16-inch is a winner.
Final Thoughts
The Macbook Pro 2021 16-inch has significant upgrades compared to the previous variants. Its screen size is more prominent with high resolution and a whopping 120Hz refresh rate. Pro’s battery is a substantial upgrade of 100W capacity giving a backup of 14 hours. The M1 CPU is unmatchable by its older version or any other manufacturer. You can attach up to 4 external displays, which is very helpful in music production because you can open software on a single screen, giving you much more clarity intact. All these features make the Macbook Pro 2021 16-inch the best machine for music production.
Some Of Our Best Laptops Guides:
Below are a few of our best laptop guides. If you need a good laptop for music production other than MacBook, then you should check the gaming laptops or the media laptops. This will do your work done. So, let’s check out:
