10 Best MacBook for Music Production [ 2023 ] - MusicCritic (2024)

MacBook for Music Production Buyers Guide

RAM and Processor

Why is RAM and processing power so prominent in the specs of music production? The best analogy is to think of it like books and a table. Imagine that your RAM is a table, and your computer programs are books.

The larger your table or RAM is, the more books (programs) you can have open at one time. Your processing power is how fast and how many of those books (programs) you can read at once. Most Mac recording software operates as a cluster of smaller programs, normally consisting of a sequencer, VST or instrument library, inputs, and a few other functions, depending on which software package you use.

It's always important to look at the minimum spec requirements of whatever music production software you plan to use to ensure your Macbook can handle it. All the laptops we've looked at are capable of running most of the popular program packages (see our programs section), but some fine tweaking or optimization is often a good idea.

Hardware inputs

If you want to use microphones or a DI, you will need to invest in an input device for your Macbook. There are many available in a wide range of brands, prices, and qualities, so it's worth doing some research to find which is best for your style of music. Some DIs come as just an input box that allows you to run an XLR cable or jack-lead into your laptop so you can use your DAW's internal sound effects and alterations.

Other DIs, such as Line 6's guitar POD range, also come with additional software, such as digital amplifiers and plugins, that you can record in real-time into your sequencer. If you are a writer of dubstep or EDM, a guitar package is likely to be of no use, so have a look and see what's required for your genre and recording style.

Programs

Finding a music production program or DAW that works for you can sometimes take a while. It comes down to personal preference and the setup for how you write and record music. For example, Steinberg's Cubase range allows for huge amounts of customization of MIDI, VST, and audio inputs, which makes it great for EDM or electronic genres.

It does not lend itself live performance as much, though. Pro Tools, while widely revered as one of the most professional audio interfaces, offers very little in the way of VST or digital instrument support and programming. This makes it best suited for audio input based genres like rock, metal, or indie.

The best thing to do is research your music production software, try it out, and if it doesn't work for you, move onto another music production program until you find one that does. While some packages can be expensive, you can find plenty of free alternatives online to play around with.

Here's a list of some of the best paid and free music production software for Mac available right now.

• Ableton Live (Paid)
• Logic Pro X (Paid)
• Avid Pro Tools (Paid)
• Garageband (Paid)
• Steinberg Cubase (Paid)
• Tracktion T7 (Free)
• Amplitube Custom Shop (Free)

Questions

Which is better for music production? Mac or PC?

There is no definitive answer as to which are the best laptops for music production. It comes down to personal preference. Most professional music producers tend to lean towards Mac based on reliability. However, there are plenty of music producers who prefer the most customizable options you get with a PC.

How good your end product is, depends on your competence as a musician, audio technician, and sound mixer. Choosing between a Mac, PC, and your recording software will not suddenly turn you into a pro-level music producer - that only comes with time and experience.

Which Macbook is the best laptop for music production?

From our list, our favorite is the Apple Macbook Pro Retina. The options to upgrade the laptop to 32GB Ram and a quad-processor gives it the edge to make it an exceptionally powerful machine. The only reason it beats out the Macbook Air is because of the higher quality Thunderbolt 3 ports, which provide a faster connection to DIs.

While the two other models still have respectable specs and features, the Macbook Pro Retina is a nice all-rounder of all of them, making it a versatile, and not to mention, beautiful looking laptop.

What does DAW mean?

DAW stands for Digital Audio Workspace. It refers to your sequencer or display that shows all of your audio files during recording so you can tweak, cut, copy, mix, and enhance your samples.

What does DI mean?

DI stands for Direct Input. It refers to when you plug an audio instrument such as a guitar or microphone directly into your computer.

Expert tip

Whether you're aiming for a PC, a Macbook Pro, or an Air, It's always a good idea to get a laptop that can run above your music software minimum requirements. While your software will run, you may experience long loading times, latency, or syncing issues. When you're in your creative mode, the last thing you want is to be troubleshooting technical issues, so in the long run, it's worth the investment for the extra processing power and RAM.

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