Computer / Software

We put the latest M2‑based Macs through their paces with music benchmarks.

We begin an in‑depth, two‑part examination of Apple’s M2 Pro and M2 Max chips, and the new MacBook Pro and Mac mini computers that house them.

Is Apple’s Mac Studio the perfect computer for the studio?

Apple’s most powerful laptop computer ever has been explicitly designed with music in mind.

We undertake the most comprehensive look at Apple’s M1‑based Macs from a musician and audio engineer’s perspective.

Is Apple’s new iPad Air the pick of the bunch?

BONUS WEB EXTRA REVIEW! Could Apple’s latest 27-inch iMac be the perfect all-in-one at the right price for musicians and audio engineers?

Apple recently announced a transition in the Mac’s hardware architecture that promises to be the most significant in the product’s history. But how will this affect musicians and audio engineers?

If the 16‑inch MacBook Pro was too much and the MacBook Air too little, is this latest 13‑inch MacBook Pro just right?

How does the new version of Apple's entry-level laptop fare in a music and audio-based environment?

In 10 short years, the iPad has changed the way we make and record music. We explore what the current line-up has to offer, and what the future might hold.

Like many SOS readers, Paul Baggott's studio centred around the original 'cheesegrater' Mac Pro tower but in 2020 he could hold off no longer and needed to upgrade. In our 'web-only' feature, we thought you'd enjoy reading the trials-and-tribulations tale of Paul's journey and his real-world experiences as this producer bites the bullet and buys a new 2019 Mac Pro.

Have Apple finally delivered the professional desktop system Mac-based musicians and audio engineers have been waiting for?

Apple's top-of-the-range laptop gains an extra inch and a lot more besides.

We find out how this new, lower-priced iPad fairs, in terms of real-world performance, against Apple’s top-of-the-line model.

Despite the iMac moniker, the iMac Pro is a very impressive machine. Is it the computer that Mac-based musicians and audio engineers have been waiting for?

Apple unveiled the much-rumoured 10.5-inch iPad Pro at this year’s Worldwide Developer Conference in San Jose.

Apple quietly introduced a new iPad in a press release towards the end of March — called simply iPad. It isn’t a new flagship for the company, more an affordable replacement for the iPad Air.

I’ve recently bought an iMac and would be grateful for any advice on how to set up the hard drives for music...

Apple recently unveiled their second model in the iPad Pro range: the smaller 9.7-inch iPad Pro with the same dual-core, 64-bit A9X system-on-chip as its big brother.

Both Apple’s and Microsoft’s flagship tablet devices are large, powerful and elegant. But which is best for musicians?