It might surprise some readers to learn that the beating heart of Studios Chateau Inglis is a 2018 Apple Mac mini.
As I’m not a big user of sample libraries, this is mostly employed for tracking and mixing audio. And I don’t think I have ever run out of resources. Its trusty Intel i7 CPU continues to chew up everything in its path. No multitrack project is too large for its 32GB RAM to swallow. I could do with more drive space, but then, couldn’t we all.
Before you ask, yes I do also have a more recent laptop for testing in an Apple Silicon environment. But although I might look upon new machines with covetous eyes, there’s really no sense in which I feel the need to upgrade right now. Those blisteringly fast M5 CPUs no doubt make all the difference if you are working with uncompressed hi‑res video, or running AI instances locally. But for knocking other people’s home recordings into shape, they’re overkill. The same goes for many other everyday applications, from graphic design to CAD modelling and coding.
Armed with that knowledge, I’ve sometimes wondered whether to invest in a basic laptop for working outside the studio. But the MacBook Air is still a fairly serious investment, especially if you go for the higher‑spec models with more storage and memory. The iPad is just too... different. And although there are plenty of Windows and Chrome netbooks around, they are usually just hopeless in terms of features.
The new MacBook Neo is, for my money, the most intriguing product Apple have launched for years.
So the new MacBook Neo [reviewed in this issue] is, for my money, the most intriguing product Apple have launched for years. For less than the price of most iPads, you’re getting a ‘proper’ Mac that can run the software we’re all familiar with. There are obvious compromises in terms of memory and drive space, but those are negotiable, especially if you don’t plan to use the Neo as your main studio machine. It has just about enough connectivity to handle serious audio recording, at least if you expand it with a USB hub. And, of course, it’s portable, silent, and capable of running all day on battery power.
Wise heads have always told us to buy the most powerful computer we could afford, on the assumption that our needs would always outpace our resources. There’s something quite liberating about the idea of getting off that treadmill. The last few years have witnessed a trend away from making music entirely in the box. Electronic music makers, mastering engineers and project studio owners have all moved towards hybrid working. And every penny we don’t spend on a computer is a penny we can spend on synths, outboard, monitoring, software or even feeding the kids.
Sam Inglis Editor In Chief