I used the cheapest Mac Mini M2 for 6 months

I bought the cheapest Mac Mini M2 six months ago to test out a studio transition back to the Apple Eco system. Turns out it worked just fine! In this vid I'm sharing my perspective on the experience.
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#macmini #musicproduction #beatmaking

[@teftymusictech]

Thanks for watching! We tried out a slightly different editing style on this vid. Working on our video skills ❤

[@dinozaurpickupline4221]

Can you run windows arm on it?

[@jansix4287]

There are fans (well, one fan) in the Mac mini.

[@connorprice7642]

first video ive seen of yalls but i was literally thinking about specifically how much i enjoyed the vibe, editing style, and the voice recording was fantastic!

[@MaddDrEw]

You need a more compatible interface with an m2 that's why you got clicks and pops. The new UAD's work and are flawless.

[@MaddDrEw]

For you being a primarily Windows tech guy - I'll give you a pass. Silicone is foreign to windows people, and even mac people that haven't had silicone. I had to do a hefty amount of research coming from a primarily Windows IT guy to a silicone, I had to crash course the previous non-silicone mac build compatiblity to get an understanding of framework; what can work and what doesn't. Silicone is different and for this to just be a Mac mini review is not doing this chip justice.

[@MilanCekic]

Finally, a helpfull and detailed review of "ordinary" M2 mac mini that solved (almost) all of my dillemas ;)) in simple words with great examples, without synthetic tests, numbers and similar useless babbling that doesn”t help at all. Thank you so much for sharing real world M2 experience! Cheers! :)

[@ITZ205]

I just love the fact it still has a microphone jack

[@vitusyu9583]

Good sharing, I am using a Mini M1, 16GB, and it runs swooshingly fast.

[@DaemonPix]

I bought a 20 dollar mounting bracket and mounted my mac mini under my desk. After applying some cable management it looks fairly clean.

[@bryans8656]

Very balanced review, thanks. I moved up from a base model M1 Mini to the base M1 Studio Max when it released and have been very happy with it. It's more powerful of course but the most noticeable difference is the lack of memory pressure due to the 32GB of unified memory.

[@JohnwesleyA]

An m2 will be great for years to come. I’m still using a 2012 mini for my server.

[@davidkachel]

Your server has zero protection from outside invasion... unless you removed the no longer supported Mac OS and installed Linux, which is what I did to keep my 2012 Minis in service. The latest version of Mac OS that works on your server was abandoned by Apple long ago.

[@JohnwesleyA]

@@davidkachel I’m aware, I still have it because some of the apps I use need Sierra.

[@davidkachel]

@@JohnwesleyA And I do the same thing with a single 2012 Mini still using Mac OS.

[@xp50player]

Still only 256Gb storage starting? I put a 500Gb SSD in my 2012 Mac Mini and it still works fine for home stuff.

[@PARYSBLACK]

Have the same Mac Mini must say it’s probably one of the best computer purchases I’ve made in over 10 years

[@hamanino]

I have Mac mini M1 chap with 16GB RAM and 8GB GPU. I have a project with 60 tracks and 140 plugins on all tracks. All this load is with half the power of the device as it appears in Logic pro x, And no problem at all. thank you very much

[@Melo2k7]

cool and an important info to get an overview how good it can handle your projects. Thx for sharing

[@AngeloSposato]

Just bought an used Mac mini m1 with 16gb/512gb... amazing to read that I made a good choice! 🎉🎉🎉

[@stefrance2]

I use a Mac mini 16/ram M1 as a daily driver and main production center with logic. MPC software works like a charm both stand alone and as a vst.

[@miguelsandoval8203]

I love the apple user experience and simplicity of linking devices.. I keep all my apple products for year 3/4 years before upgrading

[@happydayzee]

you're very nice and calming to listen to! nice voice. nice energy. I've been wanting to try out the mac mini too. might get the mac mini pro one day.

[@kevinpeters5000]

I had a very different result having also used the base model for about 5 months. I found the 8GB RAM just too limiting and it was constantly swapping. I also found the 2 thunderbolt ports too limiting, especially as one was taken with a 5k display. I gave up and sold it, swapping for the M2 Pro, 16GB, 4 x thunderbolts, 512GB. A much nicer experience overall.

[@tagzjamaica8245]

This is just the review I wanted to hear!! Thank you.

[@TheGelatinousSnake]

"Mount Behind Monitor" hehe. That's me. Just bought the Cheapest Newest Mac I could. Slow HDD 2TB plugged in just to back up my phone, pod and pad. Happy Old Lady just hoping that such light usage means I can use this thing for years.

[@Frank-in-NY]

Appreciate sharing your real world experience. I have a Mac Mini Late 2012 with 16GB RAM and 500GB SSD, and surprising, it's still working with my studio setup. However MacOS has gone as far as it's going to go on this hardware old hardware. I just ordered a new M2 Mac Mini. After some long hard thinking on how to spend my hard earned cash, I went with the Base Model with16GB Ram 256GB Internal Storage. Like you, I can purchase inexpensive external storage that will run faster than the internal storage. Again thanks for your assessment, it's good news for starving musicians everywhere...HA! 🤣

[@jtmuso]

I’ve just made a very similar upgrade. Have fun 😎

[@MartijnTDC]

Same here with my Mac Mini 2012; still working like a charm with my protools setup. Because I can't upgrade to a newer OS anymore (and thus not run newer plugins/software etc.) I'm kind of forced to buy a new one. Still in doubt; Mini or Studio.

[@Frank-in-NY]

@@MartijnTDC I'm running Studio One. If I use 16 Tracks that would be exceptional. Guitar, Drums, Piano, and Vocals. I don't use a lot of plugin's or virtual instruments. The 256GB internal SSD in the M2 runs 3x the speed of my Samsung SSD in my current Mac Mini. The external Storage on the M2 will faster than that. For me, I'm not concerned with performance. Good luck with your choice!

[@RishPanjeetJr]

My exact story - how do you like it?

[@Frank-in-NY]

@@RishPanjeetJr The Mac Mini M2 is really nice. The External Storage I chose was a WD SN750 1TB in a Acasis Enclosure. It's fast! Runs about 2 1/2 times the internal storage. However, it runs hot, real hot. So hot I bought a pair of Heatsinks. I sandwich it between the two. I don't believe I need External Storage that runs this fast. I am concerned about my data. I may opt for something that runs cooler in the future.

[@musiqsoundsproductions]

I still use the 2018 i7 3,2ghz with 32 GB of ram. Even on the road with Luna Display. The only downside is when there is no outlet or they cut power in the trains, I prefer a MBP. Which I still might get in the long run for travel purposes.

[@devarni]

I was very surprised how easy it was to switch. Cubase only supports VST3 plugins when running native and not under Rosetta... but all the plugins I use are available for Apple Silicon and as VST3... and the performance is impressive compared to my previous Windows PC! I don't reach the limits with the Mac Mini and my projects aren't exactly small. The 8 GB RAM is also sufficient, but 16 GB is recommended, especially if you use memory hogs like Google Chrome in parallel.

[@NoirEtBlancVie]

Yay! Always happy when a friend’s video pops up when I’m looking for some info! I’m back on Mac, so thanks for this, seems like the base Mac mini is more than enough power!

[@teftymusictech]

Hey Noir! Yeah so far so good with the Mac Mini. I'd go for the 16gb of ram for better future proofing, but I've been pleasantly surprised at how powerful the base 8gb/256gb model has been. My editing rig is the Mac Studio M1 Max and that's been incredible with Davinci Resolve 👀

[@blackchristiangeek]

I too purchased and have been trying out the base model Mac Mini for everyday use in addition to video and audio. And, I have been a little disappointed in Apple's poor support for third-party cloud drives, which are a huge part of my work flow. I am considering doing much like you described in the video and making it just a production box. Other than the occasional glitches and slow-down it's been fine. However, I highly recommend any power users to get more RAM, saying 8GB is enough from my perspective is just not true. Thanks for sharing and God bless,

[@VERYSOFTLUKA]

Hi, thanks for your comment What do you mean you recommend it as a production box?

[@blackchristiangeek]

@@VERYSOFTLUKA What I mean by a "production box" is to mainly use for making video and audio edits. The Mac Mini has not been bad, but nowhere near as productive as I had expected. If you stick with Apple tools and don't need a lot of oil there tools that might not be Apple approved or vetted, I'm sure you will be fine. However, for me, I use all kinds of tools, apps, and services, and they are not and miss with Apple's silicon 😫 I was exclusively Mac for 20 years, but there is a whole world outside of Apple. God bless,

[@GUSCRAWF0RD]

I finally after as a kid starting on those iconic black n white “toaster” Mac’s got an old Intel Mac mini on Kijiji and I STILL use it for garage band purposes and it holds up although it does feel its age browsing. I liked it so much for $200 I just switched totally and I have a MacBook Pro laptop (13”) that definitely can be supported in places like a tablet in ways almost all other brands can not be used… I set I up on my drums, in my closet for vocals etc it’s got 8gb of memory and it’s an m1

[@karayuschij]

There *is* a fan in the Mac Mini... but you rarely hear it. I heard it for the first time after more than a year of use, and it's also very quiet...

[@IcemanTheDj]

I have Macbook Air M1 base model ( 256G / 8G ) and I don't feel like I need to upgrade! And this one it's realy silent! 😁

[@Calebflying2025]

I am using a M1 Pro MacBook. The leap was from intel to M series chips. The difference from M1 to M2 or even M3 for most daily task is minimal.

[@darkinfamous11]

Wow here I am watching Mac mini videos and what a great sight and voice to behold! Being a long time Destiny player it’s nice to hear your voice again! 🙂

[@trickfall8752]

I look forward to the day when I can get an M2 Mac. The only thing I would recommend is going with at least 16gigs of RAM.

[@scogginsscoggins]

I am happy with my 2012 Mac Mini.

[@vancenichols9490]

Awesome presentation! I'm glad that I hit "the sweet spot" with my 16GB RAM and 512GB M2 Pro model. I'm so glad to hear that others such as yourself are experiencing robust and stable studio performance for Mac Mini! Thanks!!!

[@TonyThomas10000]

That is pretty cool. I opted for a prebuilt Windows machine last year with a Ryzen 7 5700G, 32GB of RAM, and 1 TB SSD. Since it is a 65W processor, it is dead quiet and I never hear any fans. I added another 512GB internal SSD and am running 5 external SSDs for sample libraries and what not. The base computer price was around $850 or so with the RAM upgrade and additional SSD as I recall. With the 32GB of RAM, I can use it for anything I want as well as music production without any problems. I can also load fairly large sample libraries, run Chrome, etc.

[@TonyThomas10000]

@@rockmist7405 Certainly true...but there is a company called GeekOM that makes a mini computer called the GEEKOM AS 6 Mini PC AMD Ryzen 9 6000HX with 32GB of RAM and 1TB NVMe for less than $750. It is a 45 watt chip that is in same class as mine.

[@barryinglaterra]

The MinisForum Ryzen 7 5700G with 32GB and 1TB NVMe is 12.7 x 12.8cm and weighs 600g. The Mac Mini is 19.7 x 19.7cm and weighs 1.2kg - almost twice as big. The Mac Mini is massive by today's mini PC standards.

[@rockmist7405]

@@barryinglaterra ok. Still, Mini is a most compact Mac out there and not as bloated even by PC standards. Look at mini's mainboard

[@dragonrain3343]

Any PC experts out there than can advice me on PC Video Editing software please?

[@adredy]

​@@dragonrain3343only davinci

[@MrTreework]

Yoooo I'm doing exactly what you are. Switching my studio PC out for a Mac mini. I'm so glad you made this video cuz I also make music as well as videos. I also already have the same SSD from sandisk lol. I have a bunch of experience with final cut pro so it's another big reason for me to switch. I got certified to use it in highschool and miss it tbh. It made video creation so easy!

[@MrTreework]

I luckily already have USB hubs galore bc my current PC is actually a laptop so I'm very excited to go get my new Mac mini either later today or tomorrow

[@EliteOnTheBeat]

Looking to upgrade my 2014 Macbook Pro. I'm looking at the Mac pro with a M1 Pro or M2 Pro chip but THIS was still a great video! THANK YOU!!

[@futumama1]

Mac mini is The Best Choice. But with full configuration. And I love the little solution (mini case). Super practical, empty table. Maybe for years of experience I have no issue. And with expensive sound card hardware i have 96Khz/32bit latency only 5 ms. In 48khz/24bit latency absolute zero with very big project, lots of plugins, live recording etc. Absolute enterprise dreamy solution.

[@TheChrismaster619]

when you say full configuration you mean the M2 pro?

[@futumama1]

The diference between base model (small ram, low storage) and the same model with (max.ram, max storage) in performance is very incredible. Experts know this. Lower model range e.g. M1 (full config) have same, maybe more power like a new version M2, but base model range (low config). It is determined by the quality and architecture of hardware components. All base model is just only compromise. Tuned and matched is only full (config) without compromise (for all models) inklusive fast speed ethernet card. For example M2 with 512GB storage versus M2 with 2TB storage (with 2 TB storage is performance min.10 x more better...same like Base model CPU M2 PRO. @@TheChrismaster619 For next example M2 with 24GB RAM, 2 TB Storage, 10 gigaEthernet....for price 2 500,-eu ...it's a cheap super rocket computer (same like M2 PRO base) but price is much better like M2 PRO! Sorry "dongle storage in this video is very bad solution"...work, but overall have computer to much slow performance. Once again Base model versus same model with full configuration (Apple secret) in fact is full configuration another hardware model. That's is god Apple marketing tricks.

[@Agnoletta]

I have one with (16Gb RAM, though). My hub, with built in 2Tb NVMe drive, is my friend.

[@bikdav]

I’m thinking about this to “incorporate” into my home theater.

[@robman2095]

To get rid of the dongles look get the satechi hub which acts as a base and provides front-facing ports for the mini and install a nvme ssd internally in the hub

[@Myhome-y3b]

i have the macbook pro 2017 i7. works well, i have the Mac mini 2023 m2 base model on the way! cant wait!

[@alanking7993]

Love the new editing, as always clear. Am running ableton and Roland cloud plus various vst on this same 8tb ram model. It is rock solid. I did wonder about going for base model but it does all my music needs perfectly. Thanks for your great channel

[@AnalogFlava]

m2? how many Roland cloud plugs do you find you can run and is this without chrome or safari open? the base model price is so good but with the m1 MacBook Air and safari tabs open I definitely run out of memory fast and get clicks pops and glitches. otherwise it seems to be a very capable little machine and the finless noise free computer is just a godsend. talking about the m1 MacBook Air here because its the cheapest base model laptop, but thinking about getting a Mac mini m2 just to run in the studio with mostly hardware synths as well and thinking if m2 will make any difference. I saw videos saying the m2 processor with 256gigs ssd is actually slower for music production, so there's that too?

[@GuilDormeus]

I click play on this video and get up to grab something to drink and I hear a voice I recognize but don’t necessarily why. I rush over to my computer and see a face I remember but don’t know why BUT I know that sultry voice then I remember my Destiny fan days and the see wname Teffy! Wow this is a great find! *subscribed!

[@beatkultr]

this was very insightful. really appreciate you for sharing. I am looking to get this model dedicated for streaming to youtube. i like your concept of making this bottom tier dedicated to one thing and not for the heavy load. in my case the heavy lifting computers are my imac with 64g ram and i5 proccessor but looking to replace that with the mac studio as you shown in the video. now that will be the power brains behind everything i do. mac mini will only handle streaming (small stuff) lol

[@dejidocemo]

I love that you use MPC as well. I realize that I write faster on it,then I port to Ableton to finalize it. Can you make a video on file management? i want to learn how to keep files on my HDD, especially when downloading VSTs. how do I keep my hard drive clean?

[@ChristopherOrth]

You can do audio production on an iMac these days. Damn well better be able to do it on a desktop computer! Most pro audio really isn't that demanding anymore. We audio people like to think we are doing "high end work", but in reality these days that's the realm of real time 3D, databases, simulations, AI and such. If one got over that outdated view, a lot of options become available to get stuff done.

[@petermichalowski]

I use the M1 256GB and 16 GB RAM with an external samsung 2TB external SSD HDD with Logic. Works 100%. One thing though is that bouncing a project takes a bit longer than if it's on the internal HDD. Same with opening a project. We're talking about 3-4 seconds just though. No need for any upgrade so far. Still a bit concerned about Sonoma upgrade as some plug-ins aren't supported.

[@roundduckkira]

One thing to try if the speed is not enough is to use a thunderbolt ssd or ssd adapter

[@petermichalowski]

@@roundduckkira Thanks but the speed isn't really a problem. I'm not to worried about 3-4 extra seconds bouncing a mix. But what I might look for in a near future is some hub so I get more port. I'm ok as it is but might upgrade the interface UAD at some point.

[@siddantsharma3681]

What about mixing

[@allenlocke1935]

I have an OWC that turns one thunderbolt into three plus a few extra misc. ports@@petermichalowski

[@paulguy2545]

This is pretty encouraging because I currently have a 2013 Mac Pro and have been after an Apple Silicon-based Mac for a while, but haven't been entirely sure about the Minimum-spec'ed machines. My Mac Pro is rocking 32GB of RAM & has a 1TB SSD out of the factory that I've had for going on 8yrs at this point and while its okay for Music Production, I like to use it for other things like Gaming under Windows 10 on Bootcamp, but have problems there with over-heating running my favorite game glitching when that happens! I've been looking at some Used M1 Mac mini computers and they run macOS Sonoma + Logic Pro 10.8 and will be supported by Apple for much longer than my current Mac model. I typically upgrade between every 5 to (8yrs tops) anyway as its cheaper, so I don't want to be left behind! I have heard of OpenCore's Legacy Patcher Software that makes it possible for people to run the likes of macOS Ventura & Sonoma on Older (Officially Unsupported Macs) but I Feel that that would be more work and things could go wrong every time Apple releases an update for Ventura or Sonoma that Opencore might have a problem with.

[@MrKbeaumont]

I have been using the M1 Mac Mini the 512GB model with 16GB memory. I also bought from Amazon a dock that matches the mac mini but is about 1/3 the height. Inside I put 2 SSD drives 1 TB each. I use one as a time machine backup and the other for bigger files like video. The dock works great because it runs off one thunder bolt port and provides 3 standard USB , 1 USB C , SD and MicroSD on the front. Very handy! It is quiet too. I have been very happy with it. It works with Logic and all my plugins as well as Da Vinci resolve.

[@TylerMaximus]

Sounds like good bang for your buck!

[@MrKbeaumont]

@@TylerMaximus I thinks so, which is really not something one usually associates with Apple.

[@ElMarko2000]

Ooh, which dock did you buy? Sounds like something I need to get!

[@TRANQUILLITYsweden]

@@ElMarko2000 Now I'm just guessing, but I'm guessing one a Satechi

[@wakinglife7065]

I just ordered the satachi one. Can’t wait to get it. Also thinking of getting a LaCie Big Dock when the price goes down. I wish it had more inputs and outputs. But otherwise I agree with the silence. It’s truly quiet and perfect for music production. LaCie has a 32 th big dock which I’d use as my MacBook Pro and mini hub.

[@aleksitossavainen]

I've got pretty similar experience with my Mac mini M1 512gb that I bought also 6 months ago for 600€. Everything works great in Logic and I've done mixing for 120 tracks project without any issue even with that 8gb of ram. But as I also want to edit 4K multicam videos in Finalcut the 8gb is a real bottleneck. I've solved this problem by ordering a Mac Studio M2 Max for a good discount that we had here in Finland. Anyways, the base Mac minis are great value for a very little price.

[@aleksitossavainen]

I also came from the PC world and bought the Mac mini just to check how the Mac's are nowadays. I thought that I'd keep my high end gaming PC but I ended up selling it as the Mac is so silent and it can do everything I need.

[@stewartkingsley]

@@aleksitossavainen Gaming?

[@siddantsharma3681]

How many plugins it can support any rough idea?

[@JasonTaylor-po5xc]

Waiting for the M3 refresh hopefully next year - M3 should come with AV1 encoders will be a sweet setup a small video encode/capture rig.

[@aaronpolichar7936]

I'm sometimes having memory pressure on my Windows laptop with 32GB, so it's interesting that you're able to get by with 8.

[@pixpusher]

You should try the Satechi USB Hub designed for Mini and Studio. The computer sits right on top and you can buy the ssd of your choice. Not "dongley."

[@LoserDub]

So i have a late 2013 i5 32gb 1tb, and it runs fantastic as a studio computer, its starting to skow a little, but no latency at all with audio or midi input, but i have ableton 11, wont let me update logic, but ua spark, serum, fabfilter. Itll have 20 tracks, automation, tons of windows open, and no slowness of unacceptable level. But i know my days are numbered, the 8gb just doesnt seem good, even though im hearing you say it im super hesitant idk why. Im thinking of getting a mini pc with way higher specs, switching to ableton only, but i do love my mac os

[@LoserDub]

I just got to the part with tabs open, clicks and such, which confuses me any more, im super add, ill have three chrome accounts with ten tabs each, while logic running, with the imovie i left open to, and no problem, idk mang it makes me wonder if they scaled back somewhere ten years ago

[@juancabrillo2u]

Many people don’t realize that SSDs are not intended for long-term backup. Rotating drives are way more robust for backup as SSDs need to be powered up on occasion to refresh the charge controller. Bits in a SSD are stored as “charge” in CMOS gates. Through time this charge will degrade and over a long period of time the bits become unreadable. If you use an SSD you should fire it up every few months if you want to preserve your data. Best backup for long term is CDROM or DVD…. Official guidance from Samsung is to power up your SSD drives every month!!

[@coralbrune]

Awesome relaxed a little now with all you said, mac mini abilities,ableton power, and using hubs, ssd, and former windows user or dual user... I had some concerns and feel more ready now.

[@itinerantghost]

Super useful video, my laptop is dying and I'm considering this one.

[@kingleo9981]

Definitely gotta get at least 16gb.. Enjoyed the video though, thanks man.

[@bichela]

I got the m1 Mac mini with16gb ram and 512gb ssd. But I do KZbin videos. I have a 500gb external hdd on it. It works well with OBS. Works good for me.

[@saidul02]

I have been using the M1 Mac mini for around 3 years and I can say nothing feels cheap about it. I will be going for the M3 Mac mini when it comes out and just to make sure get a 16 GB RAM version and have an Apple trackpad along with the mouse.

[@zinthetic3822]

I mostly don't like to use apple products though that's mostly because of repairability but getting a Mac for the studio was game changing, almost all of the small issues we encountered with our windows setup disappeared. You do however have to watch out for compatibility when upgrading the os or when switching from Windows to Mac

[@delightful_pov]

i mean repairability isn’t a huge problem anymore since apple has come a long way on making their products more resistant so idk

[@Techfanatic73]

I pay for Applecare so I don't care. Never once had to use it on any of my Macs though. But Applecare for the mini is only like $36 bucks a year. I have the base model. 8GB. Also have a studio with the ultra chip. But honestly the mini can do 90% of what I do with them. Fantastic small and silent.

[@bklyncyclist]

I'm not doing any editing or production of any kind, just an average home user. My current setup is a late 2015 iMac 27" with 2tb fusion drive and 8gb. It runs great and the monitor is still the best looking I've used. The problem is that Apple has discontinued OSX updates and that soon enough there will be things that just won't work with the older OS. I was looking at just that, an M2 mini with minimal configuration. Unfortunately the monitor on the iMac is not usable as a separate monitor for an external device, when the retina 5k was introduced they didn't have the necessary hardware to make it sharable. There is something called Luna Display, but it isn't quite as smooth as a directly connected monitor. I may give it a try though. And today Apple introduced the M3 processor with a 24" iMac and 2 MBP models. As always, they start getting expensive once you configure them to your liking. While you'll make do with a $500 mini with 8gb, I don't want to spend $1500 for an iMac with the same limitation, and they aren't upgradable since the memory resides on the new silicon. Every option is a compromise when you want to go cheap. This video is pointing me at the M2 mini though. I'm going to order the Luna Display for $80 and see how it works between my MBP and my iMac as a test.

[@HugoLawrenceValentin]

Great video I need this

[@MarcWeertsMusic]

Awesome review, glad you’re liking it! Been using a mac studio for a while now and it's such a convenient and powerful solution. I prefer having data on external drives anyway as that would be more convenient too when switching to a different system. I regularly play both live on ableton, record the video and stream to twitch at the same time without problems.

[@paulmax9871]

It’s nice to have a musician sharing his experiences with silicone based computers. Thank you for taking the time to share this information.

[@nydownes]

I use one as a media computer (household streaming music/TV/movies). The one thing that is HORRIBLE about this computer is the Bluetooth. Sometimes I want to listen to music in a different room than the computer, and Bluetooth fails. As a Mac, you cannot upgrade the Bluetooth receiver, so basically every time I want music outside of the room where the computer and TV is, I have to switch to music on my phone. If you don't need range for anything attached via Bluetooth, it is a great bargain.

[@samuelrave]

A tip: if you need more RAM and ports, get a first gen Mac Studio M1 Max base model. They can still be bought brand new at a great discount. I just bought one new with a huge discount for €1280 without tax, with 21% tax (Netherlands) included it was €1549,- It is faster than any Mac Mini M2 (Pro) and the better deal and has more ports, 32GB RAM, much better GPU and 512GB SSD

[@broselect1]

Thanks for this video

[@MrTreework]

Mpc software is weird so i feel you

[@heru32288]

I like the way you think .. this is what I needed to hear . Because I too was thinking do I need the max or could I get away with the base model and if so what would be the cons but after hearing the cons it's just what I thought like you said it's design to be just a studio cpu . Great explanation thanks and subscribe !

[@fallenleaf24]

It cost me £12 for 2 USB3 hubs. & £34 for for the USBc hub for the extra monitor. I have 2 1440p monitors. I'm amazed at how useable this little beast is.. My 2012 MacBook died due to external unplanned forces that attacked it.. :( & My misses got me this Mini! its so much more! I have a 12900k 3080ti 64GB top of the line back then... & its only a bit faster at video exporting while drinking 600w from the wall.. the Mini is pulling 30w & take a min or 2 longer.. The PC in a room thats cold at 15c playing a game for a few hours takes it to 26c... the Mini... never heard the fans... its only ever been warm to the touch after running a benchmark for 3h... xD

[@AA-kj4ic]

One recommendation, you can buy a thunderbolt enclosure + 2TB nvme, and make install masOS and run the computer directly FROM external drive. Then the external drive will BE the main system drive. The only thing though on desktop the external drive logo still shows up, otherwise it's as if you bought a mac mini with 2TB storage.

[@amiller1758]

Great review Thanks for taking the time to explain all aspects of your findings . Be well Cya Aaron

[@lukassbeataddicts]

Such a cool computer. Just a shame that Apple still sells 8gb RAM and 256GB ssd which are much slower than 512GB SSD’s

[@scobrado]

I bought the same, 2023 M2 Mini w/8GB RAM and 256GB SSD, and got such a deal! $499 academic _and_ a $100 Apple gift card. I like your comments. I am accustomed to PC hardware but mostly use Linux these days. I find the Mac Mini's tiny power LED is a slight (very slight) grievance; you can hardly tell it's running. I bought the Mini specifically for the UI experience while authoring music notation. I wonder if I will get the full Mac UI if I share its display and run the Mac from a Linux machine that has a Mac keyboard. I'm trying that next...

[@boogiedownbronx73]

M3????

[@scobrado]

@@boogiedownbronx73 Oops. M2. Thx for catching that.

[@TygerBlueEyes]

review the Hagibis USB-C Hub with Dual Hard Drive Enclosure, Type-C Docking Station -- if you get the chance

[@ianbee1959]

Wow, what a great review 🔥🔥🔥

[@Noname304y2u2]

I just bought this thing and its weird how silent it is. I think you might like a external SSD enclosure 40gb/s. Its going to be just as small as the sandisk and it might be a bit cheaper.

[@nukenoly8751]

Also Ableton is the least optimized DAW for Apple silicon Reaper and Cubase perform way better on base models

[@Fataha22]

I really want to buy this but remember M3 might be have ray tracing so i hold my breath and wait for M3 release

[@hsutheo8740]

If you want a M3 MacBook Air, you can wait. Mbp M3? Might take a while as M3 pro chip is still on its way. Mac mini? It might take more than 1 years as this product is not that profitable and Apple would only gives iPhone Macbook(More profitable products) the supply of 3nm chips.

[@Fataha22]

@@hsutheo8740 MBA absolutely because I'm poor 🤣

[@stewartkingsley]

Built my Server PC and Main PC each for the same price as the Mac Mini. Though instead with 64Gb RAM, expandable to 128Gb if needed. With water cooled 24 core AMD processor, very quiet. If I had a proper production studio then I would work the studio to have the PC in its own space away from any acoustic sensitive areas. Naturally the wiring would be hidden together with the network cabling.

[@twodalec]

amazon just got a bunch of these mac mini's at a dropped price.... and to deal with the back facing connections only and storage I got a mac mini "hub stand" that matches the mini and it has an ssd enclosure and I put a TB drive in it. basically 400 bux cheaper than apples solutions.

[@pauljakeman]

I’ve had a Mac mini now for coming up to 8 years, the same one too. My previous windows desktop broke after 8 months! It’s only this past year that I’ve noticed the fan noise of the mini kicking in when it’s chugging more, even then it’s not really loud. For me it’s a great piece of kit, I doubt I’d go back to windows.

[@JasonTaylor-po5xc]

I bought a 2020 Mac Mini and it broke after a couple years. I think mine was a lemon. I have used other Mac Minis from 2012 without issue and they still work.

[@stewartkingsley]

I have never had a PC break after any number of years, I guess you were just unlucky. Though I build my own so I know the build quality.

[@pauljakeman]

@@stewartkingsley when you build your own your in total charge of what’s in it and, no doubt, they are built far better. I don’t know much about computers at all, I wouldn’t know where to start, couldn’t afford the expense, and for me, I just want something I can buy and it works. As you said, I was unlucky. When the store checked it they agreed that it shouldn’t have happened but did and was lucky to get a refund. So I put that into getting the Mac mini.

[@JasonTaylor-po5xc]

@@stewartkingsley I go with Macs for laptops but I build my own PCs for desktops, except for a few MacMinis that I have around for testing. I haven't had the best luck with PC laptops, they don't seem to last. My PC builds can last about 10 years if I take good care of them.

[@EljakimSandman]

Thanks for the advice.. just upgraded from a MacBook ‘15 to a new Mini M2. Hopefully some huge upgrade! What kind of screen do you advise to me? And maybe two ?

[@dave3533]

Just a heads up, some of those Sandisk Extreme external SSDs are having high failure rates. It sounds like you do have an offsite backup solution so probably not a big worry, but wanted to make sure the world doesn’t lose any Tefty and Meems data

[@ThatRealGuy1]

Just happened to me today....

[@ronalda.heinrich4842]

just the 4TB Versions.

[@AnoNymInvestor]

SanDisk is trash. Use Samsung T7 or newer! Or build your own NVMe Thunderbolt SSD!

[@RogierYou]

I have many of them in use myself and with my clients, zero problems so far.

[@WeThrowPie]

why would anyone buy these things vs getting an ssd enclosure and buying a drive? it's stupid beyond words.

[@MTG776]

Great review, helped me a lot... I will probably end up using my old iMAC 27 for the day to day & my new Mac Mini just for music production with Logic Pro...

[@hardlines2635]

Same here.

[@EP-dy7rq]

I wonder how it would work with Apollo UA and amp sims, along with IR technology for guitar.

[@wakinglife7065]

Good! I have Apollo Quad plus use guitar sims. And I have the Mac Mini M2 Pro, 32 Gn, 4tb and I have used it on multiple tracks at once. However after about 8 tracks I run into DSP issues which can be resolved by bouncing tracks and reinserting them for endless tracks in console. I’d recommend going to the pro because with the base model you only get 2 thunderbolt but with the pro you get 4 which is still not nearly enough. The size is pretty good and easy to shuffle out of the way. I like the idea to mounting it to the wall and get a VESA mount for my Apple display to get some more room. I have no issues running MPC, Ableton, Luna, and console all running at the same time. I didn’t even consider that the studio is noisy and bought it becaue it was cheap . But I am going to invest in a LaCie Big Dock 32 and I’ve just bought a satachi mini Mac dock that has an ssd enclosure. I hate Apple screws you with ahd costs. My MacBook Pro has 2tb and with all my software and files I’m getting low already - 12 months old so the m3 is looking pretty good but in Aud all up it’s about 8k! I can’t get my head around that.

[@wilkinsi]

so now I don't have to spend too much on my first m series mac mini, upgrading from a 2018 i3 model. I too use a MOTU 828es, but I have Digital Performer 11. I tend to run into pops/clicks/distortion/project haults when playing MIDI tracks with high DSP from my UVI Falcon plugin. I also use a small to fair amount of effects plugins, 2 of which are cpu intensive. I didn't think I would be able to run all that with only the base model and an external 2tb thunderbolt3 ssd, my 828es plus my cheap hdmi monitor and apple magic keyboard/mouse (I have read some people have blutooth issues??). the usb's would be used for my time machine backup ssd and ilok. The ethernet would be just for updating the 828es. the lowest buffer size I can get away with is 256ms with my 2018 intel, and that's at 44.1k. If I can get away with only 64ms or less, that would make me happy.

[@fallenleaf24]

I have the M1 base model.. the only point I get to is some of my logic project hit 12GB of ram.. Safari does more hard drive R/W than Logic using 12gb which people were worried about hard drive usage... Memory pressure is only ever about 45% I use iStat Menue for monitoring.. The next one I will get more RAM just because I am aware of this.. but I have been using 16gb of ram in all of my old Macs going back nearly 30 years now.. never been an issue.. I do actually think that the 8gb on my M1 is more efficient with its 8gb than my previous 16gig Macs..

[@lwpweb]

did you counted how many times the sandisk dongles showed up? You must really love them.

[@abolit]

Thank you for the video. Of course you can do fine with 8 gig of RAM and 256g of storage but being limited of doing one thing at a time is not what I personally buy computer for. Besides getting additional stuff like USB hubs and multiple external drives is not very inspiring. I guess Mac Studio would be a better choice for everything - video editing, music production, etc and if you decide to check your email there will be no clicks and crackles. Yes, it's more expensive but you will cry once ( when you buy it) and then you will be enjoying a good machine for awhile ))

[@Shinn-K]

I’m looking to buy a new Mac for music production only. I most likely won’t go over more than 20 tracks and I use omnisphere, serum, and izotope ozone/nectar/neutron. Will the Mac mini M2 base model be more than enough or do I need 16GB of ram?

[@jinglevesaire]

Did you find out? Ive got the same question here

[@amimakingsense2165]

My experiences with MPC software/plugins on both Mac and PC are that it has many performance issues. Not just audio clicks and pops, but also midi input latency. I only produce on my MPC live in stand-alone mode. Real shame. :(

[@buzzword4388]

Mine just died . set up an appointment with an Apple service center for repair: they won't accept it for warranty repair without an appointment. It's just a year old, with minimal use. Had it connected to a surge protector too. No lights, no sounds, nothing at all. Power cycling does not fix. Just one data point, yes, but keep it under warranty, IMHO.

[@RonCecchetti]

I think I’m gonna get the 16gb 1tb upgrade

[@thaisara]

Thank you for give me technical compared with windows gpu computer

[@GerenM63]

Fast forward to today -- have you upgraded to Live 12 yet, and if so, how is the base-model Mini holding up? Thanks!

[@teftymusictech]

Yup, upgraded to 12, everything has worked perfect. I actually just recently swapped the M2 Mini for our video editing machine (M1 Max Studio) because my Mom needed a new computer and we bought a M3 Max laptop for mobile video editing. So I gave her the M2 Mini and repurposed the M1 Max for studio work. I put Ableton on all machines and you know what.... they all feel exactly the same. Like I can't tell the difference in use and speed. Now for video editing, different story 😁

[@GerenM63]

@@teftymusictech Great! Thanks. I'm hitting a performance wall with my Windows machines for projects that relatively low track counts (a dozen tops). Some of the plug-ins are heavy-hitters (some of the Dawesome and u-he stuff), but Mac users don't seem to be complaining. The 8GB RAM was what had me concerned.

[@park171]

It’s 2024 and I have a M2 mini and MacBook Pro M1 Max 64 gigs of ram. I can confirm the MPC software has CPU issues. I have report to Akai and no help. One interesting thing to try is that all external audio cards (Akai MPC, Quantum, RME Babyfsce, UAD Apollo) the interfaces when used as audio devices make processing even worse. Setting the buffer to 224 or higher which is too high to track. Best results is to run the MPC software using the internal sound card for audio monitoring. Please any one that has this issue on an apple silicon, report this to Akai. Btw I have bought a 6,1 Mac Pro trash can, I have no issues running MPC software.

[@iriantoivan]

i do curious about instaling like VTS sampling in those sdd external, cause in my case i need a lot of space. is it work?

[@imagenatura]

Yeah, it's a super value. You'd have to spend way more for an equivalent Windows machine I imagine.

[@axs203]

I guess the thing to work out (obviously) is - is a computer with more ram and a slower processor better than a faster processor and less ram? Computers to me are like Iphones or Ipads. They fill up and you regret down the line getting the cheap one. It takes no time at all to fill up 256GB in windows let alone a Mac

[@Trashpanda_404]

Crazy how the M1 benches better than the M2 cause of the core allotment.

[@V1CCZ3XX]

I got the M2 16gb ram 512 ssd and I am really impressed with what it can handle even though I am a bit concerned that 16gb of ram soon won't be enough for general tasks. My Ableton projects are nothing too complex, it handles multiples instances of Omnisphere like it's nothing. The only real ram hog is Photoshop but even then the swap file makes sure you don't actually perceive anything slow. The FOMO is real though, I was super happy with my machine until I read about what the pro and max chips can do and now I am way too curious about that lol.

[@AnalogFlava]

do you think 24 gigs is needed if I can run almost all I need on the M1 8 gigs ram MacBook Air model? I just run Ableton with Roland cloud and waves plugins but mostly use hardware synths when in the studio via 8 In/out midi interface

[@subomsengyung8769]

Hey sir 16gb ram 256gb good or not for music production ?

[@Historyisnotwas]

Awesome video - very insightful! I'm on the fence on what to do in terms of a new computer purchase. I use only notation programs ( Dorico, MuseScore). Would this be sufficent to run large orchestral scores and notation programs?

[@BurninSven1]

I have one it works as does my mac pro and all my hackintoshes (think I have 5+ or something). I never that is if I can avoid it use plugins only real stuff amps, mics, soundcards etc. The only backside with the M2 is you cannot hook up much to it only USB stuff. Short story I have not made music yet with my M2 and I am not really sure why I bought it besides that my other computers are not allowed to go on the Internet no more for some stupid security reason only Apple knows.

[@LaurenGlenn]

I would use it if I didn't also want to use Parallels and Windows 11. That can't run in 3GB of RAM or only in swap. 16GB of RAM is worth the extra $200. If you plan to keep it for years, spend the extra money. You'll be far happier. Depends on your patience level with swap files, I suppose.