MacBook Pro 16 inch Review: A Good Laptop for Music Producers in 2020?

[@RayAndre]

Get my FREE Acoustic Guitar Loop Pack | NEXT 15 PEOPLE ONLY! - gum.co/EtLVf TIMESTAMPS: 0:10 - Wifey 0:31 - Intro 0:48 - Background 1:36 - What I Got 1:48 - Previous Laptop 2:00 - The Build/Hardware 3:26 - Speakers 4:54 - Battery Life 6:21 - Performance / Catalina 8:03 - The Loud Fans 9:56 - Quality Software / OS 11:10 - Apple Ecosystem 11:38 - HiFi Gear Compatibility 12:15 - Latency 12:42 - Final Verdict

[@lingesh090027]

Why are all the videos here on an i9 with 32 gigs of RAM 😂 i7 with 16 gigs of RAM works wonders for me. And I've recorded live shows with a 40 channel count with no drop outs and mixing with it is great too

[@RayAndre]

I do a lot of video work and wanted the top (for my budget) so I can use this laptop for 3-4 years. But our i7 still works perfectly!! Good to let others know. Thanks!!

[@CrispyAkiyama]

Thanks for saying this because I got only 16gb ram with i9 and was wondering this🔥

[@robertoburlacu7320]

I just wanna say thank you for all the details that you speak about. You save me. Best review ever 🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻

[@RayAndre]

Thank you so much for your comment! Make sure to subscribe if you're into music production!

[@SlowOfficial]

Lmao! That little “bing” sold me!🤣 Liked the video! Hope to see more!

[@RayAndre]

The bling? Haha. Thank you! Make sure to subscribe, I have great videos coming up!

[@briandelgado6599]

I personally bought a 2015 15 in MacBook Pro! Yes it’s 5 years old but it has all the ports and works great! I am just diving into making my own beats. It came with 16gb of RAM and upgraded the ssd to 2tb instead of the 516 that it had! I am so tempted to get the 16 inch pro but I’ll wait and see the new models how much better they will be!

[@RayAndre]

Good choice! I try to upgrade every 3-4 years so hopefully this will be great until that point!

[@shane6562]

Finally an unbiased macbook pro video :D

[@RayAndre]

I know, right?! I think most people just want to sell you the laptop through affiliate links even if it might not work for you lol. I love mine but it's not worth the purchase for certain people

[@specialeffection336]

Great video and subject matter!! I recently upgraded as you did to the same model MacBook Pro from a Lenovo laptop that did the job but was getting pushed to its limits. I was shocked when EVERY plugin and software program ( I have hundreds) installed and is working seamlessly in Studio One. I was expecting a Catalina compatibility issue on at least some of them. However, I have been battling with the fan issue. There is a problem on these units with the fans kicking up to high gear when you connect it to external monitors even if the system is idle. Many of us are hoping it can be addressed with an update. It appears that the dGPU automatically draws more power once you attach an external monitor which creates much more heat the system needs to deal with. I have placed it on a stand that raises the back of the unit and I found a near silent small fan that runs under it (similar to what a cooling pad would do). Prior to that the fans would run up to 4500-5000 rpm when running a heavy audio session. They now max out at 4000 rpm. Anything over about 3200 is noticeable in my room but the lower rpm is better for me.

[@RayAndre]

Awesome!! I will look into options if that ends up happening while recording. Not really a problem anymore, I just close up other apps since I had Tidal, Lightroom, Chrome, Safari, and more open. That and the plugins will sure make the fans kick up!

[@zainkhokhar6053]

I am looking forward to buy this 16 inch macbook pro! I was planning to buy 64 gb of ram but since I saw you using tons of heavy plugins running on 32 gb I think I can save some money. What do you suggest?

[@RayAndre]

Not necessary unless you’re planning to do MASSIVE 4K video editing. I still use almost all my RAM, but only when recording at 92kHz, tons of plugins, Tidal open, Chrome open, Safari open, UAD software open... so I have to start closing some of those down. Otherwise, very clean experience. 64GB not needed imo. Unless you have the money and don’t mind spending it, of course!

[@aksa908]

Ray Andre Will 16GB RAM be enough if you’re only running your DAW without any other apps at the same time? I’ve read that even with lots of heavy plugins, it never reaches 16GB unless your using other apps simultanously

[@RayAndre]

Generally yes, but it depends on your mixing style

[@jd2086]

Too peecky about fan noise... coming from windows top tier workstations this MacBook is a spring breeze compared to real pro machines, I’m happy with the noise, it isn’t a jet engine

[@RayAndre]

Only happens when I record at 96kHz sample rate or higher. So far I've been very happy with my purchase :)

[@jd2086]

@@RayAndre yeah it is a great laptop 👍🏻 I'm happy from making the switch from windows for my pro works, there's a lot of more powerful devices but this thing has a ton of extras that makes the difference

[@RayAndre]

J D glad you’re enjoying it!

[@andrebrown4677]

Do you know how to use all the laptops Cores with Ableton?? With logic you can alter the settings to use all cores to boost performance, but I cant find how to do that in Ableton. Thanks! Andre

[@RayAndre]

In Live 10 it is always automatically enabled, as far as I'm aware!

[@andrebrown4677]

Second time I've heard this. Cheers!

[@olijfolie7591]

Hey Andre, I only have good experience with Logic Pro, but I don’t have a Mac. Do you think the 16inch base model ( I7) Will be Good enough? I’m only using it for Logic.

[@RayAndre]

Are you using lots of plugins? If you tell me a little bit more about your workflow I can give you more accurate advice :)

[@GolderArt]

@@RayAndre replying from my other acc, I want to learn a lot about plugins and producing, but right know I don't know a lot about it. Im a singer, guitarist and a songwriter. I like logic because its really easy plugin in, and the logic stock sounds for guitar are already really good. Im just wondering if the 16 gb and 512gb is enough.

[@GolderArt]

And Im kinda on a budget, so the base 16inch is already really expensive. Also thought about refurbished but im not really sure how long those last

[@toribarron5700]

Jelle, it is a professional grade computer for sound. Really, no need to get more if you don’t even know what you need. The base 16 inch model is more than enough for Logic. Frankly, you would be fine with a 13 inch and 16 GM of ram... but the 16 inch is a LOT nicer.

[@RayAndre]

Jelle sorry, didn’t see your comment until now. Yes, don’t think you’ll need it. Focus on learning arrangement and recording with good levels in a nice sounding environment. Those should be priorities, high end gear comes should come only when you have the budget to upgrade.

[@ectyka]

Awesome video and insight. Thanks brother 🤙🏽

[@RayAndre]

Laga Savea you’re welcome, glad you enjoyed!

[@antroidis9043]

Hey man, thanks a lot for your video! What would be your recommendation for music production use (ableton)? I would like to be able to use the laptop at least for 5 years and be able to use if needed equipment such as Maschine (Native Instruments), Bass station 2 (Novation), Launchpad or launchkey (Novation). 13in - 32GB ram i7 (4 core) or 16In - 16GB ram - i9 (8 core) They both have similar price. Or should I better consider 16in - 16GB ram - i7 (6 core) - cheaper compared to the other 2 models mentioned before. Would any of these have issues in long term with the cooling system? Someone mentioned to me that i7 would be a safer option at 16in compared to i9 as previous 15in Mac's with i9 could have issues after 3 years due to their cooling system... Thanks in advance for your time! ☺

[@RayAndre]

I think any of those would work with Ableton! Audio doesn't take as much power as you'd think. Video is different, but I would go for the 16in i7 or 13in 32GB RAM. I would go higher RAM because I do video, but also bigger screen bc of video. So yeah... hopefully that was helpful. There are pros and cons to each! I'm not 100% sure any of these would last 5 years, but they would all work great with Ableton :)

[@antroidis9043]

@@RayAndre thanks a lot for your feedback!!

[@Vocalisto]

I've got also the Apollo X4. Can you use UAD Plugins inserted on Virtual Instruments in your DAW on low Buffersize like 128 Samples withoud issues? I've got an old Macbook i5 dual core from 2015 with just 8GB RAM and I get crackles or latency issues if I'm on a low buffersize. It gets better when I switche to 256 or 512 but then the latency for playing virtual instruments is getting bigger of course. To me thats a dilemma. Just wondering if this Issue still exist with a better laptop

[@RayAndre]

No, you would definitely benefit from a better laptop! Also if you use LUNA you will get close to zero latency

[@yanicallejas5891]

Thank you! 👍🏻👍🏻

[@RayAndre]

Yani Callejas awesome thank you 🙏🏽

[@heythere6983]

I was gonna get this for music production but iv seen so many people with issues with the speakers, recording glitches at 44 khz, kernel panics, random shut offs, fans always on etc. I also wonder about the fans with vocal recordings. I can imagine them getting into the recording. Also ARM chips in the new laptops coming will, I assume, make even more issues for smooth operating OS and compatibility. T2 chip encrypting my SSD and losing my data if there is an issue without being able to retrieve it is not cool. Considering building a PC rn..

[@RayAndre]

I considered the same thing for many months before I bought this one. I will say, the fans aren’t bad as long as you record 48kHz or lower and keep the plugins to a minimum. There are ways around it of course. I don’t regret mine, but I think a home built PC + an ipad or high end tablet would do the trick in a similar way. This MacBook is great as a consumer and great as a professional as well. But of course, examine what’s best in your situation!

[@heythere6983]

@@RayAndre yea I started using more VSTs and using Steven slate drums, and I liked the idea of using more tracks and plugins freely but then the fans are gonna be on and im thinking too loud for recording.

[@RayAndre]

What are the specs on yours?

[@josh.nuttall]

Hey, I thought this was a great video, definitely worth a like 👊 I just uploaded a video about my top 5 accessories for the MacBook Pro 😊 If you get the chance I’d love any comments or feedback you had on it! Keep up the great work ❤️

[@princeofdorne7643]

what about thermal throttle? my MBP 15 2015 just became unusable nowadays days

[@RayAndre]

No issues with that yet. Or perhaps at times, but mostly because I live in Florida and our A/C won’t cool enough in the summer. Lol. When I can keep it cool in here, no problem.

[@zeus1117]

you have PLENTY of Laptop with Thunderbolt 3 actually

[@RayAndre]

zeus1117 yes I do! But I still think I’m gonna need a custom desktop at some point... lol

[@LongNguyen-ii1zu]

Very promising channel, but a good mic will improve your vid a lot.

[@RayAndre]

Long Nguyễn Cao Bảo Thank you! I agree ☝🏽as you can tell by the description, I do have some mics... just didn’t use one for this one. Thanks for the input, I will use one on the next video!

[@zeus1117]

with so many plugins live in your set, I doubt any laptop can handle that. You need a decent custom desktop build for that ;) I am sending back the 16" MBP actually for something else. It is the HORRIBLE screen. It has around 50ms response time, the ghosting is UNBERABLE for me. Im using a 144Hz Dell PC monitor, with actually less resolution, but this screen is horrid compared to the 300$ Dell monitor. No way I keep this laptop for that much money.

[@RayAndre]

zeus1117 interesting! Let me know how goes with the new laptop you choose.

[@KAriedoll]

Beautiful couple, beautiful mac.

[@RayAndre]

Kay Ari thank you Kay!!

[@loganderb]

Is this ungraded?

[@RayAndre]

Ungraded? What do you mean?

[@DruGaTecH]

@@RayAndre The footage.

[@RayAndre]

@@DruGaTecH of the MacBook I shot? Like not color-graded? Lol

[@zeus1117]

Ableton officially dropped MacOS support actually.

[@RayAndre]

zeus1117 for real?? I’m more excited for LUNA now!

[@blkbird]

That’s ridiculous. They would never turn against half of their entire user base.

[@Mikas_Emil]

Where do you see that? Live is ready for Catalina.

[@JimvsBob]

my wife

[@RayAndre]

I use her for views