2014 15" MacBook pro underperforms to 2010 15" MacBook pro

[oblique strategies]

(with Live's instruments & effects only, I see zero difference in performance between Live 32 & 64bit when doing a maxing out test...)

Also not meaning to hijack the thread, but:
any differences when using Max for Live?

[Stromkraft]

Naming just the CPU and that it's a Macbook Doesn't tell us much. Your 2010 machine could be a top of the line 15" and the 2014 could be a 13".

He said quadcore, which means it's a Macbook Pro 15" and not 13" as all 13"s are duocores.

[Stromkraft]

Maybe it’s not bad enough to go back to the old machine, but I think I just wasted my money.

Return?
If I try and return this very new machine for something else, I want to know what’s going to help me. (I also do circuit board layout and could use the bigger 15.4” screen for that when I’m on the road.) I have another few days before the 14-day period ends.

Any suggestions?

Don't return it. Install Live 9.1.5 64bit-version and talk to Native Instrument support about the issues. I run the 64bit-version and usually can use 128-256 samples latency.

64bit means more code can be executed at the same time because of access to twice as large memory registers in the processor, but what improvement that translates to in use is very much dependent on the application(s) involved. According to Ableton support there is no performance difference between the Live versions, but that assessment is based on the general situation and not the specific.

Native Instruments seem intent to fully embrace 64bit. With Kontakt that's not very strange.

You can also try another audio interface in a music shop or visit a friend or studio and see if that makes a difference. Be prepared that your current one may not be fully compatible because of drivers. Hopefully it is still, but you have to make sure. When I got my RME Babyface my life with Live improved very much. Changing machines and major OS version may often mean you have to switch audio interface and other external gear.

Which is why many music machines still run OS X 10.6. That's changing fast though, I think it's safe to say.

[JJ Deviation]

I have since started using the 64-bit version which helped a lot. Especially with the CPU idling high when Kontakt was being used. (Kontakt 4 may be unstable; using only Kontakt 5.) So far seems reliable so far on tour and now finally snappy at 128 samples.

[Stromkraft]

I have since started using the 64-bit version which helped a lot. Especially with the CPU idling high when Kontakt was being used. (Kontakt 4 may be unstable; using only Kontakt 5.) So far seems reliable so far on tour and now finally snappy at 128 samples.

I'm glad that you have had improvements. That's about the same results I've seen.