Macbook Pro issues with Ableton

[Tarekith]

It doesn't NEED an audio interface, sometimes it can slightly reduce the CPU. I'm using my 2014 MBP for music making without a soundcard while my gear is in transit to our new location in Europe, works just fine with the built in soundcard.

[jbw]

try recording audio tracks from the instruments, then deleting some of the instrument tracks.

There's any advantage to recording as opposed to freeze/flatten?

Same difference, as far as I know, I'm just used to working that way.

As for the original problem, seems a bit unusual that those specs are getting bogged down. Like I say though I think it probably matters what plug-ins you use if any. With my specs the only thing that sometimes hangs is loading certain ensembles in Reaktor, but once they're loaded I don't have problems.

I can sympathize though, because the main reason I invested in a high end laptop was to avoid situations like these, which my old desktop was running into frequently.

I don't know, just keep tinkering and monitoring things to see if you can pinpoint something specific.

[Stromkraft]

Im using 512 buffer size and onboard sound (plugged into headphone jack)

Getting a proper Audio Interface is your best bet. My MacBook Pro would be unusable without my RME Babyface.

I bought the MBP to be more..mobile. But okay, I have a line 6 toneport gx that I use with my desktop, guessing I can give that a try.
So where does it say you NEED this on the system requirements? Will this make Ableton use less CPU?

That's just common knowledge. Of course you can make music without. Many do. But when you demand more and in order to maximize your use of your machine's resources I'd suggest you use a dedicated high-quality low-latency audio interface, yes. Latency was a key point for me anyway. 512 samples is too much. 256 or less, please.

[tonyd927]

Seeing as how I cant use my midi keyboard (one usb is dedicated to my writable drive, apparently recording to your main drive is a big no no) and the othe usb is dedicated to my line 6 toneport gx, are there any cheap thunderbolt options here? USB hub? hard drive? anything?
Everything I've seen is at least $180+
These thunderbolts were a bad decision on apple's part imo.

[Tarekith]

USB hubs work fine, I drive 3 HD's, a soundcard, 3 midi controllers from one and never have any issues. I recommend Plugable ones, always worked fine for me and cheap on Amazon. Go USB3 if you can, but even USB2 is fine.

[Stromkraft]

apparently recording to your main drive is a big no no

Yes, if you're recording multiple tracks at once at high sample rates and at high bit depths you might run into issues. Recording just 1-2 tracks at a time at 24bit 44.1Khz as I normally do has never given me any problems.

cheap thunderbolt options here? USB hub? hard drive? anything?

One obvious solution is a powered hub for the controllers. There's plenty of these. It's a good idea to choose one that has excellent Mac support or that is USB standardized enough to not stop working with new OS X versions.

Some USB audio interfaces has issues with USB-3.

These thunderbolts were a bad decision on apple's part imo.

Yeah, 10-40 Gb/s speeds, that's probably the worst move Apple ever did. Why didn't they wait for the other more innovative companies like Microsoft to test the waters first? And why one type port for all external gear like displays, drives, ,audio interfaces and other appliances?

[tonyd927]

These thunderbolts were a bad decision on apple's part imo.

Yeah, 10-40 Gb/s speeds, that's probably the worst move Apple ever did. Why didn't they wait for the other more innovative companies like Microsoft to test the waters first? And why one type port for all external gear like displays, drives, ,audio interfaces and other appliances?

Starting to sense your sarcasm.
Well I mean the only TB external drives Ive seen are over $200. When I buy a Macbook for almost 2K I'd like to have the option of some affordable peripherals.
I don't care about external displays, that's what my retina screen is for. If I wanted more than one display I would just stick to my desktop.

[Tarekith]

USB 3 HDs will seem orders of magnitude faster than USB2, and much cheaper than TB drives too.

[Stromkraft]

When I buy a Macbook for almost 2K I'd like to have the option of some affordable peripherals.

Did you miss the tip on Thunderbolt > USB-3 adapters? You have options, OK? Why pretend you don't?

Technology isn't free. If you don't make money with your machine, then you have an expensive hobby, like me. If you make money, pay the price to get what you want or need at least. I used to plan how to make hundreds of thousands of dollars in order to buy the gear I thought I needed. That gives me some perspective. For whatever reason the Macs that I want have always been at about the same price level, but my wages have gone up. The difference being it replaces much really expensive hardware with affordable software.

People into analogue gear are still paying through their nose for their hardware. Consider that when you say $300 is expensive. I'm saying it's not only not expensive, you also have more affordable options. You just need to identify your needs and find the gear and accept the tradeoffs of cheaper gear. I'm sure you'll get a few more suggestions. It helps to be specific. Just keep at it. It's possible Mac-focused sites are better to ask for general technical solutions, like drives.

[tonyd927]

When I buy a Macbook for almost 2K I'd like to have the option of some affordable peripherals.

Did you miss the tip on Thunderbolt > USB-3 adapters? You have options, OK? Why pretend you don't?

Seems that they're actually pretty difficult to find.

Here's a top link on what I mean:
http://apple.stackexchange.com/question ... c-hardware

It's just odd to me that one such USB hub doesn't exist for such an amazing piece of technology
I really only need one or two more ports, the Belkin one for almost $300 would be a waste..I'd only be using two ports.
I know some window's laptops that have unto 4 USB 3.0 INCLUDING one or two 2.0 ports. My desktop has 10 USB 3.0 and 4 USB 2.0.

By adding a Thunderbolt Port that says you can get unto 50mb/s+ transfer speed, then not making anything to go with it is kinda odd.
(Yes. I know they make External HDD, but they're crazy overpriced for the low amount of space you get.)

[Tarekith]

One nice thing about the Apple website is that you can see the specs of a computer before you buy it. Really no reason to be complaining about only 2 USB ports after the fact. It just means you didn't do your research before spending a LOT of money on a new laptop, or you refuse to acknowledge the many working (and fast) alternatives that have been posted in this thread already.

[pencilrocket]

Starting to sense your sarcasm.

Just ignore him He is apple fanboy troll. Half the things come out of his mouth is exaggerating or false.

[Stromkraft]

Starting to sense your sarcasm.

Just ignore him He is apple fanboy troll. Half the things come out of his mouth is exaggerating or false.

Thanks for your helpful kind offers to the OP. That's great you just want to be helpful with sharing your limited knowledge about technology. We're all so happy when you decide to take time off from your busy schedule to chime in.

What I say isn't false nor am I a fan boy. I'm more of a platform agnostic and I'd defend also Windows or Linux when appropriate. Put suggestions instead of personal attacks. Of course, that would mean putting in an effort.

In this case I just happen to think Thunderbolt is more attractive than USB-3 and I see why Apple dropped Firewire for it (as opposed of USB-3). Of course most musicians would want more USB-ports, me as well, but how much of MacBook Pros are sold to musicians? If we're many, do we nag directly to Apple about it?

I had the same problem for my Macbook Pro and I bought an expansion (not for newer machines).

[Stromkraft]

When I buy a Macbook for almost 2K I'd like to have the option of some affordable peripherals.

Did you miss the tip on Thunderbolt > USB-3 adapters? You have options, OK? Why pretend you don't?

Seems that they're actually pretty difficult to find.

Here's a top link on what I mean:
http://apple.stackexchange.com/question ... c-hardware

It's just odd to me that one such USB hub doesn't exist for such an amazing piece of technology
I really only need one or two more ports, the Belkin one for almost $300 would be a waste..I'd only be using two ports.

Are you asking the retailers? I normally get excellent answers from OWC. They've been very helpful when I'm buying stuff. If you have concerns with the different alternatives Apple offers or the lack thereof, let them know. It's not typical, but sometimes I get knowledgeable help also from them.

In your case, a powered USB-hub would be more useful (I know, would likely need external power whic is a hassle). Also, a thunderbolt enclosure would make more sense than an adapter, if you need an external disk. Or just get one of these: Buffalo MiniStation Thunderbolt™ 1.0TB Portable HDD

You are actually not fully stating what your needs are for controllers and other gear. I'd strive for getting all controllers on one USB-port with a HUB, which likely means it needs to be powered via an adapter. Depending on the controller requirements of course, but sharing USB-power is risky, at least for performance situations. That would leave you one USB-port for other gear.

I suggest you make a list of all gear you need to connect, if you want more detailed suggestions.

[Stromkraft]

I bought the MBP to be more..mobile. But okay, I have a line 6 toneport gx that I use with my desktop, guessing I can give that a try.
So where does it say you NEED this on the system requirements? Will this make Ableton use less CPU?

It's says so in my experience and many others' too. Some people can do without as they never do stuff that maxes out their machines.

In my case it makes the I/O efficient and cause less issues when Live is driven hard. The RME drivers are known for being very efficient, so any audio interface may not work the same.