Ableton Forum

Hello guys,

I have a MacBook Pro M1 that I got around 3 months ago and I'm planning to upgrade my PC with an i7 9th generation with either a:
- PC with windows on a i9 13th gen, 32 gb ram, 1tb ssd, budget graphics card, with thunderbolt adapter.
- Mac mini m2 pro with 32gb unified memory and 1tb ssd.

Which one would you recommend to use for using Ableton Live for producing electronic music in the studio?

In the other hand, I have an Apollo twin USB that works only with PC as drivers of it doesn't work in MacBook Pro, I do use some UAD plugins as well as other third party plugins for mixing and basic mastering. So I guess I'll need to update this one too.
I'm thinking to add a couple of external FX, a couple of analog synths with stereo outputs to connect, as well as a microphone for recording vocals and percussions.
Do you recommend me to either:
- stay with Apollo line and maybe purchase an x6 or x8?
- have a focusrite 18i20 and a uad-2 satellite octo?
- check other sound cards companies such as antelope?

Thanks for your help and insights. All of your inputs would be highly appreciated.

I’m not sure there would be a noticeable improvement between your MacBook and a mini? So it seems redundant. I guess it’d be nice to have a better understanding of what this new purchase is supposed to do that the laptop can’t.

Thanks for your answer.

I'm not looking to update my laptop but the desktop PC which is the one that is going to be in the studio.

Alright. There shouldn’t be much mystery about the performance of the Mini. It might be similar to the laptop. If that is ‘good enough’ for the studio, then you will at least be in a situation where you can’t go wrong on that account. If your experience with the laptop leaves a bit to be desired, then maybe the Mini might not be the best choice.

As for the other option, I guess that’s where the mystery lies. It is difficult to determine the expected performance from case to case for the machine. You Might at least be able to get an idea of other peoples experiences.

Performance is probably the most important thing to consider. If it doesn’t cut it, then you’re kind of left hanging. But the next things to consider might be connectivity. Noise and power consumption (if that’s even an issue). And whether or not there’s a lot of setup for transferring personal things and projects.

I don’t have a clear recommendation. Hope things work out for the best. Hopefully someone will chime in who has experience with a relatively similar build PC.

Ok thanks for your input.

Do you have any recommendations on the sound interface options I listed?

Thanks again.