![]() ![]() The simple answer is GREAT! I have done a handful of mixes on the new system, including an Atmos session with 300+ voices and the Atmos Production Suite running on the same system. So, I traded in my Avid HD Native and Blackmagic Intensity Pro PCIe Cards for an Avid HD Native Thunderbolt and Blackmagic Mini Monitor along with a USB-C to HDMI dongle for my second monitor and a USB hub for connecting hard drives and iLoks. While conceptually this seemed like the perfect solution, reading Jamey Scott’s Mac Mini Meltdown article here on Pro Tools Expert, I started to be more than a little concerned about the system overheating in the rack. Initially, I was looking at going with a Sonnet xMac Mini Server rack, which would allow me to mount the Mac Mini and both PCIe cards in a 1RU rack enclosure! In my Mac Pro, I had an Avid HD Native and Blackmagic Intensity Pro PCIe cards as well as four internal hard drives. So, to save spending $1000 to upgrade to 64GB of RAM from Apple, instead, I ordered 64GB of comparable RAM from Samsung on Amazon for around $250! Where Do I Put Everything?īy far the biggest limitation when migrating from the Mac Pro to the Mac mini was expansion. ![]() Unlike the previous generation of Mac minis, the 2020 (and 2018) allow for the RAM to be un-officially user upgraded. I also needed a system that would run Pro Tools Ultimate plus the Dolby Atmos Production Suite, so opted for the top-of-the-line 3.2GHz 6-core Intel Core i7 and with the 2020 refresh came with a 512GB SSD. This really left one choice: A 2020 Mac mini. ![]() I could have picked up a “Trashcan” Mac Pro in my budget but I really wanted to go with a new system with 3 years of worry-free coverage from Apple via AppleCare+. While a brand new 2019 Mac Pro 7,1 would have been a logical replacement for my old cheese-grater, it was completely out of my budget for this unexpected upgrade, especially with the uncertainty 2020 has brought to our industry. At this point, I needed to decide between fixing a decade-old computer or looking for a new system. It was down to either the logic board or processor tray. I swapped an older system drive build, swapped the RAM, graphics card and even the power supply with no luck. I spent the better part of the day trying everything to get it working again. I had started spec-ing out an upgraded graphics car from when the unthinkable happened: I sat down to work one day, pressed the power button on the Mac Pro, entered my password and it promptly shut down. ![]()
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