Anyone considering Mac mini for their new DAW?

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Have yet to install and activate all my plugins (ugh...), so I don't know about in-project behavior yet.
Had it running for a few days now, only heard the fan once so far while installing a Mojave update.
The space grey is actually really dark, I like it a lot, feared it would be lighter.

The only thing that really bums me out about this lovely machine is that everything and everyone made it seem as if the HDMI 2.0 output could display 4K at 60 Hz, at least that was my wishful impression. But 4K @ 60 Hz over HDMI is definitely NOT the case. The web (including myself) is pretty f**ked up over it. It was one of the main reasons I bought the thang, because the damned Hackintosh using an iMac spec didn't support 60 Hz and was sluuuuuurgish to operate. No problem under Windows, 4K at 60 Hz like a dream, just not with macOS. Not giving users full bandwidth -despite it being possible technically- is just a shit move. Thumbs down (yer collective throat, Apple).

I'll be getting an eGPU for high performance graphics anyway (3D modelling and "gaming" = fire up Steam once a month, find nothing, close it again) so it doesn't really matter that much. But it would've been great to operate the Mini at 4K 60 Hz without the need to let the yuge eGPU run all the time. Oh, sure, it's possible. By getting a Thunderbolt3 dongle. And wasting an entire Thunderbolt3 port on built-in shared-memory CPU graphics rather than NVMe drives, audio interfaces, UAD cards, GPUs, etc. Juuust not possible via HDMI.

Something I hadn't thought of before... 2 USB slots. 1 goes down for keyboard and mouse, then I have 2 iLok dongles but only 1 port left... Well, sucks. Will probably have to do the Windows/PC thing then and get (insert retching sound) a USB hub. Or a docking station, hehe, for a stationary machine... :roll:

Regarding eGPUs, I read an official statement (or forum comment by official nVidia staff?) that it's not nVidia who are holding back nVidia web drivers for modern macOS versions, but Apple themselves. I mean, I can understand that Apple don't want to sign off on something that could be used in unofficial builds like Hackintoshes and compromise their sales, sure. But now that the world is waiting and burning to use external GPUs with official Apple machines, and it's even being supported and encouraged by Apple, why not let users just use the ones they want? Especially if the manufacturers WANT to provide driver support. I've always hated f**king AMD and ATI, and even today in any benchmark it shows that they're the worse (if not worst) choice against intel/nVidia. But now it looks like I'll be forced to use "the worse option" just because Apple (is what I'm guessing) have some trade deal going with AMD/ATI. There's no other reason to limit eGPU support to ATI, which is what Apple are currently doing. Here's preparing for some more retching... :roll: I'm used to Apple getting flak for being snobby and pricey and "outdated" and all that, haters gonna hate, and I accept that some limitations usually lead to more focus, but I'm not used to Apple forcing their customers into using worse options than necessary.
Confucamus.

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This may affect our plugin counts if we get onr
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ca_E2ohsL3U

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If I were going to add a slave, the new Mini would be my choice. Versus the new MacBook Pro 6-core for a main box, not even hardly.

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jancivil wrote: Sun Nov 25, 2018 6:25 pm If I were going to add a slave, the new Mini would be my choice. Versus the new MacBook Pro 6-core for a main box, not even hardly.
Many have a mac Running logic and a pc with ensemble pro and a bunch of samples.

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Well, just VE Pro is not a lot of interaction with Windows so if I were to put a server farm together I suppose I would use Windows. I f**king hate Windows, though. For one slave, new Mac Mini with 32GB. Here's what's messed up here, though: 64GB is more than twice the add-on as 32GB. Apple gouging us for RAM some more again. And now, can you even install RAM from elsewhere?

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running VE Pro is not the same stressor as video work, note well. I would not use the Mac Mini as a main machine. The new MBP stays completely cool here. I'm running VE Pro on it along with Nuendo and the performance is the best in my lifetime.

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100 C? Looks like a reinvention of the steam engine.. :clap:
~stratum~

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Would an eGPU work with a Mac Mini?

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jancivil wrote: Sun Nov 25, 2018 8:18 pm Apple gouging us for RAM some more again. And now, can you even install RAM from elsewhere?
My understanding is no. Apple has to do the mod. I am probably going to recommend the base model to a friend, but she won't be doing any heavy lifting on it, and was looking for a Mini near this price range, anyway. Me, I'll watch and see. This iMac still has a couple of years (I hope) and replacing it spec-wise would cost more extra cash than we have.

I've been using Macs since 1989, but I am really starting to become disappointed and pissed-off at their business model.
“The American fascist would prefer not to use violence. His method is to poison the channels of public information.”
-Henry A. Wallace

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You can add Mini RAM. IIRC There's a video earlier in this thread.
d o n 't
w a n t
m o r e

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aMUSEd wrote: Sun Nov 25, 2018 10:43 pm Would an eGPU work with a Mac Mini?
Apparently yes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bBMt2EfZ7sU

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Bombadil wrote: Sun Nov 25, 2018 10:49 pm
jancivil wrote: Sun Nov 25, 2018 8:18 pm Apple gouging us for RAM some more again. And now, can you even install RAM from elsewhere?
My understanding is no. Apple has to do the mod. I am probably going to recommend the base model to a friend, but she won't be doing any heavy lifting on it, and was looking for a Mini near this price range, anyway. Me, I'll watch and see. This iMac still has a couple of years (I hope) and replacing it spec-wise would cost more extra cash than we have.

I've been using Macs since 1989, but I am really starting to become disappointed and pissed-off at their business model.
Well, I'm tapped out after buying the MBP with 32 gig, the 6-core fastest clock and all but the new Mini adds 600 bucks for 32GB and 1400 for 64. So I would do the former if I was flush but the latter is out of the question. The base model is like 7 or 800 which is a decent deal.

But that's my understanding as well, it can be modded but do not try this at home.

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It should be rather easy to install additional RAM on the new Mac Minis. All you need is those dreaded special torx screwdrivers.
There are 3 kinds of people:
Those who can do maths and those who can't.

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Sascha Franck wrote: Mon Nov 26, 2018 1:08 am It should be rather easy to install additional RAM on the new Mac Minis. All you need is those dreaded special torx screwdrivers.
It is, there is a complete teardown somewhere, I thought that it was posted here. In any case, it's nothing more than torx security screwdrivers and the careful removal of some small connectors. Frankly it looked easier than I expected. The entire mb slides out of the case and there's no finger gymnastics required to install the ram.

Also, while apple is certainly gouging for the ram, that's their MO, it's not uncommon for higher density dimms to cost more than the same memory capacity in lower density dimms, so, it's not really surprising that 64GB costs more than 2x 32GB.

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ghettosynth wrote: Mon Nov 26, 2018 1:24 am It is, there is a complete teardown somewhere, I thought that it was posted here. In any case, it's nothing more than torx security screwdrivers and the careful removal of some small connectors. Frankly it looked easier than I expected. The entire mb slides out of the case and there's no finger gymnastics required to install the ram.
That was my impression, too.
Fwiw, as usual, ifixit is showing you how.
https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/Mac+mini+L ... ent/115309

Took me WAY more hassle than that to replace the broken fan of my 2008 Macbook.
There are 3 kinds of people:
Those who can do maths and those who can't.

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