Apple introduces M2 Ultra

[PAK]

People claiming that with Apple you have to change the whole system from time to time... what about Intel AND AMD constantly changing sockets, so you can't easily just pop in the newest CPU into your motherboard? You need to change almost the whole thing again for a CPU upgrade

For Intel you're correct. Their motherboards only tend to support two generations if you're lucky. Though most people won't upgrade CPU's anyway, without buying a new machine, 2 generations is rarely enough time to generate the improvements people want for their upgrade money.

But AMD is different. You'd have been screwed by their Threadripper upgrade promises. That's because both they and Intel have kinda ditched the HEDT (High End Desktop) market because they can make more money selling those CPU's to business.

BUT.. their consumer AM4 socket was launched in 2016, and AM5 was only launched at the end of 2022. That's 6 years of support - long enough to have created meaningful upgrade paths, where someone could've gained a big performance boost with only a new CPU..

[PAK]

https://music-prod.com/logic-pro-benchmarks/ on other forum some user got 375 with i7-13700K. I'd say its on the line with what Jim has been saying here. i9 and 7950X are the king.

Not always.. Maybe you're unaware of Scan's Fishawk Falls Xeon testing? How much money (and fans) do you want to throw at things? (It's another example, where the 13900k doesn't hold the Kontakt crown, but this time with an Intel processor instead of the M1 Ultra! )

Anyway, if anything, that Logic link highlights further issues. The first thing it does is recommend 1024 samples. Eh?! Literally nobody, unless they're a complete masochist, is going to use virtual-instruments with settings that high - if they intend to play them in real-time. It thus creates more scenarios, as if they were needed, in which the numbers don't represent real-world usage well.

Apple Silicon performance frequently fairs better as you lower the buffers. Not just against X64, but even against itself sometimes! (BTW: In the remarks, of your link, you'll see one guy questions "Huh? I am able to run *more* channels at 32 samples than 1024". Pfft. DAW tests, eh? )

You'll also get cases, like Kontakt, where 1st gen Apple Silicon outperforms a 13900k - But only with a 128 sample buffer. Strange? Yes. It's likely related to the 800GB/s memory bandwidth of the Ultra, which gets cut in half with every other version.. ( IE Max 400GB/s, Pro 200GB/s, Regular M1/M2 100GB/s etc.) Kontakt also appears to get a performance boosts, with DDR-5, on the PC side of things.

Either way, there's all sorts of weird variables, with DAW usage, which limit the value of benchmarks without directly testing the software and settings you'll use - and, even then, all sorts of caveats would apply.

[wvshpr]

[Bombadil]

This convo is like debating how many angels can dance on the head of a pin. I have an M1 mini. It's absolutely fine with Logic. Better than my 2x more expensive 2015 spec'ed out iMac. I'm happy for the next few years.

[Uncle E]

Or how many elephants it takes to carry a monkey. “Admiral Cook’s 10 elephants are more than sufficient to carry a monkey!” “Sir! Admiral Gates’ 20 elephants will do an even BETTER job of carrying that monkey!”

[vurt]

This convo is like debating how many angels can dance on the head of a pin.

0.
pins don't exist.

[Bombadil]

This convo is like debating how many angels can dance on the head of a pin.

0.
pins don't exist.

In head shape? Yer jokin'

[vurt]

This convo is like debating how many angels can dance on the head of a pin.

0.
pins don't exist.

In head shape? Yer jokin'

how many angels can dance on pin head from the hellraiser film?

[jamcat]

Try playing a full band mix with IK Tape Machines on every track at 96kHz. Unpossible.

[Bombadil]

Try playing a full band mix with IK Tape Machines on every track at 96kHz. Unpossible.

That would be extremely unlikely in my case. I stay @44.1 khz, and throw the tape on the output. I expect that might be extreme for the majority of users, not just me. Seems like a stress test, valid point, though.

[Bombadil]

This convo is like debating how many angels can dance on the head of a pin.

0.
pins don't exist.

In head shape? Yer jokin'

how many angels can dance on pin head from the hellraiser film?

I meant 'pinhead' as in moral/intellectual idiot. Interesting, your association. Haven't seen the Hellraiser stuff. Would've been of interest to me at some point in my life.

[vurt]

This convo is like debating how many angels can dance on the head of a pin.

0.
pins don't exist.

In head shape? Yer jokin'

how many angels can dance on pin head from the hellraiser film?

I meant 'pinhead' as in moral/intellectual idiot. Interesting, your association. Haven't seen the Hellraiser stuff. Would've been of interest to me at some point in my life.

the first two are classics.
it does get a bit silly after that, like any horror franchise.

return the box

[elxsound]

This convo is like debating how many angels can dance on the head of a pin.

0.
pins don't exist.

In head shape? Yer jokin'

how many angels can dance on pin head from the hellraiser film?

I meant 'pinhead' as in moral/intellectual idiot. Interesting, your association. Haven't seen the Hellraiser stuff. Would've been of interest to me at some point in my life.

the first two are classics.
it does get a bit silly after that, like any horror franchise.

return the box

Man, I stopped after the first one… it was too good.

[vurt]

probably wise.
the one in space was the killer...

[jamcat]

Try playing a full band mix with IK Tape Machines on every track at 96kHz. Unpossible.

That would be extremely unlikely in my case. I stay @44.1 khz, and throw the tape on the output. I expect that might be extreme for the majority of users, not just me. Seems like a stress test, valid point, though.

Unfortunately it’s not a stress test. It’s just how I roll. I have to mix at 48kHz, but everything is recorded and rendered at 96kHz.

I can just barely squeeze everything out at 48kHz in a basic mix on my M1 Pro, but it starts falling apart if I get too fancy. I think an M2 Ultra would be able to pull it off with room to spare.

Of course the better option would just be for IK to implement an eco mode.