How is the new Mac mini with the M1 processor with Native instruments software? Is it any good?

Ronald_Gill
Ronald_Gill Member Posts: 3 Member
edited October 2022 in Tech Talks

Apple M1 chip

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  • Ed M
    Ed M Member Posts: 144 Advisor

    Besides the fact that a lot of NI software still needs to run in Rosetta mode, it works great. That said, pretty soon everything NI should become Apple Silicon native.

    Best go for a Mini with 16gb ram to get some headroom, because you can not upgrade ram later on.

  • Kubrak
    Kubrak Member Posts: 2,772 Expert

    I would add, that most plugins should be AS native within weeks, but Reaktor and Battery should be ported at beginning of 1Q2023, in several months. And handful of plugins is based on Reaktor.

    Agree, that 8 GB might be soon too low. But it depends... Generally symphonic/cynematic Kontakt libraries are memory hungry. If you can afford 16 GB model, I would go for that in favour of 8 GB one.

  • Kymeia
    Kymeia Member Posts: 3,605 Expert
    edited October 2022

    Just bought a Max and it sucks that Massive X doesn’t work on AS natively or on the Max


    tbh I also don’t understand why NI say M1 is supported by not M2 or Max/Ultra - when Intel (or even AMD) bring out new chips it’s still the same x86 architecture so everything that works on x86 works on any particular chip model so why is the same not true with the M series?

  • Kubrak
    Kubrak Member Posts: 2,772 Expert

    Because it is not so compatible like x86 is, even in one CPU generation.... What runs on M1, has problems on M1 Pro/Max/Ultra. Do not ask me why....

    I guess, there are some bottlenecks in Pro/Max/Ultra that make problems with real time computing. Maybe cache, or CPU/GPU interaction.... I do not know.... Maybe also something with effective cores.... OS CPU sheduler....

    But for example 12th gen Intel also has problems with certain types of load and computing is faster if effitiency cores are disabled. It is cache related 'feature'.

    Beside that, ARM code, also big.little is new thing to NI. One needs to allocate loads with big.little in mind...

  • Ronald_Gill
    Ronald_Gill Member Posts: 3 Member

    Thanx guys for all the advice, You really helped me make up my mind. I think I am going to hold off on buying it for now. I'll use what I have until then.

  • Kymeia
    Kymeia Member Posts: 3,605 Expert

    Actually it turns out none of this is true - Massive X runs fine on my new M1 Studio Max and it doesn't seem there is any difference in practice for NI stuff between M1 and M1 Max

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