MacBook Air for Ableton Live recording and performance.

[mrpingu]

Hi!

I currently use a 2015 MacBook Pro for audio recording and live performance. I mainly use Ableton Live and a stack of synthesiser and effects plugins.

The MBP is getting a bit long in the tooth, and I'm considering a replacement laptop. Does anyone have any experience of using the MBA M1 for similar applications?

 

[MajorFubar]

Not with Ableton but with Logic.

Depends how many channels you want to record at once. However the processing power of the M1 Air blows your 2015 model away, with Geekbench scores more than double your machine. So if your 2015 MBP is your benchmark, you're going to feel a modern MBA, either M1 or M2, has been turbo'd.

However, you said M1 Air. Can you even buy an M1 in anything but the 256GB version these days, because I don't see you as an audio professional getting away with 256GB storage when you have a truckload of plugins and you're recording live audio.

*EDIT* checked Apple UK website, it seems you can still buy 512GB M1 Airs. I assume you can in your territory too.

Also if possible try to get the 16GB RAM version, not 8GB.

Also check that all the plugins you rely on are available in Apple Silicon native format, otherwise you're stuck using them via Rosetta 2, which takes the shine off the experience (in terms of speed).