Anyone got a link at Rinse FM?
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Not sure if my dm went through, but yes…
Ah thank you. We found someone. 
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i need a new mac laptop. my early-2011 15" model has finally given up the ghost.
i’d like a sort-of new one - but i also like my ports. i plug in dozens of USB things, have a weird midi-hub that goes over ethernet, all kinds of stuff like that. i’m assuming i won’t get one with a CD drive as it’s been a while since those have been standard or plentiful. i want something powerful enough to run a DAW.
who has super specific mac recommendations? is there a most-balearic mac model out there?
I had to do the same about a year ago. I just embraced the usb adaptor. The new processor is pretty amazing.
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agree here, the new processors M1, M2 are just too good not to get one if you can. Get one of these dongles or USB hubs and that should do.
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I’m about to buy a new one too. Going for a reconditioned one so I can get good storage and memory without costing more than a small car.
M1/M2 processor, so 2020+
1TB storage
64GB RAM
Been using a USB hub for a while now which works fine.
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Any experience with buying refurbished? Looking at this myself.
Price difference is enormous in some cases but is it going to fall apart after a year or two?
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This’ll be my first time going down the refurbished route. It was my cousin (who works in tech) who recommended it.
Apple do some refurbished stuff
This place is also supposed to be good
+1 for Mac Finder. I bought a specced out 2013 iMac from them a couple of years ago for £400 in the sale (cosmetic damage which turned out to be a tiny chip in the top right bezel, virtually nothing) and it FLIES. It can handle all the production software I throw at it no problem.
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Nice one, thank you both. MacFinder sounds like it’s the place so I’ll take a look.
Got to say, MacBooks are built like tanks
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Refurbished straight from apple is basically a discount on a new product, well worth it.
I’m switching mine soon, and I’ve given up on the 15 inch size, I’m going to the smaller ones for portability. For my use, an M2 air with 16GB RAM and 512GB storage is pretty much perfect. It doesn’t have as many ports as the 14 inch pro, but honestly the lightness and ease of carrying is topping everything for me. When I need serious work done I just plug it into a big monitor and use a keyboard and mouse anyway.
Good luck!
(BTW, if all you are doing is music production, 16GB ram is more than enough on these new M processors. Video might need more than that, or if you have a gazillion tracks open with CPU heavy plugins, but if not, 16 is fine…more than that is overkill…)
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Vote here for the most min spec M1 processor. Keep any video projects on external drives or the cloud (and the cash in your wallet) If you are going to use the inbuilt speakers the pro is said to have better than the air.
The screen is pretty fragile if you anticipate any accidents. Mine is on its way out (had to sweat through a lot a warranty claim once)
I can say that the battery life and processing speed is a revolution. Renders in final cut so fast any more spec is purely ego driven INMHO.
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Just an edit that you may want a decent hub and card reader. Mine is generic Amazon type thing that will likely go bad on the cable soon
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yep, replying to myself because i’m basically bumping a thread i started.
i found a macbook pro with an M2 chip and 16mb of RAM for fairly cheap, but it’s one of the models with the touch bar. i’ve seen nothing but vitriol for the touchbar models - but i use a wireless keyboard/mouse, and i intend to use a docking station. so i’m not all that worried.
but, i might fuck around and try out this digital djing thing, and this laptop would be the machine to power it. any dj/performance reason i should avoid a touch bar model (or for that matter, a ‘magic keyboard’ model) for being out and about and in public?
They fixed the keyboard issues by the time that Macbook came out. The only significant downside is that that model does not have Magsafe. Magsafe is crucial in public performance settings as you don’t want someone tripping over your cable and your computer flying everywhere. Additionally with that older style body you will have to use up one USB port for charging, and the 13 inch model only has 2.
Personally I’d go for the M2 Macbook Air model in the new body, it’s just a better computer in general. You won’t need the fans for the kind of thing you’re doing as the M2 processor is mighty.
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The touchbar is kind of pointless, but you can just ignore it or set it to display F1, F2 etc so it looks like a normal keyboard.
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UK discogs sellers- when you sell records to german Buyers, do you have to pay, then charge the German buyer german VAT?
a UK seller did this to me yet me having to pay VAT again on my side😕