Apple M2 Studio stupidly powerful, M3 will be ridiculous
Posted: 04 Apr 2024
Bit of a story here, but I'll put a TLDR; in the final paragraph for those who don't want to read it.
Hi all, my wonderful and kind sister bought this for me on her interest free a month back (with her daughter's 10% educational discount too, yipee, and yes, Apple said it was OK for her to buy it and instantly transfer it to me, it was all above board), so I have 2 years to pay it off at a bit under 200 AUD a month, and I never, ever thought I'd be back on Mac when I started using Windows 5 years back to game. Long story short, I fell ill, sold my iMac pro and some other hardware, was bed bound, bought a windows gaming laptop and a Microsoft Xbox controller to game as it really helped pass the time when I was stuck in bed, then I upgraded it to a new one 3 and a half years later to keep up with the latest games. I am not greedy, I just want 1440P/high/60 FPS. When I started feeling a little better about 2 months back, well enough to at least start music again, I was very unhappy with Windows 11 and the gaming laptop performance.
It was a weird experience, as initially when I had the iMac Pro, Windows 10 via bootcamp was crushing the performance of OSX (then Mojave) on the very same iMac Pro! Pro Tools for example would get double the plug in instances on Windows on the iMac Pro vs OSX.
The reason was that Windows would constantly keep all iMac Pro cores at their maximum turbo speed, whereas OSX just wouldn't, and there was a ton of discussion about it on various audio boards at the time. Pair that with Core Audio's low buffer size issues, and Windows just performed way better.
I was convinced that Apple Silicon would be the same old story, and I was also going via cinebench scores, as PC Audio builders say that CB is about the closest we can get to measure daw performance/plugin scaling.
My laptop is around the same cinbench as the M2, pretty much dang on actually, but the performance differences are just ridiculous (favouring the Mac this time round).
My laptop does not have DPC latency issues - I have tuned it via bios to disable speedstep and C states, and it's an unlocked processor and I have all cores manually set to 5ghz, no thermal throttle, and no DPC spikes. The average is between 50 and 100 microseconds which is actually really good for a laptop.
I am able to run it at 8 buffer size on my Arturia Minifuse 2 no issue at all, the very lowest buffer, without pops and clicks. This is the sort of scenario where DPC issues would cause audible problems in the audio stream, and I am happy to report mine is fine.
But when I test, I do it all fairly, same buffer size and plugins, etc, and same DAW if possible. For example, PT is available both on PC and Mac.
Anyway, I really was wrong, so wrong. I was absolutely sure in my head that Core Audio would still have low buffer issues and performance would be compromised vs PC.
All I can tell you is this. IF you are a Mac user or interested in them and want to know whether to go Apple Silicon, it's a resounding yes.
It could not be more different to previous Intel Macs. People were trying to drum it into my head how good these were for audio and to be honest I truly thought it was just Apple fanboys spouting a bunch of BS. I didn't believe any Apple Silicon lover and what they were claiming.
I firmly believe that if Apple were still using Intel, the roles would be reversed and Windows would be performing better.
I am kind of stunned and had to re test and re test as I could not believe my results.
I mean just think this - my laptop is running 13th Gen intel cores at 5ghz and the Mac is 3.5ghz Peak P cores and 2.4ghz E cores and is crushing it. Even the PC E cores are at 4.2ghz (slightly overclocked), a higher clock speed than the Mac P cores!
So mhz for mhz, X86 just is not even close to Apple's take on ARM and I did not believe it till I used it myself. Seriously.
I want to give you an example to show you how huge the difference is.
On the PC, in Pro Tools or Reason 12 latest, the MOST IK Tape Model 80 I can get is 20 instances, and 18 in Reason at 256 buffer (remember, unlike Pro Tools, Cubase etc, Reason runs at the live audio buffer at all times, whereas *almost* all other DAWs have a hybrid buffer with something like 1024 samples on non record armed tracks, or a playback buffer).
Now you will see many videos on YouTube talking about the IK tapes and how great they sound but that they are so ridiculously intensive that even though they are emulating multitrack tape, one can't use them as multitrack in any realistic project scenario.
So what do you think I got on the M2 in PT?
80 stereo instances, one per stereo audio track, and there was still room to spare but I actually said "well OK, this is stable as anything and not one dropout, but I can "feel" the GUI starting to bog a little now, so no need to push it more". I am sure I could have squeezed 5 to 10 more instances IMO.
The thing is, Pro tools and Logic do NOT process plugins on E cores, and Cubase and Reaper do, so I am predicting 100+ instances in those DAWs. ALL cores are being used on the Windows laptop at all times by all DAWs tested.
I mean this is not just some small difference, this is monumental.
I also found out, even though 99% of the plugins I use *are* Apple silicon native in 2024, Logic in Native mode can actually still load the intel plugin holdouts via a bridge in the same session. I don't know of any other DAW that can do this, you need to run the actual DAW in Rosetta to use Intel plugins on Apple Silicon. So if you are a Logic user and worried about upgrading, don't be, the performance is mammoth, just run Logic in native mode.
The M3 chips coming to the Mac studio are going to have another 20% higher clock speed and 30 percent more Performance cores, so I can only imagine what insane beasts they will be.
So If you want to use IK Tape in realtime, for say an average size 32 track project and with one on every track, and still be able to have CPU headroom for VIs and other FX, you CAN on Mac, and you can NOT on Windows, even on the most powerful 14th gen desktops!
I know this is only one example but this is the most power hungry single effect plugin on the market, and to experience this performance was crazy.
I very much look forward to installing Reason on the Mac and doing all sorts of DSP tests soon.
BTW, for this testing both PC and Mac main buffer were at 128, but the playback buffer in PT is 1024, same as Logic's default setting and Cubase Asio Guard.
TLDR;
I am experiencing at least 4x the CPU plugin performance with what I have tested thus far on an M2 Studio VS a 13th gen PC laptop. Both computers have near identical Cinebench CPU scores and core counts, and the cross platform DAW I have tested in thus far is Pro Tools. Reason tests are coming soon. The M2 runs at a lower clock speed, is completely silent, yet is crushing the PC in audio plugin performance. One prominent example is IK tape, 80 vs 20 stereo instances!
Hi all, my wonderful and kind sister bought this for me on her interest free a month back (with her daughter's 10% educational discount too, yipee, and yes, Apple said it was OK for her to buy it and instantly transfer it to me, it was all above board), so I have 2 years to pay it off at a bit under 200 AUD a month, and I never, ever thought I'd be back on Mac when I started using Windows 5 years back to game. Long story short, I fell ill, sold my iMac pro and some other hardware, was bed bound, bought a windows gaming laptop and a Microsoft Xbox controller to game as it really helped pass the time when I was stuck in bed, then I upgraded it to a new one 3 and a half years later to keep up with the latest games. I am not greedy, I just want 1440P/high/60 FPS. When I started feeling a little better about 2 months back, well enough to at least start music again, I was very unhappy with Windows 11 and the gaming laptop performance.
It was a weird experience, as initially when I had the iMac Pro, Windows 10 via bootcamp was crushing the performance of OSX (then Mojave) on the very same iMac Pro! Pro Tools for example would get double the plug in instances on Windows on the iMac Pro vs OSX.
The reason was that Windows would constantly keep all iMac Pro cores at their maximum turbo speed, whereas OSX just wouldn't, and there was a ton of discussion about it on various audio boards at the time. Pair that with Core Audio's low buffer size issues, and Windows just performed way better.
I was convinced that Apple Silicon would be the same old story, and I was also going via cinebench scores, as PC Audio builders say that CB is about the closest we can get to measure daw performance/plugin scaling.
My laptop is around the same cinbench as the M2, pretty much dang on actually, but the performance differences are just ridiculous (favouring the Mac this time round).
My laptop does not have DPC latency issues - I have tuned it via bios to disable speedstep and C states, and it's an unlocked processor and I have all cores manually set to 5ghz, no thermal throttle, and no DPC spikes. The average is between 50 and 100 microseconds which is actually really good for a laptop.
I am able to run it at 8 buffer size on my Arturia Minifuse 2 no issue at all, the very lowest buffer, without pops and clicks. This is the sort of scenario where DPC issues would cause audible problems in the audio stream, and I am happy to report mine is fine.
But when I test, I do it all fairly, same buffer size and plugins, etc, and same DAW if possible. For example, PT is available both on PC and Mac.
Anyway, I really was wrong, so wrong. I was absolutely sure in my head that Core Audio would still have low buffer issues and performance would be compromised vs PC.
All I can tell you is this. IF you are a Mac user or interested in them and want to know whether to go Apple Silicon, it's a resounding yes.
It could not be more different to previous Intel Macs. People were trying to drum it into my head how good these were for audio and to be honest I truly thought it was just Apple fanboys spouting a bunch of BS. I didn't believe any Apple Silicon lover and what they were claiming.
I firmly believe that if Apple were still using Intel, the roles would be reversed and Windows would be performing better.
I am kind of stunned and had to re test and re test as I could not believe my results.
I mean just think this - my laptop is running 13th Gen intel cores at 5ghz and the Mac is 3.5ghz Peak P cores and 2.4ghz E cores and is crushing it. Even the PC E cores are at 4.2ghz (slightly overclocked), a higher clock speed than the Mac P cores!
So mhz for mhz, X86 just is not even close to Apple's take on ARM and I did not believe it till I used it myself. Seriously.
I want to give you an example to show you how huge the difference is.
On the PC, in Pro Tools or Reason 12 latest, the MOST IK Tape Model 80 I can get is 20 instances, and 18 in Reason at 256 buffer (remember, unlike Pro Tools, Cubase etc, Reason runs at the live audio buffer at all times, whereas *almost* all other DAWs have a hybrid buffer with something like 1024 samples on non record armed tracks, or a playback buffer).
Now you will see many videos on YouTube talking about the IK tapes and how great they sound but that they are so ridiculously intensive that even though they are emulating multitrack tape, one can't use them as multitrack in any realistic project scenario.
So what do you think I got on the M2 in PT?
80 stereo instances, one per stereo audio track, and there was still room to spare but I actually said "well OK, this is stable as anything and not one dropout, but I can "feel" the GUI starting to bog a little now, so no need to push it more". I am sure I could have squeezed 5 to 10 more instances IMO.
The thing is, Pro tools and Logic do NOT process plugins on E cores, and Cubase and Reaper do, so I am predicting 100+ instances in those DAWs. ALL cores are being used on the Windows laptop at all times by all DAWs tested.
I mean this is not just some small difference, this is monumental.
I also found out, even though 99% of the plugins I use *are* Apple silicon native in 2024, Logic in Native mode can actually still load the intel plugin holdouts via a bridge in the same session. I don't know of any other DAW that can do this, you need to run the actual DAW in Rosetta to use Intel plugins on Apple Silicon. So if you are a Logic user and worried about upgrading, don't be, the performance is mammoth, just run Logic in native mode.
The M3 chips coming to the Mac studio are going to have another 20% higher clock speed and 30 percent more Performance cores, so I can only imagine what insane beasts they will be.
So If you want to use IK Tape in realtime, for say an average size 32 track project and with one on every track, and still be able to have CPU headroom for VIs and other FX, you CAN on Mac, and you can NOT on Windows, even on the most powerful 14th gen desktops!
I know this is only one example but this is the most power hungry single effect plugin on the market, and to experience this performance was crazy.
I very much look forward to installing Reason on the Mac and doing all sorts of DSP tests soon.
BTW, for this testing both PC and Mac main buffer were at 128, but the playback buffer in PT is 1024, same as Logic's default setting and Cubase Asio Guard.
TLDR;
I am experiencing at least 4x the CPU plugin performance with what I have tested thus far on an M2 Studio VS a 13th gen PC laptop. Both computers have near identical Cinebench CPU scores and core counts, and the cross platform DAW I have tested in thus far is Pro Tools. Reason tests are coming soon. The M2 runs at a lower clock speed, is completely silent, yet is crushing the PC in audio plugin performance. One prominent example is IK tape, 80 vs 20 stereo instances!