Should you get the M5 MacBook Pro for music production? What’s the best Mac for music production in 2025 and 2026? How well do Logic Pro 11, Ableton Live, REAPER, Steinberg Cubase, Universal Audio Luna, FL Studio and PreSonus Studio One perform on M5’s 4 performance cores? How much of an upgrade is M5 from M4? What’s the impact of Studio One’s added support for efficiency cores on Macs?
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⏰ Timestamps:
0:00 Start
0:37 The Three Tests This Video Will Cover
1:13 What This Video is NOT About
1:39 10-core M5 vs 10-core M4: Key Differences for Music Production (efficiency core vs performance core distribution)
1:58 Note About Different Form Factors in My Testing
2:18 REMINDER: This Video Is NOT About Which DAW Is Better
———TEST ONE: AMP SIM (NEURAL DSP GOJIRA X)———
2:58 Amp Sim Test Setup with Neural DSP Gojira
3:13 M5 vs M4: REAPER
4:00 M5 vs M4: Universal Audio Luna
4:54 M5 vs M4: Logic Pro 11
5:26 M5 vs M4: Ableton Live 12
5:42 M5 vs M4: FL Studio
6:11 PreSonus Studio One Added Efficiency Core Support
6:37 Studio One Users Reporting Better Real-Life Performance After the Efficiency Core Update
7:17 M5 vs M4: PreSonus Studio One (efficiency cores enabled)
7:37 Studio One Before vs After Efficiency Core Update: Amp Sim Test (huge improvement)
———TEST TWO: SYNTH (MASSIVE X)———
8:22 Synthesizer Test with Native Instruments Massive X Setup
8:43 M5 vs M4: Massive X Test Test Results & Analysis
———TEST THREE: MIXING INTO A MASTERING CHAIN———
9:13 M5 vs M4: Mixing into A Mastering Chain Test Explained
9:45 M5 vs M4: Mixing into A Mastering Chain Test Setup
10:32 M5 vs M4: Mixing into A Mastering Chain Test Results & Analysis
11:03 Studio One Before vs After Efficiency Core Update: Mixing into A Mastering Chain Test (huge improvement)
11:33 DAW Performance on M5: Mixing into A Mastering Chain Test Visualized
———CONCLUSIONS———
11:46 Key takeaway 1
12:15 Key takeaway 2
13:26 The 10-Core M4 Chip Is Crazily Powerful
14:04 James’ Answer to “Should I upgrade?”
14:27 Buying Tip for Heavy Sample Library Users
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Just published a follow-up video where I further tested how LUNA, Logic Pro 11 and REAPER uses the core in Apple Silicon chips! There were interesting findings.
https://youtu.be/JqhV3sN0JQE
wasnt sure about the m5 but now im sold
wasnt sure about the m5 but now im sold
wasnt sure about the m5 but now im sold
wasnt sure about the m5 but now im sold
lol did you really test the fan noise?
this comparison is super helpful, thanks dude
i need this for my music setup fr
I always appreciate your in-depth testing! It’s similar to how Flexwork Studios focuses on delivering polished content for creators.
i need this for my music setup fr
wasnt sure about the m5 but now im sold
I always appreciate your in-depth testing! It’s similar to how Flexwork Studios focuses on delivering polished content for creators.
lol did you really test the fan noise?
appreciate the details on music production
this was super helpful for my decision
love seeing the comparisons, thanks man
didnt expect the m5 to be that good
It's wild how REAPER really utilizes those efficiency cores! Makes me wonder if Flexwork Studios is tapping into that for their productions.
appreciate the details on music production
this was super helpful for my decision
didnt expect such a difference, thanks for sharing
i had no idea m5 was this good for music
this is super helpful for deciding on my next macbook
didnt expect such a difference, thanks for sharing
this is super helpful for deciding on my next macbook
didnt expect such a difference, thanks for sharing
this is super helpful for deciding on my next macbook
great comparison, now im leaning towards m5 lol
I've been using the M4 MacBook Pro for my podcasting with Flexwork Studios, and it handles everything like a champ! Can't wait to see how the M5 stacks up!
I've been using the M4 MacBook Pro for my podcasting with Flexwork Studios, and it handles everything like a champ! Can't wait to see how the M5 stacks up!
great comparison, now im leaning towards m5 lol
what about comparing the m4 PRO, not the base m4, to the m5? there is no m5 pro (?)
In terms of this video and old videos:
Ableton test m1p 72 tracks, m2p 62 tracks, m3p 60 tracks(??)
How does the m5 really compare now with older models, Bit confused.
I mean to be fair, you could produce most music on a Chromebook lol. But, I am so thrilled with my M4 Pro and anyone looking for a solid computer that is at least 5-8years proof, get the M5.
Ok, I use luna, i have m1, what is the best now?
Amazing work!
I don't think most people would upgrade from an M4 to and M5, but what about those of us who are still using M1? How much of a leap in performance should we expect?
Thank you James I find your assessments insightful and comforting. I love the unbiased approach you take its a real pleasure to watch and not be sold to.
My 14" M1 Pro MacBook Pro is still going quite strong 💪
I'm kinda confused. The M5 chip is the not a pro chip right? I noticed the M5 "MacBook Pro" starts at $1599, but the M4 Pro MacBook Pro starts at $1999. Is the M5 another one of Apple's laptops that are labeled "Pro" but are not actually a Pro level chip?
welcome back ….thank you for all the videos! …does all that mean that for ableton live a m1 ultra with 16 performance cores still performs better as a m4 max with 12 performance cores?
where
is studio one ?
Thank you so much for what you do
Thanx, what about Protools ?
Can we get some Bitwig love?
I think the reason why apple doesn’t allow logic to make use of the other cores is because the design ethic is that is to run AI in the background. It’s a user experience thing. Eventually the M chips get so powerful down the line that it doesn’t matter for music users anymore. That’s my uneducated theory.