Daily Use and Performance

Over the past four months, my editing experience with the Mac Studio has been remarkably smooth. Despite encountering some annoying bugs with the Final Cut Pro 10.6.2 update—thankfully, Apple’s Pro Apps team quickly addressed these in version 10.6.3—my overall workflow has been efficient. My Mac Studio, equipped with the base M1 Max, 64GB of unified memory, and a 2TB SSD, handles all the footage I throw at it with ease. Currently, I mostly work with Canon's XF-AVC and H.264 codecs in 4K from my C300 MkII and EOS R. I'm eager to test it with higher resolutions and RAW formats in the future.

However, I've faced challenges with choppy playback, lag, and dropped frames, which I will explore further shortly.

Storage Solutions

Previously, I edited using a 21TB Promise Pegasus2 R8 with my old Mac Pro, which was adequate for real-time playback and storing numerous client projects, short films, and YouTube content. With the Mac Studio, I aimed to leverage the impressive data rates of its internal SSDs, which can reach speeds of 7.4 gigabytes per second. While this speed may not drastically improve my 4K playback experience, it significantly enhances export times from Final Cut Pro.

An insightful article on FCP.co by Peter Wiggins highlights that the Mac Studio exports to its internal SSD faster than many external storage solutions, showcasing a notable difference in export times for 1080p videos. I exclusively edit from the internal 2TB drive, a decision I made intentionally. Ideally, I would have opted for the 4TB SSD, but the 2TB serves my needs well, especially since my typical YouTube projects hover around 100GB.

Export Times and Efficiency

One of the main frustrations with my previous setup was the lengthy export times. Exporting a 12-minute 4K YouTube video took about three hours with the old Mac Pro. In contrast, my new Mac Studio can complete the same task in 15 minutes or less—often in real-time! This improvement has made my $3,000 investment immensely worthwhile. It alleviated the anxiety caused by prolonged export times that rendered my Mac Pro unusable during those processes.

Connectivity Options

A significant upgrade from the 2013 Mac Pro to the Mac Studio is the connectivity options. The Mac Pro offered six Thunderbolt ports and four USB-A ports, while the Mac Studio has four Thunderbolt ports, two USB-A ports, and two USB-C ports at the front. With all the peripherals in my editing setup, I’ve maxed out the ports on the Mac Studio and now rely on a USB-A hub and the USB ports on my Thunderbolt displays for additional connections.

Fortunately, I've not encountered any connectivity issues. All my devices—including the Monogram Master Console, my USB-A hub, and various monitors—function seamlessly with the Mac Studio. However, the available ports are minimal, which is why the M1 Mac mini wasn't a viable option for me when it launched.

The addition of an easily accessible SD card slot at the front is a welcome feature. Most of my footage is shot on CFast 2.0 cards, necessitating a reader connected to a Thunderbolt port. However, I do occasionally shoot with my EOS R, making the front SD slot very convenient. Unfortunately, it doesn't always mount correctly on the first try, which seems to be a common issue with Apple SD card slots.

My Primary Challenge

My most significant issue with the Mac Studio in these past four months has been lag, choppiness, dropped frames, and crashes. Thankfully, the Mac Studio itself isn't the culprit. Instead, it's primarily due to third-party plug-ins for Final Cut Pro that aren't yet optimized for Apple Silicon. They rely on Rosetta for compatibility, which can lead to performance issues during intensive editing sessions. While these occurrences are infrequent, they can be frustrating when a plug-in becomes unresponsive.

So, if you've experienced playback issues with Final Cut Pro on your M-powered Mac, this is likely the reason. These machines possess more than enough power to handle 4K footage with multiple effects.

My Affection for the Mac Studio

Interestingly, despite its performance, I've noticed a lack of emotional connection with the Mac Studio compared to my MacBook Pro. Being a desktop, it’s confined to my editing bay, which limits the personal connection I have with it. My MacBook Pro, on the other hand, has been my constant companion, allowing me to work in various settings, from coffee shops to airplanes. This mobility creates a deeper bond through daily interactions and maintenance.

Closing Thoughts

While the M1 Max Mac Studio represents a monumental upgrade over my old 2013 Quad-Core Mac Pro, I still find myself drawn to my MacBook Pro. For most of my content creation, I am primarily editing. I appreciate the speed, comfort, and efficiency that a desktop setup provides in my editing bay. I have no regrets about my decision to purchase the Mac Studio; I just wish I felt the same passion for it as I do for my 14" MacBook Pro.