Good hardware to run Logic Pro & After Effects?

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Hello Mac Forums,
I am currently using a 15" MacBook Pro running on OS X 10.7.5 (Lion)
--Processor 2.4 GHz Intel Core i7
--750 GB HardDrive
--4 GB RAM (1333 MHz DDR3)
--AMD Radeon HD 6770M 1024 MB Graphics
--I also use a WD "My Passprt Studio" 1TB External Hardive. (I store all my Logic Pro, After Effects, Photoshop and Illustrator projects on there instead of on the Main MacBook HD which only has 750GB of Memory)

I am a musician and an audio engineer of sorts. I have been producing music on my MacBook Pro using Logic Pro, amongst some other third party Plug-ins that are each just as big as Logic Pro. And for the past year I've been hittin it pretty aggressively as I produced my entire album with my MacBook Pro being the only computer involved in the process. As you probably know that is a hefty workload to put on a computer between recording tracks, mixing and mastering...I'm honestly surprised my MacBook Pro made it through the whole process with only 4GB of RAM. Although it did give me some "System Overload" messages along the way which got to be very annoying interrupting my workflow. And while I was using Logic Pro I could never have another application open at the same time. Even something like Safari could not be opened while I was using Logic Pro.
Now to top it all off I am using other Applications to market my music such as Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop and Adobe After Effects. I'm using version CS6 for Photoshop and Illustrator and using the new Creative Cloud version for After Effects.

Now that I've explained what I use my computer for I can explain the actual problem haha...Inside Logic Pro there were two indicators, one labeled HD and the other labeled CPU, if one or the other reached its limit the system would overload cause lagging or just a shut down/freeze. And while working in Adobe After Effects the "RAM Preview" almost never plays back in realtime if I get more than a minute into a song that a am making a Kinetic Typography Video for.
So I need a new Computer or external HD or Increased RAM that will make these things no longer happen...I am open to any suggestions or ideas.
 
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If I'm guessing the model of your MBP correctly (early or late 2011), you can upgrade that to 16GB of ram. That might be all you really need to do.

And if you're using a USB 2.0 external, you might benefit from a faster transfer speed via firewire.
[edit: I see the Studio does support firewire]
 
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yeah my MacBook Pro is fairly new model. I bought it in 2012 and I know I can upgrade my RAM because right now I just have a 2GB and another 2GB chip in my MBP. But when I bought the computer they said I could upgrade pretty easily to a 4GB and a 4GB or an 8GB and a 8GB which is what I think you are suggesting.

I'm just afraid that won't be enough because I want to be able to have multiple applications open and have a smooth work flow while I'm using Logic Pro, Safari, After Effects, maybe even have MainStage open too...that would be in an ideal world. Right now I can't even complete a whole project on After Effects and with Logic I get the job done but it's anything but relaxing or smooth.
What are your thoughts on me getting a MacPro? Can I somehow hook that up/combine it to my laptop?
 
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A MacPro would be sweet. You could do all your heavy work with that and throw some extra ram in the MBP for use when you need to be portable. I don't see a way to combine them other than sharing data on the external.
 
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Well a MacPro doesn't come with a display monitor or a keyboard. So at the very least I with thinking hook my MBP up to the MacPro to use as a Display monitor and keyboard until I saved up to get a nice/large display monitor and a separate keyboard

There is some controversy going on now about the pros and cons of buying a MacPro vs. an iMac Desktop
 
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Ok please listen to someone who actually run's logic pro!!!

1. I wouldn't use a Macbook Pro honestly to use logic pro..

2. I would look for instead a 2009-2011 Mac Pro tower the reason for this is actually a good one if you plan on using your copy of Logic Pro for use with dolby digital 5.1 and even external devices keyboards guitars and even building projects the 2009-2011 mac pro would have much better use with Logic Pro not only because of the optical out and in ports on that model but because you can install larger hard drives in that model 2tb each drive bay there's four of them plus you can install 32 gig's of ram.

3. The new garbage can mac pro you can't do any of this with.
 
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Will the 2009-2010 MacPro be able to run the most recent operating system(OS X Mavericks)?

I haven't made the jump to do any of my projects in 5.1 Surround yet I have been sticking to Stereo

Also I already connect guitars and keyboards fine through my, FireStudio Project and Focusrite 2i4, audio interfaces. What separates the 09-11' MacPro optical in/out ports from them?

Plus on the back of my FireStudio Project it has 8 "general purpose" outputs in addition to the main L & R outs. So could I not use those to achieve surround sound? (i don't really know much at all about surround sound protocol)

I also thought you could instal additional ram or storage space through the thunderbolt ports on the new garbage can MacPro?...It might seem like I am trying to disagree with you but I promise I am not lol. I am just asking questions, trying to get all the facts so I run into as few problems as possible down the road.
 
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Your Mac's Specs
Mid 2012 MBP - 13" i5 3210M, 16GB RAM, 240GB SSD, 500GB storage (in place of optical).
i put 16GB of RAM in my Mac
its easy as eating pie

Screen Shot 2014-09-06 at 9.23.52 PM.png
 
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it's more compatibility the 2009-2010 mac pro's will support mavericks and yosemite as well the difference is the optical port on the garbage can mac pro it has optical out only no in so if you wanted to lets say record a sound effect from a tv or radio broadcast or even a major video game console you couldn't without recording it in stereo sound 2 speakers only this would then make your recording that you recorded in 5.1 sound nice and loud then when it hits the segment recorded in stereo your volume drops and you hear out of only two speakers then all the other speakers come back on

the major benefit of the older machine is the audio card in those models supports 5.1 automatically so your recording sounds crisp and fresh and unique to you.

if you really want to hear the awe full difference on this i can make this easy for you here is a link to my prototype theme song this was recorded using logic pro and garageband on a new garbage can mac pro and it sounds awe full so i had to place this project on hold while my mac pro tower is being serviced

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=In1ZAH_7wuk

this is why i don't like using stereo and 5.1 the audio jumps and you get different tones and when you combine them you get the most garbage sounding project
 
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Your Mac's Specs
Macbook Pro 13” i5 (2012) , iPhone5 16GB (white), iPhone4 8GB (white), iPad2 64GB 3G, Apple TV
I use Logic ProX also on my 13” Macbook Pro (mid 2012), and I also encountered ”system overload” messages when I was loading a track with +30 audio WAV tracks (+ lots of plugins on each channel) and it would stutter too many times. Mind you, I had 4 GB of installed RAM.

I added more RAM (now 10GB in total) and during the previously mentioned song, it does not stutter. Still when working on other projects (software instruments + plugins) it would only stutter just after opening a specific song. I can only imagine this has to do with the fact that Logic Pro is still loading these virtual instruments (EZplay, EZdrummer, Kontakt instruments). Therefore, when I open a song, I typically wait 20-30 seconds before hitting play, and all goes fine.

I have to say that al though the 13” screen is not ideal for using Logic ProX (too little screen real estate) it works for me as a hobby musician. Ideally, you would want to run Logic ProX on an iMac (21,5” - 27” inch screen), and I 't think the current iMacs would be ideal for Logic Pro (and not necessarily the previous generation Mac Pro's)
 
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Your Mac's Specs
mid-2010 Mac Mini OS 10.12.6 Sierra, 2.66 GHz C2D, 8GB RAM, 30 in. Cinema Display
MGM . . . install the maximum amount of RAM your wallet will allow. You will be good to go. Have fun. Make music.
 

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