Canadian Musician - January / February 2020 | Page 23
ROAD
TEST
Apple 2019 MacBook Pro 16-in.
Laptop
By Dajaun Martineau
I
t’s easy to say that the new 16-in. MacBook
Pro is “the world’s best pro notebook,” but
does the product stand up to Apple’s
boast? I had the chance to take it for a test
drive and here’s what I found.
First Impressions
The first thing I noticed when I powered up
the machine is that the screen gave me more
real estate. Featuring a 3072 x 1920-resolution
monitor, it’s just shy of 4K – more than enough
considering those pixels are jam-packed into a
16-in. display. I found the extra space extremely
handy for viewing multiple plug-ins simulta-
neously. I no longer have to choose between
detailed views and a big picture overview; with
the new screen, I can have both.
Despite having a significantly larger screen,
the laptop itself isn’t much larger; the screen
simply occupies more space inside the case,
reducing the margins that used to border the
screen to almost nothing.
The second thing I noticed about the new
MacBook is the keyboard. Apple has trans-
planted the design from the iMac standalone
keyboard to create a very sturdy and responsive
keyboard. The action is definitely an upgrade
from the previous model. The escape key has
been reverted to a physical key in order to give
the user direct access. Additionally, the Touch
ID fingerprint reader has been removed from
the Touch Bar to give an aesthetically pleasing
parallel to the escape key.
In Use
As I dug deeper into the architecture of the
system, I discovered that Apple’s engineers
completely redesigned the case for this run of
the MacBook Pro to allow for a larger heat sink
and increased airflow. The augmented thermal
efficiency is essential in reducing the amount
of heat produced by the Intel i7 and i9 chips.
The power you get from the chips is impres-
sive but the noise from the fans can be a bit
frustrating when trying to record in the same
room as the laptop.
That said, I found that compared to the 2017
model, the new MacBook Pro fan activates less
often, so it’s definitely an improvement.
As always, Apple has made this system big-
ger and faster than its predecessors. This Mac-
W W W. C A N A D I A N M U S I C I A N . CO M
Book Pro is now configurable to
have up to 64 GB of RAM and 8
TB of storage. The increased ca-
pacity makes my dream of being
able to fly anywhere in the world
and have my entire sample library
without carrying a dozen external
hard drives a veritable reality. Apple
also boasts that this notebook has
the largest battery possible while
still being allowed through airport
security checks. This means that I
can work in more unique locations
for longer periods of time without
having to hunt for an outlet.
Another element that caught my
attention was the upgraded high-
performance microphone array,
which delivers a 40 per cent reduc-
tion in hiss and a superior signal-to-
noise ratio that rivals that of popular
professional-grade digital microphones. The
mic captures clean recordings that focus in on
the quietest details. While it’s no studio-grade
condenser, it does a great job in a pinch, easily
outperforming most USB microphones.
While the price of Apple products is some-
times intimidating, the base unit is currently
going for $2,999 CAD though a fully-loaded
configuration (2.4 GHz 8 core i9, 64 GB RAM,
and 8 TB storage) jumps the price up to $7,459.
That being noted, I feel compelled to remind
everyone that this is a professional piece of
equipment intended to be the centrepiece of
your creative environment.
Apple has a tradition of pushing us farther
into the future whether we like it or not. Most
recently, the company has redefined connectiv-
ity with the standardization of USB-C (one cable
to rule them all!) and now they’re redefining the
potential of software with the discontinuation
of all x86 processes. The immediate downside
is that any older software you have may not
function on the new MacBook. Most produc-
tion software developers have done the work to
replace all of the old bits so that their software
will remain compatible in the future but some
developers will be left behind.
If you can find it within you to let go of the
past, the new purely 64-bit architecture will be
significantly faster and more secure.
The other huge benefit of abandoning x86
support is that this opens the door for the tran-
sition to ARM processors. The introduction of
ARM processors will allow Apple to free itself
from its current ties to Intel. Independence
could be very stirring for Apple users as Intel’s
processor shortages and heat issues have been
curtailing the progress of the notebooks for
some time. Apple’s computers could operate
quicker and cooler and at a lower cost. I think
that is something that we all want as profes-
sional MacBook users.
Summary
While there are a few issues with cost and fan
noise, I have to agree that this laptop is “the
world’s best pro notebook.” I cannot think of
any other piece of professional hardware that
could even hold a candle to this unit when it
comes to power, portability, and sustainability.
With the new 2019 Apple MacBook Pro, you’ll
be able to do much more in less time.
Dajaun Martineau is a producer/engineer/writer
based out of Toronto, ON, who spent the better
part of a decade as a Senior Staff Engineer at
Phase One Studios before going freelance. For
his full discography and more information, visit
www.dajaun.com.
CANADIAN MUSICIAN
23