15inch macbook pro or 2019 imac for music production

Hi I have the brand new MacBook Pro 2019 15" with i7 processor, 16 GB RAM as well. I have downloaded a trial to Ableton Live 10 Suite. Ableton Live 10 is great, definitely the best DAW there is but it isn't built as a companion software for macOS, especially the MacBook Pro's Touch Bar like I am sure Logic Pro X is since GarageBand is. If you've experimented with the most updated version of GarageBand on Mojave, not to mention Catalina OS, you will find the Touch Bar extremely convenient with the individualized instruments, drum kits, synth modulators and plugins can be used in the TouchBar. I am unsure if Third Party Plug-ins work with GarageBand and Logic Pro X.

That being said, DAW programs such as Ableton, FL Studio, etc are just as great as they are for a 2019 MacBook Pro as they would be for a high performance Windows PC, which would be most often a custom built desktop with hardware that can process the RAM. An Ableton project with multiple track arrangements, send ins/outs, mastered audio, and audio effects, editing multiple MIDI clips simultaneously, working in arrangement view, and especially live performance sets using clips in session view, playing backing tracks, manipulating any sound in your set and use either Ableton Push or Live for Max, manipulating recording loops and remixing loops in real time and improvise what you've created (while recording) requires not only high performance hardware capable of outputing multiple audio channels but a device that you can easily bring with you for traveling, touring, and writing music on the go which is found on the MacBook Pro. 

MacBook Pros have better processing and performance than an iMac does believe it or not. An iMac, however has a much larger display and a lot more hardware storage than most MacBook Pro's. For Windows devices, it's the opposite. Desktops have the near limitless amount of graphic, audio, processing hardware and power giving the user a wide variety of capabilities such as gaming, music production, photo/video editing but without the convenience of folding it up and taking it with you. Windows laptops have improved the last couple years but they still are limited because of size in hardware. 

For a studio, I'd still recommend a MacBook Pro if you ever plan on working, performing or doing anything other than listening to your music when not in the studio. You can use a hub to plug in audio speakers, MIDI instruments, and everything a producer would want to do in a studio. 

The MacBook Pro however does have a couple concerns not related to music production but more in regards to cost, fragility and risks. I feel you should be made aware of this before making a decision as I wish I had been. Perhaps it will be helpful to you and anyone else thinking about making a purchase that I've found is not an investment but a expense with depreciation of value being more than an automobile.. which could be purchased for the same amount in a lot of cases, or used as a downpayment. 

My experience within a month of purchase from September 2019-October 2019

Last month (September 2019), I purchased the 2019 15" MacBook Pro Logic Board, i7, 2.6GHz, 16GB, 256GB, Radeon Pro 555X for $2,399.99. I could not afford the Apple Care + which is $400 and lasts for I believe 4 years but must be purchased in a single payment and can't be financed into monthly payments like an iPhone. I have 60 days to add it though after the date of purchase (so Nov 9th) and it covers most non-manufacturer defects such as a shattered screen and other hardware-related issues that could occur if you accidentally dropped it, which Apple's one-year manufacturer's warranty does not cover. It's essentially full coverage insurance on your device. Well I did not buy the Apple Care yet, and within one month after extreme care and precautionary measures including not ever moving it off my desk, I update to Catalina OS, wait for it to install, and once it was installed I shut it down and very gently as always, closed my MacBook. I wake up the next morning open it up and find my brand new $2500 MacBook Pro has vertical lines and although it works, it is very unpleasing and I could tell something was critically wrong. I spoke with Apple Support, very friendly man who helped walk me through troubleshooting steps for 4 hours (when I was going to use that time to prep for an interview). Turned out being hardware related and the MacOS update was just coincidental.. however there was software related issues as the new 2019 MacBook Pros shut down different and rather then shut down they go into a sleep sort of state for 3 minutes before shutting off. I am not sure why this is, my guess is to make the MacBook Pro more user friendly and maybe for "find my device" location. So I end up having to go to an Apple Store 45 minutes from me and was told that there was LED bleeding which is usually a result of pressure/impact on the screen from even the smallest particles. I was covered under the 60 day guarantee because there was not a single chip, crack, etc on my screen. How did this happen? So they ship it to their repair center and I was told I'd have it back on Tuesday at the latest. An $800 repair and didn't get it back until the following Friday which was a bummer because I wanted to use my MacBook to make a tribute to my grandfather. who passed away this same week. I unfortunately didn't get to make it.. I lost 2 weeks of my 60 day trial to add Apple Care and although every individual I spoke with either over the phone calls or visits to the Apple Store were very friendly having genuine concern in helping resolve not only my hardware issue but the inconvenience in not returning it, my concern about how I feel that if this occurred within a month of purchase, being brand new, costing almost $3,000 if you include the protective case, hyperdrive USB-C hub, (required if you ever want to use a USB cable), without any warranty for damage since I haven't yet purchased the $400 Apple Care. Also, if you do damage your MacBook but have Apple Care, not only did you pay $400 for the coverage but its over $100 out-of-pocket deductible that you have to pay before any repairs are made. You can not return a MacBook Pro (or most Apple products over $100) after 14 days, even if purchased from a third party retailer. I love Apple products, I own an iPhone XS Max, an Apple Watch 3, a 2019 MacBook Pro, and have been planning on purchasing additional Apple devices such as the Apple TV, the Magic Mouse, and more. This situation has me between a rock and a hard place. Ultimately I took a risk in purchasing the MacBook and the benefits seemed to not have outweighed the risk and in fact the risks of hardware defects and damage when used so very gently like I have have kept me awake at night. I hope that an upper level manager at Apple reaches out to me so that we can speak and they can convince me to continue purchasing Apple products, keep my MacBook instead of selling it on Facebook marketplace soon as it still holds value even in a buyer's market like Facebook Marketplace, LetGo, OfferUp, and other resale websites since its brand new practically and they can own this MacBook for $700-$1000 less than retail and sure I'll take a $400-700 loss but its better than a $3000 loss. I have attached photos of the damaged screen. 

I wish you the best of luck.

-Sean

See pics of damage at this link