Using Macbook Neo as recording device

Since the new MB Neo is not in the hands of the populace yet, there is no definitive answer for that. We all will have to wait and see what the trade magazines have to say and what the consensus about it capabilities is after it ships.

Meanwhile, I suggest you consult with the folks a Presonus and see what they have to say.

As you noted, the MB Neo has only 8 GB RAM, so that is a limiting factor.

The Neo is not intended to be any sort of workhorse. It's an entry level computer.

It is also a fan-less design, so expect it to run very warm when you put it under load.

I would also recommend checking with Presonus.

Presonus – Studio One Pro 7: I'm thinking of buying a new computer. What are some things that I should consider?

While 4 GB is their minimum requirement for RAM, it sounds like that applies only when you are talking about very simple projects and configurations. From their site:

"The biggest user of memory are virtual instruments. If you are going to be working with a number of VST instruments or virtual instruments, those patches are loaded into RAM and this is where you will need more in your system. If you are just recording audio, you can get by with less RAM. It is not a bad idea to have 8 GB of RAM or more. If electronic music is your thing and you are working with virtual instruments, it is not unheard of to have 32 GB of RAM or more, depending on how many tracks you are going to be working with."

While the MacBook Neo is limited to 8 GB of RAM, you can order a MacBook Air or MacBook Pro which has a plain M5 chip with up to 32 GB of RAM. (The M5 Pro and M5 Max MacBook Pros can be ordered with even more RAM – although they might be overkill for your application.)

Note that only one of the two USB-C ports on the MacBook Neo runs at USB 3 speeds. The other runs at USB 2 speeds. If I am reading the Presonus article correctly, you would not want to use an external drive plugged into a USB 2 port (or a 5400 rpm mechanical hard drive plugged into either port).

The M5 MacBook Airs and Pros have USB-C ports that support not only USB 3.1 Gen 2 (like the faster port on the Neo), but also Thunderbolt and USB4 40 Gbps.

Is "Soundgrid" a hardware device – and if so how is it supposed to be connected? If you are connecting both the "Soundgrid" and an external USB 3.* SSD, are the ports available on the MacBook Neo going to be enough for you to get data to and from both of them?

Thank you for sharing your concerns, FilipPettersson. 😉

If performance and speed are important in your purchase decision, then I will agree with D.I. Johnson and Servant of Cats with considerable of a MacBook Air ((newly announced model is equipped with the latest M5) because it starts with double the storage and double the memory).

You must choose the maximum amount of storage and memory you need (now and in the future) that you can afford (that’s what I did back in 2021) and I have no regrets.

Smiliñ 😎 Brian

FWIW, in case you thought you were addressing Apple directly here, these Apple Support Community forums are peer-to-peer support forums. You are not speaking to Apple here, only other users, and we understand Apple don’t actively participate here.

Nonetheless we are all here to help, my friend. 🙂