If the idea of a Mac Pro seems intimidating, a Mac mini is the perfect budget desktop for your first music production workstation. For under $1000 you can pick up a brand new Mac mini that features great performance along with cutting-edge Thunderbolt 3 connectivity. This guide discusses the top three best laptops for music production. You have probably seen the Macbook pro in most studios. This is enough proof that it is the best laptop for producing music. In fact, it is one of the most reliable workstations for music production and video editing. Mostly music production, with some rare work in video (Final Cut Pro). Main operating system is Sierra running Logic Pro X 10.3 and Ableton 9. I do record audio, although not more than 4 tracks at a time currently. I make extensive use of software instruments and plugins, especially sampling. Apple MacBook Pro (renewed) This is a wildcard. Like I mentioned before, an older MacBook Pro can easily hold its own against a newer Dell, Asus, HP, or Lenovo laptop. As long as it's not super old, an older MacBook should be able to be upgraded with Apple's latest OS, and oftentimes MacBooks have a ton of RAM and a good amount of storage. In this article we bring you ten of the best music-production packages for Mac, as well as key specs and download links. Owners of the MacBook Pro.
In order to even begin to start working with music production, aside from instruments and other gear, you need a computer. Without a desktop computer or a laptop, you'll have no way to record, mix, and master any music.
Sometimes it's hard to find the best cheap laptop for music production when you're on a tight budget, so we're providing you with a list to help expedite your process.
Setting Expectations
Before I begin getting into things, let me say a few things. First of all, since this is a budget laptop review list, you're not going to find any new MacBooks or gaming computers on here. With a $500 budget, you'll likely be able to find some better quality laptops that run Windows.
Now, Windows may be a bit more finicky when it comes to running DAWs and different plugins as opposed to Apple's computers, but a $500 Asus laptop can be just as powerful as a MacBook if you find the right hardware.
If you want something that's worth more but don't have the budget for it, try to find a used laptop. I strongly suggest looking on eBay or other secondhand seller websites where you'll find a lower price for more expensive computers. Even if you can find an older MacBook, they can still hold their own against a newer Dell or Asus laptop.
Top 8 Best Budget Music Production Laptops Under $500
Here are the best cheap laptops under (or around) $500 for music production:
Acer Aspire E 15
Acer is a really great brand with some reliable, fast computers. The Aspire E 15 is equipped with an 8th generation Intel Core i5 3.4GHz processor, an Nvidia GeForce MX150 graphics card with 2GB of GDDR5 VRAM, a 1920 x 1080 widescreen display, 8GB of memory (dual slots), a 256GB solid state drive, a rewritable DVD double layer drive, a webcam, and it runs on Windows 10 Home Edition.
The battery will stay charged for up to 10 hours. The Aspire E 15 also has Bluetooth so you can connect your Bluetooth-compatible MIDI instruments and other devices to the computer.
Having a solid state drive (SSD) greatly increases the speed of the laptop. Solid state drives don't have any moving parts, so accessing files is much faster than if you have a normal hard drive (HDD). A lot of laptops have issues with slowing down once they become full of files and programs, so a solid state drive helps to prevent that.
The Intel Core i5 processor is one of the faster ones out there so navigating and using your DAW and plugins will be a breeze. With dual slot memory, both the solid state drive and the memory of the laptop are upgradeable.
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The Acer Aspire E 15 goes for around $500 and is a great, affordable laptop. I highly recommend it for both seasoned producers and beginners, as it's upgradeable, fast, and has amazing battery life. In my opinion, the Acer Aspire E 15 is the best budget laptop for around $500.
HP Business 15.6 Touchscreen
The HP Business 15.6 Touchscreen laptop is definitely one of the best budget laptops out there. HP is a brand that has been trusted by many music producers and computer users in general and I personally have found HP's computers to be the most reliable and well built.
The HP Business laptop features a 3.6GHz Quad-Core AMD CPU, 8GB of RAM, a 1 TB hard drive, a webcam, HDMI, and Radeon R7 graphics. It's a lightning fast laptop that will be able to handle a heavy workload filled with tons of plugins in your favorite DAW.
With a 1 TB hard drive, you'll have plenty of storage for project files and music software. 8GB of RAM is plenty to run plugins without slowing your computer down. If you have graphics-heavy plugins, that shouldn't be an issue either due to the Radeon R7 graphics card. The laptop runs on Windows 10.
Of course the most defining feature is the touchscreen, which is one of the reasons why I'm ranking this laptop so high. Having a laptop with a touch screen makes your workflow much more efficient as you get a chance to break away from using a mouse.
The touch screen makes using faders and knobs in your DAWs and plugins so much easier and therefore expedites mixing and mastering.
Top 8 Best Budget Music Production Laptops Under $500
Here are the best cheap laptops under (or around) $500 for music production:
Acer Aspire E 15
Acer is a really great brand with some reliable, fast computers. The Aspire E 15 is equipped with an 8th generation Intel Core i5 3.4GHz processor, an Nvidia GeForce MX150 graphics card with 2GB of GDDR5 VRAM, a 1920 x 1080 widescreen display, 8GB of memory (dual slots), a 256GB solid state drive, a rewritable DVD double layer drive, a webcam, and it runs on Windows 10 Home Edition.
The battery will stay charged for up to 10 hours. The Aspire E 15 also has Bluetooth so you can connect your Bluetooth-compatible MIDI instruments and other devices to the computer.
Having a solid state drive (SSD) greatly increases the speed of the laptop. Solid state drives don't have any moving parts, so accessing files is much faster than if you have a normal hard drive (HDD). A lot of laptops have issues with slowing down once they become full of files and programs, so a solid state drive helps to prevent that.
The Intel Core i5 processor is one of the faster ones out there so navigating and using your DAW and plugins will be a breeze. With dual slot memory, both the solid state drive and the memory of the laptop are upgradeable.
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The Acer Aspire E 15 goes for around $500 and is a great, affordable laptop. I highly recommend it for both seasoned producers and beginners, as it's upgradeable, fast, and has amazing battery life. In my opinion, the Acer Aspire E 15 is the best budget laptop for around $500.
HP Business 15.6 Touchscreen
The HP Business 15.6 Touchscreen laptop is definitely one of the best budget laptops out there. HP is a brand that has been trusted by many music producers and computer users in general and I personally have found HP's computers to be the most reliable and well built.
The HP Business laptop features a 3.6GHz Quad-Core AMD CPU, 8GB of RAM, a 1 TB hard drive, a webcam, HDMI, and Radeon R7 graphics. It's a lightning fast laptop that will be able to handle a heavy workload filled with tons of plugins in your favorite DAW.
With a 1 TB hard drive, you'll have plenty of storage for project files and music software. 8GB of RAM is plenty to run plugins without slowing your computer down. If you have graphics-heavy plugins, that shouldn't be an issue either due to the Radeon R7 graphics card. The laptop runs on Windows 10.
Of course the most defining feature is the touchscreen, which is one of the reasons why I'm ranking this laptop so high. Having a laptop with a touch screen makes your workflow much more efficient as you get a chance to break away from using a mouse.
The touch screen makes using faders and knobs in your DAWs and plugins so much easier and therefore expedites mixing and mastering.
One of the main gripes people have with this laptop is that it slows down once it has so many programs and files on it. This can be remedied by switching out the hard drive with a solid state drive.
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While it's at the very top of the $500 budget (and slightly over, depending on where and when you buy it), it's very worth it. The HP Business Touchscreen laptop goes for a little over $500 on Amazon but depending on where you get it, it might be cheaper.
HP Jaguar 15.6 Touchscreen
As you can see, I'm a fan of the touchscreen laptops. The HP Jaguar is another fantastic choice for a decent laptop for music production that also happens to be inexpensive.
The HP Jaguar has an Intel Core i5 processor that has a base of 2.50GHz and goes up to 3.10GHz. It has 8GB of RAM, which is enough to run many plugins in your DAW. It also has a 1 TB hard drive.
The touchscreen on this laptop supports 10 finger multi touch and has a 15.6-inch screen. It's Bluetooth compatible and if you don't like Bluetooth, there are several USB ports and a full size island style keyboard as well as a touchpad.
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Having a hard drive versus a solid state drive isn't really a big issue, but for some people it really does matter. If you care a ton about speed, get a solid state drive for this one. Overall though, this laptop is a great budget choice laptop, and it's also under $500 on Amazon.
Asus VivoBook X541UA
The Asus VivoBook X541UA is a laptop that's especially designed for those who want portability, and it definitely serves this purpose while being powerful enough to produce music and handle a ton of plugins and whichever DAW of your choice.
The VivoBook X541UA is a touch screen laptop made with multimedia in mind. It has a 15.6-inch screen and an Intel Core i5 processor with a base of 2.5GHz and a turbo up to 3.1GHz.
It is equipped with a 1 TB hard drive and 8GB of RAM, which will leave you with plenty of space and memory and the chance to upgrade it (max memory up to 32GB).
The keyboard is more ergonomic than others made by Asus so anything that you have to do with the keyboard will be much easier on your hands if you have to spend hours working on a project. It's also Bluetooth compatible and has many USB ports including USB-C, so it's compatible with newer hardware that uses USB-C.
The graphics card is an Intel HD Graphics 620 so you'll have no problem rendering videos or using plugins that have a lot of graphics. Since this is an Asus computer, it runs on Windows 10 Home.
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This laptop goes for a little bit more than $500 on Amazon, but because of the processor and touch screen I think you should definitely consider it if looking into buying a laptop for music production. If you're not willing to shell out $550, try to find it on sale.
Lenovo IdeaPad 320
The Lenovo IdeaPad 320 is an inexpensive middle of the road laptop that won't break your wallet but also will allow you to make music without any lag during the process.
The IdeaPad 320 features a 15.6-inch HD screen and AMD Radeon R7 graphics, a 2.7GHz AMD A12 Quad-Core processor, 8GB of RAM that can be upgraded to a maximum of 12GB, and a 256GB solid state drive.
The laptop also has many USB ports, an HDMI port, and is Bluetooth compatible for use with all your MIDI devices that connect using Bluetooth. Additionally there is a built in HD webcam with a microphone.
The keyboard of this computer is full size and even has a full size numeric keypad, which is something you don't usually see on smaller laptops.
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While the processor is a bit slower than others on this list, it should give you enough power to run your DAW with all its plugins without causing any issues. Lenovo has some really great computers and this is one of them.
Dell Inspiron i5378 2 in 1
The Dell Inspiron 2 in 1 laptop is a really nice choice for seasoned producers who often have recording sessions with clients while also being a good option for beginner producers.
The Dell Inspiron 2 in 1 has Waves MaxxAudio Pro technology and Intel HD Graphics 620 so you'll have no problem navigating through your DAW and if you're not using an audio interface to listen to the laptop, it'll sound great whether you're using headphones or speakers.
Best Macbook Pro For Music
The processor is a 7th Generation i3 Intel Core processor which means it's powerful enough to run a DAW without getting bogged down by plugins. The laptop comes with 4GB of RAM but is upgradeable up to 16GB of RAM, which is a lot for a 2 in 1 laptop. As for storage, it's got a 1 TB hard drive.
Here's arguably the best feature of this computer: it's a 2 in 1, which means that you can use it like a normal laptop, or you can use it in a stand, tablet, or tent mode since it has a touch screen. This comes in handy especially if you are recording live sessions in a studio and need to be up on your feet.
If you use the Inspiron 2 in 1 as a tablet, that saves you a ton of money because you won't need to buy an iPad to control your DAW during sessions.
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I absolutely 100% recommend this laptop, as it'll save you a ton of money in the long run because it's a 2 in 1, and it's also upgradeable if you find that its base specifications aren't enough for what you're using it for.
Dell Inspiron i3567
The Dell Inspiron 15.6-inch laptop is a modest choice that still gets the job done easily when making music.
It boasts a 7th Generation 2.4GHz Intel Core i3 dual core processor for smart and high definition computing, 8GB of RAM so you should have no problem with plugins, a 1 TB hard drive, and an Intel HD Graphics 620 graphics card if you end up wanting to use the laptop for making beat videos or music visualizers.
The Dell Inspiron Business laptop has MaxxAudio from Waves to provide you with a crisp, clean sound if you're using headphones or speakers. It's also Bluetooth compatible and has a webcam, plenty of USB ports, and an HDMI output for connecting to a bigger screen.
Dell has omitted an optical drive in this laptop model to allow for a ton of portability. If you want an optical drive, you should be able to find an external USB one for not a lot of money. Free movie software for mac.
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Being one of the cheaper laptops on this list doesn't mean it skimps on quality or performance. It's definitely a decent laptop and would be great for producers that are just starting out and don't need a ton of processing power just yet.
Apple MacBook Pro (renewed)
This is a wildcard. Like I mentioned before, an older MacBook Pro can easily hold its own against a newer Dell, Asus, HP, or Lenovo laptop.
As long as it's not super old, an older MacBook should be able to be upgraded with Apple's latest OS, and oftentimes MacBooks have a ton of RAM and a good amount of storage. Mac processors have a ton of power too.
I found a late 2011 MacBook Pro on Amazon with an Intel Core i5 2.4GHz processor, a 500GB hard drive and 4GB of RAM, and it is currently running El Capitan.
It's more than capable of handling a giant DAW like Pro Tools and a host of plugins. On top of that, it's only around $400. At that rate, it's an absolute steal.
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Putting the cons aside since they're not too big of a deal, a used Apple laptop is an amazing option if you want to save a lot of money, and if you're not afraid of getting a refurbished or used computer, I definitely suggest looking into it.
Conclusion
There are a lot of great laptops out there that will do well with running music production software. While looking for a budget laptop, make sure to never skimp on RAM, CPU, and a hard drive or solid state drive.
Having a fast, capable processor will enable you to work efficiently and save you from waiting several minutes just to start your computer up and get things running. RAM allows for more plugins to be used in your DAW and works hand in hand with your CPU.
If your processor isn't fast enough, you'll get issues like latency while recording, and if your RAM isn't big enough, you'll get issues like your plugins running slowly or crashing. This is why having a good computer is so important.
That being said, don't forget to look at older computers, especially ones from Apple. They can be just as good as newer computers and you'll be able to save much more money if you buy something that's been refurbished or used.
For more information on the best computers touse for music production to help you choose the best laptops and desktopswithin your budget, be sure to check out the articles and guides that we havecoming up in the near future! Fcp 10 software, free download.
OWC Thunderbolt 2 Dock
- Don Makoviney
- Last Updated: June 26, 2017
Chances are you have lots of devices and gadgets for audio production. Perhaps some USB 2.0 devices, USB 3.0 devices, maybe even some Firewire and Thunderbolt 1 devices. For this reason the OWC Thunderbolt 2 dock is our pick, hands-down, as the best one on the market at this time. You can plug all those devices, midi controllers, pads, adapters, mics and headphones in one place. While it's not the smallest, nor is it the least expensive, it does exactly what most of us need in a flexible, robust device into which you can plug about any type of peripheral device you might own. If you're looking for the best, the OWC Thunderbolt 2 dock is the one to get.
Best Thunderbolt 2 Dock For Music Production
OWC Thunderbolt 2 Dock
Important Specs
Dimensions | 13.8 x 5.6 x 3.6 inches |
Weight | 2.5 lbs. |
USB 3.0 Ports | 5! |
Thunderbolt Ports | 2 |
Firewire 800 Ports | 1 |
HDMI Ports | 1 |
Gigabit Ethernet Ports | 1 |
Audio Ports | 1 Audio In; 1 Audio Out |
more specs |
Synopsis:
The OWC Thunderbolt 2 dock has the most ports for the money, highest amperage USB ports (good for charging devices), plus Firewire. You can plug in all your stuff in one place. This is the one to get for audio production.
Where To Buy:
Table of Contents
Why you should trust me
I've been working as a programmer and musician for almost two decades. I'm intimately familiar with all the connection types which work with this Thunderbolt dock.
On an extremely personal note, I am buying a new laptop for audio production in the next month (February 2015) – a MacBook Pro, in fact – and finding the perfect Thunderbolt 2 dock for my audio projects is high on my priority list. More on me here.
Why do I need a Thunderbolt dock?
Because they are perfect for home and pro recording studios.
pic via
A Thunderbolt 2 dock will allow you to connect up multiple devices, whether they be USB 2.0, 3.0, Firewire, Thunderbolt 1 or 2. You can daisy chain devices too, which means you can plug your Thunderbolt audio interface as well. Now that I have a good number of midi controllers, keyboards, digital audio interfaces, and other non-music peripherals such as monitor, mouse, keyboard, it ends up being a chore just getting everything hooked up to start audio recording. You probably have a similar issue. Having a good Thunderbolt dock ensures all my stuff is hooked up and ready-to-go when I'm ready to track instruments, or mix.
You'll find a good dock will increase your songwriting demo and recording/mixing projects immensely.
Do I need to upgrade if I have an older Thunderbolt dock?
Probably. Most computers a couple years old or more usually have Thunderbolt 1. While Thunderbolt 1 and 2 devices are interchangeable, you'll get much higher transfer speeds with 2 – up to 20Gbs per channel. If you find yourself moving lots of large files between drives, devices, and other machines, the extra transfer speeds will help tons.
If you don't then don't worry about it. Your Thunderbolt 1 dock will work just fine.
Best Macbook Pro For Music Production
What makes a good Thunderbolt 2 dock for audio production?
It should be able to handle any type of connector you throw at it, like the ones listed in the previous section. You should be able to leave all your stuff plugged in, and just have the one Thunderbolt cable connected to your computer. When you plug that cable in, all your devices should be recognized by your computer and ready to go.
Our pick
We like the OWC Thunderbolt 2 dock because it has the most USB ports, and also has data transfer rates right in line with more expensive models.
It's not the smallest one either. But we don't really care about that. The most important thing was being able to keep everything connected and working properly on our computer.
User reviews
On Amazon it has maintained 4 out of 5 stars for quite some time. Many of the reviews echo our sentiment:
Amazon user kaliki noted:
I have a macbook pro, late 2011 model and wanted to really utilize it as a desktop machine as it got older. This dock was the answer to so many of my issues with the limitations my old macbook had as a laptop. I can now run 2 extra 24″ monitors to extend my desktop across 3 screens with ease due to having USB 3.0 ports and a USB 3.0 to DVI adapter. Everything just runs so much faster and even in my windows OS through parallels runs smooth. The box is a little pricey, but worth every penny.
Amazon user Craig Jones, who runs an audio podcast says:
As with all thunderbolt docks, this is on the pricey side. In fact, even when compared to other thunderbolt docks, this is expensive. What you get, however, are more USB ports and FireWire 800. I host a podcast, and in my recording setup I absolutely need a FIreWire 800 port, so the presence of one here was essential. This also contains 5 USB 3.0 posts, two of which are high powered to allow for fast charging and charging of tablets. Most other docks only have two or three, and many do not include high powered options. If you have need for anything mentioned in this paragraph, this dock is your best and only option.
There are some downsides to this dock. It does not have eSATA connections, so you cannot plug HDDs and SSDs in at native speeds (you can of course use Thunderbolt or USB 3, however). The dock is also enormous. I believe it may be the largest dock of it's kind that is widely available. If portability is an issue for you, this is not the dock to buy.
Overall, I am very pleased with this dock. I have had no connection issues whatsoever, and the breadth of ports available makes this very attractive for me. I do not need eSATA and I do not require that it be portable, so this ended up being the best dock for me. It may not be the best one for you, so read other reviews and look at the specs for each dock. There are smaller and cheaper options available that might be better suited for your needs.
Some drawbacks
There are a couple glitches I've found when perusing the web for real-world user experiences.
One is that sometimes the Thunderbolt display won't come on when you plug in the hub. Here's what people have done as a workaround.
Secondly, they don't state it clearly, but you CAN use two monitors, but at least one has to be a Thunderbolt display, or 'Thunderbolt 2 ready'. The other monitor can use the HDMI port.
And finally, they should just include a Thunderbolt cable. Having to buy it separately is kind of annoying.
For me, those things are minor when considering that you get an extra USB port and also a Firewire port.
Best 3d printer control software. If neither of those things matter then you could also consider our runner-up pick.
A few other points to keep in mind
Audio inputs and outputs: When you plug is a new input and output device in the list called 'USB audio CODEC'. This takes over from your regular Mac speakers. However, the audio input is mono only. This is not a big deal because you'll be using a digital audio interface of some type anyways.
New Macs only: At this time the OWC Thunderbolt 2 Dock is only compatible with a Thunderbolt equipped Mac running OS X 10.9.4 or later. You can still use it with older MacBooks and such, but it will revert to the Thunderbolt 1 protocol, which is a bit slower, but still pretty fast.
It will work with Windows, but only under Bootcamp or Parallel: With one caveat: Thunderbolt is not full plug-and-play compatible under Bootcamp. You have to have the cable plugged in before you power on your Mac and boot into Windows/Bootcamp. Otherwise bad things happen.
Users have reported success on Windows 8, 8.1, and Windows 10, using Parallel.
Dual monitors, but: Our pick (as well as the other Thunderbolt docks) only support 2 displays IF one is a THUNDERBOLT display. You can't use the second thunderbolt port as a mini-display port AND also use the HDMI port. But if you don't use the HDMI port, then you can use the second thunderbolt port as a mini-display port. So basically, you can only have one display connected to this dock.
Runner-up
If you can't find the OWC, the Thunderbolt 2 Docking Station by StarTech is pretty great.
When looking through user forums, most home recording enthusiasts vacillate between the OWC and the StarTech. Data transfer rates are about the same. It has one less USB port, but has some things the OWC does not: SPDIF digital output and eSATA. (If you don't know what SPDIF and eSATA is then you probably don't need it.)
On the whole, pretty much all the Thunderbolt docks perform well. It will just depend on what your needs are. If you need eSATA or SPDIF, go with StarTech. If you need Firewire and a lot of USB (like I do), go with the OWC.
Conclusion
Pretty much all the Thunderbolt 2 docks are great right now. Our pick is definitely the most flexible for most home studios. However, if you have special needs just tailor your pick accordingly.
Happy Recording!
Tell Me If There's A Deal For This
Best Thunderbolt 2 Dock For Music Production
OWC Thunderbolt 2 Dock
Important Specs
Dimensions | 13.8 x 5.6 x 3.6 inches |
Weight | 2.5 lbs. |
USB 3.0 Ports | 5! |
Thunderbolt Ports | 2 |
Firewire 800 Ports | 1 |
HDMI Ports | 1 |
Gigabit Ethernet Ports | 1 |
Audio Ports | 1 Audio In; 1 Audio Out |
more specs |
Synopsis:
The OWC Thunderbolt 2 dock has the most ports for the money, highest amperage USB ports (good for charging devices), plus Firewire. You can plug in all your stuff in one place. This is the one to get for audio production.
Where To Buy:
Runner Up
StarTech Thunderbolt 2 Docking Station
Pretty much just as good as our main pick, but with eSata, SPDIF, added. However, you lose one USB 3 port. This was a dealbreaker for us. But if it doesn't matter to you this is a great pick!
Sources
- Nick Guy, The Wirecutter, 20151210
The Best Thunderbolt Dock'[The OWC Thunderbolt 2 Dock] has five USB 3.0 ports, the most among the units we tested, and in our tests its USB and Thunderbolt ports were as fast as or faster than those on any other dock. The OWC dock's USB ports also put out a higher combined amperage than the others we tested, making it better suited than any other for charging accessories, and the inclusion of a FireWire 800 port ensures support for legacy peripherals. [..] Although it's not the least expensive or physically the smallest, the OWC dock packs in every feature we consider to be important, at a price that's only about $30 more than the cheapest model we tested. It's a perfect option for anyone who needs to connect to an array of peripherals at a desk without plugging and unplugging every cable every time, or for conveniently adding extra ports to a computer.'
- Jeremy Horwitz, 9to5Mac, 20151014
Best Thunderbolt 2 Docks For Mac'If you need lots of USB port expansion and portability isn't important, OWC's Thunderbolt 2 Dock is a top pick, as it has 2-3 more USB 3.0 ports than any competitor, two of which are constantly powered.'
- Mac Thoughts, Mac Thoughts, 20150201
Review: OWC Thunderbolt 2 Dock'Since writing the review I have done some actual recording and was a little surprised to find the audio input on the dock is mono only – a reduction in capability from the MacBook Pro's internal port.'