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Description

Revolutionize your music production setup with the Apple Mac Pro (Cylinder), a powerhouse designed for the modern musician and audio professional. This sleek, cylindrical marvel is engineered to handle the most demanding audio tasks with ease, ensuring your creative flow is never interrupted. At its core, the Mac Pro boasts a formidable 3.7GHz Quad-core Intel Xeon E5 processor, providing the muscle you need for multitrack recording, mixing, and mastering.

But the magic doesn't stop there. Apple has integrated dual AMD FirePro D300 graphics, allowing you to tackle complex audio-visual projects and seamlessly work with high-resolution displays. The Mac Pro's cutting-edge PCIe-based flash storage ensures your files load instantly, giving you the speed and efficiency needed in a fast-paced studio environment.

One of the most striking features of this machine is its innovative design. The compact cylinder not only looks sophisticated but is engineered with a unique thermal core to keep things cool and quiet. This means you can focus on your music without distractions, even when the Mac Pro is operating at full capacity.

For those who demand connectivity, the Mac Pro offers an array of options with four USB 3 ports, six Thunderbolt 2 ports, dual Gigabit Ethernet, and more. Whether you're connecting multiple instruments, audio interfaces, or displays, the Mac Pro has you covered.

Key Features:

  • 3.7GHz Quad-core Intel Xeon E5 processor
  • 12GB DDR3 ECC memory
  • Dual AMD FirePro D300 graphics
  • 256GB PCIe-based Flash storage
  • Supports up to three 4K displays
  • Four USB 3 and Six Thunderbolt 2 ports
  • Dual Gigabit Ethernet; HDMI 1.4 UltraHD
  • 802.11ac Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.0 technology
Luke Miani

Luke Miani

I bought the cheapest 'trashcan' 2013 Mac Pro just to prove how bad it is

Video thumbnail for I bought the cheapest 'trashcan' 2013 Mac Pro just to prove how bad it is by Luke Miani

I bought the cheapest 'trashcan' 2013 Mac Pro just to prove how bad it is

Luke Miani

Luke Miani

Video thumbnail for Trash or Treasure - 2013 Mac Pro Upgrade and Review by Craft Computing

Trash or Treasure - 2013 Mac Pro Upgrade and Review

Craft Computing

Craft Computing

Video thumbnail for Is $260 Mac Pro Trashcan STILL a PRO ? by Ihor Pushkar

Is $260 Mac Pro Trashcan STILL a PRO ?

Ihor Pushkar

Ihor Pushkar

Video thumbnail for Should You Buy a 2013 'Trash Can' Mac Pro in 2023? by Techno Eclipse

Should You Buy a 2013 'Trash Can' Mac Pro in 2023?

Techno Eclipse

Techno Eclipse

Video thumbnail for Mac Pro 2013 AngelShark Carrier Board™ Mac Pro (Late 2013) cylinder storage upgrade by M.2 PCIe SSD by History and Reviews

Mac Pro 2013 AngelShark Carrier Board™ Mac Pro (Late 2013) cylinder storage upgrade by M.2 PCIe SSD

History and Reviews

History and Reviews

Video thumbnail for Apple Mac Pro Cylinder by Articwood Tech

Apple Mac Pro Cylinder

Articwood Tech

Articwood Tech

Reviews

Owner Insights

We analyzed real musician discussions from forums and Reddit to find what players love, question, and tweak about Apple Mac Pro (Cylinder).

Mods and upgrades

  • Consider upgrading the Mac Pro 6,1 from a 6-Core to a 12-Core processor for enhanced performance, although finding these parts can be challenging.

    Source
  • The 12-core Xeon processor and NVMe drives can be upgraded cheaply, enhancing performance significantly.

    Source

User experience

  • Some users report the D500 GPU model has a lower failure rate compared to the D700, offering more reliability.

    Source
  • Owners have successfully driven six 4K monitors using both native DP output and additional outputs from an eGPU.

    Source
  • Users report frequent issues with the Mac Pro 6,1, such as USB shorting, random shutdowns, and monitor flickering due to GPU problems.

    Source

Software and compatibility

  • OpenCore allows installation of the latest macOS, extending the machine's usability despite Apple's discontinued support.

    Source
  • Owners report successful operation under macOS Monterey, indicating continued software compatibility for certain applications and workflows.

    Source

Use cases and applications

  • Final Cut Pro and other video editing apps can efficiently utilize the dual GPUs for rendering tasks.

    Source
  • It's been noted that the Mac Pro 6,1 can still perform reliably for video production tasks when paired with 27" Cinema Displays, despite its age.

    Source
  • Some users still utilize the Mac Pro 6,1 for running virtual machines, such as Windows 10 VMs, to manage music libraries with Windows-exclusive software.

    Source
  • The Mac Pro 6,1's GPU problems remain unfixed, making it less reliable for intensive media, photo, and video work.

    Source

Comparisons

  • The D500 GPU is noted to outperform the M1 in compute tasks, providing considerable value for intensive applications.

    Source
  • The Mac Mini i7 2018 offers higher single core performance and Thunderbolt 3 compared to the Mac Pro 6,1, and is generally cheaper.

    Source

Features and functionality

  • The onboard HDMI is limited to 1080p 60Hz; a mini display-DP cable is required for 4K output.

    Source
  • The Mac Pro 6,1 can be upgraded to 64GB or 128GB of RAM, but a performance hit occurs at 128GB compared to other models.

    Source

Value and pricing

  • The high resale value of the Mac Pro 6,1 does not align well with its real-world performance, especially for video editing tasks.

    Source

Setup and maintenance

  • Owners recommend repasting all parts of the Mac Pro 6,1 for better performance, particularly focusing on the graphics core.

    Source

Critic Reviews

The Mac Pro Review (Late 2013)

anandtech.com

The 2013 Apple Mac Pro is a bold reimagining of professional desktops, with its sleek, cylindrical design and impressive thermal core cooling system. Its dual-GPU setup and high-performance components make it a powerhouse for professional applications. However, the lack of internal expansion options and high starting price of $2999 are significant drawbacks. The Mac Pro is ideal for users prioritizing design and power in a compact package, but DIY builders will find better value elsewhere. Overall, it's a positive step forward for Apple's desktop line, despite some limitations in flexibility and cost.

positive

Apple Mac Pro review | TechRadar

techradar.com

The Apple Mac Pro (Cylinder) is a powerhouse, designed for high-end tasks like 3D graphics and machine learning, with a sturdy build and whisper-quiet operation. Its expandability and customizable features make it ideal for professional environments that require constant high performance. However, its significant cost and lack of updates since 2019 may deter some buyers. While it excels in professional settings, offering superior multitasking and GPU utilization, its price might not justify its capabilities for average users. This is a workstation for those who truly need its robust features.

positive

Apple Mac Pro Review - Videomaker

videomaker.com

Apple's Mac Pro (Cylinder) impresses with its sleek, innovative design and powerhouse performance. With a compact, cylindrical aluminum enclosure, it packs an 8-core Intel Xeon processor, dual AMD FirePro graphics, and 64GB of memory, ensuring top-notch speed and quiet operation. However, this marvel comes with a hefty price tag, especially when upgrading from the base model, which starts at $3,000. It lacks a keyboard and mouse, and its limited legacy I/O ports may require additional adapters for older peripherals. Despite these downsides, for those seeking a cutting-edge, whisper-quiet workstation, the Mac Pro is hard to beat.

positive

Apple Mac Pro (2013) Review | PCMag

pcmag.com

The Apple Mac Pro (2013) is a masterclass in compact innovation, wowing with its sleek, cylindrical design and powerhouse capabilities. Equipped with an Intel Xeon E5 processor and dual AMD FirePro graphics, it handles multiple 4K streams effortlessly and offers extensive external connectivity with six Thunderbolt 2 ports. However, its staggering price and lack of internal upgrades—no access to the processor or graphics cards—might deter some. Despite a shorter warranty than competitors, the Mac Pro stands as a bold reimagining of professional desktops, earning its place as an Editors' Choice for its futuristic design and exceptional performance.

positive
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4.5 out of 5

Based on 12 Reviews and 48 Ratings

5 star
4 star
3 star
2 star
1 star
knebula

Beast

This thing can handle 120 tracks in a 96khz Logic session, with merciless routing for CPU using Kontakt 5 on 18 separate tracks, with 4 tabs open on safari looking for the name of the Kisses of Sun song, and one tab open in Chrome torrenting softcore porn from Reddit.

knebula

Gear porn, not human porn! How dare you.

william_fletcher

Replacements for Apple Cheese Greater boxes

These are not suitable there is not enough ports and they are round so don't fit i

olleyollet

You don't want to know how many tracks this thing can handle, it will just make your mind melt.

As a musician who uses their computer for the center of everything they do, their is no better investment than a powerful computer. A lot of people go about spending their money on the hottest plug-ins and all that. I think its a lot wiser to save your money up for a new computer.

You don't want to know how many tracks this thing can handle, it will just make your mind melt.

kapler

Tough machine!

This is my main computer in the studio, its really quiet, has all the ports I need.

midnightsummergreen

Horsepower!

The Mac Book is so fast, great design and perfect for all my garbage - I love to work with in my studio .... the best !

L

The Main Hub

I use Presonus Studio One as my main DAW of choice for recording. Also Ableton, Bitwig and Logic are present

greg2hype

Quad-core power with dual GPUs and ample memory

Apple Mac Pro Quad-Core and Dual GPU 3.7GHz Quad-Core Intel Xeon E5 processor 32GB 1866MHz DDR3 ECC memory Dual AMD FirePro D300 with 2GB GDDR5 VRAM each 256GB PCIe-based flash storage

C

Mac Pro (2014)

The new center of the studio. Can't wait to see what this baby can do.

dstruction

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Artist usage

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See how Alex Klingle uses Apple Mac Pro (Cylinder)

Alex Klingle

...
Verified via Photo
  • "Late 2013 6-core Mac Pro with 32gb Ram smile emoticon"
See how Thomas G:Son uses Apple Mac Pro (Cylinder)

Thomas G:Son

Composer, Music Producer

...
Verified via http://sla.se

Hidden behind his iMac, you can see a Mac Pro at the back of this photo of Thomas G:son's studio:

https://slase.r.worldssl.net/incoming/lhyvdl-2329043.jpg/alternates/LANDSCAPE_1140/2329043.jpg

See how Simon Franglen uses Apple Mac Pro (Cylinder)

Simon Franglen

Keyboardist, Composer

...
Verified via OWC RADiO

Two 2013 units are mentioned in this October 26, 2020 OWC Radio interview.

Simon, you’re in Hollywood. Can you do me a favor? Can you kind of look around the studio you’re in and tell our audience what kind of gear you’re using and a little bit about your process. I know you have a current project you can’t talk about. You can’t talk about the one you’re working on now. But perhaps we can use the example of the 2019 release of The Birth of Skies and Earth because that was a huge project, and perhaps we can talk about how you managed that one?

Well, if I look around from where I am, I’m looking at a 55-inch OLED main monitor, which I moved to use touchscreens, and I’d like backlighting, so they don’t sort of blast your eyes out, especially late at night. And then that’s feeding into a 28-core Mac Pro 2019 with 384GB of RAM and 32TB of OWC RAID internally.

Oh, that’s awesome. So you’re using the OWC SSDs inside the Mac Pro?

Yeah. The NVMe writes,

Aha, you know, they just came out with a new case for those. You can actually carry some of those projects with you and use them on your laptop. If you’re thinking about work, you can actually hook the Envoy Pro to the back of your laptop with the NVMe in it. It’s wonderful.

I have external 4M2. I have the 4M2s externals as well as the 4M2s internals. I have two boxes with 8TB in each, which I used to carry stuff around as well.

So you have a studio in London, and you’re currently in a studio in LA. Is that your second place, or are you just traveling?

Yes, it is.

Okay, you have a full setup. You’re looking at your 55-inch OLED. What manufacturer do you use for your monitor?

I’ve used the Sony, but it’s the same panel as the LG. It’s basically the same thing, but I like the Sony. It was the one that came out that had the sort of angled stand on it and made it look a bit like an artist’s easel, and it works perfectly. I have it set up on my keyboard workstation. I have a Yamaha 88-Note Keyboard in front of it. And then a load of little side panels used to control different things like iPads and androids of various sorts that go with different remote controls. Then to my right is an iMac Pro, which is a, I want to say a 12-core. And that’s got 128GB in RAM in there. And then I’ve got two Mac Pro 2013, they both have 128GB in as well.

See how Drifting in Silence uses Apple Mac Pro (Cylinder)

Drifting in Silence

Music Producer

...
Verified via Photo

In this Instagram photo of Drifting In Silence's studio setup, you can see the Mac Pro on the main recording desk.

Genre Usage

Based on how artists on Equipboard use this gear, it is most commonly found in the following genres.

Used With

Based on how musicians on Equipboard use Apple Mac Pro (Cylinder), it is most commonly used with the following gear.

Community setups

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ryan_kay

ryan_kay

Gear IQ 59

rick_shepard

rick_shepard

Gear IQ 98

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