Hoping for some guidance, with thanks in advance.
I’m looking to get a new computer. My current computer, top spec i9 laptop can barely handle the plugs I’m using (TAL J-8, Softube Modular, Arturia Buchla, Newfangled Elevate, non-linear plugs, etc).
I don’t want to make the same mistake I made last time and buy something with a lot of power that real time audio DSP can’t take advantage of.
Looking for any and all thoughts and recommendations (won’t go PC, not my thing).
Thanks 
…all ur worries are over…even an already considered “old” m1 pro chip machine with 16gigs of unified ram and at least a 512 ssd will never let u down again when it comes to all sorts of audio treatment “only”…while staying all cool…
the M1 chips were already beasts. i assume the new M2 models even moreso. when i was shopping for a new MBP last year, they seemed to be handling anything the testers were throwing at them with Logic Pro
While I’d love to find a reason to upgrade from my 16" M1 MBP, I can’t justify it. The thing is incredible.
My 2020 M1 MacBook Air is a monster, and it’s only 8gb.
M1 machine with 16gb RAM and you will be good to go, as others have said here. There are good used deals around too if you hunt.
As everyone else has said, the M1 lineup is the bees knees. I’m planning to use my M1 14" MBP for many many years. It was a huge leap over the Intel chipset. Can get a better bang for buck on M1 versus M2 and soon to land M3. M1 was so impressive that I also ended up with a second M1 16" MBP and an M1 Mac Mini as my desktop (which is an amazing value).
same 
Depending on what you need, just spec out a mac of your choice with apple silicon. If you use large sample libraries then push the ram, although going over 32 gigs is insane unless you are making Hollywood scores. If you need a laptop get a macbook pro, you will get a very good display, solid sustained performance, but i would opt out of the binned low end models. Another thing to consider is waiting a couple of months, maybe 6-8 till apple releases the m3 chips, which will be based on 3nm technology. That will further improve (in large margins) the power vs. power consumption. Judging by what you wrote: do not get a max chip as that only increases the graphics performance. Gpu audio is gaining ground, but for now it is minuscule (in support by actual developers). Get a pro chip, or if you go for the studio obviously go for the ultra, since it’s two chips in one.
…stop looking for further gas arguments…what u got there is future proofed for pretty much a decade to come…at least until they start promoting m5’s…but that’s already way under 3 nanometer transistor designs by then…and around that time, we already see the first quantum computing ready to go…and all digital age is taking the next step…zero and one combos, the code dna we’re used to will be over…before that happens, i better buy another last m chip design to be on the safe side of history… 
Yeah I have an M1 MBP 14” with only 16gb of ram and it’s a monster for audio. I will never run out of power. You could even go MacBook Air honestly but I depend on all the ports on the Pro
Do you expect prices for M2 Air with smaller screens to drop soon? My feeling is that since they announced the newer version with the 15 inch screen, they’ve already dropped. But since I don’t necessarily need a new MacBook, I might sit out buying an M2 until M3 comes out if that means lower cost. Would buy it mostly because my 2014 Max Book Pro is just too big and I would appreciate the 13 inch screen version of Air M2.
Also curious about transferring Ableton license and plugin licenses. If I deactivate them for the old laptop, should I still expect problems? Thinking of Arturia V Collection and Valhalla and Fors stuff mostly.
I first bought a M1 Air. Plenty of power. Screen too small for my aging eyes. Having only 2 ports with one being taken for power was unacceptable. After a few months I moved to a M1 16" MacBook Pro. Wow, what a difference in connectivity. Dedicated power jack. Three Thunderbolt 4 jacks. SD card and HDMI port. Mine has 16GB / 1TB. Bought a 4 TB Samsung T7 SSD and attached it to my computer via velcro on the back of the monitor.
This is my perfect setup. I recently bought a M2 Mini with 32GB / 1TB and can tell no real power difference. For me, anything less than 1TB internal drive gets cramped really fast because Apple insists on so many things being on the internal drive. Right now I have 600 GB available but I need to install my MPC expansions and Akai does everything they can to force you into using the internal drive. If I had gotten 32GB memory I would not worry as much, but with 8 or 16 you have more memory swapping to wear down your SSD.
Anyway, velcroing the external SSD to the back of the monitor was my greatest discovery. The only issue is many drives have a coating that tape does not like to stick to. You have to wrap those with duct tape before applying velcro.
Just echoing what has already been said, but you really can’t go wrong with an Apple Silicon machine. I have the 14” M1 MacBook Pro with 16GB RAM and it’s a beast. I’d recommend 16 GB of RAM, as much internal storage as your budget allows. (easier to add additional external storage down the line).
I would’ve gone MB Air route, but wanted/could budget for the Pro, because I wanted the full selection of I/O.
No if you are worried about price I would definitely buy an M2 or even M1 now. Prices, if you look at the real global situation will only go up. And apple will not take the lower shelf. Prices of used will also go up, especially if the new models are exorbitantly priced.
Also (depending where you live) consider a refurbished Mac direct from Apple. One year warranty, and also eligible for AppleCare.
Kind of obvious so not advice but I’m already trading in my M1 Air with lowest specs, 8gb and 251gb storage not enough. Still was impressive when I first got it.
Looking at M2 pro 16gb, 512gb. At least apple will give me $500 for the M1 Air 
Assuming that will handle Ableton with multiple plugins and illustrator so 32gb isn’t necessary…
If you don’t have to carry it with you, get a Mac Mini and a nice monitor (or two, or three). I’ve been using MacBooks for over a decade, but I sold my last one in January and no way I’m coming back. I’m not going to pay Apple prices for Acer quality again.
A Mini on the other hand would give you the Apple Silicon power without sleep issues, battery swelling, display notches and other MacBook-exclusive features.
I have used an M1 mini, and an M1 MacBook Pro for music. Both with 16GB ram. Both are fantastic.
I would recommend 16GB ram though. I returned an M1 mini with 8GB ram because I got some memory warnings from Logic Pro. I use very few fancy plugins or even much MIDI, so that was a warning.
But these machines are amazing for music. Utterly silent, crazy battery life, and they never get hot. Plus, the MacBook Pro (and the M2 Air I think) have a fancy switching high-impedance headphone jack that’s easily as good as a cheap-to-mid-level audio interface.
I would say 16gb is minimum requirement, 32 is recommended these days