Because it's an era where you can freely build an environment.
External GPU "Blackmagic eGPU" released in July 2018. We at Gizmodo Japan also tried it, but in the work of the editorial department, we couldn't feel its power. Well, it's a basic text work, so it can't be helped.
At that time, I got information on Twitter that Yasutaka Nakata had introduced a Blackmagic eGPU and a 2018 model MacBook Pro. Right after the release and right after.
New Macbook Pro Black Magic eGPU #Apple#MacBookPro2018#BlackMagiceGPU#Studio#YasutakaNakata@Apple@Blackmagic_Newspic.twitter.com/IAcHVnZ4xf
— Yasutaka Nakata (@YNOFFICIAL_) July 23, 2018As you can tell from the previous interview, Yasutaka Nakata is so knowledgeable about gadgets that even Gizmodo can't lose. If so, there must be a deep meaning to introducing eGPU! Let's go talk again!
That's why this project came true. Three years ago, Mr. Nakata changed the PC used in the studio from a desktop to a laptop, and moved to an environment where he can also produce on mobile. How has the studio and mobile production environment changed with the introduction of the eGPU into the studio?
Why are music producers using eGPU?
──What was the impetus for introducing the eGPU in the first place?
Yasutaka Nakata (hereafter referred to as Nakata): Well, it's because there won't be a new model of the rumored "Apple Thunderbolt Display". That story of wanting to reduce the number of cables connecting Macs and equipment.
──It's a familiar problem with Thunderbolt Display (laughs).
Editor's note: In the previous interview, Mr. Nakata explained why he continues to use the 2011 Thunderbolt Display by using the Thunderbolt 2 port on the back of the Thunderbolt Display to daisy chain the MacBook Pro → Thunderbolt Display → audio interface. He said that he could do it. However, since the Thunderbolt Display is the latest Thunderbolt 2, not the latest Thunderbolt 3, equipment that cannot be denzy-chained (such as a MIDI keyboard) occupies a separate port on the MacBook Pro. That's why I had two cables plugged into my MacBook Pro.
Nakata: Basically, I wanted to daisy chain everything from the display to the equipment, and connect all the equipment to the MacBook Pro with a single Thunderbolt 3 cable. Then it would be nice to buy a Thunderbolt dock, but eGPU conversion can output more beautifully than using the existing dock, so I installed eGPU.
Nakata: Another thing is the color of the main unit. All the new gear I'm using now is space gray. The audio interface "Apollo Twin" also became MkII and became space gray.
──Magic Trackpad 2 and Magic Keyboard were also space gray.
Nakata: The new 2018 model MacBook Pro is also space gray. So what if the new Thunderbolt Display, rumored to come out with the new Mac Pro, isn't space gray?
──Did you experience any changes in the comfort of production when you actually introduced the eGPU?
Nakata: Well, there are good points and bad points. The good thing is that the hub on the back of the current Thunderbolt Display is USB 2.0. The eGPU port is USB 3.1, so it's easy to plug in and unplug various external devices, and the new Native Instruments (NI) keyboard I'm using now supports bus power, so connecting to the eGPU simply turns it off. . If you connect a MIDI keyboard directly to the Thunderbolt Display, the voltage is not enough. And the bad point is that you can't really feel the power of graphics. It's a fundamental thing.
──So you are very particular about the wiring.
Nakata: You're more motivated when you're beautiful, aren't you? Since we are steadily reducing the equipment, we have more leeway to be particular about the wiring. In the past, analog, digital, and LAN cables were jumbled up, so I didn't feel like I was particular about the appearance, but now that there aren't many things, I want to match the colors and make it beautiful.
Right now it's a ``extremely expensive thunderbolt dock''
- You say you haven't really felt the power of graphics yet, but how does an eGPU contribute to your music production?
Nakata: I don't think the DAW "Cubase" I use for production is compatible with this, and I've never heard of it. I don't think there are any DAWs that render with GPUs.
──In that case, the eGPU doesn't contribute to music production...?
Nakata: It doesn't contribute. The resolution of the Thunderbolt Display I'm using right now isn't all that high, but if you're looking to switch to a high-resolution display like LG's UltraFine 5K Display, I'd prefer an external display rather than a direct connection to the Mac itself. The new Thunderbolt Display will also have a high resolution, so I thought so and introduced it first.
──For example, is there any effect when loading large samples such as orchestral sound sources instead of soft synths?
Nakata: Isn't there one? In the first place, I wonder if the experience you can enjoy with eGPU is happening in a range that I don't notice. Also, the MacBook Pro I'm using now has the strongest specs, so the difference with the eGPU may not be so noticeable. That's why it's currently a very expensive Thunderbolt dock.
──In my heart, I felt like that (laughs)
Nakata: A lot of people might say, "That usage doesn't take advantage of the eGPU part of the eGPU." But then I feel like I want a new camera like the GH5 to try out this graphics power, and the new GoPro seems to need more power, so that's how I feel.
──There are various software that supports eGPU, and there is a difference in support, such as 4K export with "iMovie" is not so much, but "DaVinci Resolve" is very fast.
Nakata: DaVinci Resolve is our own software. I use Final Cut Pro X for video editing, and the preview seems smoother. However, I don't really feel the speed. I haven't checked it in detail, so I'm sorry.
Also, "GoPro HERO7" and the next HERO8 are getting more and more new, aren't they? When 4K60p and 6K become the norm for next-generation cameras, it will be difficult without an eGPU. That's why we introduced it earlier.
I think that's in the near future, and the 5K displays we'll see around that time shouldn't be connected directly to the Mac. While making excuses such as this, I bought it because I wanted it (laughs).
Comment from Mr. Nakata: ``At a later date, I will install the editing software DaVinci Resolve and try using it, so maybe I can use the eGPU properly from now on? Now that it supports image stabilization, I have more opportunities to shoot in 4K60p. Considering that editing, the role of the eGPU may have increased."
View this post on Instagram#gopro #ultra #ultrajapan
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By the way, Mr. Nakata is an enthusiastic GoPro fan. At the time when there were only five GoPro HERO7s in Japan, she already had one
──It's important to justify the reason for buying (laughs).
Nakata: I still don't know how much citizenship an external GPU can get. In music, there is an external DSP (digital signal processor, a dedicated processor that performs digital signal processing of audio without imposing a load on the CPU), so throwing processing externally is a common structure. But it lacks versatility. A plug-in maker called UAD needs dedicated hardware, and it has a DSP called "SHARC" that runs plug-ins, but it's only for UAD. But GPUs and CPUs don't have that kind of specialization, do they? So if external chips gain citizenship, I think it will be good because they can be used for various purposes. Virtual currency seems to use GPU, and if music can also be processed by GPU, I wonder if manufacturers can sell it.
Trying out gadgets and making music are exactly the same excitement
──How was the compatibility and compatibility between the equipment you already own and the eGPU?
Nakata: There was no particular problem. Ah, but I thought it would be extremely stable because it was sold at the Apple Store, but it wasn't, and there were quite a few times when I failed to unmount the eGPU. I thought I could use it just like taking out an external HDD, but there is a relatively long wait to take it out. I plug and unplug frequently, so after using the eGPU, I turned it off instead of going to sleep.
──So you're saying that a connection error may occur when resuming from sleep mode, but it's fine with a reboot?
Nakata: Yes. I have a Thunderbolt Display connected to the eGPU, so when I unmount the eGPU, the screen moves to the MacBook, but it takes quite a while. In that case, I think that shutting down the system is kinder to the equipment, so I turn off the power every time. Also, just like with PCI, it's scary to pull out the cable connected to the GPU (laughs).
──I totally understand. Does the fact that you plug and unplug a lot mean that you are often in a mobile environment not only when you are out but also when you are at home?
Nakata: That's right. When I'm not working, I disconnect my MacBook Pro from the eGPU and display.
──Can you bring the MacBook you use in the studio to the living room and surf the internet?
Nakata: Yes, absolutely.
──Are you using only one Mac? You don't have two, do you?
Nakada: I have other Macs, but in the end I only use the one I use as the main one, so I don't use them side by side. Even if I search for "how to use leftover Macs", I get only normal answers (laughs).
On Macs from the previous generation, I tried installing software that I was afraid to install on the main machine. Try installing a new OS there. So I don't feel like I'm using it properly.
──In the end, it's troublesome to use them properly.
Nakata: I rather like experimental operation. I'm not a YouTuber or anything, but I wondered which is more important to me, 2.7K60p or 4K30p with GoPro. "Do I want to focus on movement or on resolution? No, I can shoot at 4K60p, but the image stabilization doesn't work, so I'll use a gimbal. da!” I live with such worries every day (laughs).
──(laughs)
Nakata: I don't take selfies, but I try to see how much the in-camera can cover. However, I have exactly the same tension when trying out gadgets and making music, so it just happens to be my job.
How to choose monitor earphones and speakers
──When you are not using an eGPU, in other words, you are also concerned about equipment in a mobile environment. Mr. Nakata, what is your monitor environment like? I saw that you are using Shure's in-ear monitor "SE846".
Nakata: If you're in an environment where you can't produce enough volume, earphones are better.
──Will the SE846 work well enough?
Nakata: You can. However, I don't use that environment alone, so it doesn't mean that I can complete all the work with just the SE846. I can check it properly when I get back to the studio.
View this post on Instagram#daw #macbookpro
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──Apart from concentrating hard at home, I think we're in an era where mobiles can make about 70% of the home environment possible.
Nakata: That's right. Until now, in mobile environments, monitor speakers were the biggest problem. The reason is that the speakers must be large to produce good sound. It's just a matter of air vibrations, and it's definitely better to be big and heavy. There are some that are good even if they are small, but in the sense that they are good among small speakers, they cannot compete with physically large speakers. But lately it's been getting better and better. It was the earphones that made me think that if I couldn't produce enough sound, this would be fine.
──If you are reluctant to use small speakers, there are situations where earphones are better.
Nakata: That's right. There are also ways to choose speakers and headphones, and whether the speakers are for the main person or speakers to complement the headphones. It depends on whether the headphones are for the main person or headphones to complement the speakers. The SE846 I'm using has only earphones, and for people who have to create in an environment where speakers can't play, isn't it a good investment (SE846 is about 100,000 yen)? It's an earphone.
──I see.
Nakata: So for mobile, SE846 is the main one. The iLoud Micro Monitor I have now is a speaker that I want to bring if I can bring a speaker with my earphones. On the other hand, if I can only bring speakers, I will take the smallest monitor speakers from Genelec (a manufacturer for professional audio) instead of iLoud. iLoud is definitely comfortable to make bass sounds, but if you don't have earphones that you can check properly, it's Genelec.
Nakata: That's how the combination of earphones and speakers changes things. For those who have the RX100, it feels like smartphones don't have to focus on cameras.
──I understood it in one shot (laughs)
Nakata: The smartphones chosen by people who have digital cameras and those who don't are different, aren't they? Do you want a camera that can take bokeh like a digital camera, or do you want a camera that can easily shoot 4K60p?
The current environment is a combination of such division of roles, so if you just talk about speakers or earphones, you won't be able to communicate. So I have the SE846, but I always carry my EarPods with me.
──Huh, that's surprising.
Nakata: With EarPods, whatever you listen to will sound like EarPods. That's why it's important to confirm, of course, and it feels good to hear the sound of EarPods. As an inner ear type that leaks sound, I think that the bass is amazing.
──Are you aware that many people listen to music on their iPhones and EarPods these days?
Nakata: It's not like I'm using it calmly, but I want to have a lot of things to listen to. SE846 and EarPods sound completely different. The role is different, I think the role of EarPods is to make the sound of EarPods no matter what source you plug in. It's like the difference in vividness between commercial monitors and home TVs. I think the role of the TV in the living room is the EarPods, and it's important to make me think, "It's beautiful enough even if it's not 4K!" For example, I want to use EarPods instead of SE846 when watching YouTuber videos on the Shinkansen.
As I said, EarPods are probably the most heard sound in the world. I think EarPods are the most listened to my songs. In that sense, EarPods have become the standard, but the sound of EarPods is very distinctive, so it's a bit different from the standard in the world. But it's also true that there are people who think it's normal and listen to it. Even if you buy BA type earphones for about 10,000 yen, you can hear better with EarPods. so characteristic.
──It's exactly what you value.
Nakata: Ideally, I would like to be able to listen to the sound of the Genelec that I usually use, but there are times when I don't want to hear it on the Genelec.
When I get tired of listening to a review or a four-hour live sound source on the Genelec with a crunchy bass, I prefer to use the Thunderbolt Display's speaker output and set the volume to about the third level and leave the sound on. is easy. So it's all about how you use it.
Earphones and keyboards are all "expansion tools" for production
──Just around 2016, when Mr. Nakata started to make his work environment mobile, Kenshi Yonezu and Charli XCX I feel like I'm going out more musically, such as collaborating with Mr. Was the shift to mobile related to such a change in production style?
Nakata: Rather than outside, I had the desire to do music for the sake of music. I call it a solo activity, but it feels like I'm not making songs for myself, I'm calling people for music.
──You said that when you interviewed for your first solo album “Digital Native”.
Nakata: There is a voice that I want for the song I'm making, and I'm going to ask you to participate for that song. Originally, I was making songs with that kind of feeling, but there were various things such as, for example, a major debut is not like that, and in reality it's not like that, but now I feel like it's an era where there's no sense of incongruity with that way of doing things. Stay.
──It just happened to be close to the time when the environment became mobile.
Nakata: I don't want to create something on mobile. I want it to be heavy enough to be carried around. I have a fixed studio, but it would be nice to be able to work anywhere. I think it's important to have the feeling that you can make things to some extent without having to go back there. When I was a student, I had the image of being a professional with a lot of equipment and a stout studio. That's why I made it Nintendo Switch style.
──A TV at home and a portable outside.
Nakata: That's why I've lost the sense of separating sub and main. It's nice to feel that the main part can be done anywhere and is taken for granted. But I also like remote activation of PS4 (laughs).
──(laughs)
Nakada: The genuine controller is a dongle, so you can play it on both Mac and Windows. There are delays, but it's still within the playable range, and I've done "Final Fantasy" in the studio.
──The environment is mobile. It's like going back to the studio and hooking it up to an eGPU (Thunderbolt hub) for even more power.
Nakata: Oh yeah. Everything is an extension. Even if you only have a Mac for music production, you can do step input if you work hard, and you can make it with the built-in speaker if you work hard. But having a keyboard to play with has strengthened me. You can use earphones, or you can use a small speaker. But there are also decent speakers. However, it is important that the main body remains the same.
Since I started using the eGPU, I've been able to connect all of my equipment and my Mac with a single cable, so the sense of expansion is even stronger. Because it connects with Daan in one shot.
It's also interesting to see all the external devices, from audio interfaces to MIDI keyboards, all connected in such a way that they don't look like a single system. Wouldn't it be fun to disconnect the MacBook Pro from the eGPU and not connect anything?
──It looks like Mazinger Z. It's like turning on the piler and moving the bigger one.
Nakata: What's more, it's amazing that you can use other people's MacBooks, isn't it?
My ideal studio is like that, with a display, keyboard, speakers, and an audio interface, all connected to the machine with a single Thunderbolt, and anyone can work right away. I want to create such an environment in various places.
So, in Mr. Nakata's production environment, the Blackmagic eGPU has no influence (so far). However, it seems that the connection with peripheral devices such as displays and keyboards has become smoother, and it is perfect for video editing, which is likely to become more high-fidelity in the future. Even so, the power word "expensive Thunderbolt dock".
But the term "everything is an extension" fits very well. We are no longer in an era where only one desktop PC is in the home, and we are in an era where we can choose our favorite external device depending on what elements we want to upgrade. Depending on the person, it may be an external display, a speaker, a pen tablet, or a printer. There are things that you don't have to have, but it's good to have.
It might be natural to prepare a special device or place when specialization is required. Here may be the hint to achieve both powerfulness and portability.
