M2 Mac mini Pro memory expansion

Rythm Surfer wrote:

Hi everyone. I'm about to buy a 2023 Mac mini Pro. I do audio recordings and use a Scarlett 3rd Gen 18i20 interface...

1.I believe I should be able to connect the Scarlett direct into a USB A port of the Mini with the USB C-USB A cable that came with the interface?

The hardware connection should be trivial. But check with the maker of the audio interface to see whether their software supports the Mac.

2.Having only an internal 512 SSD drive, I'm sure to need more memory.

what would be the best way to get that? A good Hub ? I've heard that they can cause a few problems.

An external SSD drive like the Samsung T9?

Or a thunderbolt dock of some kind that is not too expensive perhaps?

As a rule,

• Hubs and docks don't add more storage. They add ports to which you can attach devices.
• External drives add storage, but don't add more ports.

There are a few hybrid devices that combine a hub or dock with an external drive or two. One example is the OWC miniStack STX . It has room for a 2.5" notebook drive, and a M.2 blade SSD, on top of a few hub ports. But hybrid devices are the exception to the rule. It's more common for people to buy external drives … and to use a separate hub or dock if there would otherwise not be enough places to plug in the drives.

1. Probably, but I would suggest you confirm compatibility with Focusrite to make sure it will work with the new Mac mini and with the version of macOS it will come with, probably 10.15 Sequoia.
2. To expand storage just with a dock/hub you'd need one that came with storage included. I'm generally leery about having too many functions in a single device, so my personal preference would be to get a separate SSD. I'd connect it directly to the Mac just to avoid having too many "moving parts".
3. A Thunderbolt dock can be useful if you need to expand the number of peripherals you need to support, and they can often make things easier when using a laptop. But if all you're going to have are your Scarlett and an external SSD, you probably don't need a dock at this time.

I can't make any recommendations as to a reliable, high-performing SSD, but I'm sure someone else here can.

Regards.