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What MacOS should I choose after Catalina?

fabioparisella

fabioparisella

New Member
Hello!

I'm the proud owner of a 2019 iMac, currently running Catalina (10.15.7) along with Logic Pro (10.6.3).

I'm considering upgrading my operating system to accommodate Kontakt 7, which requires at least Big Sur (Mac OS 11) and potentially a more recent version of Logic.
Now, I'm seeking advice from OS experts: should I opt for Big Sur (which I remember had a few initial issues) or make the leap to Monterey (OS 12)?

I want to strike a balance between staying up-to-date for software compatibility and maintaining the smooth performance I currently enjoy.

Any insights would be greatly appreciated!
Click to read more...
 
I'm no OS expert but I've been using Monterey with basically no problems. The only issue I have, is my SanDisk extreme SSD wants to drop out occasionally, but maybe that's a problem with the SSD and not the OS.
 
If you are able to experiment and come back to a previous OS, I would update directly to Sonoma.
I was on Monterey and was forced to update to Sonoma after my machine was bricked (during a simple OS update, thanks a lot Apple).
So far, Sonoma fixed some issues I had with a Motu audio interface, some other minor ones, and didn't bring new ones (almost). It feels globally more snappy than Monterey to me (I'm using it on a M1 pro)

The only issues I have are with Native Instruments and PA plugins : some of them are sometimes hitting the CPU randomly. I don't have problems with Kontakt though, only with some Reaktor synths (actually, only Rounds, for any strange reason). Some PA plugins are strangely acting also (same random CPU peaks, systematic CPU peak when turning them on or off), but anyway I use them less and less.
Anyway, the 350 other plugins I use, and the last version of Ableton Live 11, don't have any issues with Sonoma.
The good point in going directly to Sonoma is to start with a pretty stable OS and stay there the longest possible. At some point, you'll be obliged to upgrade Monterey anyway because of Kontakt : NI have the smallest window of operation OS-wise I know in the plugin industry, and I'm sure they will drop in 2 years the support for Monterey.

Of course, it's a bit risky given NI at the moment have some pretty strange issues with almost all their plugins on many different platforms, so it may be better for you on Monterey or in Sonoma (depending on unknown factors).
 
My main setup is Big Sur. I did a test run last week: backed up Big Sur partition via Time Machine, installed Sonoma on external SSD, then restored the Big Sur backup on it. Everything runs smoothly so far, mainly: Pro Tools, Cubase, UAD, LUNA and Kontakt. Planning to migrate fully this weekend.
 
Vovique said:
My main setup is Big Sur. I did a test run last week: backed up Big Sur partition via Time Machine, installed Sonoma on external SSD, then restored the Big Sur backup on it. Everything runs smoothly so far, mainly: Pro Tools, Cubase, UAD, LUNA and Kontakt. Planning to migrate fully this weekend.
Click to expand...
Thanks for answering. What Mac do you have?
 
Calagan said:
If you are able to experiment and come back to a previous OS, I would update directly to Sonoma.
I was on Monterey and was forced to update to Sonoma after my machine was bricked (during a simple OS update, thanks a lot Apple).
So far, Sonoma fixed some issues I had with a Motu audio interface, some other minor ones, and didn't bring new ones (almost). It feels globally more snappy than Monterey to me (I'm using it on a M1 pro)

The only issues I have are with Native Instruments and PA plugins : some of them are sometimes hitting the CPU randomly. I don't have problems with Kontakt though, only with some Reaktor synths (actually, only Rounds, for any strange reason). Some PA plugins are strangely acting also (same random CPU peaks, systematic CPU peak when turning them on or off), but anyway I use them less and less.
Anyway, the 350 other plugins I use, and the last version of Ableton Live 11, don't have any issues with Sonoma.
The good point in going directly to Sonoma is to start with a pretty stable OS and stay there the longest possible. At some point, you'll be obliged to upgrade Monterey anyway because of Kontakt : NI have the smallest window of operation OS-wise I know in the plugin industry, and I'm sure they will drop in 2 years the support for Monterey.

Of course, it's a bit risky given NI at the moment have some pretty strange issues with almost all their plugins on many different platforms, so it may be better for you on Monterey or in Sonoma (depending on unknown factors).
Click to expand...
Thanks for sharing your experience. What kind of Mac do you have?
 
fabioparisella said:
Thanks for sharing your experience. What kind of Mac do you have?
Click to expand...
It's in my post : M1 pro, 16 inches, from 2021...
Another view : I think whatever you will do is risky, given your system is perfectly stable now...
I think it's wise on your side not having pushed the updates previously.

In my opinion, it will not be more risky to upgrade to Sonoma than to Monterey, and you will be able to keep the same OS longer, but I may be wrong because it's a total mess right now with plugins since Apple did release their new chip (at least with some devs : mainly Plugin Alliance and Native Instruments - the fact they belong to the same shitty investment firm (Francisco partners) is IMHO not a coincidence)...
 
How long have you got? ;)

I agree with @Calagan. If you have the time, install a fresh copy of Somona on a fast external hard drive and test out your configuration. Best buy yourself the widest possible window in terms of MacOS updates as:

1) The latest versions of Logic tend to require up-to-date OS.
2) You're running an Intel chip and whilst it's not a dead cert - odds on Apple will start dropping support within the next couple of cycles as we collectively bow down to our Apple Silicon overlords. So unless you want to do the upgrade cycle all over again, you might as well settle in a comfortable and recent place as you can for the rest of your Macs useful life. IMO, of course.

As a side note, some of the new hotness in Logic (like the mastering tools) are well worth an update.

May be of interest:
arstechnica.com

How long will the last Intel Macs be supported? macOS Sonoma gives us some hints

Nearly 20 years of data show how Intel Macs are faring as Apple switches chips.
arstechnica.com arstechnica.com
 
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Alex Fraser said:
How long have you got? ;)

I agree with @Calagan. If you have the time, install a fresh copy of Somona on a fast external hard drive and test out your configuration. Best buy yourself the widest possible window in terms of MacOS updates as:

1) The latest versions of Logic tend to require up-to-date OS.
2) You're running an Intel chip and whilst it's not a dead cert - odds on Apple will start dropping support within the next couple of cycles as we collectively bow down to our Apple Silicon overlords. So unless you want to do the upgrade cycle all over again, you might as well settle in a comfortable and recent place as you can for the rest of your Macs useful life. IMO, of course.

As a side note, some of the new hotness in Logic (like the mastering tools) are well worth an update.
Click to expand...
I agree with this advice. And I would upgrade at least to Ventura if the lack of official support by some developers for Somona feels too risky. Ventura has been very stable for me on a 2020 Intel Mac.
 
fabioparisella said:
I'm the proud owner of a 2019 iMac, currently running Catalina (10.15.7) along with Logic Pro (10.6.3).
Click to expand...
I have a Mac Pro 2019 Intel based also, so this is what works for me:

I upgrade to the latest OS release just days before the next release comes out.
So beginning of September I updated to Ventura from Monterey.

I avoid the latest one, to give time for updates in hardware drivers / software.

The good thing about being a year old, is that Logic runs in the latest version. I expect logic to be non compatible with Ventura, around November 2024, but by that time I will have updated to Sonoma.

That's what I do with update. Being a year behind is quite safe, I have around 1600 AU's installed or so, loose track, and can't recall an issue. I also keep a time machine backup, just in case anything goes south.
 
I'm on latest updates on Sonoma 14.2.1 with latest Logic 10.8.1, on a 16" M1 Pro Macbook Pro, but have transitioned away from Kontakt minus MM-Bass and Mint for the rhythm section.

Spitfire, SINE, UAD synths and fx, Sfizz for SFZ, u-he synths, all my sessions are now Apple Silicon native and have had zero hiccups, glitches, or crashes.

I'm a very happy camper and will continue to update everything for the snappiness™

:emoji_grinning:
 
I upgraded my Intel Mac from Catalina to Monterey over the holidays. I stayed on Catalina for so long because as the saying goes, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it." However, as Avid, Softube, Native Instruments, and other developers stopped supporting Catalina, the writing was on the wall; and the holiday break provided the opportunity to make a move.

I chose against Sonoma (and against Apple Silicon when I last bought a Mac) because I've learned the hard way not to be on the cutting edge; and for some reason, my Mac refused to download Ventura, so Monterey it was.

After upgrading to Monterey, I wasn't able to upgrade my copy of Logic Pro because Apple requires macOS 13.5 or greater for the latest version. As a Pro Tools user who rarely uses Logic, it's only a minor letdown for me; but it's worth considering if you primarily use Logic Pro.

For the most part, my setup is running smoothly. My Mac's response is snappier under Monterey than it was running Catalina. The Dock occasionally fails to respond, but that's the only behavioral tick I've encountered so far.

I do have one unsolvable problem: my Apogee Duet 2 interface no longer responds to keyboard commands for playback volume. Apparently, it's a known issue for Ventura but not for Monterey. The Duet 2 is an old interface, and the problem isn't a deal breaker; but it's inconvenient nonetheless. Apogee support confirmed there is no solution to the issue. The Duet 2 has a volume knob I can use, so I just have to change my habits and live with it.

It's nice to be running current versions of all of my apps and plugins, especially Pro Tools. On the whole, I'm glad so far that I upgraded.

Best,

Geoff
 
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