Hi all!
So, I am beginning to feel the age of my 2009 Mac Pro quite strongly...
I still on Yosemite, and I was wondering if anything is worth knowing that might cause me a scare or any real trouble if I would upgrade to an iMac Pro with Sierra/High Sierra?
Just curious what you people think, or have experienced.

Thanks!
Ciao,
Mike.

 

Wait....The NEW Mac Pro 2019 is coming later! I guess it would be the ultimate beast!!


In the same situation here, but I'm using a very heavenly upgraded Mac Pro, God knows how much I spent for all those upgrades!
It's working great...But, yea, it's time for a good new Mac Pro!

 

Will anything scare you? How about the price?

 

Yup. it won't be cheap.

 

Just upgrade it to High Sierra. You'll need to do the firmware hack, but it's really easy.
My 2009 Pro is still better than the garbage they released since. Save the money for software or hardware synths


https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/How+to+Upgrade+the+Firmware+of+a+2009+Mac+Pro+41/98985

 

I was considering getting one. What holds me back: In contrast to my old Mac Pro it's a completely non-upgradable (say: disposable) machine.
Technically it's possible to upgrade processor and RAM, if you have talent for this kind of work:

https://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/iMac+Pro+Teardown/101807

But anyway you can't upgrade the internal SSD or exchange any defective component yourself. It's more or less a monolithic block. As long as you have no problem to pay Apples crazy prices for decent RAM and storage and to buy AppleCare, selling the machine after it has run out. If it will fail without being covered by Apple care anymore you basically have to buy a new one.
Being used to my 2008 Mac Pro that feels like a big step backwards for me. Over the last 10 years on the Pro I have upgraded memory, graphics card and storage, exchanged defective DVDR, installed esata and USB3.

Now that there are 8-core i7s in the pipeline I'm considering building a Hackintosh. And if it won't work as a Hackintosh I'll install Windows, cut off the network and use it as a dedicated DAW workstation.
Maybe another option is to wait for the new Mac Pro. But I fear they will come up with something different than that updated 2012 model I would buy instantly.

 

A glu€d tog€th€r comput€r would mak€ m€ n€rvou$. And th€ fact that you n€€d to but anything from appl€ i$ a no go for m€.
Until Appl€ $€ll$ a $olid upgrad€abl€ comput€r I $tick with building Hackinto$h€$.

 

I'm sure I've upgraded/replaced my: drives, memory, added PCI cards and have ordered 2 new CPU's for my Mac Pro 2009...

 

yeah the old maschine are still upgradable, try that with a trashcan or imac.


I am exited to see the new Mac Pro

 

Same here, updated SSD and memory, great machine!
But I am more curious about big differences between running Yosemite and running Sierra concerning software that will or won't work anymore...
So I was thinking about buying an iMac or iMac Pro to gradually implement as my DAW, while the 2009 is still operational as my main DAW until the new machine is completely running.
Upgrading the firmware works, I did that to my 2009 MacBook Pro, running like a charm.
So, any thoughts on software (albeit cracked or 'for reals') that may or may not run anymore?
Thanks so far dudes/gals!
Mike.

 

Hahahaha, yeah, it IS very expensive!!

 

I've had no issues with software as most if not all companies have updated their software/plugs to run on Sierra. Being on Yosemite is probably more of a hassle if there was any. Running 2 versions is the safest solution and most plugs allow 2 computers to run the software.
Good luck!

 

simply put:
1) parts not upgradeable of serviceable by user (if you have any PCIexpress interface, you're oout of luck basically)
2) connectivity is final and so make sure you'll be able to use your gear properly (thunderbolt 3 connectors are physically different than TB or TB2)
3) literally every new version of MacOS requires updated applications to be compatible (for ex. forget about ProTools 10 or Adobe CS6)
4) cooling solution is not designed for maximum performance, as soon as temperatures jump up, system will inevitably slow down to cool sufficiently)
5) speaking of cost, equally-equipped PC will cost about same +- few 100's $

on a side note,
I have old good MBP mid-2012 (i7, 13") as I was able to max it with 16GB ram, 500GB SSD, 1TB HDD, for recording usually around 18-28 channels does flawless job,
then I have hackintosh rig for mixing and all the other work including video editing and rendering, it's 6-core i7-5820K at 4.3GHz, 32GB DDR4 ram, running flawlessly although I admit it took me few days to set things up properly,
both rigs are running MacOS 10.11.6 El Capitan, I'm planning to update that hackintosh to High Sierra, which will require delicate approach including full backups in case anything gets screwed )

I wonder, what exactly do you see aging on your Mac Pro? if you have at least 24GB ram, quad core cpu, and SSD for system, then you should still achieve very nice performance...

 

Well, it's not really the machine 'showing' it's age, the old bugger has 32 gb memory and a 1TB SSD for apps, runs like a dream, but I guess it's the OS that's kinda holding me back.
I work with a lot of people who are running the most recent version of Logic Pro, but that, ofcourse, will not run on Yosemite...
So to keep being able to swap sessions with my peeps, I kinda need to upgrade my OS (and therefor my machine) to at least Sierra, I guess....
Right now, older plugs like Steinberg's Virtual Guitarist (which is still cool on some occasions) still run, and I am afraid that won't be the case anymore when updating my OS....

 

If i remember correctly there is some kind of patch to enable the older Mac Pros to run the new OS versions. If speed is no issue, you may look for that. Can't really tell how it works since my Mac Pro runs on Yosemite still. Time to remove the network cable, I think...

Can't speak for the OP, but for performance I've switched already to my 2012 Macbook Pro i7 from my Mac Pro.
That Mac Pro was really great at the time. And cheap: When it came out I was considering to buy a Windows PC clone of it, but when I calculated the price I found the Mac actually was less expensive than a home build PC with comparable hardware.
One moment in time and the best hardware I've ever had.

But my composition template has grown a little bit complex, takes about 70% before playing a single note on the 2012 laptop.
Let alone the Acustica stuff I have to use while printing the tracks, hope they provide their network solution soon.

In the old days computers were supposed to double their performance each year. Then development slowed down.
I think I will buy a new desktop next year, finally doubling the Macbook's performance after 7 years.
Hope it will work.

 

Thanks for the input, guys, any idea how a late 2015 iMac | i7 | 4ghz | 32 GB | 3TB fusion drive (or maybe a 512 gb SSD) would compare to my MacPro?

 

any apple device except old good cheesegrated Mac Pro (last ones being 2012 models) is overheating and thermally throttling the performance,
it really depends on application how let it can rebalance the workload across all cpu cores, and at lower frequency,

as far as I remember, Logic Pro X 10.2.1 (start of year 2016 I guess?) introduced some noticeable improvements to multi-core performance,
I use Reaper as a significantly more efficient solution (and multiplatform, so compatible projects across MacOS, Windows and Linux) so can't tell if there are any limitations or improvements across various Logic Pro versions,

easiest (and probably cheapest) way to go for you now is to do a FULL backup of your system drive (Carbon Copy Cloner preferably, can be even just a regular HDD, since it's for only backup purpose, worth trying a boot to make sure it is truly a backup though) and try to upgrade your MacOS to latest compatible version, then see how things work (or not) and decide what to do later,

speaking of any potential new device, these are the only options that make sense to me right now:

1) fully "boosted" (spec-wise) latest upgradeable MacBook Pro - that is mid-2012 model, being able to hold TWO (2!) internal drives, of which both can be SSDs (SATA III) and 16GB ram, which is an absolutely killer spec for pure recording (being laptop, it also guarantees some sort of protection against power shortages which are very unfortunate in live situations or valuable recording sessions)

2) highest specced MacBook Pro with regular-shaped Thunderbolt ports - that's mid-2015, offering hi-res Retina screen, solid performance compared to even nowadays models at cost of somewhat worse efficiency resulting in higher power consumption and shorter battery operation time, again advantage of internal battery protecting valuable projects of not being saved in case of power blackout

3) topped up but still upgradeable Mac Pro - 2012 model being latest, preferably lower cpu core count but highest possible frequency, something like 3.4GHz 6-core being probably the sweetspot for audio production

4) a hackintosh, built from compatible parts, offering superior performance and thermal solution at lower price, at cost of no support and some hassle during initial setup...

considering the iMac, upgradability isn't best, especially the HDD replacement being very tricky as far as I remember, screen is cool, but relatively unimportant for audio work, lack of any expansion slots or even just SATA headers is disturbing - that said I don't consider a device with one or two drives a serious workstation, so iMac for me is a no-go, moreover those 3TB drives in general are known for failing a lot, sorry

 

The difference is actually quite high when it comes to SSD storage. With a hackintosh you can simpley choose a cheap 1TB Samsung SSD or if you need more speed a M2 or NVM. But even those are less than the price Apple wants from us. Same with RAM CPU etc

And then, I don't want ECC RAM nor XEON CPU's

 

Last edited: Sep 10, 2018

that's why I explicitly wrote equally-equipped PC

of course significantly slower SSD, error-prone RAM and non-enteprise CPU are cheaper while not essentially that better in daily tasks