Just received my new Mac Mini M2 today. Now i wondering what is the best (or recommended) solution to Set up the new one.
My old Setup is a Intel Imac (late 2014). Should i just use Data Migration from Time Machine, or should i install everything new?
I have Tons of Plugins (also own Presets), legal and some K Stuff. Also i have a UAD Apollo.
Do i get some trouble with UAD Apollo when i get if from the TM Backup? I have also several installation on a secondary HD for Data like (Spectrasonics / Toontrack and so on).
Normaly a have the approach to install it all fresh, but i scared of the hours of installing, and so on..
What would you do?
Thank for any good hints

Cheers

 

Last edited: Jun 5, 2023

Fresh install

 

I also recommend fresh install.

I'm not sure exactly how comprehensive the Mac backups are but I'd be worried about bringing gremlins from your old machine (corrupt files, dead file paths, fragmentation, non-compatible software, etc.)

Also, fresh installs give me the chance to streamline my work flow. If you haven't used a particular plugin or vsti in years then maybe don't reinstall.

++, Most the software you mentioned(uad, toontrack) would have updates by now. Good opportunity to install the latest versions instead of old backup. With M1/2 chips some plugins will require updates.

+++, If you want you can also lookup guides to optimize Mac OS for audio production. You'll find tips that recommend changing certain settings to have a more stable machine and to reduce processing latency.

 

Last edited: Jun 5, 2023

A Time Machine backup should work, but a fresh install gives you maximum compatibility with the Silicon architecture.

 

Do it fresh, certainly. But do your Apollo software as early as possible in the process. It will be the biggest dice roll installation, and if it fails to install correctly the first try; it can become a serious nuisance. They have a small cleanup utility app for when it goes wrong on an intel, anyway. Get it out of the way. Omnisphere takes a very long time to install, and can go sideways also.

in Terminal, this can codesign every plugin on the machine all at once. It takes a while, just let it do it's thing.

cd /Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/

find . -name "*.bundle" -execdir sudo xattr -cr \;
find . -name "*.VST" -execdir sudo xattr -cr \;
find . -name "*.vst3" -execdir sudo xattr -cr \;
find . -name "*.component" -execdir sudo xattr -cr \;
find . -name "*.dpm" -execdir sudo xattr -cr \;
find . -name "*.bundle" -execdir sudo codesign -f -s - {} \;
find . -name "*.VST" -execdir sudo codesign -f -s - {} \;
find . -name "*.vst3" -execdir sudo codesign -f -s - {} \;
find . -name "*.component" -execdir sudo codesign -f -s - {} \;
find . -name "*.dpm" -execdir sudo codesign -f -s - {} \;

 

Last edited: Jun 6, 2023

I got mine last week or so to replace my 2018 Intel Mini, ended up doing a clean install myself. Was going to do the migration or a Time Machine restore (I usually do that every time I get a new one or rebuild something), but figured with the architecture change, might as well do it fresh.

It's a good chance to start things off nice and clean. I've probably got half the stuff installed on the M2 I did on the Intel. A couple were GOG Games that I don't want to run in Rosetta, but the rest was all crap I used like once or didn't even use at all. Cleaned out a lot of those little freebie plugins you get from Plugin Boutique and whatnot too that I never used either. Only have just what I need to make sure my projects old and new are running and it's smooth sailing so far.

If I forget something, I've still got the other Mini here I can turn on. It's not going anywhere because I spent about $750 on an eGPU/RX6600XT for it.

 

In my experience, with intel to intel migration; somehow it's always missing something. With an architecture change, it's much less likely to 100% mirror what you wanted. On a newly formatted or OS installation, I always reinstall my random plugins as projects I am opening again require them. It's the easiest way to not load back things you never used. Your own usage in your own projects proves that you don't need 1/10 of stuff you more than likely just forgot to uninstall.

I would also always do Waves installation very early on in the reinstall process, if you use them. I try to get the biggest things and bread and butter things installed first; Omnisphere, Kontakt, Falcon, Waves, Fabfilter, Logic. Next any big plugin collections like Soundtoys, T-Racks, Kilohearts, etc.

So you have a "base install", and then Time Capsule it. The one-offs can wait.

 

Thanks for all the answers, so then i will start with a new installation! It might make completety sens, because i would just migrate some old plugins, i did not update since a long time..So it would be all clean. Does some one noes where the Melodyne files are laying? The files the are transfered to Tune and shifting? Probably in the Application Support some where.
But thanks again for all the help here And thanks to Clone for the great hint with CodeSign!

 

You probably don't want to sign your legit stuff. It shouldn't hurt but it will visible to an upgrade installer and ....

Add a date modifier to the .find _, better yet make a helper function in .zsh so you can just codesign things in all those folders installed in the last hour or whatever and just give yourself a hour between legit and warez installs.

 

i recently did this backwards, took the time machine backup of my M1 macbook and copied it to my refurbished 2019 intel mac mini, most of it works apart from a few license issues. but that being said i do have to ad that i am really really lazy.

 

After countless hours of installing, type pw, generate some Liz files and so on. i am finaly done But i think it was worth to do it!
Just curious did some one manage to run the smart eq3 on a M1 /M2 Ventura?