What is the best MacOS version for music production? Given that I'll be "borrowing" a lot of applications and plugins to test them out.

I'm currently running 10.15, but found out that there's a lot of software that doesn't work.

 

The best OS will be the one that is most suitable for your computer, and therefore also suitable for your money.

Today's softwares are developed for today's machines.
Software ever more powerful and ever more resource consuming.
If you want to be able to work with powerful and current software, you will need a recent computer too.

The best example? The latest update to Logic pro X 10.5, only works with Mojave or Catalina!
I have been a Mac user for over 20 years and today I am more and more disappointed with their politics

Usually I wait between 6 months and a year to install a new OS.
I avoid too recent systems because there are often bugs, problems of compatibility with software and their updates.

 

Last edited: May 16, 2020

I seem to be able to run most programs decently on my Mac running Catalina, so processing power is not a problem.

But I'm having a hard time finding cracked versions of software that I want to try out, that work on 10.15. So I think I need to at least downgrade to 10.14 (before all the 64/32 bit problems occurred).

But I'm mostly wondering if I should downgrade even further, to maybe 10.12 or 10.13, based on the availability of cracked software. F.x. I could only find Altiverb that was guaranteed to work on 10.10.

I would like to add that I'm doing this to test out the software, and intend to buy all products that I end up using

 

OS X tiger. Probably their most solid OS out of all of them.

 

I use Mojave. I usually: 1. Wait until the bugs are squashed. Being an early adopter is no good when your machine is for production work. 2. Make my OS move when it's absolutely necessary that the latest version of my DAW requires an OS upgrade *and* the upgrade is worth it. In the end, work with is best suitable for your workflow.

 

9.1

 

Running on a MacBook Air that was Upgraded from High Sierra to Catalina.

Using Logic Pro X 10.5.0 & Reaper 6 with mostly stock plugins.

Logic has excellent plugins keeping pace or out performing so-called 3rd party plugin developers.

 

I picked 10.14 because it shipped with my current machine (I think) and has been incredibly stable with two crashes which were both caused during wine emulation. Dark mode + finder is better than any sample browser.

 

Honourable mention to Snow Leopard 10.6.8 running Logic 9.1.8 in 32 or 64bit mode.
Otherwise, Sierra preferred over Mojave right now.

 

If I could I'd still use SnowLeopard. It's the last OSX version without all the integrated iOS bullshit and Siri and whatnot.

Since I can't I'd say HighSierra hands down (if you don't need Logic 10.5)

 

Than you obviously havnet tried any sample browser Finder playback is supersloooow compared to Snapper or AudioFinder. And even theses are snails compared to Resonic but thts another topic

 

But that's ancient..... I probably can't run many new programs on that, right?

 

I am on macOS Mojave 10.4.6 ,
I believe in being on the cutting edge os that a specific machine has the capacity to run.
Most of the new trinkets in future will require new os or upgrades, also it's good to have new workflow learning curves without any machine downtimes.
If the os has the capability to further nourish your music output creativity then that is the way to go.
Apple always pushes certain buttons. Like sometimes dusting the carpet and sometimes giving users a brand new one. With older OSs some felt familiar and at ease and were able to use some paid old 32 bit software, also mind & muscle memory of using something that one used for many projects.


i Use Reaper, Logic Pro x, Ableton Live on a mac and Reaper also on a win 10 machine (this one only for teaching my students).
i didn't even try Catalina reasons:

1-No 32 bit support i had few of these 32bit apps , (but even on mojave Logic refuses to run 32 bit apps and require a Soundradix 32lives layer to work)
Actually i have looked for alternatives to most of the old 32 bit plugin alternatives and training myself to just use new 64 bit plugins.

2- I feel it has a different security protocol , and make you give more permissions for some autorun background tasks, not so daunting as you can maximize energy and cpu usage and having no 'not required processes to run.

3- Apple hurriedly implemented some heavy policies on plugin makers that the actually have separate installers for people on Catalina and people not on catalina , so many man hours wasted just to say stay on the board and have your arm twisted. They could've given users an option to run 32 bit apps in a layer but you are also given a logsheet of what one is sacrificing being on a 32 bit system.

music and nostalgia can never be separated but i would say future proof your workflow stay with 'whats on' and 'whats coming'.

 

Last edited: May 17, 2020

I keep saying it again and again. Catalina is fine. I have it on all my machines
I've run the Catlina Patcher on my Mid 2011 Mac mini No problems
My 27' i7 iMac No Problems
My 2015 i7 Macbook Pro again no problems
I run Bitwig 3.2/ Studio One 4/ Logic 10.5/ Adobe Audition
I've purchased all my Daws and extras for Studio One (fantastic plugins)
Omnisphere/ Kontakt 6/ Waves 11/ izotope/ Sugarbytes / Arturia and a bunch of third party plugs all running perfectly.
Why would you want to run 32 bit applications? It perplexes me why you would want to run older plugins.. move up move on.

 

Correct but still was solid in it’s day. Especially the PowerPC version.

 

everything but catalina, even tho i heard that there are complains with mojave too when it was released so i stay on 10.13

 

No probs with Catalina either (except a couple of plugins that have 32bit installer) otherwise Snow Leopard was the best. Not just for music production. For EVERYTHING

 

yep snow leopard was the best i reckon, but on high sierra now

 

Glad to hear all good ,might make the move.

 

for me Catalina is the best no problem at all ... the reel question is a complete one ... which version of OS X run the best with or without cracked software ... for me with most of legit product it's catalina for sure but now if you want to run old or OpenSSH shit obviously perhaps it's not the right choice...