I just got the Traktor Kontrol S8 and I have to update from OSX 10.6.8 to at least OSX 10.8 in order to run Traktor Pro 2. My concerns are that I have a shit ton of plugins for production which I don't want to break. Production is more important to me, but dj gigs pay the bills. I know that people have been having a lot of problems with Yosemite and I don't want to go that route at all. So my question is, which version is the most stable, 10.8 or 10.9? Which one will give me the least amount of headaches. I've tried searching around the web for a clear answer to this and have been unsuccessful. Also, I was considering just making an alternate boot disk with an external from which I could boot 10.8 just when I needed to dj, but that seems a bit cumbersome/convoluted. Any thoughts on this? Thanks in advance for your help. Oh, also my machine is a 2.66 GHz Intel Core i7 with 4 GB of RAM if that matters.

 

You could do a dual-boot of 10.6 and 10.8, if your system drive has enough space - but you'd have to start with and partition a drive with 10.6 already installed, because a dual-boot can't be configured from 10.8 backward.

Definintely make the jump from 10.6, though on 10.8 or higher, your 32-bit AUs will require "bridging" with 32 Lives - though that can cause problems with some tempo-synched effects (i.e., fading in/out) - and use 64-bit versions natively. Also max-out the RAM in your Mac, as 4GB might not cut it with the 64-bit applications designed for 10.8+.

Do some research as to whether the software you want to use might have compatibilty problems with 10.9, as some designed to run on 10.8 do, due to the file systems' being a little different and other stuff.

With Mac OSes, I've found that odd-numbered OSes (from 10.4 onward, anyway) have been intermediary versions, with the even-numbered versions being the perfected/stablilized versoins thereof - before another definitive change. For example, 10.5 was the bridge to Intel-only hardware; 10.7 requied Intel-only software and was the bridge to 64-bit OS 10.8. OS 10.9 seems to have been a migratory step to Yosemite.

Myself, I'm staying-put with 10.8 until the software I'll have to use will run only on Yosemite, or whatever comes thereafter, and I'll have to upgrade hardware in order to accommodate it. The new Logic Pro 10.1 looks great, but I'd have to "upgrade" to Yosemite, which would render obsolete a lot of my software, and maybe my hardware. I limit myself to one new (okay, used) Macbook every five years; that dictates my choices in OS and software, since I am not a rich man.

I hope that makes the picture clearer for you.

 

"Definintely make the jump from 10.6, though on 10.8 or higher, your 32-bit AUs will require "bridging" with 32 Lives"
No. I'm using a 10.9 with Live (in 32 bits though). 32 bits plugins work perfect over here. Logic were almost the only one to drop 32 bits abruptly.

I don't have any trouble with 10.9, 10.8 should be ok too (I didn't try it). I know devs had some trouble making the softs and drivers work right on 10.10 (it's a major rewrite), might be fixed by now, but regarding I'd stick to the oldest supported ones. If you want to avoid any trouble : go for 10.8, so it'll change your system the least and still support your stuff.

Be aware that :
you should get in touch with NI support and/or forum on that. claiming that 10.8 and above are supported don't alway mean it won't work right , they just can't guaranty it (since Apple dropped the support).
it usually mean : "give it a try, should work, but we won't accept support claims and requests about it if it fails"

A friend bought Massive, but NI said "windows 7 and 8" , it still worked perfect on XP
In my case , the UAD system was ask for 10.8 or above , and it still worked perfect on 10.7...
You might want to give it a try.

 

When you upgrade you'll need more ram..

 

First, you should be more specific if you want an accurate answer. What do you use for production ? Which DAW (one or several) ? Which plugins could be a problem ?
BTW, if production is more important, why do you care about paying the bills ? If you're clear with your priorities, you will avoid issues in the long run (assuming that you see it as a professional matter, rather than a hobby).

Now to the facts. Considering your hardware, I'd say 10.8 is enough (10.8.5 is the latest update, actually). Plus, the more you update your OS, the risk of having one of your favorite plugin "non-update-ready" increases.
And don't forget to grab the necessary system updates from Apple's website, if you're not using the App store... ^ ^
Depending on what DAW you use for production, you can install Logic Pro and Logic Pro X side by side, the former running in 32bit, for special needs.

I did the switch a month ago, actually. From 10.6.8 to 10.8.5 (Yosemite and Mavericks seemed not stable enough for some plugins I'm using).
My machine is an old MBP C2D 2.4 with 6GB of RAM. It's not enough to run a lot of VI tracks on LPX, so the trick is to use Logic 9, then bouncing tracks to audio and mixing in LPX.
The whole point is to use LPX for its better headroom (according to my ears).

Having started with a ML partition on an external HD, I was going from one to another to test all the compatibility issues. Then, I made the switch.
Because it's not gonna be 100% better and no downsides, you have to figure if according to YOUR workflow, it's worth it or not… and eventually, learn the subtle art of compromise

Again, if you want precise answers, don't hesitate to ask specific questions.

Cheers.

 

Yeah, I definitely need more RAM. I've already been having some issues, the more complex my production projects become. I was wondering what RAM I should buy and where I could have it installed. I know Apple charges crazy fees for everything, I was hoping to find someone local. I was having a hard time finding a definitive answer on how much RAM I could upgrade to and which one would be right for my machine. I'm pretty good with production and djing, but I'm not the most tech savvy when it comes to hardware issues.