MOTU and macOS Catalina

[Michael Canavan]

At this point, I'm so NOT unhappy that my Mac Pros won't do Catalina. Just sayin'.

Yeah I don't think I'll get Catalina until I get a new laptop, probably next year.

By that time it should be mostly sorted. I only do new releases for things I can live without, and DP.

[wvandyck]

A list of warnings from manufacturers.

https://www.pro-tools-expert.com/produc ... s-catalina

Makes me wonder what the point is of a public beta release. If this is the case, could MOTU just go ahead and release DP 10.1?

This is not the first half-baked Apple release.
When OSX was first released, users were encouraged to use dual-boot systems: Continue to use OS9 and supported apps, while exploring the new functionality in OSX, something like that. Eventually, developers caught up, and it really was a better computing experience.

I think the first version of FCPX had much missing functionality. So it goes.

As for Catalina, there are compelling reasons to not upgrade at this time. I had the day to play, and ended up with a functioning Catalina system.

[cuttime]

I had the day to play, and ended up with a functioning Catalina system.

Could you please elaborate? What, exactly, is functioning?

[wvandyck]

What, exactly, is functioning?

Functioning doesn't mean airtight as that's still an unknown. But in the time spent today, the following critical components are working on my system:
- UAD Apollo interface and plug-ins
- MOTU Fastlane MIDI interface and connected hardware including an old GI-20 MIDI guitar converter, and the MOTIF Rack XS.
- Novation SL MKll for CC. I haven't used AutoCrap in years.
- Kontakt 5.8,1; FM8; RC24. Haven't had time to test other NI processors or effects.
- Integra-7 as an audio interface and sound source for MIDI tracks
- Presonus 24C interface (used when traveling), and Notion
- Fishman Triple Play and MIDI Guitar 2 app converters.

10/15/19
Added to the list of functioning apps on my system.
- Addictive Drums 2
- PSP Lotary
- UVI Falcon

[Michael Canavan]

https://www.facebook.com/EmpiricalLabs/ ... 632038796/

[MIDI Life Crisis]

https://www.facebook.com/EmpiricalLabs/ ... 632038796/

But wait! Order now and we'll send you two copies of Windows 10 for just the price of shipping and handling. One for you, one for your little friend!

[Angthekeys]

Hi,
It’s not possible, are we musicians or system analyst? I changed from windows to mac because of too much time spent working to the sw instead of the projects, but these continues os upgrades will make me step back. Just an example. I’ve got an old mini ipad2, i just needed to record ideas on garage band playing directly on the screen, ii mean i’m not a pro, i cannot improve my system everytime,i just have my machines, i like to invest on synth, but i work with several bands and suddenly gb is not more supported by my old 12.4 etc.. only from the 13th. Result not more gb on the ipad and only solution, buy another one from 600 eur because they cannot send me a beta version, etc... this policy doesn’t match with many musicians like me, is a very big problem, i know their business is to launches new products but they could permit to the customers to stay with the olds, cause if you don’t upgrade the mac doesn’t work properly and they dosen’t gives you assistance, etc... i know many people likes to stay with this policy and likes to change laptop and this make their game, but this brake also the work of many people too. I just chkd it seems ultralite mk3 upgrade is not ready yet, right? Thks for help

[mikehalloran]

Operating systems progress. We don't have to like it nor do we have to spend as much money as everyone wants us to invest. We do have to acknowledge the reality of the situation, however.

Yesterday, I threw out my OS install disks for everything except 9.1, 10.4 & 10.6.4 — I still have old hardware that may need these. I can build USB installers for 10.11 on as needed for clients and family.

As for now, my main iMac Pro is still running Mojave. Although I have a test machine running Catalina, not installing it onto the iMP unless forced to by my day job—and then I'll buy a Samsung X5 to turn my system into a dual boot like when I was running 9.2/10.2 partitions on my G3. I have reasons for never partitioning my startup drive since High Sierra.

[bayswater]

This article suggests that Apple has come to the conclusion it is releasing too much software that doesn't work. It's mostly about iOS and the changes that will be implemented for iOS 14, but the same revised processes will apply to macOS.

One aspect of this is that it doesn't matter if the OS works if the apps don't work with it. I guess communities other the pro audio are also having problems with new OS releases.

https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2019/11 ... -software/

[bayswater]

Sorry to drag this one out again, but just noticed something that someone might want to know if they're testing Catalina.

The thing you want to do is isolate any large general Apple oriented media libraries and documents you have when running Catalina in test mode. In my case that involves unplugging external drives that have the libraries.

I have Catalina on a second test volume alongside Mojave which is my default startup drive. From time to time I start up with Catalina to try something. When I do, Catalina goes around looking for old stuff and does a series of helpful (not) changes. In my case, during the hour or so I had it running, it updated a 250G Photos library on an external SSD to make it compatible with Catalina, and updated the TM backup. It did this without me launching the Photos app. The change made it unusable with Mojave.

I was able to do a TM restore over several hours, going to a version a couple of days old. Then it spent a few hours to "downgrade" the TM backup.

[mikehalloran]

This article suggests that Apple has come to the conclusion it is releasing too much software that doesn't work. It's mostly about iOS and the changes that will be implemented for iOS 14, but the same revised processes will apply to macOS. ...

Having had recent dinner conversations with ... let's just say mystery iOS engineers ... that article is painting the situation in a good light.

I was able to do a TM restore over several hours, going to a version a couple of days old. Then it spent a few hours to "downgrade" the TM backup.

I feel your pain.

It's too bad that instant restore via APFS Snapshots (a) doesn't work if there is more than one OS on the system and (b) only goes back 24 hours.

Because of (a) I have my daughter's 2012 MBP as a Catalina test machine. I used Snapshots a few times back to Mojave to fix/upgrade this and that before re-upgrading to Catalina. Example: one of my Adobe apps works great when updated but the installer wouldn't run in Catalina ... crap like that.

With (b) I missed the 24 hour window once and had to do a USB install of 10.14 then run complete Time Machine restore instead — ouch!

I was using my Dad's MBP but the wireless card in my daughter's fried so I let my son-in-law borrow tools and swap SSDs. The one I have now only has 8GB RAM — Damn, that slows everything down! Fortunately, it's an i7 like the other was. Not being a Retina, I can upgrade it to 16GB for $70. Hmmmm... I think I know what my kids can leave under the tree.

[bayswater]

It's too bad that instant restore via APFS Snapshots (a) doesn't work if there is more than one OS on the system and (b) only goes back 24 hours.

Is (a) a consequence of using volumes rather than partitions? TM appears to copy both volumes to one backup folder, so perhaps its too difficult to figure what to restore where? And (b) is similar to the way TM has always worked -- hourly backups replaces by daily backed, replaced by weekly, etc? Either way, looks like its time for a TM overhaul.

[dewdman42]

Follow up to this thread a year later. I got word from MOTU this week that MOTU MTPAV is not working reliably in Catalina and they will not be trying to support that device, which they consider end of life apparently. Yes the MTPAV is supposed to work with the standard MIDI drivers which are supposed to work with Catalina, but apparently there are problems with the MTPAV.

[dewdman42]

i was also informed that PCI-424e will also no longer be supported starting with Catalina.

[monkey man]

Bummer. Thanks man.

Whilst I accepted long ago that my PCI-424-based 24 I/O units would no longer be viable in newer Macs, I now wonder about my MIDI Express XT USB units.