New to Mac - VST or AU? :P

[chk071]

To be quite honest, I don't know what would happen if you opened App Store on whatever version of OSX you're using now, whether it would offer you to upgrade to Sierra for free or not I mean. If it's Yosemite, the upgrade should definitely be free.

Yep, it already showed the upgrade offer here, and every time i opened up the app store when the Mac was still with my relative.

So there's no license bound to a computer? You can just take the MacOS installer, and install it on a Hackintosh, if you got hold of it, and bought MacOS at some point? Not bad.

[pekbro]

So there's no license bound to a computer? You can just take the MacOS installer, and install it on a Hackintosh, if you got hold of it, and bought MacOS at some point? Not bad.

Unfortunately, its not quite that simple. You generally are going to
need pretty specific build specs. Other than that, you only need to buy
a $20 copy of OSX Snowleopard to get started. Apple doesn't care apparently.
TBH, it isn't really something the average user is going to be able to accomplish.
So anyone who would do it, probably isn't in their target market.


-Cheers

[jancivil]

mystery dupe

[jancivil]

@chk071: I use a 2009 MBP with a similar Core2Duo processor for compatibility testing. It will support 10.6.8 through 10.11.6 (I have boot drives with all of those OSs). I'd recommend updating to El Capitan, if it isn't already running that version.

It's running Yosemite ATM (my relative never dared to upgrade, she already was annoyed about the new handling, and new program versions in Yosemite ), but, i plan to do a factory reset (too much stuff on there i don't need, and i want to start "new"), and upgrade to Sierra, which it will still run. TBH, i'm a bit of a sucker for the "newest", and if it can run the newest version, then i'd want to upgrade to it, and i already liked the look and feel of Sierra on other computers i've seen it running on.

I'm confused by later posts that bring in snow leopard. If you have Yosemite and it's working as expected, and you see Sierra in App Store, just do it if you want.

I had a MacBook Pro early this year that failed. It came with 10.6, an early version and I had to go to 10.7 to get to Yosemite... actually I forget. But there is no authorization that needs to be done whatsoever, if you have the legit installer that is enough for Apple.

I have installed every version of the OS going back to 10.2 at one time or another. Also, Final Cut Pro is the same deal, you have the legit installer that means the installation is automatically legit.
The download results in an application in the Applications folder 'Sierra Installer.app' or like that.

[Dewdman42]

VST or AU makes almost almost no difference whatsoever. If you're on Logic it has to be AU. there are a few hosts that only do VST, but in general I just install both VST and AU versions of everything just in case, but find myself mostly using AU since I'm on Logic most of the time. There are a few plugins that are only in VST format and I have to use BlueCatAudio Patchwork in order to use those in Logic.

Some AU plugins don't have midi out, while their VST version does, but that is not always the case.

With Patchwork you can wrap VST's as AU or visa versa...... it all pretty much works, don't worry about it too much.

[chk071]

in general I just install both VST and AU versions of everything just in case

Yep, that's the way i'll do it too.

[aMUSEd]

Depends more on the host than anything. Some hosts like Bitwig, NI Konrol and Kore 2 demand or at least prefer VST, others like Logic demand AU. Studio One has always been pretty flaky with VST for me so I use only AU and VST3 in it (that may have improved with recent builds). Some like Bidule and Reaper really don't seem to care, although Reaper's support for VST presets is better than it is for AU (and VST3) presets (same with Tracktion). In fact Bidule and Studio One are literally the only hosts that have full support for all 3 major plugin formats including their (native) presets.

[Bombadil]

With a machine that old, and only 4 gig RAM, Logic X would be a nightmare, imo. If I could, in your position, I'd try to get Logic 9 and Snow Leopard (10.6.5). That was one of the most stable configs I've used.

Iirc, VEP 5 did allow vsts into Logic, but it's been a long time since I bothered trying to use it.

[Zexila]

With a machine that old, and only 4 gig RAM, Logic X would be a nightmare, imo. If I could, in your position, I'd try to get Logic 9 and Snow Leopard (10.6.5). That was one of the most stable configs I've used.

Iirc, VEP 5 did allow vsts into Logic, but it's been a long time since I bothered trying to use it.

He isn't interested in Logic.

[Dewdman42]

It's a Core2Duo (i think) with 3.06 Ghz, it has 4 GB of RAM (not sure if upgradeable), and a 1 TB HDD. Performance is actually quite ok, even though the Macbook my relative bought now is way faster (boot time and general reaction time). The Macbook has a SSD though, and, of course, the hardware should be better also.

Edit: Here it is: https://support.apple.com/kb/SP576?loca ... cale=en_EN

A couple comments related to this machine, don't underestimate it. that is enough power to do quite a bit, but I'm quite sure you can upgrade the ram to 8GB and I would if I were you it wouldn't be that expensive. I have a 2010 MacBookPro with 8GB and it runs everything splendidly, including the latest version of Logic Pro and everything else, I'm not sure how my i7 CPU stacks up against yours, but you have some decent power there, but could use more memory is all.

Secondly, I highly reccomend you consider buying LogicPro from Apple. its about the best value out there, at $200 it includes a lot of plugins and they haven't charged for an upgrade in a very long time. That being said, if you aren't going to be able to upgrade past El Capitan (see below), then buyer beware. Reaper is also a fabulous deal..and you can try it for free pretty much indefinitely. Mainstage is also a great value if you just want to use the machine as a plugin host on the side..or you could load up something like VEP and use it together with your main PC DAW.. there are lots of possibilities...depends a lot on what you want to do with this machine or if you're just experimenting to see what OSX is about, then I suggest Reaper for a while.

Now about Sierra, if your imac is a late-in-the-year 2009 machine then it can run Sierra. If not, then there is a way to load up Sierra on it, at your own risk, google around for that..but El Capitan should serve you just fine. There are a few things that don't run good without sierra, but if you are just using Repear you won't need it. The next OS, High Sierra, is going to have a new file system and there will probably be new restrictions on what is going to run on it...and what hardware can run it, etc.. its annoying...as smooth and easy as OSX is to use, backwards compatability is something Apple doesn't care about... Some upcoming version of LogicPro is likely to require High Sierra. So eventually, not now, but eventually...you won't be able to run the latest version of LogicPro on this computer if its not up to date with OSX.. but for now, I think you can just fine... If it were me I'd probably stick with El Capitan...and then wait until you have some software you just have to use that requires sierra, then and only then upgrade to sierra.....

And right now I reccomend you go to the apple store and purchase sierra...let it download but then cancel out at the end when it prompts to install it. That way you will be a registered user of Sierra (its free anyway). In the future when they come out with the next OSX version, they will eliminate your option to get Sierra, forcing you to go straight to High Sierra, etc.. UNLESS you had purchased it previously...then they will let you download it again in the future at any time.

As it is, you have no way to get El Capitan. The only way is to have a friend that installed it on their machine in the past, they can redownload the El Capitan installer and cancel the install at the end, but the installer will be left sitting there in their /Application folder. Copy it over and you can then install it. that's what I would do right now if I were you, save sierra for later. Both El Cap and Sierra fixed a lot of problems from Yosemite in my opinion.

[Bombadil]

Ok. I thought AUs were only compatible with Logic/Garageband. Reaper didn't do AUs last time I tried it, or maybe I didn't dig deeply enough.

Edit: I am running LPX.3.2 on El Cap, with no issues whatsoever. I've noted a lot of people having issues with Sierra. I ain't touching it.

[Dewdman42]

I think that is actually correct, Reaper only does VST

[Zexila]

I think that is actually correct, Reaper only does VST

No, it runs AU's too.

[Dewdman42]

my bad, you're right. AU's are just in there, VST's you can configure the path to where to find them.

[chk071]

Yeah, both VST's and AU showed up in Mac Reaper.

Thanks for the tips guys, really appreciate it. I still won't shoot any money in that thing though. It's really merely to check out Mac, not at all meant to be a replacement for my main Windows machine. Got it for free, and it should stay for free. Actually, i'm really happy i can use all my purchased audio software on it. Seems to be all compatible.