Lazy developers exposed by Apple M1 transition (lack of native updates)

[Arp_]

I have several old Windows VST plugins which were abandoned years ago and still work perfectly fine. If a plugin has a certain functionality that is implemented completely enough without any need to add something to it or fix major bugs, why should it ever be updated? It's nothing but a good thing if it works 10 or 100 or 1000 years in the future without any changes.

So I personally think you should really blame Apple, not plugin developers, that they force developers to spend unnecessary resources just to keep their plugins the same as before.

[2MuchAudiOh]

How on Earth do I delete my comment? ugh

[2MuchAudiOh]

All Universal Audio plugins are now native except for Autotone, bx_refinement, and Console.

Native Instruments has a closed beta of M1-native Kontakt, so that's nearly ready.

Antares, Softube, Slate Digital, Soundtoys, and many others need M1-native Pace Fusion support for iLok, which has only just recently gone to RC status. Native iLok support for plugins not using Fusion but only Eden has been out since September, and many of those devs have already released native updates (e.g., Eventide and Nembrini).

Many PA developers already have native builds and are waiting on PA to release them in the installer.

iZotope has announced Q1 2022 for RX 9 and Ozone. RX 8 will not be updated. (This really sucks because RX 8 was very unstable on Rosetta, despite being "compatible." I was forced to upgrade to RX 9 to avoid the constant crashing. And then they released RX 8.5 fixing those issues after they already had my money. Such is life.)

No. It's 2022, May 6 and NOTHING about UAD is native yet. Neither is Spark.

1. Spark only runs in Audio Unit format (because it is NOT native).
2. UAD standard plug-ins only work with their (outdated) hardware (dongle) detected.

Universal Audio is fighting the M1 thing with all they got. They've only released a SMALL amount of plug-ins on Spark leaving all of us hardware owners to stay chained to our Apollo's (ridiculously pathetic chips) in order to run them. And we have to purchase them outright as well.

UA is gonna drag this out and keep us chained to these outdated SLOW processing chips in order to use their plug-ins as long as possible.

UA is the "Radio Star" and M1 is the video that's going to kill it.

[Teksonik]

Meanwhile, Windows users:

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Oh and from a developer who has been in the business since the early days. I won't quote them by name to keep them out of the fray but:

Unlike what Apple suggests to their customers porting complex products to native M1 is not easy at all. In our case it did mean many months of additional work.

[Synth Master Jedi]

Why would Windows users care what happens on Mac? I don't care what happens on Windows and you wont see me in any Windows thread ever.

As for this migration, I haven't gotten my M1 Mac yet, but I do plan to this year.

People can either choose to live in the past like cavemen, or they can choose to jump on board and join the future. I know which I choose.

As for my plugins, I have many, but all of them will always work for me, even if I don't install all of them onto my future M1 machine, because I never sell old machines, so my current machine will get parked in time, like a time capsule and every plugin on there will continue to work fine even 20 years from now, should I need them, which I doubt that I would.

[sQeetz]

Meanwhile, Windows users:


"Oh my god, we still don't care"

Well, then keep not caring some place else

Thing is, I think that there is not gonna be another big transition to another architecture anymore. Apple has reached their end goal. Control of every aspect of the machine ... and I don't believe they're gonna change that again in the foreseeable future.
So investing in that may turn out to be right choice.

[chk071]

Why would Windows users care what happens on Mac? I don't care what happens on Windows and you wont see me in any Windows thread ever.

I take your word for it.

[Synth Master Jedi]

Thing is, I think that there is not gonna be another big transition to another architecture anymore. Apple has reached their end goal. Control of every aspect of the machine ... and I don't believe they're gonna change that again in the foreseeable future.
So investing in that may turn out to be right choice.

I fully agree with that.

Apple is in full control of everything now, there's no need for them to look elsewhere or to rely on anybody else's chips.

Each of Apple's transitions so far were caused by third party vendors who failed to deliver on their promises.

First Motorola dropped the ball, which caused Apple to look to intel, which was the right move at the time. My first Intel Mac was vastly superior to the previous Motorola Mac I had.

Then Intel eventually dropped the ball, by failing to make good chips that had good thermals for many years, so Apple turned to themselves and said screw this, our iPhone chips are so awesome now, so let's just move to Apple silicon for our entire product line!

[jens]

The irony of the story is that now, roughly 18 months later, Intel has the better chips again... - partly thanks to a kick in the butt by Apple, I assume...

[sQeetz]

The irony of the story is that now, roughly 18 months later, Intel has the better chips again... - partly thanks to a kick in the butt by Apple, I assume...

You mean faster - not better. anyway....
Qualcomm has announced that their counter to the M1 chip will be ready by Q4 of 2023. That's where my money is at.

https://www.theverge.com/2021/11/16/227 ... titor-2023

If I were to venture a guess, then I'd say that x86 is going to go the way Motorola 68000 and PowerPC architecture went through back in the days. Everybody loved and used it, until they didn't anymore.
Not today, not tomorrow, but by, I don't know, 2025...ish... there will be no more x86 CPUs in production. Just a guess. Don't quote me on that
(Intel might even transfer their production to TSMC while providing the design, production will be shifted. Factories get closed.... TSMC will grow and have more funds to develop even tinier nodes, while everyone gets behind - not even close to achieve the level of miniaturisation and just for fun they rebrand as Cyberdyne and future is history.)

[Teksonik]

Meanwhile, Windows users:

Well, then keep not caring some place else

Sure if M1 users will start whining about support someplace else.......

It wouldn't be so bad if they just asked for support but often they've got to insult developers for not releasing M1 version exactly when they want "What's taking so long?" Don't you care about users?".

(I'll refer you back to the quote from a popular developer above)

Every minute spent on M1 is a minute not spent on Windows or Mac non-M1 versions so yea we'd all like developers to work on versions we actually care about.

But I really hope that every developer releases an M1 version of every plugin. Then maybe M1 users will finally S...T...F...U...

[Teksonik]

People can either choose to live in the past like cavemen, or they can choose to jump on board and join the future. I know which I choose.

Or they can keep using a platform that has proven to be solid and stable over decades. There are plugins that were made for Pentium 4's running WinXP that sill run fine on Windows 10 today and although I haven't tried it yet I'm confident they'll work on Win 11 as well.

My current Windows based Intel system is lightening fast so I have no need to "upgrade" and if I do it will be another Intel system.

Look I get the allure of being the cool kid on the block but they call it the bleeding edge for a reason. Adopt new technology and there will be some pain.

In this case it's going to require some patience until all developers even small one man operations get a chance to release M1 versions.

Until then I don't think it's asking too much of M1 users to avoid calling developers "lazy" etc......

[sQeetz]

It wouldn't be so bad if they just asked for support but often they've got to insult developers for not releasing M1 version exactly when they want "What's taking so long?" Don't you care about users?".

It takes as much time as it takes.
The only time I personally whined, was when Reason Studios promised they would be done by 2021 then delayed it to... I don't know when.(multiple times)
Guys like Dada Life (from which I have both stupid plugins ) never promised anything, so I don't really care. It's ready whenever it's ready.

Every minute spent on M1 is a minute not spent on Windows or Mac non-M1 versions so yea we'd all like developers to work on versions we actually care about.

Very soon, Windows machines will also see more and more ARM units sold. That's when optimization for Windows apps and plugins will also start to happen.

Remind me then about that same conversation.

[Teksonik]

It wouldn't be so bad if they just asked for support but often they've got to insult developers for not releasing M1 version exactly when they want "What's taking so long?" Don't you care about users?".

The only time I personally whined.....

It's about the thread title not aimed at you......

Very soon, Windows machines will also see more and more ARM units sold. That's when optimization for Windows apps and plugins will also start to happen.

Not sold to me......

Remind me then about that same conversation.

If I start a thread calling developers lazy because they didn't release windows ARM versions exactly when I want then feel free to respond to my thread as I have responded to this one.

[sQeetz]

Point taken