Hi everyone,
I recently made the jump from Windows to Mac and as a music producer am hoping for some workflow tips to help the learning curve or spot cool tricks that aren't easy to find!
Thanks, everyone!
Music Producer migrate from Windows to Mac (Tips)
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- KVRist
- Topic Starter
- 31 posts since 23 Apr, 2023
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FranklyFlawless FranklyFlawless https://www.kvraudio.com/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=586325 - KVRian
- 737 posts since 24 Oct, 2022 from Abbotsford, British Columbia
When a new OS update comes out, wait until other music producers test it before commiting to it.
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- addled muppet weed
- 105790 posts since 26 Jan, 2003 from through the looking glass
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vitocorleone123 vitocorleone123 https://www.kvraudio.com/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=333504
- KVRAF
- 1889 posts since 30 Jun, 2014 from Pacific NW
Save up for the inevitable need to upgrade or buy accessories, and also learn meditation for patience after Apple decides to throw devs another curve that takes time for everyone to work out.
Also: learn to use iOS for music alongside it.
Also: learn to use iOS for music alongside it.
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- KVRAF
- 2775 posts since 3 Jul, 2022
What Mac do you have ? Is it a laptop or a desktop ?Loophole01 wrote: ↑Sun Apr 23, 2023 7:17 pm Hi everyone,
I recently made the jump from Windows to Mac and as a music producer am hoping for some workflow tips to help the learning curve or spot cool tricks that aren't easy to find!
Thanks, everyone!
If you want to use your shortcuts from windows, I strongly encourage you to read this thread, a similar question was asked and if you forget the stupid and uninteresting remarks on Windows vs Mac, there was a few very good advices on how recreate the shortcuts in MacOS:
viewtopic.php?t=593482
One thing that I always forget is the menu bar on top. Sometimes I am looking for options and I forget the menu bar... generally that's where all your options are.
A part from this, it is quite straightforward. If you are on laptop and you have an M2/M2 Pro, you can run in Energy Saver mode, you will get a stupidly long battery life and still a looot of power...
The energy efficiency of these CPUs is just amazing, day after day.
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machinesworking machinesworking https://www.kvraudio.com/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=8505 - KVRAF
- 6192 posts since 15 Aug, 2003 from seattle
Embrace Columns view in the Finder. You basically fly through folders with the arrow keys this way. I hardly use any other method for browsing files. As far as I know Windows doesn't have this view, and if you're not used to it I suppose it would take some time getting used to it, but IMO it's the best method when you're manually searching for a file.
You can put places in the Finder sidebar to quickly access them, I have the main plug ins folder there, since installing etc. plug ins is common practice here.
Spotlight, (command spacebar), is super useful, especially when you're new. For some dumb reason the selection to "search in the Finder" is at the bottom of search lists, so keep that in mind if you're looking at flute_trill.wav in dozens of locations and want to be able to select one without losing the other searches.
AudioMIDI Setup is your friend, you can type in audiom in Spotlight, hit return to pull it up.
Hitting the spacebar with audio files (wav, aiff etc.) selected plays the file.
Just go ahead and install all three formats if you can of a plug in if your DAWs support it. Mostly AU is the most stable, but that's not always the case, until recently VST3 was a mess, but now it's going to replace VST2, so we have to get used to it. AU cannot send MIDI to your DAW unless it's instantiated in apps like Logic or Unify that use it in a MIDI FX slot. If your DAW supports it, VST is better for things like drum plug ins etc. since every AU I know that works as a MID FX plug in, does not also work as an instrument.
If you're good with Browser/Finder add ons and have repetitive tasks that you need to do Keyboard Maestro is a definite Mac advantage, nothing quite like it I know of on Windows. you can get massive amounts of mileage out of it with shortcut launchers like StreamDeck or with iPad apps like Metagrid etc.
If you use a DAW with AU3 you'll have access to iPad synths like Model 15 etc. as plug ins, It's a nice advantage of Monterey and Apple Silicon.
You can put places in the Finder sidebar to quickly access them, I have the main plug ins folder there, since installing etc. plug ins is common practice here.
Spotlight, (command spacebar), is super useful, especially when you're new. For some dumb reason the selection to "search in the Finder" is at the bottom of search lists, so keep that in mind if you're looking at flute_trill.wav in dozens of locations and want to be able to select one without losing the other searches.
AudioMIDI Setup is your friend, you can type in audiom in Spotlight, hit return to pull it up.
Hitting the spacebar with audio files (wav, aiff etc.) selected plays the file.
Just go ahead and install all three formats if you can of a plug in if your DAWs support it. Mostly AU is the most stable, but that's not always the case, until recently VST3 was a mess, but now it's going to replace VST2, so we have to get used to it. AU cannot send MIDI to your DAW unless it's instantiated in apps like Logic or Unify that use it in a MIDI FX slot. If your DAW supports it, VST is better for things like drum plug ins etc. since every AU I know that works as a MID FX plug in, does not also work as an instrument.
If you're good with Browser/Finder add ons and have repetitive tasks that you need to do Keyboard Maestro is a definite Mac advantage, nothing quite like it I know of on Windows. you can get massive amounts of mileage out of it with shortcut launchers like StreamDeck or with iPad apps like Metagrid etc.
If you use a DAW with AU3 you'll have access to iPad synths like Model 15 etc. as plug ins, It's a nice advantage of Monterey and Apple Silicon.
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- KVRAF
- 4797 posts since 25 Jan, 2014 from The End of The World as We Knowit
File management is a superpower for producers, because it keeps you in the flow.
So, spend enough time now learning and optimizing up your MacOS, it will pay off bigtime later.
Most important at OS level is to first create a folder structure that makes sense to you and that you can remember! For example, viewtopic.php?p=8613488#p8613488
Become familiar with Finder -- different Views; and Search, which can include your Comments; find hundreds of metadata attributes (see Other), search by Tags, and save searches in smart folders. Use aliases, setup a system for Tags, add useful columns like plugin 'versions' to Finder, and shift+command to compare folders for Quick Look or GetInfo
If something is annoying like Notifications, it can be turned off. You can create multiple Users if you want a distraction-free desktop option.
Slowly learn all your System Preferences, e.g. the Dock and its Views; Mission Control and Active Screen Corners. The Launchpad search is faster than Finder for applications, and visual
External drive transfer speeds, and which folders go where is important. I use a fast USB drive for temporary files like downloads, auditioning, to reduce main drive fragmentation; I use a storage HDD for rarely used files, and a fast SSD only for kontakt files, etc; Time Machine can save all your drives
DaisyDisk is like a visual Finder, its cheap and awesome
EtreCheck is a great diagnostic app
If you crash, startup in Safe Mode once to cleanup your OS
Apple Forums are sometimes very useful. But take full advantage of Apple Support while you have it. Use the phone option, not chat. Each front-line person has a series of more experienced backup persons if your question is too technical.
So, spend enough time now learning and optimizing up your MacOS, it will pay off bigtime later.
Most important at OS level is to first create a folder structure that makes sense to you and that you can remember! For example, viewtopic.php?p=8613488#p8613488
Become familiar with Finder -- different Views; and Search, which can include your Comments; find hundreds of metadata attributes (see Other), search by Tags, and save searches in smart folders. Use aliases, setup a system for Tags, add useful columns like plugin 'versions' to Finder, and shift+command to compare folders for Quick Look or GetInfo
If something is annoying like Notifications, it can be turned off. You can create multiple Users if you want a distraction-free desktop option.
Slowly learn all your System Preferences, e.g. the Dock and its Views; Mission Control and Active Screen Corners. The Launchpad search is faster than Finder for applications, and visual
External drive transfer speeds, and which folders go where is important. I use a fast USB drive for temporary files like downloads, auditioning, to reduce main drive fragmentation; I use a storage HDD for rarely used files, and a fast SSD only for kontakt files, etc; Time Machine can save all your drives
DaisyDisk is like a visual Finder, its cheap and awesome
EtreCheck is a great diagnostic app
If you crash, startup in Safe Mode once to cleanup your OS
Apple Forums are sometimes very useful. But take full advantage of Apple Support while you have it. Use the phone option, not chat. Each front-line person has a series of more experienced backup persons if your question is too technical.
s a v e
y o u r
f l o w
y o u r
f l o w
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- KVRAF
- 2775 posts since 3 Jul, 2022
Whoa, learned a lot here. Thanks mate !
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- KVRAF
- 2228 posts since 25 Feb, 2005 from Ganymede
The best I’ve done is get a magic trackpad & bettertouchtools. Out of the box the trackpad has a load of great gestures for using MACOS. It also has 2 levels of click as well as being able to be used as tap.
Bettertouchtools allows you to add shortcuts to zones around the outside as either touch, click or force click per application. I’ve found the tap assignments are buggy at but the click & force clicks work really well. What this means is that for example in Cubase I have it set up with all the transport & shortcuts I use often so I don’t even need to touch the keyboard very often. You can also make custom gestures.
It does take a little bit of getting used to & they are expensive but it’s well worth it.
Bettertouchtools allows you to add shortcuts to zones around the outside as either touch, click or force click per application. I’ve found the tap assignments are buggy at but the click & force clicks work really well. What this means is that for example in Cubase I have it set up with all the transport & shortcuts I use often so I don’t even need to touch the keyboard very often. You can also make custom gestures.
It does take a little bit of getting used to & they are expensive but it’s well worth it.
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- Banned
- 10 posts since 2 May, 2023
Are you enjoying it or want to again switch to windows again?
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- KVRAF
- 1742 posts since 9 Jul, 2014 from UK
Check out the OP’s 7 other posts and most recent 
I wonder what happens if I press this button...
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- KVRAF
- 7865 posts since 24 May, 2002 from Tutukaka, New Zealand
Inoffensive posts about Cubase stock plugins, kicks, likely fulfilling the requirement to post X5 before can sell stuff here, wants to sell some stuff. What's wrong with that? It's part of KvR, perfectly normal.
