new iMac 2017. which pro tools software to buy?

[janitorking]

hello. brand new here. just purchased a new iMac (macOS High Sierra, Version 10.13.4 - 32 GB of memory - 3.4 GHz Intel Core i5) and am hoping someone can tell me what Pro Tools software to buy based on these system specs. I know it's 12 but am lost when it comes to getting the right version. any help would be greatly appreciated!

[Pedro perez]

This has been their chart for a long while now:

[Pedro perez]

Sorry*


2018.710.11.6, 10.12.6, 10.13.3

[TNM]

I am currently uploading a full installer of 10.13.2 which will work on imac pro, and even better when you can then update to 10.13.3

so if you have any issues with 10.13.4, give it a try..

it's gonna take a few hours still though..

and yes.. pro tools 2018.. preferably 2018.7 if you have an active sub!

[janitorking]

thanks for the info, guys. I just spoke with apple support and they're saying I can't downgrade from 10.13.6 to the versions recommended for pro tools 12. any other ideas before I make the purchase and hope for the best?

[SigFriedChicken]

My understanding, which may not be perfect, is that the issue with the last couple of MacOS revisions has to do with CPU spikes while running sessions at a low buffer size. If you tend to run sessions with the default (256 buffers at 96K) I don't think that the issues will affect you. Of course, I would take my statement with a grain of salt.

[TNM]

Originally Posted by janitorking

thanks for the info, guys. I just spoke with apple support and they're saying I can't downgrade from 10.13.6 to the versions recommended for pro tools 12. any other ideas before I make the purchase and hope for the best?

doesn't matter what they say... nothing can stop you launching the mac with an earlier version bootdisk, formatting the drive and installing that version.

Only in a 6 core macbook pro might you (probably will) have issues as they HAVE to have 10.3.6 for the performance fix.

Any other mac currently available that is qualified to work with high sierra, will work with 10.13.2 and 10.13.3

[TNM]

Originally Posted by SigFriedChicken

My understanding, which may not be perfect, is that the issue with the last couple of MacOS revisions has to do with CPU spikes while running sessions at a low buffer size. If you tend to run sessions with the default (256 buffers at 96K) I don't think that the issues will affect you. Of course, I would take my statement with a grain of salt.

You are correct..

I'll also add that avid support directly told me they advised against buying a new beastly imac pro cause of this. Literally.

[Southsidemusic]

If you haven't bought the iMac yet I would stop that purchase and get an i7 CPU. I wouldn't get an i5 CPU for audio work today as we are up to i9 now so an i5 is old and shouldn't be sold inside brand new Macs IMHO of course.

Get the biggest CPU you can and atleast 16GB Ram. We still run huge sessions on a MBP brand new 2018 with 16GB ram when we are travelling and never had an issue ever. Have 125+ audio tracks with loads of VI and Plugins and that 16GB ram is well enough. Not much have changed in PT since PT11 and now 2018.7 as far as RAM usage and with PT11 we had a MBP Retina with 8GB andran the same session load we run Now on the latest MBP when we run outside the studio.