Migrating VI's from old Mac Pro to Mac Studio Ultra

[gives]

Originally Posted by glasswing

I have a ton of questions for anyone who has migrated VI's from one machine to another. I guess the main question is, Have you had better results cold installing them to the new machine or is migrating them just as good? Cold installing could take forever and I'm always in the middle of projects.

Going from an old 5.1 Mac Pro - actually two - via Vienna Ensemble Pro server - and squeezing it into this new world of no PCIe and no internal drives is another discussion of its own. But have any of you done that and, if so, what recommendations do you have?

I'm thinking of going NVMe for the libraries (Spitfire/Ivory/Trillian/Omnisphere and many others). If any of you have experience with NVMe, how did it work for you? Which format did you use to host the NVMe? I'm looking at a couple Sonnet and OWC options currently.
Thanks

Mac Pro Studio Ultra / 128
Pro Tools Ultimate HDX

Just reinstall everything. That is the only way to do it properly.. plus you don't need a bunch of old prefs etc. Man, Glad I am still on Catalina and not needing a new Mac yet. Running an older Mac Pro Trash can with now issues with music scoring or in my Dolby Room here and not running into any problems.
At least if something goes awry now I have a possible Mac available, but no need to deal with that as there are a lot of plugins still not running on Monterey yet.
I dont' really use the Avid PlugIns much. G

[Marsdy]

Originally Posted by glasswing

OK! I have another question - The new Mac Studio has a USB A port on it which I planned to use for iLoks etc. I'm trying to figure out the best way to get MIDI in. DO you use a regular USB A port or THunderbolt or what? I've read about folks connecting through powered USB docks - which I have plenty of. Suggestions? Any advantage or disadvantage to Thunderbolt? THANKS

I’m just using powered USB 3.1 hubs. The Startech 7 port metal ones have worked very reliably here. One of them is plugged into a USB A port on my Mac Pro, the other a TB port which is backward compatible with USB. Both work equally well. I use one of these:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[glasswing]

Originally Posted by gives

Just reinstall everything. That is the only way to do it properly.. plus you don't need a bunch of old prefs etc. Man, Glad I am still on Catalina and not needing a new Mac yet. Running an older Mac Pro Trash can with now issues with music scoring or in my Dolby Room here and not running into any problems.
At least if something goes awry now I have a possible Mac available, but no need to deal with that as there are a lot of plugins still not running on Monterey yet.
I dont' really use the Avid PlugIns much. G

Hi Greg,
I know you from Portland Oregon! And you worked with Greenfire Productions, who I've worked with quite a bit too! Question - do you use Vienna Ensemble Pro for your virtual instruments? I'm assuming I'll have to use it again on the Mac Studio Ultra. And I would NEVER have bought a new machine if my old 5.1 cheesegraters had not flipped their wig. It's been awful.

[gives]

Originally Posted by glasswing

Hi Greg,
I know you from Portland Oregon! And you worked with Greenfire Productions, who I've worked with quite a bit too! Question - do you use Vienna Ensemble Pro for your virtual instruments? I'm assuming I'll have to use it again on the Mac Studio Ultra. And I would NEVER have bought a new machine if my old 5.1 cheesegraters had not flipped their wig. It's been awful.

Hi Richard!

Nice to say hello-:)

I guess we have something in common there from years ago..

Nope... I try not to use Vienna Ensemble much anymore. Have not really had the need at all with my template here. I am pretty sure things will work themselves out. I am not really jumping on the Mac Studio yet as there is a Pro Mac coming and only moved up to OSX Catalina last spring for Dolby Atmos here. It's been super solid.

G

[Eric Lambert]

Originally Posted by gives

Just reinstall everything. That is the only way to do it properly.

I'm a major advocate of installing fresh, but I leave the path when talking about library data. In many cases, there's no advantage to reinstalling library content vs. copying and relinking. If the software supports relinking, that is, and in many cases there are ways to relink manually.

Only a few VIs absolutely require redownloading sample content, which, btw, is the biggest time waster of all when configuring new computers.

That said, this is one advantage to having samples on external drives. Simply connect those drives to the new Mac, install the app without the samples, point them to the drives, done. Again, there are a few exceptions which make this process difficult, but only a few.

[massivekerry]

Portland composers in the house! I'm looking forward to the idea of an Ultra. Although with shipping dates moving into June, I might just wait to see if the Silicon Mac Pro launches at WWDC.

[Eric Lambert]

Originally Posted by massivekerry

I might just wait to see if the Silicon Mac Pro launches at WWDC.

I can't imagine the comparable MP being less than $6K and increasing in cost with add-ons at the same pace as the Studio.

[massivekerry]

Originally Posted by Eric Lambert

I can't imagine the comparable MP being less than $6K and increasing in cost with add-ons at the same pace as the Studio.

Agreed. But at least then it will all be out there and you can make a choice amongst the different machines and configs. Plus there should be more stories and anecdotes from people using the Mac Studio with DAWs by then, and maybe maybe maybe there will be an AS-Native version of Pro Tools… (go ahead. Say “I like your optimism.”)

[glasswing]

I get my Studio Ultra this coming Wednesday. Excited! Nervous! Measuring cables and trying to sort it all out quicker than planned. It wasn't supposed to be here till the 6th at the earliest - so I'm accelerating.
Great to see other Portlanders here. We moved to Vancouver Island in 03. Meant to retire. Well... everything but that happened!!!

[Eric Lambert]

Originally Posted by massivekerry

Agreed. But at least then it will all be out there and you can make a choice amongst the different machines and configs. Plus there should be more stories and anecdotes from people using the Mac Studio with DAWs by then, and maybe maybe maybe there will be an AS-Native version of Pro Tools… (go ahead. Say “I like your optimism.”)

I do like your optimism, and I actually think that we're going to see the first Silicon version sooner than what's being predicted here. I also think that there will be a few hiccups, and I may not want that first version, but I feel like they're already making good progress.

Now who's being optimistic? :)