Sonoma or Ventura?

[NollieDetroit89]

I'm upgrading my setup for the first time because I have my first client. I want to buy a Mac mini M2 Pro, run it with the latest version of pro tools studio, with my focusrite clarett 8prex. But I see that the latest version of pro tools 2023 isn't compatible with OS Sonoma.

My research has told me that I cannot revert a new machine to an old os. How are people over coming this right now? Is it as simple as downloading and installing Ventura from apples website? Or I've seen bootable usb drives with Ventura on them, do these actually work? Am I way off? I could use some help.

Thanks

[Darryl Ramm]

Hi, welcome to DUC.

There are a few known issues with Sonoma that are well described by Avid that you can look up.

Many of us are running on Sonoma fine.

So unless you know there is a specific issue on Sonoma that will hit you I would stop worrying about this.

There is a good chance that Sonoma is likely to be supported in ~2024.3 maybe any day now.

I suspect typical users to be at much more risks by not well thought out upgrade plans than anything to do with Sonoma. e.g. Have you checked Apple Silicon AAX plugin availability for all your plugins? Are any plugin licenses that need it upgraded? And all the installers you need downloaded? Are all your interface and other hardware drivers available for Apple Silicon? Do you know how to migrate your current stuff to the new Mac?... do *not* use migration assassin (assistant) to move apps, drivers, or plugins. You can use it to move user accounts/documents but technical folks are probably better off doing it manually (including not copying over most of the crap in ~/Library). Make sure you optimize the system and do *not* put user accounts/documents on iCloud. You got multiple known good backups of the existing system now? You'll likely need more backup drives, buy them now.

And as far as what minimum macOS version can be installed on a Mac Mini M2 Pro you need to look up what version that model first shipped with. e.g.
https://everymac.com/systems/apple/m...023-specs.html Which tells you you can roll back to Ventura if needed. So that's your fail-back.

BTW when searching for stuff on DUC use Google with the site:duc.avid.com qualifier. The built-in forum search on DUC is next to useless, Avid should have added a Google search form to DUC a decade or so ago...

[Darryl Ramm]

[looks like we had an deletion of a post arguing about using how migration assistant was a good thing, I'll leave my reply here.]

If anything the issues are worse now than before, especially in any transition from Intel to Apple Silicon Macs and macOS updates so proficient at breaking apps and drivers. Folks have to pay more attention to things changing now. You want migration assistant to do crap moving Intel only plugin onto Apple silicon native systems? trying to copy over drivers that are likely to be incompatible between macOS updates? etc.

And yes folks all the time may get away with using migration assistant, but that does not mean it is the right thing to recommend.

Bootable clones are not a mystery. Carbon Copy Cloner folks have explained it all very well in their blogs and CCC will make bootable clones. You can't make bootable clones and incrementally update them and have them still be bootable, that's the major impact of changes. So adjust how you are doing stuff accordingly. I'm not sure what migration assistant really has to do with this. Its normally something people want to use after doing a full clean macOS installation. And it's better to do clean installs of apps, plugins and drivers.

[BCnSTL]

So is the general consensus current Sonoma is “Safe”?

After all the time & effort I put in reverting to Ventura I’m reluctant to open myself up to that again.

[dominicperry]

Originally Posted by BCnSTL

So is the general consensus current Sonoma is “Safe”?

No. Lots of people are fine.

But there have been problems with AU plugs and iLok in general and Carbon isn't certified for Sonoma.

So, you may be fine, but it's not guaranteed.

Dominic

[Darryl Ramm]

Avid have well written up set of known issue with 2024.3 and Sonoma. A Google search away.

Many of us have been running on Sonoma for some while. Since 2023.12 for me, initially lots of problems on early Sonoma releases but now very stable for my needs.

As Dominic mentioned here have been some concerns about Sonoma 14.4 breaking iLok, but AFAIK the known issues were with AU plugins, and that was fixed in 14.4.1.

"Is it safe" is the wrong question to ask. Safety implies a risk calculation that only you can make, nobody else here knows enough information about your setup, work needs, or risk sensitivity to make that determination for you.

[Will Russell]

The problem with AU plugins and Ilok were resolved by Apple with Sonoma 14.4.1

[Eric Lambert]

Originally Posted by Will Russell

The problem with AU plugins and Ilok were resolved by Apple with Sonoma 14.4.1

Indeed, and this OS seems to gel well with PT 2024.3. I've not had an issue since updating.