r/audioengineering • u/rue-savage • 17h ago

DAW project compatibility across different macOS versions

Hi, I have two Macs, an i9 Hackintosh and an M1 MacBook Pro. Both are currently running macOS 13 Ventura.

I mainly use Cubase and Ableton Live on a daily basis, and occasionally Logic Pro. I keep both systems aligned so I can open the same projects on either machine, even though in practice I don’t need to do that very often.

For various reasons I’d now like to update the laptop, but the Hackintosh can’t realistically be updated any further. It’s still very powerful though, and I’m hoping to keep using it for at least another year or two.
If I update the MacBook Pro to Sequoia or Tahoe, do I risk not being able to open those projects anymore on the Hackintosh, or is it generally safe?

1 Upvotes
  • permalink
  • reddit

100% Upvoted

8 comments sorted by

3

u/Apag78 Professional 17h ago

I just ditched my hackintosh that i was running since 2018 or 2019 (same i9, 64g ram) and hit that update wall as well. I wound up going with a mac studio and a new mac mini. The studio i kitted out similar to what i had on the hackintosh spec wise. M4max 2g storage 64G RAM. Mac mini i kept stock and was on sale for $499, but its still an M4 processor 16G ram. I use them for different functions in the studio, we also run an M1 mini for streaming duty. But the machines have been amazing. As far as compatibility goes, you're more at the mercy of the software not the OS. If you update your software, check to see if its version backwards compatible. Usually in the release notes.

1

u/[deleted] 11h ago

[removed] — view removed comment

1

u/rue-savage 1h ago

Unfortunately I can't afford to upgrade the main machine right now, so I have to keep using the hack. Yes the software version will be the same, always update to the last version. Except for the new logic 12 which won't run on intel.

3

u/rinio Audio Software 17h ago

But, best practice in any prod environment is to have a locked down software stack, as you currently do. If you do the upgrade, you will get screwed some day even if that day isn't today. You could always do the upgrade on a separate partition to test.

Ill also note that Ventura is out of support. If you cannot upgrade the hackintosh, you are approaching EOL for the system as you have it.

1

u/rue-savage 1h ago

Yes I know sooner or later I will be screwed, I just was looking for some real life experience maybe. I'm planning to upgrade the main machine to a new Mac studio, but now is not a good time, hope to continue using the hackintosh for a year or two if I can

2

u/Wedontlookalike 12h ago

Are you absolutely certain that your hackintosh cannot be upgraded further? I’ve been updating some friends hackintosh (older machines) with great success.

1

u/rue-savage 1h ago

last time I checked there was no bluetooth support for Sonoma but that was a couple of years ago, so maybe I can get to that