Nearly every musician, recording engineer, producer, and DJ relies on a computer for some aspect of their work today. Whether for practicing, composing, creating charts, making demos, or even tracking/mixing/mastering final productions, most of us use our computers day in and day out. They’re essential tools, and we have to be careful to maintain those machines so that we can continue making music without interruption. This is true for the computer itself, as well as for the software and the peripheral MIDI and audio hardware we need to make our art and do our work.
Case in Point
If you’re a Mac-based music/audio tech geek like me, then you’re probably aware that Apple has announced that their new operating system is about to drop. Mac OS 11, also known as “Big Sur,” will be available soon. This is a big deal; making a “number” jump like this — from Mac OS X to Mac OS 11 — is huge and means there are lots of changes and new features. The unveiling of a major computer operating system update is always exciting, and Big Sur looks like it’s packed with great new features we’ll all want to put to work.
The Big Question
The question for those of us who rely on our Macs for music and audio production is, “Should I upgrade to the new operating system?” For me personally, and for our team here at Sweetwater, we’ve been through OS version updates on several platforms many times. So, based on a lot of experiences — both good and not so good — I’ll give you my answer up front: I advise caution! I know you want to update to the latest and greatest and take advantage of all the cool new features, just like I do. I’ve been spending some time with a beta of the new Big Sur operating system (running on a Mac I don’t use for music or audio), and it looks like it’s going to be excellent. I can’t wait to install it — but I will be waiting.
Why? The answer is that a major operating system update like Big Sur comes with a big caveat for those of us who make music and record audio and MIDI on our computers: there’s always a lag time. It’s usually after the operating system comes out, before music and audio software and hardware manufacturers can implement whatever updates they need to do to their software and hardware in order to make it compatible with the new OS. If what you need and use hasn’t been updated for compatibility yet, your Mac may be dead in the water as far as getting music/audio work done goes. (It will still be fine for surfing the web, watching YouTube videos, and checking email with the cool new Safari features, but you won’t be working on your album….)
Maybe/Maybe Not
It’s true that not every piece of software or hardware will need an update; in some cases no updates are required for OS compatibility. And if updates are required, some manufacturers can implement whatever is needed very quickly — maybe just a minor tweak to a driver for full OS compatibility, for example. But for others, it can take some time for them to do all the work necessary in order to be positively sure that their products are 100% compatible with the new operating system. It depends on a lot of interactive factors shared among the operating system and the manufacturer’s music or audio hardware and software.
Take Heart
The good news is these incompatibilities are temporary; we know manufacturers will make Big Sur compatibility a high priority. But we need to take a breath, step back, and realize it can take some time for any issues that might arise to be resolved.
The point is, until you’re absolutely certain that the music and audio software and hardware you need and use will be compatible under the new operating system, I suggest waiting to update. I’ll repeat what I said earlier for emphasis: if you upgrade too soon you risk having your computer or studio out of commission for making and recording music.
By the way, I don’t want to give the impression that this is just a Mac OS 11 Big Sur thing — it’s not. This advice is universal for any operating system update, not just Big Sur. There’s always a risk of temporary incompatibilities with any operating system update (Mac, Windows, iOS, Android, et al).
To the Rescue
Operating system updates have become pretty much an annual thing on most platforms, so we’ve been through all this many times before — and we’ve learned how to handle it. That’s why, at the SweetCare support section of Sweetwater.com, we’ve assembled a great collection of Mac OS 11 Big Sur update resources for you. It’s one, central location that contains all the info you need to know about compatibility, how to update, how to protect yourself from problems, and most importantly, when to update.
The hub for all this information is our Big Sur: Compatibility Guide page. One important thing you’ll find on this page is a list of music and audio software and hardware manufacturers and the status of the compatibility of their products with Big Sur. It’s a one-stop resource for compatibility information for music and audio software and hardware. With hundreds of manufacturers updating their products and compatibility status over the coming days, weeks, and months, having a single page where you can find what you need to know is super convenient and a real time saver. Sweetwater’s techs are in constant contact with our manufacturer family to ensure that we have up-to-the-minute information on this Compatibility Guide page.
What Else?
But there’s more here than a list of manufacturer compatibility. From the Big Sur: Compatibility Guide page, you can navigate to several other important resources, including a guide on how to create a complete backup using Time Machine before you update. This is an absolutely essential step. Let me repeat: this is an absolutely essential step. Get a clean hard drive; make a backup. Do it now. (Don’t worry, we’ll wait and continue this article when you get back….)
You need to have a complete, precise, and up-to-date backup of your Mac before you ever start any operating system update process. Then, if there’s a problem with the OS update or a compatibility issue, you can get back to where you were prior to attempting the update. (It’s a great idea to always have a current, up-to-the-minute backup of your precious data even if you’re not updating. If you’ve never had a computer crash and irretrievably lost data, please learn from my experiences and back up now! I could share some personal, and sadly recent, stories.)
How To
At Sweetwater.com’s SweetCare, we’ve got a Big Sur download and installation guide. This will take you step by step through the process when you’re ready to update to Big Sur — and “ready” means you’ve got your backup in place and you’re certain that everything is compatible, right? You’ll have easy and clear instructions on how to make the update fast and easy.
Operating systems in general aren’t set up out of the box for serious recording and music making, so we’ve also created a guide to optimizing Big Sur for music and audio production. This handy resource will ensure that you’ll get the most from the new OS when using all your trusted music and audio hardware and software.
Get Back
In some cases, if there’s a catastrophic problem during an OS update, you have no choice but to go back to where you were when things were working. In fact, I literally just went through this with one of my computers — I installed an update, had problems, and had to downgrade back to the OS I was using before. If you find yourself in this situation, SweetCare has a guide for how to downgrade your Mac back to the previous operating system you were using, as an emergency reference. If the worst happens and the OS 11 update doesn’t work on your machine, or there’s a serious compatibility issue, then this guide — in conjunction with the Time Machine backup we talked about earlier — will help you get your Mac back to square one so you can get back to making music with minimal time lost.
Do Not Be Afraid!
Wow, updating an OS is scary stuff! Not really. All of this is not meant to scare you off, but rather, to help you avoid any issues that might occur if you update too soon. Mac OS 11 Big Sur has nice new features for general use, with a big Safari browser update, new features for Maps and Messages, a bunch of great user interface features and enhancements, more privacy features, a new look for apps, an enhanced dock, a much better Control Center, and lots more. Based on my time with the beta of Big Sur, it seems more streamlined and faster to use. I really like the new, updated feel and the look of the UI and the icons.
But ultimately, for a musician/producer/engineer/DJ, a computer is more than a gee-whiz toy for browsing social media. As musicians, engineers, DJs, and producers, we rely on our Macs for making music, and they are the heart of our studios and live rigs. We can’t afford to be out of commission due to update problems or software or hardware compatibility issues. Be cautious, wait to update until you’re sure everything you need and use is compatible, and thoroughly check out the resources we’ve collected at Sweetwater’s Big Sur: Compatibility Guide page in the SweetCare section of Sweetwater.com.
I Want It Now!
It’s tough to be patient when you’ve got a cool new operating system like Mac OS 11 Big Sur on the horizon. But take my advice: hold back, be cautious. Then, when you do make the transition, it will be smooth and easy, and you’ll be able to continue making and recording music with no problems — and with all those great new features at your disposal.