# Need macOS Catalina but I fear it - still problematic?



## CarlLofgren (Mar 23, 2020)

Hi guys - I'm one of those slow adopters who always stay behind at least one OS generation and I've rarely had any problems with it. My problem is that there is one application (not a music one) have a huge new feature that can only be accessed with Catalina.

I'm trying to check with all my applications if they are compatible or not - but really want to hear from any of you guys who bravely have upgraded to Catalina.

Is there anything you still have problems with - and if so... what?

/Carl


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## prodigalson (Mar 23, 2020)

I upgraded in December as I got a new MacBook Pro. It took a while for 3rd party developers to get their software up to date for it but at this point there’s nothing I’ve encountered that is still a problem.

Of course, the software I use might be different to you so do your research but no problems here:

Logic Pro
Cubase Pro
VEPro 7
Finale 26
Sibelius Ultimate
Dorico 3
Kontakt
EW Play
Altiverb
Soundtoys
Waves
UAD
Slate Digital
Spectrasonics
Fabfilter
2CAudio

All fine though beware that both Finale 26 and Sibelius require you to pay $149 to upgrade to their Catalina-ready version Even if you’re just one minor update behind. Which is infuriating.


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## Ashermusic (Mar 23, 2020)

Fine here.


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## Wunderhorn (Mar 23, 2020)

Since getting a new Mac Pro I had to move to Catalina on that machine. My Older Mac Pro is still running Mojave and I will try to keep it that way for as long as possible.

Most likely you will be fine upgrading. But for me the move was not smooth. Migration assistant is not working well between the two system versions and does not offer enough options anyway. A clean install by hand was the only way.
Also, Catalina comes with lots of little nuisances that make the life of more experienced users harder. Apple tries to cut the user's wings of freedom shorter and shorter. For example under the excuse of "security features" now you have to manually grant permission for everything. It can get in the way of some software and plugins when you run them for the first time.

I feel Catalina is the most unfriendly update in the history of MacOS X. Unavoidable probably in the long run, but it leaves an uneasy feeling of Apple breathing down your neck a little bit too close now.


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## redlester (Mar 23, 2020)

prodigalson said:


> I upgraded in December as I got a new MacBook Pro. It took a while for 3rd party developers to get their software up to date for it but at this point there’s nothing I’ve encountered that is still a problem.
> 
> Of course, the software I use might be different to you so do your research but no problems here:
> 
> ...



How is your experience with UAD, seeing as of today their official stance is still:


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## prodigalson (Mar 23, 2020)

redlester said:


> How is your experience with UAD, seeing as of today their official stance is still:



All I can say is that I've personally had no issues. Thats not to say that you shouldn't listen to their advice or that there may potentially be problems with certain configurations that I haven't come across.


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## prodigalson (Mar 23, 2020)

Wunderhorn said:


> Since getting a new Mac Pro I had to move to Catalina on that machine. My Older Mac Pro is still running Mojave and I will try to keep it that way for as long as possible.
> 
> Most likely you will be fine upgrading. But for me the move was not smooth. Migration assistant is not working well between the two system versions and does not offer enough options anyway. A clean install by hand was the only way.
> Also, Catalina comes with lots of little nuisances that make the life of more experienced users harder. Apple tries to cut the user's wings of freedom shorter and shorter. For example under the excuse of "security features" now you have to manually grant permission for everything. It can get in the way of some software and plugins when you run them for the first time.
> ...



I agree with this. The need to constantly approve everything and grant every little permission is a nice idea but infuriating in practice.


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## Thundercat (Mar 23, 2020)

prodigalson said:


> I upgraded in December as I got a new MacBook Pro. It took a while for 3rd party developers to get their software up to date for it but at this point there’s nothing I’ve encountered that is still a problem.
> 
> Of course, the software I use might be different to you so do your research but no problems here:
> 
> ...


I still have Sib 7.5 installed. Prior to the subscription model.

Works fine.

Bastards!


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## M Abela (Mar 23, 2020)

No problem with Catalina here for the following:

Cubase Pro
Dorico
Spitfire Audio
Kontakt
u-He
EW Play
Ozone 9 / RX
OT Sine
Vienna Suite Pro
Waves


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## Nick Batzdorf (Mar 23, 2020)

Everyone's saying fine fine fine, but do you have any 32-bit programs? THEY WILL ALL BREAK!

Click on About This Mac, then Applications - and be sure to wait a minute for it to find them all. Then click on Legacy software, and make sure you're looking at the top of the split window.

You'll see everything that won't work anymore if you go to Catalina. On my machine that includes the driver for my Metric Halo interface, among many other programs. Forget it.


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## jcrosby (Mar 23, 2020)

Nick Batzdorf said:


> Click on About This Mac, then Applications - and be sure to wait a minute for it to find them all. Then click on Legacy software, and make sure you're looking at the top of the split window.
> 
> You'll see everything that won't work anymore if you go to Catalina. On my machine that includes the driver for my Metric Halo interface, among many other programs. Forget it.


you can also use this: https://www.stclairsoft.com/Go64/index.html

That said I wouldn't touch Catalina armed with a box of condoms, some hand sanitizer, a bottle of acetone, and some industrial paint stripper. Apple really outdid themselves with this one AFAIC...


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## Nick Batzdorf (Mar 23, 2020)

jcrosby said:


> That said I wouldn't touch Catalina armed with a box of condoms



I have no problem with Catalina on my MacBook Air, but I only use that machine for general computer things when I'm out.

However, I really like Mojave.


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## CarlLofgren (Mar 24, 2020)

Yeah, I agree. Mojave is really good.

Nah, I don't dare to update. I really really don't want to end up with any apps not working, or that I have to do a couple of €100 updates and spend 1-2 days fixing problems.

/C


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## ag75 (Apr 7, 2020)

Thundercat said:


> I still have Sib 7.5 installed. Prior to the subscription model.
> 
> Works fine.
> 
> Bastards!


This is what I'm most nervous about with the update. I'm running Sib 2018.7 but I currently wont have a subscription for future updates (And I'm out of work at least for the next 3 months with this epidemic we are all experiencing), so I'm afraid it wont work with Catalina.


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## BenjaminParis (Apr 8, 2020)

Hi everyone,

To users of Cubase Pro, which version do you use? 10? 10.5? And haven’t you had issue with the elicenser for Steinberg or Vsl products with Catalina?

To users of recent MacBook Pro: are you using the 15’’ or the 16’’? If 16’’ have you chosen the i7 or the i9 version? Have you experienced heating problem?

Last: would you recommand a good hub going from Thunderbolt to usb? 

I’m planning to make a big step and am ready to pay a lot for a new portable Mac but am fearing there would be some problem, which would be awful if I spent so much... 

Thanks a lot! 

Benjamin


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## Thundercat (Apr 8, 2020)

I tried updating to the latest Sibelius- bought a year subscription last year I think. There wasn’t one thing that was new that I used or even noticed. The new versions seem pathetically light on additional features. I hope they are providing more value now for their “updates.”

I stupidly saved many files during that year into the newer format. They don’t open on the old. I had also made backups of the old, but I resent companies making new versions incompatible with the old (yeah I know sometimes it’s inevitable but I’m not so sure it isn’t marketing/forcing you to stay on the new).

anyway this also applies to Catalina. Wish I hadn’t upgraded because I don’t notice anything new and I lost some precious old 32 bit progs.


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## Thundercat (Apr 8, 2020)

BenjaminParis said:


> Hi everyone,
> 
> To users of Cubase Pro, which version do you use? 10? 10.5? And haven’t you had issue with the elicenser for Steinberg or Vsl products with Catalina?
> 
> ...


There are reports of thunderbolt problems with recording on the new MBPro. Do your research and be careful.


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## BenjaminParis (Apr 9, 2020)

Thanks Thundercat. I am also going to open a new thread to get more reports...


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## ironbut (Jun 6, 2020)

Coming from the other perspective,..

Is there anything in Catalina that is a must have?
I find Mojave very snappy and overall, just gets out of the way and lets my software do it's thing.
So I'm wondering if there's any reason not to skip over Catalina and hang with Mojave for a while?


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## Ashermusic (Jun 6, 2020)

ironbut said:


> Coming from the other perspective,..
> 
> Is there anything in Catalina that is a must have?



No.


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## CarlLofgren (Jun 6, 2020)

I agree, no. 

The only real problem is that some developers are so hot on using the latest APIs and functions in the latest OS that they demand you to update if you want to use the latest version. I had that problem with some of my plugins for Final Cut. They set the latest OS as Catalina, which annoyed me to no end. Luckily, that wasn't the case. I tried them on Mojave and they worked just fine


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## Tatu (Jun 7, 2020)

Wunderhorn said:


> For example under the excuse of "security features" now you have to manually grant permission for everything. It can get in the way of some software and plugins when you run them for the first time.
> 
> I feel Catalina is the most unfriendly update in the history of MacOS X.


This.

I spent about five years away from OS X after I had been using it from it's first version and boy things had changed. Felt like revisiting some weird version of Windows Vista with all the pop ups.

You can disable some of those annoying features, which can be useful, if you run into compatibility issues.









How to Disable Gatekeeper from Command Line in Mac OS X


Though most Mac users will want to keep Gatekeeper enabled for security purposes, some advanced users find that Gatekeeper is overly zealous in preventing third party apps from being used in macOS …




osxdaily.com


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## IFM (Jun 7, 2020)

I've had no issues with Catalina in general but yes Gatekeeper is very annoying and can cause a hiccup when scanning certain plugins.


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