Would Love Some Expert Opinions! RE: 2015 Macbook Pro Software Update

[jmacman]

Hey all, new here.

After having an old iMac run terribly after a software update roughly 10 years ago, I have been rather hesitant to update my Mid 2015 Retina Macbook Pro. (specs at the end)

I'm still running Sierra, 10.12.6... I know, very old. It's been running well, but due to new software I need to install, I'd like to upgrade.

My question is, do you think macOS Monterey will cause any problems? I run heavy music production software, with many tabs open on multiple browsers.

Or would I be safer to upgrade to a different version?

If it causes issues, is it easy to restore to my current setup via a backup?

Thanks to anyone who takes the time to respond.


Model Identifier:
MacBookPro11,4
Processor Name: Intel Core i7
Processor Speed: 2.2 GHz
Number of Processors: 1
Total Number of Cores: 4
L2 Cache (per Core): 256 KB
L3 Cache: 6 MB
Memory: 16 GB

 

[Cory Cooper]

Hello and welcome.

At some point, you will need to upgrade to a newer version of macOS, purely for security and software compatibility reasons. Because of the age difference of the two macOS versions, you may need to upgrade/update a lot of your third-party software, so keep that in mind.

As for the audio DAW - what are you using - Logic Pro, Pro Tools, etc.? Before upgrading, you will need to ensure that your Mac, macOS version, and DAW/plug-ins versions are compatible with Monterey, especially with regards to Pro Tools and any third-party audio plug-ins like Waves, Universal Audio, etc. In addition, it isn't a good idea most of the time to upgrade a production Mac without some form of backup or additional Mac you can use if things go south.

Downgrading back after installing Big Sur/Monterey is not a completely simple/straightforward process because of the drastic changes to macOS that they introduced.

Give us a little more information on your DAW and associated software and we'll see what may be best.

C

 

[jmacman]

Hello and welcome.

At some point, you will need to upgrade to a newer version of macOS, purely for security and software compatibility reasons. Because of the age difference of the two macOS versions, you may need to upgrade/update a lot of your third-party software, so keep that in mind.

As for the audio DAW - what are you using - Logic Pro, Pro Tools, etc.? Before upgrading, you will need to ensure that your Mac, macOS version, and DAW/plug-ins versions are compatible with Monterey, especially with regards to Pro Tools and any third-party audio plug-ins like Waves, Universal Audio, etc. In addition, it isn't a good idea most of the time to upgrade a production Mac without some form of backup or additional Mac you can use if things go south.

Downgrading back after installing Big Sur/Monterey is not a completely simple/straightforward process because of the drastic changes to macOS that they introduced.

Give us a little more information on your DAW and associated software and we'll see what may be best.

C

Hey! I use FL Studio. As for plugins... too many to name. Any major players you can think of, I probably have it.

 

[Cory Cooper]

OK, thanks.

FL Studio would need an update to the latest version, since it require macOS 10.13.6 High Sierra as a minimum. I am sure most plug-ins would need upgrades/update as well. You shouldn't have a hardware/macOS compatibility issue for most, since you are running an Intel Mac.

I assume you have an audio interface - brand/model?

I am running an M1 Mac mini with a Universal Audio Apollo x4 in Logic Pro. I also have hundreds of third-party audio plug-ins from Universal Audio, Waves, iZotope, Wave Arts, Celemony, MAAT, Metric Halo, IK Multimedia, Plugin Alliance, Slate Digital, Softube, Soundtoys, etc. I used to do a lot more audio production, mainly podcasting/voice-over work, and am just now getting back into it as more of a hobby than a professional/commercial production operation. The Apollo x4 and UAD plug-ins are just amazing!

Monterey should run on your MBP, but it is the oldest MBP that is still compatible. It may be better to look at macOS 10.15.7 Catalina as a maximum version of macOS. It is very stable and would work well on your MBP: How to get old versions of macOS.

As always, make sure you have a full Time Machine or other backup of your data. It may be wise to have a bootable clone on an external drive as well, so you will have a workable option in case you run into issues.

C