It It Safe To Upgrade to Big Sur?

[BillyG]

All,

I am running Reaper (V 6.23/OSX64) on my Mac Mini (3 GHz Dual-Core Intel Core i7 with 16 GB RAM).

I currently have OSX 10.15.7 Catalina running.

The VSTs/AUIs I use (other than the built-in Reaper plugins) are:
* EZ Drummer II
* Addictive Keys Grand Piano
* Spirfire LABS
* BBC Orchestra (Spitfire)
* Ample Guitar Lite
* Ample Bass Lite
* Sonatina Orchestra - Trumpet
* DSK Saxaphone

I have avoided the prompts to update my OS for fear of something breaking and creating problems with my recording set up. I use Reaper and most of these plugins (VSTs AUIs) daily.

Any thoughts and advise will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

Billy G.

[Shredmaster General]

I have Big Sur on my iMac Pro (10 cores of Xeon and 32 Gigs of RAM), and Reaper doesn't see any input signals, no matter what I've tried. Every interface I own, and even the internal mic in the iMac, all come up with no input signal. My saved projects from before Big Sur are fine, and I can playback/mix/render/etc. But I can't record anything. Had to download Logic for the time being, just to record tracks (which has zero issues). I actually came here looking for help, and this thread is the only thing I've found that even comes close.

[nottooloud]

Installed 6.2.3 Intel on a 2017 iMac 27" and a 2020 M1 Mac Mini today.
Focusrite 18i20 all good on the Mini, aside from Focusrite not having a control panel for it on M1 yet. Just checked the internal mic on the iMac, working.

I haven't really done anything with the iMac yet, other than install, configure, and pass some audio through a few plugins. I figured anything that worked on the M1 probably would work on the iMac.

I was concerned about whether my plugins would run on the M1. Waves Central and iLok License Manager both work, so that's a good start.

I ran a simple test project. I put a drum loop in a track and dropped plugins into its FX insert, 20 or 30 at a time. If I still had audio, I figured those plugins had passed. I'd clear the insert and grab the next bunch. Heard some pretty freaky sounds along the way.

Mac M1 Mini 16GB 2TB
macOS Big Sur 11.2.1 (20D74)
Reaper 6.23 Intel
included all AU, VST, VST3 versions
mostly downloaded latest on 2021-02-23

I ran the following 900+ plugins through that initial test.

Audio Assault
The Punch
Transient

Audio Damage
Dubstation 2
RoughRider3

Black Rooster license wouldn't register on the M1
I registered a USB stick to it on the iMac,
and that worked on the M1.
Magnetite
VHL-3C
Canary
Cypress TT-15

Beatassist.eu
BeatBrick
Mage
TheLay
Verbus

Eventide
SP2016 Reverb

HorNet
ElliptiQ
Sybilla
SybillaPro

IK Multimedia
Amplitube 5

Infected Mushroom
Wider
This also installed 32 bit versions, obv wouldn't run.

Inspired Audio
InspirataLite

iZotope
DDLY couldn't see the ilok authorization, the rest could
Insight
Ozone 9
RX4
Relay
Vinyl

Metric Halo
MH Precision De-Esser
Graphic display of parameters didn't work on AU
Waveform display and function OK.
VST was all good
MH Thump

Nomad Factory
Bus Driver

PSP Audioware
608 MultiDelay
oldTimer ME
PianoVerb2
Springbox

Sound Radix
Muteomatic

SoundeviceDigital
FrontDAW (no GUI)

Soundspot
Hiku
Kickbox

Soundtoys
Little AlterBoy
Little Plate
Tremolator
LittlePrimalTap wouldn't run on the M1
That may be due to bad data from an imported configuration
It ran OK on the iMac.

Stillwell
The Rocket

Thomas Mundt
LoudMax

Voxengo
MSED

Waves 10.0
Abbey Road Plates
Waves 11.0
API 2500
F6 Dynamic EQ
Torque
Horizon bundle (roughly 700 individual plugins)
Waves 12.0
CLA EchoSphere
MaxxVolume
Reaper default is to block Waves AU, but they seemed to work OK.
Note that Waves says 10 and 11 are completely unsupported on M1,
and that even 12 isn't officially supported.
Upgrade to 12 will cost me $240, but so far, everything works as is.

Wavesfactory
Subkick

Zynaptic
Unmix Drums

[Shredmaster General]

I found the solution for my issue above, and got Reaper back to recording! It was the stupid Mac security function they initiated with Mojave, that I had to go into the Privacy settings, and allow Reaper access to the "Microphone". Otherwise, the OS keeps the audio signal from all input types blocked from Reaper.

[nottooloud]

Originally Posted by Shredmaster General

I found the solution for my issue above, and got Reaper back to recording! It was the stupid Mac security function they initiated with Mojave, that I had to go into the Privacy settings, and allow Reaper access to the "Microphone". Otherwise, the OS keeps the audio signal from all input types blocked from Reaper.

Oh yeah, that one's not super clear.