macOS Sonoma: The new Apple OS is here – wait or update?
Which DAWs and VSTs are safe for the new version?
3,3 / 5,0 | 
Apple just released macOS Sonoma on September 26, 2023. Earlier this year, at WWDC 2023 they already presented all the new features. Now macOS 14 is here. And it is free, like always. But be careful if you’re considering the update. Because there are still many pro audio companies whose products are not yet compatible. Let’s find out more.
Originally published on Gearnews.de by Marcus Schmahl. Translation by Julian Schmauch.
macOS Sonoma 14 on my MacBook Pro M1
Being the die-hard Apple user that I am, I couldn’t wait either and installed Apple’s new macOS Sonoma on my 13″ MacBook Pro M1 (16 GB RAM). After that was done, this change meant that I also had bring all of my VST plugins and DAW software up to date. Because I wasn’t sure if everything would work, I did a Time Machine backup before the process in case any problems would arise. And so should you!
Usually, these updates don’t break much and I have never had to revert an update – nevertheless, security first! Installation took only 20 minutes. After that, the Macbook rebooted and there it was, the new moving start screen with the fields of the famed wine region Sonoma.
First start with macOS Sonoma
After a a bit of setup (the file system had to be indexed, as it happens after every major update), I was able to use the MacBook Pro as usual and started adding the new widgets to my desktop. This will be a handy thing for everyday use. But how the new widgets might affect performance remains to be seen.
Next I opened Ableton Live 11 Suite. The app loaded up just fine, as did all the other apps I had installed. I didn’t notice any difference. Everything went fast and smoothly. Ableton scanned all the newly updated plugins just fine. So let’s see how they load up in the DAW!
Which of my VSTs work in macOS Sonoma?
My favorite plugins from Softube, Fabfilter, Universal Audio, Arturia, Native Instruments, U-He, and others all ran flawlessly. I didn’t detect any graphical glitches or audio problems. Everything runs exactly as I was used to with Ventura (macOS 13). I ran a stress test with lots of nasty and power-hungry plugins and a detailed arrangement with with lots of clips that pushed the Mac to its limits.
No problem for my MacBook Pro with macOS Sonoma installed. Perfect! Of course, we still have to wait for long-term results, because often new errors occur with filled file caches. By the way, even all iLok-protected plugins ran flawlessly – and so does the iLok app (this was not the case with Ventura).
By the way, my MacBook Pro also loaded and ran my everyday app. Stuff like iA Writer (for writing my articles for GEARNEWS), Rambox (for my chat and community profiles), all Apple’s own apps (Safari, Calendar, Messages, Mail (with Spamsieve), Music, Photos), Spotify, Photoshop 2024 and Google Chrome (Meet) worked like clockwork and without any noticeable difference. From my point of view, you definitely try macOS Sonoma for the new update.
Widgets everywhere and a new look
In addition to bug fixes and performance optimizations, there are several new features in macOS Sonoma. In this update, the focus was on “power” and “performance”. But there are also some interesting workflow improvements on board. Sonoma makes the environment of our everyday work life more “beautiful”.
Therefore, the new version gives us a completely redesigned screensaver with impressive landscape videos. And to improve your workflow, you can now freely place widgets as you’ve come to know from iOS and iPadOS on your desktop. That’s right. If you have an app installed on your iPhone or iPad that offers widgets, like a note app or Spotify for example, you can now place these widgets on your macOS Sonoma – as soon as the iDevice is near your Mac.
And just like in iOS, you can transform complete websites in to their own dedicated web apps and also place them on Sonoma’s desktop.
What else is new?
The News app has received a makeover by Apple. In addition, autocorrect now more accurately replaces your misspelled words and even gives suggestions to complete entire sentences. Furthermore, Apple is changing how it handles PDFs. It now helps you by auto-filling in your data, and PDFs can now be imported into the Notes app.
You can now also create your own stickers and send them to your friends. The lock screen also received an overhaul. It now features widgets for different clocks and other infos as you might be familiar with from iOS. Additionally, Safari now includes different user profiles under Sonoma.
Which Macs are compatible with macOS Sonoma?
Those who own a current Mac with an Apple Silicon (i.e. M1 processor) CPU will benefit the most from the new operating system. But older Macs are also supported – up to a point. Apple has listed these Macs to be compatible with macOS Sonoma:
- iMac 2019 or newer
- MacBook Air 2018 or newer
- Mac Pro 2019 or newer
- iMac Pro 2017 or newer
- MacBook Pro 2018 or newer
- Mac Studio 2022 or newer
- Mac mini 2018 or newer
Compatibility list with audio hardware and software for Sonoma
Beta testers of the new macOS reported no to very few issues with plugins and DAWs from well-known manufacturers. Unfortunately, as always, there are still no official statements from most developers. So like every year, with every new macOS, be careful! Compatibility problems with third-party hardware and software in the audio area are just too common.
But be very careful if you want to connect older hardware. Check on your hardware’s manufacturer site whether the current drivers are compatible with macOS Sonoma.
But we’ll keep you updated, of course. Below we made a compatibility list of software, plug-ins, and hardware that we have tested and officially know to be compatible with macOS Sonoma. As we move further into Sonoma times, we will continually update it. So, check this article regularly (the list is updated as of September 27, 2023).
Which DAWs, VSTs, and hardware devices are compatible with macOS Sonoma?
| Manufacturer | Hardware/Software | Does it run? |
|---|---|---|
| Ableton | Live 11.3.11 | Runs flawlessly, but no official comfirmation yet. |
| AKAI Professional | Both | Not yet compatible. |
| Antares Tech | VSTs | Not yet compatible. |
| Apogee | Both | Not yet compatible. |
| Apple | Logic Pro | Officially compatible! |
| Apple | Garageband | Officially compatible! |
| Arturia | Both | Runs flawlessly, but no official comfirmation yet. |
| AudioThing | VSTs | Not yet compatible. |
| AVID | Pro Tools | Not yet compatible. |
| Bitwig | Studio | Not yet compatible. |
| Cableguys | Shaperbox 3 | Runs flawlessly, but no official comfirmation yet. |
| Celemony | Melodyne | Runs flawlessly, but no official comfirmation yet. |
| Cherry Audio | Voltage Modular | Not yet compatible. |
| D16 | VSTs | Not yet compatible. |
| Elektron | Both | Not yet compatible. |
| Eventide | VSTs | Not yet compatible. |
| Fabfilter | VSTs | Runs flawlessly, but no official comfirmation yet. |
| Focusrite | Hardware | Not yet compatible. |
| iLok | VSTs | Runs flawlessly, but no official comfirmation yet. |
| Image-Line | FL Studio | Not yet compatible. |
| iZotope | Software | Not yet compatible. |
| Metric Halo | Both | Officially compatible! |
| Moog | AUv3 Plug-ins | Not yet compatible. |
| Motu | Both | Not yet compatible. |
| Native Instruments | Both | Runs flawlessly, but no official comfirmation yet. |
| Novation | Hardware | Not yet compatible. |
| Pioneer DJ | Rekordbox | Not yet compatible. |
| Plugin Alliance | VSTs | Runs flawlessly, but no official comfirmation yet. |
| Presonus | Hardware | Not yet compatible. |
| Reason Studios | Reason | Not yet compatible. |
| Reverb Foundry | Tai Chi | Runs flawlessly, but no official comfirmation yet. |
| Rogue Amoeba | Loopback 2 | Officially compatible! |
| Roland | Both | Not yet compatible. |
| Slate Digital | VSTs | Not yet compatible. |
| Softube | Both | Runs flawlessly, but no official comfirmation yet. |
| Solid State Logic | Both | Runs flawlessly, but no official comfirmation yet. |
| Sonarworks | Software | Not yet compatible. |
| Sonnox | Plugins | Not yet compatible. |
| Soundtheory | Plugins | Not yet compatible. |
| Soundtoys | VST | Runs flawlessly, but no official comfirmation yet. |
| Synchro Arts | VSTs | Runs flawlessly, but no official comfirmation yet. |
| Steinberg | Both | Not yet compatible. |
| U-He | VSTs | Runs flawlessly, but no official comfirmation yet. |
| Universal Audio | Both | UAD Spark runs flawlessly, but official comfirmation is still out. |
| Valhalla DSP | VSTs | Officially compatible! |
| Xfer Records | VSTs | Runs flawlessly, but no official comfirmation yet. |
| zplane | VSTs | Runs flawlessly, but no official comfirmation yet. |
What has your experience been with macOS Sonoma? Have you run into any kind of technical issues? Let us know your experience in the comments!
More info about the manufacturer and the new operating system
- Product page at Apple
- More from Apple
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all of my (many) 3rd-party plugins run fine here (in logic pro). ‘not yet compatible’ does not necessarily mean ‘not working’…
why take that risk though.
okay maybe I should consider upgrading to monterey or ventura then (and yeah as a general rule wait around 6 months or more before upgrading your OS and check compatibility thorougly)
Many current Focusrite audio interfaces are actually compatible. Listed here – https://support.focusrite.com/hc/en-gb/articles/12033372452754-Focusrite-Compatibility-on-macOS
Does take time for these apps to officially certify as compatible with a new OS release. I guess you can play trial and error or wait until the app officially supports Sonoma. In the past its been my experience to just wait it out for a couple months.
Enki and Grand Finale VSTs from Klevgrand have blank UIs. Same with XLN Audio’s Addictive Keys…even their installer app shows up blank in Sonoma. All others I have in Ableton Live Suite 11.3.11 seem to be working.