MacOS: doubts between running native (apple silicon) vs Rosetta

[spinlud]

Hi, I am trying to figure out how to configure a "working" environment on Apple M1 Max chip having several plugins not M1 compatible yet.
From what I have learned so far, there are 2 options:

• 1) Running Ableton in native (universal) mode, so the native plugins can benefit from the boosted performance while the other non-native plugins can be loaded as AU components and run using Rosetta for the most part (some could not work or have bugs).

• 2) Running Ableton with the "Open using Rosetta" option as explained here https://help.ableton.com/hc/en-us/artic ... -Live-11-1. In this case you "should" be able to load your non-native plugins as VST.

I am not sure about the second option, how the native plugins will run? What are the pro/cons of going with the first or second option in terms of compatibility and performance? Any experience to share?

[Machinesworking]

First off there's a great resource for Apple Silicon native plug ins:
https://asaudio.tech/
The big hold outs at this point are NI, only Kontakt is native.

With a Max chip you'll hardly notice Rosetta, but here's the deal everything more or less runs in AU Rosetta, only a select few plug ins are not capable. Mostly I have to host Reason Rack in PluginGurus Unify to get MIDI out capabilities because as far as I can tell only Unify and Logic of course can use AUi plug ins as MIDI effects inserts, so in native Apple Silicon mode, Live cannot use non native VST plug ins, only AU.

So if you're like me and had a lot of songs in Live with VST plug ins like Reaktor, FM8 or IK's T-Racks plug ins, you will want to run Live in Rosetta. At least first to port them to the AU versions. IMO there is a penalty for Live in Rosetta, a guy I had a webinar "fireside chat" with on MOTUs site uses DP in Rosetta with his 100+ track VEP set up, and remarked that it all seemed laggy compared to his higher end 2019 Mac Pro, but again Rosetta.

Odd things, Live is always a fast starting DAW, but it's 5 seconds on the M1 Air here, I have 238 AU plug ins, and about the same VST, plus slightly less VST3. That's literally fast enough to not worry about crashing live with.

[spinlud]

Thanks for sharing!

I have never used AU, always VST/VST3. I read that a project running AU plugins can't be opened properly on Windows, even if the same plugin is installed on Windows as VST, is that true?

I am trying to uderstand if it is worth to run Ableton native and the non-native plugins in AU format using Rosetta, or if it is better to run Ableton in Rosetta mode and run all plugins as VST/VST3

[H20nly]

I'm finding it to be a pain in the ass. In theory, it all "works" but there's nuances at every turn... at least it feels that way to me. Any weird behavior now has the built in excuse "Rosetta"... and rightfully so. It adds a layer of complexity to troubleshooting. It's no longer computer, software DAW, plugins (which was complex enough)... now there's this 4th and 5th factor of Rosetta and full Native M1 support.

My only advice is to keep things simple and wait for the storm to end.