I hear the new OS, Big Sur, is coming out. Will Audacity be compatible with it?
That depends on how much backward compatibility Apple break this time. If Bug Sur is backwardly compatible with Catalina, then no problem.
Thanks. Hope so. Bug Sur? Haha, Hope that’s not a harbinger.
Oops, that was an unintentional typo 
In my opinion, the OS isn’t likely to be the problem. Machines are oozing toward being terminals rather than computers. Keyboard, Mouse and Monitor and everything else is “in the cloud.” That’s going to be a very serious problem because “in the cloud” isn’t real time. No more overdubbing. Bye.
I’m holding onto my older Air with white knuckles because the new Air only had three connections. Two Thunderbolts and one headphone. And one Thunderbolt is the charger.
I wonder how Apple’s Cole Porter Project is going?
You know: “I’ve got you under my skin” (1936)
Koz
Steve… I suspect it was Freudian.
I remember when Audacity was down up until a few weeks ago, because of an OS update. That really put a kink in my recording schedule. Just don’t want that to happen again.
Just don’t want that to happen again.
It will happen again. We don’t have audio production appliances. We have general purpose computers and as long as we treat them like do-all machines, the updates and the interruptions will continue. One of the solutions for live recording problems is stop recording on the computer. People make very nice stand-alone audio recorders that record audio without interruption and without updates. If you find one that needs updates, run the other way.
If it’s super critical that your audio production goes out the door, stop connecting your production machine to the internet and stop doing updates. This will invariably mean you have more than one machine. Yes. That’s correct.
It’s perfectly possible to have a convenient WiFi system without that one cable on the end that connects to the intertnet. Air Gap Firewalls are a thing, and in my opinion, a very good thing.
If your job is tied to internet production, then you’re stuck.
Not only is the glass half empty, but due to evaporation, manufacturing defect, theft, and spillage, it’s only going to get worse.
Koz
Try to avoid being in the first wave of OS upgrades. Wait until the problems with the updated OS are known before deciding to update.
That is a good suggestion, and one that I hadn’t thought of…a stand-alone recorder. I don’t know anything about them. If you can share a link…a suggestion of one that might work, I’ll appreciate it. Now that I’m used to Audacity, I surely like its effects / editing capabilities: adding silence between verses to edit out coughs, trimming off excess seconds after a song ends, etc. Also like recording on a separate track from the accompaniment, then zooming in to fine-tune vocals. I just don’t know, at the moment, how a stand-along recorder works. Tnx. --Tom in Texas
I can see how this is kind of scary for Mac users. Why not get a relatively inexpensive PC and dedicate it to nothing but recording?
I can personally give a hearty recommendation for Zoom H6, which is a very versatile digital recorder. The audio format is compatible with Audacity.
It has 4 inbuilt XLR/TRS inputs, with the option to connect several different proprietary microphone modules or an additional 2 XLR/TRS inputs.
The Zoom H4n and H5 are similar, but with less versatile functionality.
Concerning Audacity compatibility, the app itself is likely to work fine because of the Rosetta 2 compatibility layer built into MacOS Big Sur. It basically translates apps into something that can be used in Big Sur even if they haven’t been translated to natively be supported by the OS. What you would be more likely to run into problems with is plugins in the app, as well as audio devices that you need to plug into the laptop.
I’d listen to Steve – wait for at least a few months before updating your OS to Big Sur. That will give developers to work out the kinks with Audacity in the new OS. Also look around on forums for other peoples’ experiences using audio devices and Audacity on MacOS. Also not a bad idea to own a PC just in case Audacity breaks completely on MacOS.
One of the forum regulars has taken the plunge and updated to Big Sur. Basically it is looking OK. His comments here: Audacity on Big Sur
Rosetta 2 compatibility layer built into MacOS Big Sur.
I wondered about that. I remember the chaos when they abandoned PowerPC in favor of Intel. The people who get killed have designed software to take advantage of Intel errors or little-documented features. That will get you notoriety or market share for a while…
Koz
I cranked out a technically correct ACX voice test submission with a Zoom H1n.
That picture is the Hollywood version, in real life, it’s one bathroom roll taller (I sit high) and has a heavy blue moving blanket on the table. This is that process with my legacy Zoom H4.
You can edit, process, cut, and filter all day long in your PC/Mac. The critical part is the actual recording. You can’t filter your way out of problems if the recording is damaged. Or sometimes you can, but it will double the time it takes to record something—not counting processing and editing.
The Zoom has two USB “modes,” Microphone and File. I use File and it mounts the internal memory on my computer. Drag files around as needed. The other mode is not recommended. You can make your Zoom into a real-time USB microphone.
In other words, you can use the computer to screw up the Zoom sound just like any other USB microphone. Run away.
There might be a mid-way point. Record on the Zoom, but leave the USB cable plugged in so you don’t need to replace the batteries. I’m experimenting with this. I don’t know how Zoom did it.
Koz
I cranked out a technically correct ACX voice test submission with a Zoom H1n.
That picture is the Hollywood version, in real life, it’s one bathroom roll taller (I sit high) and has a heavy blue moving blanket on the table. This is that process with my legacy Zoom H4.
You can edit, process, cut, and filter all day long in your PC/Mac. The critical part is the actual recording. You can’t filter your way out of problems if the recording is damaged. Or sometimes you can, but it will double the time it takes to record something—not counting processing and editing. Editing, on average and in round numbers, takes five times the length of the show. If you greatly offend the sound angels, it can take much longer.
The Zoom has two USB “modes,” Audio Interface and Card Reader. I use Card Reader and it mounts the internal memory chip on my computer. Drag files around as needed. The other mode is not recommended. You can make your Zoom into a real-time USB microphone.
In other words, you can use the computer to screw up the Zoom sound just like any other USB microphone. Run away.
There might be a mid-way point. Record on the Zoom, but leave the USB cable plugged in so you don’t need to replace the batteries. I’m experimenting with this. I don’t know how Zoom did it.
Koz