Don’t upgrade now if you need to make music anytime soon.
The latest OS X update for Mac, El Capitan, is released today (September 30), but Native Instruments has issued a “critical” compatibility warning on how the operating system plays with its software and hardware.
If you’re a producer that relies on software it’s always advisable to wait for a short period after a new operating system is released, but the issues with Native Instruments products seems even more dire than usual. According to the company, upgrading now will mean that the company’s Audio Units will not function with Logic Pro. In addition, some older hardware will cause a “kernel panic” that crashes your computer if used. The affected hardware is as follows:
Traktor Kontrol S4 (MK1)
Traktor Kontrol X1 (MK1)
Traktor Audio 2 (MK1)
Audio 8 DJ
Audio 4 DJ
Audio 2 DJ
Maschine (MK1)
Guitar Rig 3 (Rig Kontrol 3 hardware)
The good news is that Native Instruments is working on a solution, and has already released beta drivers for the affected hardware should you want to risk it. Alternatively, you can just just hold off upgrading to El Capitan until a full fix is available.
Arturia has issued a similar warning, meaning that as always it’s probably best to hold off upgrading if you rely on your computer for making or performing music.