New iMac - need help please

impmann

I've literally just bought a new iMac, that's come pre-installed with Catalina. My old MacBook had got so long in the tooth that I couldn't update it any more and a lot of things were starting to be a problem. However, from a recording perspective it was bullet proof. However...

As a result of the new OS, nothing I've used previously for recording will work on it - I previously used Abelton 7 (yup, I know, long out of date but it worked well) and a Line6 UX-2 and POD Farm for guitar models (ditto). Line 6 stuff just doesn't work with Catalina and it appears from looking at their forums that there's a reluctance to sort the issues out for legacy products - tbh, that sounds about right for the new management... Therefore rather than join in the wailing and gnashing of teeth on there, its probably more constructive to move on.

Anyhoo - its probably about time I bought something 64-bit to match the new computer. I'll pay the upgrade to Live10, as I rather like the workflow of Ableton. So... I'm after some recommendations.

Firstly, an input device - something with at least two mic, stereo line ins, guitar input etc. Something along the same lines as the UX-2, basically... Latency was an issue on a lot of input devices when I got the UX2... it solved that. So what's the deal now... I'm very out of the loop.
Secondly, I'd like to be able to record guitar parts direct to the DAW without a separate box for guitar models (ie plugging something like a Helix in). Previously, I'd fire up POD Farm and it would route directly through the UX-2... I can get POD Farm2 running on the iMac so happy days, but I'm not sure if a non-Line6 input device will work in the same way... any advice welcomed.

I'm not completely computer illiterate, but do find some things a little above my little head - so please be gentle with me. The discovery that nothing I previously used will work has taken the sheen off what should have been a very exciting day - and I'm about to go for a long walk to try to cheer myself up.

All help, guidance and wotnot gratefully received. 

spark240

Maybe look at a Presonus product and use Ampire vst for guitar...

John_A

Having just bought a new mac myself I've gone for the UAD Apollo X Twin, there's an offer on at the moment where you get a load of free plugings which run on the hardwar and sound superb, one of them is a Marshall Plexi which sounds great, I plan on using Helix Native too, but havent got round to setting it up yet

https://www.gear4music.com/Recording-and-Computers/Universal-Audio-Apollo-Twin-X-DUO-Thunderbolt/35BE?origin=product-ads&msclkid=6cfb4af860271308ec7315a32a08d140&utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=PLA%20Shop%20%7C%20Margin%20D&utm_term=4584345025430617&utm_content=Margin%20D

darius

UAD for interface and plugins if money no object. For value for money, I have an SSL2 which has been excellent and will def work on new macs, and I hear a lot of good stuff about Focusrite interfaces.

For DAW, surely Logic would be the logical choice for a brand new imac? (see what i did there)

Reaper has been bulletproof on my old imac, if i get a new one i will invest in logic.