We regularly get asked and see on forums. questions from people wanting to know if a particular version f a DAW will work with a particular version of macOS or Windows, or whether a version of the OS will work on their computer.
This article is designed to be a resource to help you access comprehensive information already provided by brands like Apple, Avid and Microsoft, and explain why every version of DAW won’t work with every version of a computer’s operating system.
Important - Match Your OS To Your Version Of Your DAW
We often get asked is about whether you can use an old version of a DAW on a current computer with a current version of the OS, or conversely, can you use the latest version of a DAW on an older computer.
Our advice is that you should match the version of your DAW with the corresponding supported operating system versions. To do this, you should check the compatibility information in this article and find out which version of the Mac or Windows operating system is supported for your version of DAW, and choose the most appropriate operating system to go with the version of your DAW.
If you need a newer version of your operating system for other software then you will need to budget for upgrading your DAW to a version that is supported for the version of the operating system you want to use.
Deviating from these recommendations is likely to cause you problems, as your DAW, like any software, is looking for hooks in the operating system to access certain parts of the system. These hooks change with different versions of the OS and so your DAW, or any other software, cannot find the hooks into the OS it is looking for and that will cause reliability issues.
One thing that makes it easier is that most software including DAWs are supported on a range of operating systems. For example, Pro Tools 2021.7 is supported on computers running macOS 10.14.6, 10.15.17 and 11.4, which covers Mojave, Cataline and Big Sur and for Windows, it is supported with Windows 10 Home, Pro, and Enterprise 64-bit Editions, although you will need to check which build of Windows 10 is required, but it's all there, if you look carefully.
Avid Pro Tools Compatibility Information
These documents cover both macOS And Windows
If we take the Pro Tools 12 document as an earlier example, it contains warning information at the top, in this case to alerts at the time of writing...
ALERT: Do not upgrade to macOS High Sierra version 10.13.4
Initial testing of Pro Tools with macOS 10.13.4 has shown serious problems with CPU performance at lower buffer sizes. Avid is working to find a resolution for this problem. It is recommended that users refrain from updating to 10.13.4 until further notice. If you have to use 10.13.4 then make sure to avoid lower buffer sizes (64 samples or lower at 48kHz, 128 samples or lower at 96kHz, 256 samples at 192kHz)ALERT: Pro Tools 12.8.3 supported on macOS 10.13.2 (High Sierra)
Pro Tools 12.8.3 is fully qualified for use with macOS 10.13.2 (High Sierra). Users who are running macOS 10.13.1 should update to 10.13.2 before installing Pro Tools 12.8.3 due to installer problems.ALERT: Pro Tools 12.8.2 Does Not Support Mac OS 10.10 Yosemite - Users who are running Mac OS 10.10 Yosemite should upgrade their OS before updating to Pro Tools 12.8.2 due to Graphical artifacts in Pro Tools 12.8.2 on Mac OS 10.10 Yosemite. Also, note that macOS 10.13 High Sierra is still being qualified with Pro Tools as of this writing.
ALERT: Windows 7 End of Support
Pro Tools 12.8.3 is the last release that will support Windows 7; releases after 12.8.3 will not be tested on Windows 7, and any new bugs that are Windows 7-specific will not be fixed. Please upgrade to Windows 10 before updating to Pro Tools versions past 12.8.3.ALERT: Windows 10 - Pro Tools 12.5 added support for Windows 10. Note that there are specific Hardware Buffer limitations for Pro Tools HD on Windows 10
You will also need to check which computers are supported, all of which is in the relevant documents. For example, you may not be able to run an older version of an OS on a newer computer.
When it comes to Apple, a good rule of thumb is any Apple computer will not work on any macOS released before the first version of that computer was released.
Pro Tools Computer Minimum System Requirements
Mac:
Intel Mac with macOS 10.14.6, 10.15.7, 11.4
(check the document for detailed information in the macOS Compatibility Grid)Pro Tools - M1 or Intel® Core i5 processor
Pro Tools | Ultimate - M1 or Intel® Core i7 processor
16GB RAM (32GB or more recommended)
Internet connection for installation
15GB disk space for installation
PCIe slot for HDX or HD Native card (incl. one power connection on motherboard),
Thunderbolt port for supported PCIe-chassis or HD Native ThunderboltUSB port, FireWire port or Thunderbolt port for CoreAudio-supported audio device
Windows:
Intel PC Windows 10 Home, Pro, and Enterprise 64-bit Editions
(check the document for detailed information in the Windows OS Compatibility Grid)Windows 10 for Workstations supported on Intel® Xeon processor-equipped machines
Pro Tools - Intel® Core i5 processor
Pro Tools | Ultimate - Intel® Core i9 or Intel® Xeon processor
16GB RAM (32GB or more recommended)
Internet connection for installation
15GB disk space for installation
PCIe slot for HDX or HD Native card (incl. one power connection on motherboard)
USB-port, FireWire-port for ASIO-supported audio device
Compatible NVIDIA graphics card (see machine-specific Slot Order & Configuration pages in the document for tested NVIDIA card models)
Optimisation Guides
Optimising your system will simplify software installation and maximise the performance of Pro Tools. It is recommended that you follow our Computer Optimisations Guides for Mac and Windows before installing Pro Tools. Note that these guides are also likely to help with other DAWs too.
PreSonus Studio One Compatibility Information
The Studio One knowledgebase is nowhere as comprehensive as Avid’s for Pro Tools, when it comes to areas like system Requirements and compatibility, especially for older versions.
The Studio One 5 Tech Specs are easy enough to find and they say…
Mac
macOS 10.13 or higher (64-bit only)
Intel Core i3 or better
Apple M1 processor supported with Rosetta 2
Minimum 4 GB RAM / Recommended 8 GB or more
Internet connection (needed for installation, activation, and Cloud, Shop, and Exchange integration)
Monitor with 1366 x768 resolution (Retina display recommended)
Multi-touch enabled monitor with TUIO support is required for touch operation
Content storage:
40 GB free hard drive space (Studio One Professional)
20 GB free hard drive space (Studio One Artist)
Windows 10 (64-bit only)
Intel® Core™ i3/AMD A10 processor or better
Minimum 4 GB RAM / Recommended 8 GB or more
Internet connection (needed for installation, activation, and Cloud, Shop, and Exchange integration)
Monitor with 1366 x768 resolution (high-dpi monitor recommended)
Multi-touch enabled monitor is required for touch operation
Content storage:
40 GB free hard-drive space (Studio One Professional)
20 GB free hard-drive space (Studio One Artist)
Older Versions Of Studio One
We have not been able to find the Tech Specs for Studio One 4 but they still have the Tech Specs for Studio One 3 on their site.
Mac
Mac OS 10.8.5 or higher
Intel Core 2 Duo processor
Intel Core i3 or better recommended
Minimum 4 GB RAM / Recommended 8 GB or more
Internet connection (needed for installation, activation, and Cloud, Shop, and Exchange integration)
Monitor with 1366 x768 resolution (Retina display recommended)
Multi-touch enabled monitor is required for touch operation
30 GB free hard drive space
Windows
Windows 7 x64/x86 SP1 +platform Update
Windows 8.1 x64/x86
Windows 10 x64/x86
Intel Core 2 Duo or AMD Athlon X2 processor
Intel® Core™ i3 or AMD Athlon X4 processor or better
Minimum 4 GB RAM / Recommended 8 GB or more
Internet connection (needed for installation, activation, and Cloud, Shop, and Exchange integration)
Monitor with 1366 x768 resolution (Retina display recommended)
Multi-touch enabled monitor is required for touch operation
30 GB free hard drive space
Apple Logic Pro X Compatibility Information
Apple Official Minimum System Requirements for Logic Pro 10.6
macOS 10.15.7 or later
6GB of available storage space for minimum installation or 72GB of storage space for full Sound Library installation
Looking at Logic Pro 10.6, as we reported when it was released. The minimum OS requirement is now Catalina (OS 10.15) or higher. This shouldn’t come as a surprise, as it has been a long-standing policy of Logic’s developers to support one version earlier than the current operating system. And since Big Sur is now it, Catalina is the “legacy” version they still support.
For those on Mojave happily running Logic Pro X 10.5.1, you can let go of your FOMO. Unless you need Launchpad support or Step Sequencer access in Logic Remote, you aren’t missing out on anything significant. So, take your time planning your upgrade to Big Sur. You may not need it now. But history tells us there eventually will be compelling reasons to upgrade to the newest version of Logic Pro!
Offical historical information for Logic Pro is very hard to come by, but the rule of thumb of one version earlier than the macOS that was current when the version of Logic was released will stand you in good stead.
So for Logic Pro 10.5, you will need macOS 10.14.6 or later, but in reality, that basically means Mojave or Catalina. For Big Sur you are going to need Logic Pro 10.6.
As for suitable computers look up the supported computers for that OS. You can check this out from our macOS DAW compatibility articles…
In Conclusion
The simple takeaway from this article is any piece of software will only work with a range of versions of your computer’s operating system. For example, do not expect to be able to run Pro Tools 8LE with macOS Big Sur.
We hope that with the information in this article, you will be able to find out which version of your DAW will play nicely with which version of your chosen operating system or vice versa.
If you are working with an older version of your DAW then do not expect to be able to have a nice new shiny computer, you will need to stick to a similar vintage of computer as your DAW.
That will also impact the versions of any software you want to run on your computer, so don’t expect to be able to run the latest version of video editing software on the same computer as an older version of your DAW, something will not work.
When you are looking to update one of the elements, whether it’s the OS, the DAW or your studio computer, you will need to look at them all and see what the knock-on effects are if you want to upgrade one of them, and that will nearly always have a financial element to the equation too.