I’ve been running Dorico 6 on my 2018 Mac laptop under VENTURA and finally have gotten things together to make a move next week to a Mac Mini M4 with two big monitors. I would like to keep my current version of Dorico running on my laptop for times when I’ll be away from my studio, but expect to do 95% of my work in the new environment.
I know the basics of migrating from one machine to another, and I know that I can have Dorico registered on two separate machines. I was wondering if the Forum had any tips, tricks, or other bits of advice based on experience migrating.
Hardware—by which I mean 90% memory, 9% processor, and 1% screen resolution. Obviously, more is better for all of these parameters. But, 99% of the time when someone complains about Dorico slowing down or not being able to handle large projects, low RAM is the culprit. 16 GB of RAM should be considered a bare minimum, which I believe is also the minimum for your target new computer. But, 32 GB would obviously be better, and 64 GB even more so. (Obviously, this discussion assumes that you have not already bought/configured your new computer; if you are still ordering from the manufacturer’s Web site, you get to configure the system as part of ordering.)
If you have changed your program settings (e.g., Notation Options), you may want to copy them to your new computer. Since you already have Dorico 6, you will probably find this easier than readjusting them on your new computer by hand. You can find your settings in a series of XML files. Unfortunately, I don’t know where you would find them on Macintosh.
Apple’s Migration Assistant is very good at handling most transfers. It should copy over your user settings for Dorico, but if not, it’s easy enough to copy the folder contents.
However, I’d recommend reinstalling Dorico and all its bits using the Download Assistant, because of the risk of missing some component file in /Library.
The main problem will be from older software that doesn’t work [properly] on Tahoe, and needs updating.
Thanks for the tips/pointers. Exactly what I was looking for! I haven’t bought the new machine (that’s later this week), so I can take advantage of Seriso’s guidance on RAM et al.
One more question: any advice on how to (or not to) daisy-chain various external devices? I expect to have:
– 2 MIDI keyboard controls (Alesis 49 and StudioLogic SL88
– Focusrite Scarlet 2i2 (4th gen) audio interface connected to two QSC speakers
– Apple large-screen (25" diagonal) monitor (circa 2015 but it’s still looks great) with 3 USB-B and one USB-C (possibly early Thunderbolt) connection on the back
– Apple large-screen (28") monitor circa 2025 with 3 USB-C and one Thunderbolt connect on the back
– Apple keyboard and mouse (both can connect via Bluetooth but need to be intermittently charged via USB-C)
– 2 external hard drives (one for back-up/Time Machine and one for various sound libraries)
– CD/DVD player (USB-B) (those were the days)
The Mac mini M4 has:
– on front :
– 2 USB-C ports with support for USB 3 (up to 10Gb/s)
–3.5mm headphone jack
– on back
– 3 Thunderbolt 4 (USB-C) ports that support Thunderbotl 4, USB 4, or Display
–Gigabit Ethernet port (configurable to 10Gb Ethernet)
–HDMI port
At the moment, I don’t expect to use either the HDMI or Ethernet connections
Thank your a hundred time over in advance, and apologies for the long post. I’ve been running Dorico (and before that Sibelius and Finale) on the same laptop for 8 years and I suspect that there may be subtleties in daisy-chaining that I don’t know about since I haven’t really had the set-up in which it was required (I just used the USB connections to my laptops 4 USB-C inputs.)
Apple made a 24" LED Cinema Display, which has 3 x USB-A and 1 miniDisplay Port (not USB-C shape). Though it stopped selling them in 2010. You might have the 27" Thunderbolt Display.
The current Studio Display is 27".
You’ll need the Apple Thunderbolt 2 to 3 adaptor to connect the old display to your Mac. (Old Thunderbolt used the same connector as miniDisplayPort.)
I have the Studio Display with an M2 Mini. I have an Anker 7 x USB-A hub, which connects to one of the USB-C ports of the Studio Display. My keyboard, Trackpad, MIDI keyboard and Scanner are all plumbed into that hub.
My external drives are connected directly to the Mini; though I’m not particularly bothered about maximum speeds for those. I could happily have another hub from one of the Mini’s ports, if I needed.
Thanks for correcting my on the exact sizes of my two Apple monitors and their year of birth. I’ve had my original 25" screen for so long that I’d forgotten when I bought it (funny how time flies…). And having never tried to use the miniDisplay port, I glanced at the back of my monitor and thought it was USB-C. I have used all three USB-B ports for successfully connecting MIDI keyboards (and occasionally my DVD player).
RE my newer (circa one year or so) Apple monitor: definitely a 27" diagonal screen. Back has four connection points, all of which take USB-C cables. The right-most port has a Thunderbolt icon over it. When I look on-line for the specs of the Apple Studio monitor, it shows four similar ports on the back BUT TWO OF THEM appear to have Thunderbolt gliffs. I suspect for the work I’m doing, it won’t be important, but if you have any more “background” data on the specifics of my current equipment, I’d appreciate your input.
Thanks for the info on the Anker Hub. It sounds like hooking everything through one hub will work. I’m assuming I can configure my setup so that the newer display hooks up to my mini and this uses a USB-C (new display) -to - USB-B (old display) so that I can drive two displays.
Thanks again. Very helpful…and exactly the info I was hoping I’d find on the Forum.
If you bought the latest display new, then it has to be the Studio Display, which is a beautiful piece of kit. Apple did “update” it slightly this year, with 2 Thunderbolt and 2 USB-C. You’ve got the earlier model.
Stuff like keyboards, printers, scanners are fairly “low throughput” devices, so can happily share ports on a hub. Arguably, audio interfaces aren’t that high throughout devices either, compared with some SSDs and other drives.
USB-A is the old, standard, rectangular connector, that you always try the wrong way first.
USB-B is the square connector, usually on printers and scanners. Its purpose is/was to enforce the direction of power transfer. (E.g. Devices on the B end can be powered by the A end, but not the other way round.)
I’m envious…particularly about the monitors. Depending on the number of USB peripherals that you use, I would recommend not skimping on the number of USB-C to USB A adapters or consider a small USB hub. Otherwise, everyone else covered about everything else. And, to echo, RAM, RAM, RAM - as much as you can afford.