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AudioUnit plugins have strict realtime requirements that won't work with message passing too. If Apple disallows plugins that will be the end of the Mac as a pr

AudioUnit plugins have strict realtime requirements that won't work with message passing too. If Apple disallows plugins that will be the end of the Mac as a pro audio platform. Not that a lot of plugin developers would mind so much after the insane platform churn at Cupertino in this last decade, but it's hard for me to imagine Apple would go that far.

nknight 15y ago
"strict realtime requirements" and Mac OS X (and most other off-the-shelf operating systems) do not mix and never have. Either these applications don't belong on the platform in the first place, or you are misunderstanding their requirements. It doesn't matter anyway. What is it Apple has done recently to give you the impression that they place great importance on niche markets?
- beedogs 15y ago
  I think you're misunderstanding what they mean by "realtime".
- cageface 15y ago
  Realtime in this sense means an interrupt-driven thread that must respond in fixed time to prevent audio dropouts which are death in pro audio. Previously Apple has assiduously courted this market with their implementations of CoreAudio and AudioUnits and the purchase of Logic. OS X provides by far the best native support for pro audio apps of any operating system. Lately all this seems to have fallen pretty far down on their list of priorities though.
dbattaglia 15y ago
Exactly... AudioUnits and VST plugins literally must be loaded in-process of the host to be useful at all. As long as vendors aren't forced to use the App store for distribution I don't think anyone in that scene will care much about Apple's changes. In the digital music / VST / DAW scene I think the app store's initial launch amounted to a single "oh well, guess not" blog post on CDM and then everyone moved on. (I'm exaggerating a bit of course).
super_mario 15y ago
Apple can't get out of Pro market fast enough. They already killed XServe, they "deprecated" Java, which means no chance in hell anyone will try to host their app server on Mac, and now even develop on Mac, they haven't updated their Pro audio software in almost 5 years, the fiasco with FCP X (complete rejection from actual pro users), and most recent rumor they will kill off Mac Pro as well. Apple wants to be handheld "post-PC" maker and not a computer company. They don't want anything to do with the pro market, people who actually need to do work with their computers.
- adsr 15y ago
  They killed XServe because it belonged in a market where Apple was insignificant, they weren't selling any. Java now has to be installed separately like on all other platforms. Logic was last updated in August.
- recoiledsnake 15y ago
  There's some chatter about the Pro line going away too. http://blogs.computerworld.com/19195/apple_kills_the_mac_pro_it_doesnt_matter http://blogs.computerworld.com/19195/apple_kills_the_mac_pro... As with all Apple rumors, take it with a bucket of salt, they might announce a new line tomorrow for all you know.

nknight 15y ago

"strict realtime requirements" and Mac OS X (and most other off-the-shelf operating systems) do not mix and never have. Either these applications don't belong on the platform in the first place, or you are misunderstanding their requirements. It doesn't matter anyway. What is it Apple has done recently to give you the impression that they place great importance on niche markets?

beedogs 15y ago
I think you're misunderstanding what they mean by "realtime".
cageface 15y ago
Realtime in this sense means an interrupt-driven thread that must respond in fixed time to prevent audio dropouts which are death in pro audio. Previously Apple has assiduously courted this market with their implementations of CoreAudio and AudioUnits and the purchase of Logic. OS X provides by far the best native support for pro audio apps of any operating system. Lately all this seems to have fallen pretty far down on their list of priorities though.

dbattaglia 15y ago

Exactly... AudioUnits and VST plugins literally must be loaded in-process of the host to be useful at all. As long as vendors aren't forced to use the App store for distribution I don't think anyone in that scene will care much about Apple's changes. In the digital music / VST / DAW scene I think the app store's initial launch amounted to a single "oh well, guess not" blog post on CDM and then everyone moved on. (I'm exaggerating a bit of course).

super_mario 15y ago

Apple can't get out of Pro market fast enough. They already killed XServe, they "deprecated" Java, which means no chance in hell anyone will try to host their app server on Mac, and now even develop on Mac, they haven't updated their Pro audio software in almost 5 years, the fiasco with FCP X (complete rejection from actual pro users), and most recent rumor they will kill off Mac Pro as well. Apple wants to be handheld "post-PC" maker and not a computer company. They don't want anything to do with the pro market, people who actually need to do work with their computers.

adsr 15y ago
They killed XServe because it belonged in a market where Apple was insignificant, they weren't selling any. Java now has to be installed separately like on all other platforms. Logic was last updated in August.
recoiledsnake 15y ago
There's some chatter about the Pro line going away too. http://blogs.computerworld.com/19195/apple_kills_the_mac_pro_it_doesnt_matter http://blogs.computerworld.com/19195/apple_kills_the_mac_pro... As with all Apple rumors, take it with a bucket of salt, they might announce a new line tomorrow for all you know.