MAC OS X COMPATIBILITY INFO
This page provides information about the compatibility of Native Instruments products with various versions of Mac OS X.
This page has last been updated on February 11th 2010.
Native Instruments has conducted compatibility tests with Mac OS X 10.6 that have shown current NI products to work without any specific issues under this operating system.
Information about known issues with older product versions can be found in the Knowledge Base.
Native Instruments will continue to monitor the operation of its products under Mac OS X 10.6, and will update this page with eventual new information as it becomes available.
Some special notes regarding 64bit aspects of Mac OS X 10.6:
32bit kernel mode vs. 64bit kernel mode
All installations of Mac OS X 10.6 on Apple consumer models start in 32bit kernel mode by default. This kernel mode allows the operation of both 32bit and 64bit Mac OS X applications.
Users can activate an optional 64bit kernel mode through a special key combination during the boot process. However, drivers for NI audio interfaces and controllers are currently not compatible with 64bit kernel mode.
For the time being, Native Instruments does not recommend using 64bit kernel mode with music production software. The development efforts necessary to establish 64bit kernel mode compatibility for NI products are currently being evaluated.
Special notes regarding 64-bit versions of Logic and Mainstage
Native Instruments' products are currently not available in 64-bit AudioUnit format, and are also not fully compatible with the 32-Bit AudioUnit bridge of the latest Logic and Mainstage versions.
It is therefore recommended for users of NI products to use the 32-bit mode of Logic 9.1 and Mainstage 2.1
Regarding the aspect of 64-bit memory addressing, KONTAKT versions from 3.5 and upward as well as all KONTAKT PLAYER-based products can already utilize large amounts of memory in 32-bit hosts through the included "Kontakt Memory Server" technology.
Native Instruments is planning to release 64-bit AudioUnit versions of all relevant products over the course of this year.
All current Native Instruments products work without any specific issues under Mac OS X 10.5*. However, users should make sure to download the latest updates from the NI website for maximum compatibility.
Some older product installers require a special installer patch for Leopard, otherwise the installer will hang during installation. Read more about the Leopard installer patch here.
Mac OS X 10.4 is now considered a legacy operating system, and will not be supported by any NI products released after October 1st 2009.
Products and updates released after that date might not install and/or launch under this operating system. Users are advised to upgrade to OS X 10.5 to retain compatibility. Tech support for users of Mac OS X 10.4 continues to be available until further notice.
Special note on PowerPC-based Macintosh computers
As of October 1st, Macintosh computers with PowerPC-based processor architecture (G4/G5) are no longer supported by new software releases and service updates from Native Instruments. Macintosh system requirements now include an Intel processor.
AKOUSTIK PIANO and ELEKTRIK PIANO: The free KONTAKT 4 PLAYER should be used to play the content of these instruments under Pro Tools and Mac OS X 10.5.
