In the list of downloads for the Motif Rack ES, I see that the USB MIDI drivers support Mac OS 10.8.x/10.9.x, but the Voice Editor and Multi Part Editor specifically say they are for 10.3-10.7.x. Do these editors actually work on the newer versions of the Mac OS and the info hasn’t been updated to reflect that? Or are there issues running the editors on 10.8/10.9? (And if the latter, any likelihood of updates?)

Yamaha is is in process of testing all components. The Drivers have been tested and ok’d, it’s the other software (Editors, Extensions, etc.,) that are still under testing. Yamaha has announced that they will issue word before the end of November… When you will see either an update or the release of the schedule for when components will be available.

We have said it is best to wait (hold off) on updating your computer OS to Mavericks or 8.1 until all this testing and updates are made available, that is if music production is primarily what you do. Unless there other things you do with your computer that warrant you change OS, why wouldn’t you wait? There are no significant changes that these OS updates introduce that are life or death for your music, so it is best to wait for all the components are updated. (This is pretty standard advice for musicians with computers) when the benefits of waiting outweigh the featured gained by updating, DON’T! Make sense?

I’m in an unusual situation. I was running 10.7x. My Mac had a major failure under warranty, and Apple had a back-order on the part with no ETA, so they gave me an an entirely new Mac out of current inventory. Wonderful customer service, except unfortunately, the new Mac came with (and requires a minimum) of 10.8.x. So, through no choice of my own, I can no longer run anything older than 10.8.x.

Anyway, I’m glad to see that support for the old ES is still in Yamaha’s pipeline!

Well that is no guarantee that there’s going to be a fix to make that work… Your choice or not. I would not expect miracles. Software developed pre-2003 cannot continually be expected to be extended indefinitely into the future. 

You are a computer user, I don’t have to tell this! it is nothing new. You don’t buy a computer as much as you subscribe to it. Between drivers and software updates and OS changes and then computer hardware becoming obsolete! you are a subscriber not the owner, in a traditional sense. Eventually either through OS changes, or driver/software changes you are unceremoniously left out in the cold.

Keep your fingers crossed but do not trust to hope, at some point your old software will no longer run, of that you can be assured. Have you tried the software, you have nothing to lose, since they changed your OS for you… If it no longer works, you may ask for an older OS that can run your now ancient software (’ancient’ from their perspective). See if they will send you an older OS… Tell them what the requirements are of the software you’re wanting to run.

I will try it… can’t at the moment, as I don’t happen to have access to the Rack ES, but will next week. Though still, sometimes issues aren’t apparent in a quick test… something could appear to run, until you hit the spot of incompatibility! So “known issues” is always valuable.

I know, nothing will run forever. If you need something enough, you can keep an old computer around, or possibly run a virtual machine with an older version of the OS on your current machine.

It is typical that Apple does not permit their computers to run version of the OS that pre-dated the release of the computer. If I find I need to run something older, I’m quite sure that Apple is not going to provide a way for me to run it on my new Mac.

If I find I need to run something older, I’m quite sure that Apple is not going to provide a way for me to run it on my new Mac.

Too true…

One more solution for anyone else who might be following this thread… If it turns out that some old Motif software stops working on a newer OS, the John Melas tools can still be an option.

Compatibility Test Results

Any updates?