Do a Time Machine backup of your current config so you can always revert back. I've upgraded, however I don't use the Mac for music-making. I am on PC using Sonar.

Alternatively, you can use an external drive to install a separate OS.

What I would do is use the Unix DITTO command in Terminal to copy everything from your main HD onto an external HD, then when booting up, hold the option key down and specify the external HD as the boot drive. Then do the OS upgrade and check if everything runs well.

When you are absolutely sure all your software and drivers are compatible with the new OS, you can boot from the main HD and upgrade that too.

Last edited by Mel David on Jun-27-2017 at 12:53

Good advice from mel, but that's really studio level practise to avoid downtime.

I'd just get an external drive, slap Sierra on it and use target disk mode and see if everything works. If so then just take the plunge.

Also drives are so cheap these days (especially as I keep my OS drive small and fast) so when I do a major system upgrade, I just retire the internal drive and install a new one. The old one then becomes an emergency backup that I can go back to if anything fails.

Also keeps your computer running nice and fast as the OS drive is always the latest tech and filled with your files from 10 years ago. I keep just about everything in Dropbox these days so the main drive is just the host.

Cubase 8.5/9 has been running fine on Sierra for a long while now, along with pretty much every major plugin company I use (Waves, Soundtoys, Native Instruments, Fab Filter, 2cAudio, Spectrasonics, etc)

Unless you are using some old unsupported plugins you may as well go for the upgrade at this point.

Time machine advice is wise as usual