Posted
Concerning native M1 support, we have some progress to report: Native M1 code is running fine already, albeit performance of the UI and AI is still very slow.
The Audio Engine and its plug-ins are written in C++ and their native performance on a M1 Mac is great. The UI and AI are written in Smalltalk, the JIT compiler of which is still being optimized by its developers for better performance on Apple Silicon. Unfortunately we have little to no influence on that process, but are confident it will eventually be finished.
This may still take some time. So, if you want to run Synfire 2.0 on a Mac the moment it is released, we suggest you wait with an upgrade to M1 hardware until we can fully support that architecture. At least keep an Intel Mac around until that happens.
We're sorry for the delay and are as eager as you to get things going as soon as possible!
Tue, 2022-01-25 - 19:31 Permalink
We have a prototype of Synfire 2 that runs natively on M1 already. It is 300% faster than version 1 under Rosetta. The UI is still lagging, but it is workable at least. Unless we receive the final compilers before the release of version 2, the protoype will be a temporary solution.
Tue, 2022-01-25 - 21:13 Permalink
I just picked up a new iPad Pro with the M1 chip. Will this run rapid composer? Or are there things Apple has to do to with PadOS to make this happen? Salivating patiently for the new release!
Wed, 2022-01-26 - 08:04 Permalink
Synfire's complex UI and a touch device are not a good match. The audio system also works differently. It might be possible to strip some of it down to a touch-friendly gadget, but not in its current form.
Of course you can use Sidecar and an Apple pencil to control Synfire from your iPad. Not sure about right-clicks, but it should basically work.
Tue, 2022-02-01 - 09:25 Permalink
Thank you Andre.
I am discovering the Ipad's (1) incredible power and (2) musical connectivity limitations, especially going over to PC-land. The crystal ball sees a Mac Mini in my future. Please keep the iPad in mind going forward; I think think this ecosystem will be very productive for me personally once I gain some proficiency with the OS.
Best wishes to you and yours for 2022.