Due to my main laptop failing, I sadly need to move forward with a new audio set-up and I have ordered an Mac Mini M4. I want to retain access to apps and effects that I value and therefore, I have been looking into options to move my content over. This has largely been successful with Rossetta 2, Porting Kit and learning how to build Impulse Responses. I managed to test out Reason Studios ReCycle on my friend’s Mac and could not believe that it worked! I am so pleased by this as ReCycle is my favourite tool for chopping up loops.
In order to help my transition to the M4 Mac Mini, I looked into how to install eMagic SoundDiver on the latest Silicon Macs through Porting Kit. After researching, this looks like a viable option. Therefore, I decided on a test run for Mojave.
For context, I bought SoundDiver way back when eMagic owned Logic. I still have the blue USB XS Keys for Logic Platinum and the SoundDiver installers. The key to this project involved working out how to make SoundDiver run through Porting Kit. The reason why I wanted to make this work is because SoundDiver is still fantastic for porting content back and forth from hardware and for analysing the viability of projects for future CTRLR ports. Midi has not changed much which also makes this project viable.
For Mojave, I need to download a slightly older version of Porting Kit from GitHub located here: https://github.com/vitor251093/porting-kit-releases/releases and version Porting Kit 5.14.9. After downloading Porting Kit, I headed to my SoundDiver setup.exe and I right clicked on the setup.exe icon. I selected the option to open with Porting Kit. This did not quite work as I expected. Porting kit did not recognise SoundDiver and attempted to install a game.
I decided to cancel the installation process and step back. This time, I headed to the Library tab (second from the top) from within Porting Kit and entered ‘New Custom Port’ into the tab. This returned the New Custom Port icon. I clicked on this icon.
I entered SoundDiver into the port installation name and clicked next and next again.
The next window presented me with options for the port environment. I selected Windows XP and left all other option the same.
I then ran the installer which failed.
My test run on Mojave proved to be problematic because it was too old to work properly without a minor modification. I needed to download a slightly older wrapper. I downloaded the Wineskin-2.9.0.9-4 wrapper from here.
and then placed the file in the ~Library/Application Support/wineskin/Wrapper folder. I removed the old version which had a strikethrough indicating incompatibility.
I then re-ran the installer, leaving all of the defaults the same with the exception of Window’s version, which I changed to Windows XP and it installed successfully.
I had to select the executable as part of the build process
and run through everything until completion.
Sadly, I cannot get this to work fully yet because I need to find a way to connect the XS Key via USB. To complete this, my plan is to install the XS key authoriser as another exe and add a new short cut to run this from a separate executable under the advanced options.
I should then just need to click on the link to authorise from my key and then the main window to run. I guess the success of this project will all depend of whether the USB XS Key can still be recognised through Porting Kit.
However, I do not know if this is necessary because on my Mac, I have been running the last beta version which I think did not require authorisation. I am not sure because I have always had my XS Key connected though a hub. If there is a similar beta version for Windows, then it will be an easy solution because I can just use that instead and therefore, I will look into this first of all.
When I get my M4 Pro, I will test it all out again. From what I have read so far, this has a good chance of running on my new silicon Mac.
Please note that due to copyright, I am unable to provide anyone with the installers and therefore, please do not ask in the comments section.