Sonnet Echo 3 Desktop *WAS* working fine - HDX engine in ProTools 2023.9

[MixerGuy]

I have emailed Sonnet tech support, but posting here as well…..

Sonnet Echo 3 Desktop *WAS* working fine - HDX engine in ProTools 2023.9

Mac Studio macOS System Report - is attached.

With my new MacStudio (apple silicon) and Ventura 13.5 - I hooked up one HDX card in my Sonnet Echo 3 Desktop, hooked up a spare Avid HD I/o interface I have kicking around, and it all worked immediately and perfectly (after a firmware update to the HDX card)
I could pick “HDX” as playback engine, and it worked perfectly.

Fast forward 2 days, and now no matter what I do, I can *not* get HDX playback engine to appear.

Yes I have tried plugging the Sonnet Echo 3 directly into the MacStudio…. And also plugging it thru an OWC GO dock.

Yes I have tried alternate Avid digilink cables.

Yes I have turned off and restarted multiple times.

Yes I tried re-installing the HD driver from Avid.

Yes I have tried various different Avid HDio interfaces.

Yes I have removed the power from the Sonnet Echo 3 multiple times, when everything off.

Yes I see a power light on the Sonnet Echo 3

I just launched Avid DigiTest for the first time here… and under Slot Info it says device is “? Unknown? “
And “card or thunderbolt device properties unavailable”

Still no HDX available as playback engine (but it was available 2 days ago, same computer, same chassis, same HDX card.

I did read on a reddit thread that Apple Silicon Mac + Sonnet Echo 3 Desktop + HDX card sometimes is very fussy as to what order the hardware is all turned on at startup. I have tried various combinations.
No luck.

thanks to anyone for any things I have not tried.

Hopefully Sonnet gets back to me really soon.

[MCorbin]

Try uninstalling the 23.9 HD Driver and rolling it back to 23.3. The driver will work fine, but there have been some unexpected reports form the 23.6 & 23.9 driver (same driver under the hood).

Let us know.

[uptheoctave]

In the old days we would hold down the N key when starting Pro Tools to force a change of hardware.

Does that still work?
I'm not sure if that was done away with or not.

[MixerGuy]

Thanks... so i did hear back from Sonnet in a couple hours, after sending them my System Profile file, and info.... (good support Sonnet!)

and they sent me a bunch of tips and things to try.....

turns out that even though it was working.... (on my New Mac Studio M2) Apple software "locked down" on the system extension (avid HD driver) and this is why it stopped working....

the fix was something evidently I should have done from the very start:
i'll copy and paste below what they told me to do
and it worked!
i did all the below... THEN re-installed Avid HD Driver, and voila... it worked.

note - just a reminder that you have to UN-install the Avid HD-Driver (using Terminal to open the UN-install command) ... always... before ever installing the Avid HD driver. every. single. time.

and i quote:

[For an M1 Mac:
Before the device Driver can be installed on an M1 Mac, the security policy setting may need to be changed to Reduced Security using the following procedure.
1. On the M1 Mac, select Shut Down from the Apple menu.
2. Press and hold the power button until you see Loading startup options.
3. Click Options, then click Continue.
4. In macOS Recovery, if you are prompted for user selection, click Next and enter the password for an administrator account, if required.*
5. In the Recovery Application, select Startup Security Utility from the Utilities menu.
6. Select the startup disk you want to use to set the security policy.
If the disk is encrypted with FileVault, click Unlock, enter the password, then click Unlock.
7. Click Security Policy.
8. Select Reduced Security, then select the Allow user management of kernel extensions from identified developers checkbox to allow installation of software that uses legacy kernel extensions and enter the password for an administrator account, if required.*]