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  #1  
Old 11-27-2015, 05:35 PM
Melodeath Melodeath is offline
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Default Is anyone running Apollo with Thunderbolt on Hackintosh?

Someone suggested I make a post here, as someone may know the answer to my question.

I am wanting to get an Apollo 8p, but would rather build a hackintosh than buy an iMac for the sake of cost and versatility/upgrade-ability. However, I'm a bit nervous about whether the Apollo 8p will work 100% correctly with the hackintosh. Anyone have one working? I know people have thunderbolt on hackintosh mostly working (no hot-swap, have to load drivers under Windows first), but I'm curious if somehow the different chipset (maybe it's not even different since Intel makes thunderbolt?) on the hack versus iMac could cause small glitches/errors with the UA driver. Maybe it's more of an "all or nothing" thing, as opposed to "mostly working but small data dropouts" or something? Any thoughts? Thanks
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Old 11-28-2015, 06:53 PM
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WombatStudio.Org WombatStudio.Org is offline
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Default Re: Is anyone running Apollo with Thunderbolt on Hackintosh?

Buy the right hardware via guide at http://www.tonymacx86.com/ ...

I bought the "right" hardware August 2012 and installed the current OS X at that time and have gone through updates/upgrades via App Store throughout and unless you looked at the case, you wouldn't know it isn't a Mac Pro ...

I think one of the things that helps is that I'm using external sound cards as audio seems to be the biggest issue with hackintoshes ... having to reset each update - I don't have to do that.

If the UAD devices work on PC hardware, there isn't any reason why they wouldn't work on a hackintosh.


My plan when the funds are available is to build a TB enabled hackintosh and utilize 2 MOTU 16As for 32 HD I/O costing $3000 ...
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Old 11-30-2015, 09:56 PM
Melodeath Melodeath is offline
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Default Re: Is anyone running Apollo with Thunderbolt on Hackintosh?

Quote:
Originally Posted by WombatStudio.Org View Post
Buy the right hardware via guide at http://www.tonymacx86.com/ ...

I bought the "right" hardware August 2012 and installed the current OS X at that time and have gone through updates/upgrades via App Store throughout and unless you looked at the case, you wouldn't know it isn't a Mac Pro ...

I think one of the things that helps is that I'm using external sound cards as audio seems to be the biggest issue with hackintoshes ... having to reset each update - I don't have to do that.

If the UAD devices work on PC hardware, there isn't any reason why they wouldn't work on a hackintosh.


My plan when the funds are available is to build a TB enabled hackintosh and utilize 2 MOTU 16As for 32 HD I/O costing $3000 ...
Thanks. Yes, I picked my hardware based on that Buyer's Guide, as well as lots of research/googling.

UAD does not have any Windows Thunderbolt drivers, just mac/OS X. Still, I found out the Thunderbolt 2 controller on the motherboard I bought is the same as the one on the 5k iMac (Intel DSL5520), so I think I'm in good shape for getting it work under hackintosh.
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Old 12-02-2015, 06:52 AM
grame99 grame99 is offline
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Default Re: Is anyone running Apollo with Thunderbolt on Hackintosh?

This will work. You have to tweak the install very slightly to initiate the Thunderbolt socket so that it doesn't slow down the boot. Search for this - I remember it involved deleting a kext.

The other issue is you lack hot-plugging - so you cannot disconnect or reconnect the device after the computer has booted.

It would be helpful to hackintosh users if UAD released the USB version for Apple machines...
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Old 12-02-2015, 07:49 AM
Melodeath Melodeath is offline
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Default Re: Is anyone running Apollo with Thunderbolt on Hackintosh?

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Originally Posted by grame99 View Post
This will work. You have to tweak the install very slightly to initiate the Thunderbolt socket so that it doesn't slow down the boot. Search for this - I remember it involved deleting a kext.

The other issue is you lack hot-plugging - so you cannot disconnect or reconnect the device after the computer has booted.

It would be helpful to hackintosh users if UAD released the USB version for Apple machines...
Thanks for the info. Yes, you have to delete the Apple Thunderbolt kext, which fixes the boot issue, but doesn't affect Thunderbolt.

Hot-plugging would be nice in general, but I never disconnect my audio interfaces anyway unless the driver suddenly stops working, so no biggie there, either.

I hope UA eventually releases a USB 3.0 version, or Windows thunderbolt. That way I'll at least be able to use the Apollo 8p in Windows if things go horribly wrong on the hackintosh side.
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Old 12-02-2015, 07:55 AM
Wall2Wall Wall2Wall is offline
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Default Re: Is anyone running Apollo with Thunderbolt on Hackintosh?

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Originally Posted by Melodeath View Post
I hope UA eventually releases a USB 3.0 version, or Windows thunderbolt. That way I'll at least be able to use the Apollo 8p in Windows if things go horribly wrong on the hackintosh side.
They are waiting for windows to officially support Thunderbolt which it doesn't yet due mostly to security issues, that are being worked on. Great thread on GS with the guy from Microsoft. He's posts regularly and is keeping them updated step by step since the release of windows 10.
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Old 10-09-2017, 03:54 PM
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WombatStudio.Org WombatStudio.Org is offline
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Default Re: Is anyone running Apollo with Thunderbolt on Hackintosh?

... and here we are almost 2 years later.

I opted for an Antelope Orion 32+ instead of the 2 MOTU 16As.

Brand new build Z270X-UD5 (10.12.6), Orion 32+ is detected and configurable via Antelope's software. Detected and used as interface in Pro Tools, playing a mix - there is no audio.

Search finds this is the case.

Lot of Apollo success out there it seems - maybe I should switch to MOTU if Thunderbolt works on their 16As with Hackintosh - more searching.
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Old 10-17-2017, 09:09 PM
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WombatStudio.Org WombatStudio.Org is offline
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Default Re: Is anyone running Apollo with Thunderbolt on Hackintosh?

Thought I would keep this thread updated if someone finds this in Googling as I did ...

The Antelope Orion 32+ via Thunderbolt was only detected (System Pref and Pro Tools) and configurable (Orion Launcher) but passed no audio.

I returned it and replaced it with two UA Apollo 16s - worked right out of the box.

-*-

All Thunderbolt connections I'm referring to are Thunderbolt 3 (USB/C Connector) using an Apple Thunderbolt 3 to Thunderbolt 2/1 adapter.

The Orion 32+ was flakey with my 2017 MacBook Pro (4 USB/C ports) as well, so I wasn't really sorry to see it go. Saw a lot of horror stories about the Orion stuff in my researching getting it to work. My very first call to Antelope support said it wouldn't work with the 2017 MacBook Pro so I used my son's that has legit TB2 ports and still had issues. I called Antelope support again and got it working by plugging in TB and USB at the same time. Once working I told the guy about my previous call and he said no, it should work. So once this USB/TB trick worked, vwahlah, it was working on the 2017 MBP as well. He was concerned someone told me it wouldn't work. But sometimes it needed the USB/TB jolt - too flakey.

I think I'm MUCH better off with the Universal Audio stuff. I now get the opportunity to build my UAD2 plugin collection.
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