Apollo Twin Thunderbolt TB 2 on ASUS ProArt Z790 CREATOR wife/Win 11

[Marshall]

Its 2024 now and wondering if anyone has a Apollo Twin TB 2 working on a ASUS ProArt Z790 CREATOR wifi / Win 11 machine
I had to finally purchase another audio card due to the fact that after going through all the forum tweaks I could not get it to work. Pretty frustrated considering the amount of money I spent on the Twin and all the plugins I've purchased. I have made adjustments in the BIOS through forum recommendations and several Thunderbolt adapters. Nothing has worked

If you have a Twin TB 2 working 100% on a ASUS ProArt Z790 CREATOR wifi I would really like to know how you were able to get it to work.

 

[c3r1c]

Generally speaking, TB2 devices don't work with TB4 controllers in PC-land (at least not directly).

This has nothing to do with UA.

Some people have reported using a TB4 or TB3 device first in the chain and then using a TB3<->2 adapter coming out of the TB4/3 device to hook up their TB2 device and got it working that way.

 

[Marshall]

Generally speaking, TB2 devices don't work with TB4 controllers in PC-land (at least not directly).

This has nothing to do with UA.

Some people have reported using a TB4 or TB3 device first in the chain and then using a TB3<->2 adapter coming out of the TB4/3 device to hook up their TB2 device and got it working that way.

Actually it has everything to do with Universal Audio because on their own website the state what controller work even for TB 2 and TB 1 units
I have the recommended StarTech controller that Universal Audio and people on this forum have recommended. I also purchased CalDigit controller as well as recommended on this forum. No success with either.
I know people love to try and help out or have opinions. My post is asking if someone has a Apollo Twin MK II TB2 version working on a Z790 MB
Thank you

 

[c3r1c]

Actually it has everything to do with Universal Audio because on their own website the state what controller work even for TB 2 and TB 1 units
I have the recommended StarTech controller that Universal Audio and people on this forum have recommended. I also purchased CalDigit controller as well as recommended on this forum. No success with either.
I know people love to try and help out or have opinions. My post is asking if someone has a Apollo Twin MK II TB2 version working on a Z790 MB
Thank you

According to INTEL and MICROSOFT you can not directly attach a TB2 device (i.e., your Apollo Twin MK II TB2 version) to a TB4 controller (which is what you have on that MB, TB4) and have it work. UA's internal testing has show this to be true. Again, this has nothing to do with UA, it is 100% Intel and MS who made this debacle happen (from what I understand, about 80%+ of the fault being Intel).

By-the-by, those are adapters, not controllers that UA is talking about (and by extension, you as well). You should learn the difference between the two before getting out-of-sorts. Controllers are the chips on your MB/Expansion card and in the device itself. Adapters are the devices that convert from one physical form factor to another (e.g., TB2->TB3)

Also Drew (from UA) has explicitly stated here (in addition to this being on the help site) that what you're trying to do (attach a TB2 device, using only a TB3<->TB2 adapter in-between, to a TB4 controller) will not work.

Some people have successfully gotten their TB2 devices working with a TB4 controller by attaching to the TB4 controller a TB3/4 device, and looping out of said device into the UA recommended TB3->TB2 adapter, and then into their UA TB2 device. This has actually been reported on this forum in another thread.

If you need someone to come on here and explicitly state that your particular MB will work with this arrangement, hopefully someone can do so, but given the relatively low number of Apollo-TB-using-PC members here (or in the UA ecosystem as a whole), your chances are rather slim for such an explicit confirmation.

 

[Marshall]

According to INTEL and MICROSOFT you can not directly attach a TB2 device (i.e., your Apollo Twin MK II TB2 version) to a TB4 controller (which is what you have on that MB, TB4) and have it work. UA's internal testing has show this to be true. Again, this has nothing to do with UA, it is 100% Intel and MS who made this debacle happen (from what I understand, about 80%+ of the fault being Intel).

By-the-by, those are adapters, not controllers that UA is talking about (and by extension, you as well). You should learn the difference between the two before getting out-of-sorts. Controllers are the chips on your MB/Expansion card and in the device itself. Adapters are the devices that convert from one physical form factor to another (e.g., TB2->TB3)

Also Drew (from UA) has explicitly stated here (in addition to this being on the help site) that what you're trying to do (attach a TB2 device, using only a TB3<->TB2 adapter in-between, to a TB4 controller) will not work.

Some people have successfully gotten their TB2 devices working with a TB4 controller by attaching to the TB4 controller a TB3/4 device, and looping out of said device into the UA recommended TB3->TB2 adapter, and then into their UA TB2 device. This has actually been reported on this forum in another thread.

If you need someone to come on here and explicitly state that your particular MB will work with this arrangement, hopefully someone can do so, but given the relatively low number of Apollo-TB-using-PC members here (or in the UA ecosystem as a whole), your chances are rather slim for such an explicit confirmation.

You are correct. Adapter, and not Controller.
It appears the issue is that Thunderbolt4 does not support Thunderbolt 1 or 2, but it does support Thunderbolt 3.

Universal Audio compatibility chart for windows 10/11 available at this link - https://help.uaudio.com/hc/en-us/articles/215731443-Apollo-Thunderbolt-Windows-Compatibility

It appears the issue is that my Apollo Twin MK II is Thunderbolt 2 and my motherboard ProArt Z790 Creator wifi has Thunderbolt 4

I wonder if a Thunderbolt 3 PCIe card can be equipped on my MB

In the end I am still in pursuit of knowledge as to how my Twin MK II TB 2 version can be used on a Z790 MB with TB 4

Thank you

 

[Marshall]

This is where I get to with the CalDigit Thunderbolt 3 Plus and the Universal Audio window drivers.
The UA doesn't list in available 'Audio inputs and outputs"

 

[c3r1c]

My best guess about the CalDigit Thunderbolt 3 Plus is that it's essentially an adapter on the TB side (with some other bits-and-pieces in the case), which means you'd still need an outright TB3 device to insert between the TB4 controller and your TB2-based Apollo.

 

[Marshall]

My best guess about the CalDigit Thunderbolt 3 Plus is that it's essentially an adapter on the TB side (with some other bits-and-pieces in the case), which means you'd still need an outright TB3 device to insert between the TB4 controller and your TB2-based Apollo.

Exactly,

which is why my post is asking for only info from someone with a working solution to the exact problem I am having.

 

[Neotrope]

or, put the tb2 device on reverb and buy used USB TWIN

 

[Appledude]

Or buy a Mac that just works.
sorry couldn’t resist.

 

[Marshall]

Now I feel like I am just being trolled. So glad I switched to SSL

 

[Neotrope]

Now I feel like I am just being trolled. So glad I switched to SSL

great...adding to my ignore list...seeeeeeya!

 

[uadcsi]

I know you are prob right in all your statements, but I really must say that:
On ebay there are super cheap M1 Macbook Air laptops, one with a dent for only $435, and all your troubles would fade away forever.

 

[Marshall]

I know you are prob right in all your statements, but I really must say that:
On ebay there are super cheap M1 Macbook Air laptops, one with a dent for only $435, and all your troubles would fade away forever.

Thank you. That could be a viable option.
I am going to open up my mid 2011 iMac and install a fresh SSD and do a fresh OSX install. For home recording it was a great platform as I upgraded the i7 - 27" imac with 32gig ram and removed the HDD and replace it with 3 SSDs. I was using VSL to access another PC that had my orchestration samples.
I have got to thinking if I get the iMac operational again with the Apollo Twin could I access the plugins if we're set up as though it was outboard effects unit or a slave I/O ?