Is FireWire still supported in macOS Monterey 12.7.6?

Question

Is FireWire still supported in macOS Monterey 12.7.6?

This is the highest available Mac OS I can install on my mid-2015 MacBook Pro. I am trying to use my UAD2 Satellite FireWire for music production, but Universal Audio claims:

"

Important note: macOS Catalina 10.15 is the last OS on Apple machines compatible with UAD devices connected by FireWire. Subsequent macOS versions have officially dropped the FireWire protocol altogether.

"

https://help.uaudio.com/hc/en-us/articles/206438813-UAD-2-Satellite-FireWire-System-Requirements

I see the Satellite on my FireWire bus, but the UAD Software does not recognize this.

Is it an issue with UAD Software or do I really need to downgrade to Catalina to use this hardware?

Posted on Dec 1, 2025 1:30 PM

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Answer 1

Dec 1, 2025 2:07 PM in response to andyoccidental

Your vendor seems to think it doesn't work, per your text.

Try it. You have the gear. The last FireWire gear in use around here was replaced a while back, so nothing to test.

As for Apple support of FireWire, the last Mac with FireWire was the iMac mid-2011. Since then, dongles.

Apple reportedly dropped FireWire tethering in macOS 11 (Firewire support in Big Sur - Apple Community), and dropped Core Audio support for FireWire in macOS 13 Ventura as part of migrating to DriverKit, and FireWire is entirely gone in macOS 26 Tahoe, IIRC.

Per the vendor:

UAD Software 11.6 and later is incompatible with UAD devices connected by FireWire.

UAD Software 11.5.2 and earlier with FireWire compatibility are available in the UAD Software Archives.

Actions to Consider

For Apollo FireWire customers: Transition to Thunderbolt connectivity with the Thunderbolt 3 Option Card. Or explore our new Thunderbolt 3 Apollo models.

For UAD Satellite FireWire customers: Explore our range of Thunderbolt 3 UAD Satellite models and UAD plug-ins available natively.

For detailed compatibility information with legacy FireWire computers, please refer to: Apollo FireWire Mac Compatibility Apollo FireWire Windows Compatibility

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Answer 2

Dec 1, 2025 3:18 PM in response to MrHoffman

Using a Thunderbolt 2 to FireWire 800 dongle, the macOS System Information shows the device available on the FireWire bus.

I downgraded my UAD Software to 11.5.2, but the software does not recognize the connected FireWire device.

Further, this (very expensive at the time) hardware cannot be upgraded to support Thunderbolt (any version).

I am looking to refute the claim that macOS 10.15 Catalina is the last with FireWire support, because if I need to downgrade OS just to connect this device, I will lose compatibility with several other software programs.

Further, this hardware cannot be upgraded to support Thunderbolt (any version).

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Answer 3

Dec 1, 2025 4:38 PM in response to andyoccidental

Given you cannot upgrade to the Thunderbolt 3 UAD Satellite option or equivalent hardware, then lock down your current hardware and software configuration, acquire spare parts, don’t modify the configuration, and stay frozen until the increasing cost of staying becomes an incentive for the upgrade.

If you want to know if your particular combination of gear works or can be altered to work, install the configuration and test it. Depending on exactly what this gear is doing with FireWire (and how), the vendor may be correct, or there may be some slack.

But if you have a working configuration now, lock it down, and stay there pending the inevitable arrival of increasing costs and difficulties.

This is how various enterprise legacy app configurations are often operated, too.

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Answer 4

Dec 1, 2025 11:05 PM in response to andyoccidental

This may be a 32-bit issue, rather than a FireWire one per se. Catalina dropped all support for 32-bit software. Maybe your FireWire audio equipment had 32-bit drivers and its makers did not feel like rewriting them.

If MrHoffman is correct, Core Audio support for FireWire was still around in Monterey, although not in anything later. The current version of macOS, Tahoe, does not support FireWire in any way, shape, or form at all.

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