Universal Audio no longer tests or qualifies Thunderbolt PCIe Expansion Chassis hardware.
While an external PCIe Expansion Chassis may work, they are not tested or supported by Universal Audio. No changes have been made to software to prevent any such device working, but the quality of an external chassis may vary, as may the types of PCIe card and power availability they support. It is best to directly contact the manufacturer of that product for support when using an external PCIe chassis.
Universal Audio recommends using Thunderbolt Satellites with Thunderbolt computers to expand UAD-2 DSP capability in your DAW, as these are fully tested and supported by Universal Audio. In most cases, this is a more affordable solution than a high quality PCIe chassis.
Here is some legacy information that may be helpful for older computers:
About Thunderbolt-to-PCIe Expansion Chassis Compatibility
- For important information about Apple Mac Pro (Late 2013) compatibility, click here.
- UAD software v6.3.1 (and higher) enables the operation of UAD-2 PCIe cards with Thunderbolt-to-PCIe expansion chassis products.
- The specific chassis products (listed below) were tested in-house to verify compatibility with UAD systems.
- UAD devices are compatible with Thunderbolt only when using Mac OS and Windows 10 or later.
Thunderbolt Chassis Operation Notes
- For optimum UAD performance with Thunderbolt-to-PCIe expansion chassis products, connect and power on all Thunderbolt devices before the computer is powered on.
- For optimum Thunderbolt performance, Mac OS X 10.8.2 Mountain Lion (or higher) is recommended.
Tested Thunderbolt-to-PCIe Expansion Chassis Models
The specific Thunderbolt-to-PCIe expansion chassis models from manufacturers listed below have been tested with UAD-2 PCIe cards. The results of these tests are noted beneath the specific models.
Note: The chassis models below are individually tested to work with UAD-2 cards. Using chassis models from different manufacturers together in the same Thunderbolt chain is an untested configuration.
Sonnet Technologies
- Echo Express Thunderbolt Expansion Chassis for PCIe Cards (one slot)
- Echo Express Pro Thunderbolt Expansion Chassis for PCIe Cards (2 slots)
- Echo Express III-D Thunderbolt 2 Expansion Chassis for PCIe Cards (3 slots)
Status: Compatible. All of the above chassis models are tested in-house for use with UAD‑2 PCIe cards. Although other Thunderbolt-to-PCIe chassis models from Sonnet Technologies are not specifically tested, we are not currently aware of any issues with the other chassis models from this manufacturer.
Magma
Status: Compatible. Both of these chassis models are tested in-house for use with UAD‑2 PCIe cards.
Netstor
Status: Compatible. The above TB3 chassis model has been tested in-house for use with UAD‑2 PCIe cards.