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Apollo X Desktop Windows Compatibility

About UAD Thunderbolt Compatibility with Windows 10 Systems

  • UAD v9.10.2 includes Windows 10 PC mixed multi-unit compatibility with all Thunderbolt-equipped Apollo and UAD-2 products (Apollo Twin X, Apollo x4, Apollo x6, Apollo x8, Apollo x8p, Apollo x16, Apollo 8, Apollo 8p, Apollo 16 MkII, Arrow, Apollo Twin Thunderbolt, Apollo Twin MkII, UAD-2 Satellite Thunderbolt, and first-generation silver Apollo/Apollo 16 models equipped with a Thunderbolt Option Card).
  • Apollo Thunderbolt models can be combined with UAD-2 PCIe cards and UAD-2 Satellite (Thunderbolt, FireWire, and USB models). For details, see this article.
  • All Thunderbolt Option Card models for Apollo are compatible. 
  • Apollo Thunderbolt cannot be combined with Apollo FireWire or Apollo Twin USB (multiple Apollo connection types are incompatible).

 

UAD Thunderbolt Compatibility Requirements

  • A Windows 10 PC featuring available Thunderbolt 3 is required. 
  • Windows 10 64-bit edition is required. Earlier versions of Windows are not tested or supported.
  • qualified Thunderbolt 3 to Thunderbolt adapter (not included) is required to connect some Universal Audio Thunderbolt products.
  • Apollo Thunderbolt audio drivers for Windows are 64 bit only. 32 bit DAW applications are not compatible. 
  • Thunderbolt to FireWire adapters, and Thunderbolt hubs are not tested or supported and may cause unexpected behavior.
  • Connections to Thunderbolt 1 or Thunderbolt 2 computer ports are not tested or supported.
  • Using Apple's Boot Camp to run Windows on Mac computers with Apollo or UAD-2 devices is not tested or supported.
  • For general UAD system requirements, see this article.

General System Notes

  • A Quad Core i7 or better processor is recommended for optimum performance.
  • 2016 and later systems that have a 6th-generation Intel Skylake processor (or greater) and  Thunderbolt 3 (Alpine Ridge) controller with a Thunderbolt 3 port are expected to be compatible.
  • Thunderbolt 3 products listed on Intel’s Thunderbolt Technology Community page are expected to be compatible.
  • Systems that use Thunderbolt 3 add-on cards may require additional configuration. For details, check the manufacturer's documentation that came with the system or add-on card.

Qualified Thunderbolt 3 to Thunderbolt Adapters

The following Thunderbolt 3 to Thunderbolt adapters have been tested for compatibility with Thunderbolt-equipped Apollo audio interfaces and UAD-2 Satellite Thunderbolt.

Note: The adapter connects between the Thunderbolt 3 port on Apollo X and the Thunderbolt-equipped Universal Audio product or other Thunderbolt device.

  • Startech Thunderbolt 3 to Thunderbolt Adapter (Product ID: TBT3TBTADAP)
  • Kanex Thunderbolt 3 to Thunderbolt Adapter (Product ID: K170-1051-BK6I)

Qualified Adapter Notes

  • The qualified Thunderbolt 3 adapters are compatible with connections to external Thunderbolt 1 and Thunderbolt 2 devices.

 Apple Thunderbolt 3 to Thunderbolt 2 Adapter Notes

  • The Apple Thunderbolt 3 to Thunderbolt adapter (Product ID: MMEL2AM/A) has been found to be incompatible with certain Windows systems in our internal testing. As a result, we do not recommend this adapter for Windows Thunderbolt systems. 
  • The Apple adapter is incompatible with hot-plugging the adapter into the computer’s Thunderbolt 3 port. However, the adapter is compatible with hot-plugging the Thunderbolt cable into the adapter.

 

Known Incompatible Systems

We have received a number of user reports of incompatibilities between UA Thunderbolt interfaces and certain Clevo laptop models. User reports indicate that affected systems experience distorted audio at all sample rates or distorted audio at sample rates other than 96 kHz.

Clevo is an OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) that manufactures laptops that are re-branded and sold by independent retailers. These laptops are often sold by retailers under their own brand name and the Clevo branding is typically absent from the system. See below for help identifying your system model.

How To Identify Clevo Systems

If you are unsure about your system model, you can check the model by following these directions:

  1. Press Win+R to open the Run dialog, or open the Start menu and click on the "Search" field

  2. Type msinfo32 and press Enter

  3. On the System Summary page, the model number should be listed next to "System Model"

If the "System Model" matches one of the specific models listed below, or contains “P7xxDM”, then it will likely be affected by this issue.

Affected Clevo System Models

The following Clevo system models have been reported to be affected by this issue:

  • P7xxDM2-G
  • P750DM2-G
  • P750DM3
  • P770DM
  • P775DM3-G

BIOS Updates

If you own one of these affected systems, we suggest contacting the retailer from where you purchased the laptop to see if there are any BIOS updates available. Some users have reported improvements after installing available BIOS updates.

 

Windows Configuration

For help configuring your Windows PC for use with UAD Thunderbolt devices, please see the articles below:

Configuring Windows for Thunderbolt
Windows Setup - Required Settings
Windows Optimization - Optional Settings

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