Apple Silicon Compatibility with Universal Audio Devices

How To Install UAD Software on Apple Silicon Macs

Note: This article applies to all generations and types of Apple Silicon Processors (M1, M2, M3, etc.).

Watch this video or continue reading below for step-by-step instructions.



Note: The information in this article applies only to UAD-2 devices such as Apollo, Satellite, and UAD-2 PCIe cards. Universal Audio devices that do not use the UAD-2 platform (such as Volt) do not require these configuration steps.

  • With Apple Silicon, the configuration steps below are required to activate the UAD software.
  • The steps below will require the Mac to start in Recovery mode where a web browser will not available. It is advised to open this article on a different device (such as your smartphone) when following the instructions.
  • UAD software must be installed on an internal system drive — external drives are not supported.

Start the Mac in macOS Recovery

  1. Shut down the Mac.
  2. Press and hold the power button on your Mac until you see “Loading startup options”.
  3. Click Options, then click Continue.
  4. If requested, enter your Mac user account password.

Set the Security Policy

  1. In the Menu Bar, choose Utilities > Startup Security UtilityRecovery_3_Edit.png
  2. Click on the system drive you want to use to set the security policy.startup_security_utility_-_select_system.png
  3. Click Security Policy, select the Reduced Security option, and enter your password if requested.
  4. Check the “Allow user management of kernel extensions from identified developers” option.
  5. Click OK, then restart your Mac for the changes to take effect.reduced-security.png

Note: You will need to keep the Security Policy settings above for UAD software to function properly, even after the installation is complete.

Follow the Installation Instructions for macOS

After the Security Policy is set using the instructions above, the UAD software can be installed and "Allowed" permission to run. Follow the installation instructions listed below for your version of macOS:

Additional notes: 

  • To view our UA product compatibility grid for native Apple silicon please click here.
  • UA FireWire devices are incompatible with Apple silicon systems. All Apollo FireWire models can be upgraded to Thunderbolt.
  • All Universal Audio software for macOS (UAD, UADx, LUNA, UA Connect) runs natively on Apple silicon.

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