Apple Thunderbolt 3 to 2 adapter and MOTU audio interface dropouts.

[trakzero]

I've had sporadic interface dropouts where I've had to reboot all of my hardware before the interface (828es) was recognized again. No trouble with any other hardware. I've narrowed it down to the Apple Thunderbolt adapter. It seems to flake out at times and needs to be unplugged from both ends to get properly reset. That's why it was taking a full studio shutdown at first, that's what it took to get devices at both ends of the adapter powered down.

I've had this issue with other devices using the Apple TB 3 to 2 adapter. Keep this in mind if you get the same dropouts. You may not need to reboot your whole system or anything at all. Just disconnect and reconnect the TB adapter.

Cheers!

[stubbsonic]

I had an old TB adapter just up and fail on me, and had to buy a new one, and it worked as it should. Mind you, that was a pretty old adapter.

To compound matters, there were other issues with a newer MBP and FW, unrelated to the adapter. But it was easy to sort because the failed adapter didn't work on an older MBP, and the new one worked on both MBPs

I hope you're not having that kind of issue, because on another thread today I learned that these adapters are getting hard to find. (!)

[trakzero]

I had an old TB adapter just up and fail on me, and had to buy a new one, and it worked as it should. Mind you, that was a pretty old adapter.

To compound matters, there were other issues with a newer MBP and FW, unrelated to the adapter. But it was easy to sort because the failed adapter didn't work on an older MBP, and the new one worked on both MBPs

I hope you're not having that kind of issue, because on another thread today I learned that these adapters are getting hard to find. (!)

If it happens again and the same fix works, I'll swap adapters. Haven't heard of any issues getting ahold of them, they work bi-directionally and with M series hardware.

[mikehalloran]

Does it work connected over USB 2?

Although that does not support the track count of TB, there is no difference in latency. I the 828es works over USB, this should confirm that the TB adapter or TB2 cable is the problem.

[HCMarkus]

I do not have this issue with my 828ES, Mac Studio, and the Apple TB Adaptor.

[James Steele]

I do not have this issue with my 828ES, Mac Studio, and the Apple TB Adaptor.

Same here. Maybe it’s just a bum adapter or something?


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[EMRR]

I have connectivity and noise burst problems with 2 different adapters, gave up and moved to USB, solved it. Something's not happy in my system with those adapters. Disappointing.

[James Steele]

I have connectivity and noise burst problems with 2 different adapters, gave up and moved to USB, solved it. Something's not happy in my system with those adapters. Disappointing.

That's a bummer. I know that only the genuine Apple adapters are supposed to work properly. Makes me wonder though, if there are cheap Chinese counterfeits in the market? Although the likelihood you'd get one of those (even if they exist) twice are ridiculously low.

[stubbsonic]

I suspect you could tell by Apple's over-the-top deluxe white packaging-- which I doubt a counterfeiter would bother to replicate (but I may be wrong). OTOH, if they are asking Apple's price, perhaps it would be worth it.

[James Steele]

I suspect you could tell by Apple's over-the-top deluxe white packaging-- which I doubt a counterfeiter would bother to replicate (but I may be wrong). OTOH, if they are asking Apple's price, perhaps it would be worth it.

I would think if it came in the proper packaging it’s legit. It’s a real head scratcher why it some have issues and others don’t. I assume you have latest firmware installed. Just so odd.

[stubbsonic]

I've been hearing for the past several years, that Apple has neglected Firewire, so at some point in OS updates, it'll just poop out.

Oh, and yea, we can't easily roll back an OS when it does.

[mikehalloran]

There is firmware in the Apple TB2–TB3 adapter. A few websites are recommending that the adapter be plugged into a TB3/4 port during a macOS update so that the adapter firmware updates as well.

I have no idea if this is correct since none of those sites are Apple but it’s easy enough to do. One way is to boot into the Recovery Partition and Reinstall your current macOS. You can also download it from the App Store and reinstall that way. Sonoma 14.5 should be dropping any day by my estimate—certainly by the WWDC next month.

[HCMarkus]

There is firmware in the Apple TB2–TB3 adapter. A few websites are recommending that the adapter be plugged into a TB3/4 port during a macOS update so that the adapter firmware updates as well.

Interesting.