USB Audio on Mac OSX Snow Leopard

[mdmayfield]

I've been using an older white MacBook for live performances, which can't be updated past Mac OS X 10.6.8 (newer OSes won't install).

 

When I connect the Helix, it shows up in the System Profiler as a working USB device. The MIDI functionality of the Helix also works fine; I can send MIDI messages from buttons on the Helix and they show up in Logic's display.

 

However, the HELIX Audio device doesn't show up on Snow Leopard. It does show up on my other computers running Mavericks 10.9.5.

 

Can anyone confirm that the Helix is unsupported on 10.6.8? If at all possible I'd rather not have to get a new laptop, nor use my personal laptop for performances.

 

Thanks,

 

Matt

[Digital_Igloo]

Helix officially only supports 64-bit Mac OSes (OS X 10.8 and above... once Apple fixes El Capitan's audio gremlins), but there's a chance earlier versions might work, as the audio driver is class-compliant.

[mdmayfield]

Helix officially only supports 64-bit Mac OSes (OS X 10.8 and above... once Apple fixes El Capitan's audio gremlins), but there's a chance earlier versions might work, as the audio driver is class-compliant.

 

Thanks for the reply, Digital_Igloo. (And for your general helpfulness and generosity with your time!)

 

On 10.6, the Helix shows up on the USB bus and as a MIDI interface, but not as an audio interface at all. On 10.9, all works as expected.

 

I'm also seeing other reports elsewhere online that it does not show up as an audio device under 10.6, so I imagine there's some difference in the class compliant audio drivers between that and later OSes that prevents older OSX versions from seeing the audio side of the Helix.