Do people think this will enable my Laptop to use firewire? I already know it’s 400 only and can’t supply power, but do you think it will work?
If not, does anyone have any other solutions?
Cheers.
I’d guess not, looks like just a hub. I have a similar Dlink device in the spares box. Express card is your best bet, if you have a slot. Startech cards are good
I want to say no matter what you do you can’t get USB to act as firewire with an audio interface because USB devices are host based and firewire are peer to peer. Thunderbolt is compatible with firewire. I’ve seen people say there is some possibility to use ethernet to convert but I’ve never done it so I’m unsure.
That was what I understood, But I just wanted to double check. I was offered a RME Fireface 800 for £300. I had a look and the best option I could find was to buy a Mini Mac 6,2 High Spec with the i7QM, but then I feel that’s capped at High Sierra from memory and I’m not sure where NI and other lopped off support.
I know you can use the Laptop expansion slots to add firewire but neither of mine have those. I think they’re only on older Laptops now, maybe the HP Elitebooks have them but I doubt any Gaming Style high performance laptops have them.
I might be able to hack something to the spare PCI-E slot by sawing the case on my other laptop. Though I can remember reading that that’s slower than Express card.
I can get my older FW interfaces (Apogee Duet, Focusrite Saffire Pro 26) to work via USB-C through a pair of Apple adaptors (FW to thunderbolt -> thunderbolt to USB-C) but only on an older OS (Mojave) and directly into the port on the MacBook Pro.
It can work in that specific way but it requires a bit of luck I think. And I don’t think it will work at all going through a “standard” USB port.