Apple Mac T2 chips for music – fantastic in theory, disaster in practice…
MAC users of the 2018 computers with Apple Mac T2 chips are reporting major issues with USB 2.0 audio interfaces from most vendors.
I’m usually one to shrug off disparate reports of computer-based bugs as nine times out of ten it stems from setup and configuration.
This is different, a HUGE number of users of the 2018 Apple Mac T2 chips series of computers are reporting serious glitches and performance issues while using USB 2.0 Audio Interfaces. The issues weren’t limited to specific audio interface vendors either, it seems the problem is widespread.
The issue affects the iMac Pro 2018 series, Mac Mini 2018 series, MacBook Air 2018 series and the MacBook Pro 2018 series. The issue seems to stem from the new T2 chips which were introduced into the new Apple computers. This chip was designed to handle all system management tasks on an independent processor, thus freeing up the main CPUs for core performance. This is, in theory, a great concept, however the glitches stem from issues with the way that the T2 chip is synchronizing with the Mac OS.
There is light at the end of the tunnel…
So, it seems the issue is software related, that means hopefully it will be patched out with a more reliable synchronization system. Until then, users are reporting that disabling the setting “Set date and time automatically” in your System Preferences will reduce glitches and drop-outs, it won’t resolve the issue although it may make your system usable until the issue is resolved on Apple’s side.
On the plus side, for users who have FireWire or Thunderbolt 3 audio interfaces, it seems like everything is smooth sailing there. Other users have reported that using a certified Thunderbolt 3 external hub to connect a USB 2.0 audio interface also functions as it should.
Apple is usually relatively quick to respond and patch-out bugs, let’s hope they follow suit here…
