Hi all, I'm new to Reddit, forgive me if I'm not using proper etiquette!
TL;DR - What audio interfaces are Ryzen Hackintoshers using successfully?
With many parts that I've had from previous PC builds, I decided to build a SFF Ryzen build, as I've previously only built Intel based systems and I happened to be able to get the CPU and GPU for great prices where I'm living. It has also been a long time since I've tried hackintoshing: the one time I tried many years ago, there were too many things that weren't working that didn't make it worth it for me. I'm definitely pleasantly surprised at how far things have come. I'm using OpenCore.
CPU: AMD Ryzen 3600
Motherboard: Asrock X570 Phantom Gaming - ITX/TB3
GPU: VisionTek Radeon RX 5500XT
For a couple years now, I've just been using my Universal Audio Arrow interface for MacOS system audio and recording very simple guitar tracks. It is a bus-powered thunderbolt 3 audio interface. Before doing any USB mapping, having the interface plugged in on boot would result in the audio stuttering and the interface emitting crackles/pops and it would very frequently disconnect and reconnect...Not ideal for everyday system audio, let alone any sort of recording. It took quite a bit of tinkering, but after USB mapping and a SSDT from XinJiang I believe I was able to get thunderbolt 3 mostly working. I say mostly, because while it certainly works better, I am still getting some connection issues and stuttering with the UA Arrow.
My Line 6 HX Stomp, which I use for guitar effects and modeling, also works as a USB audio interface. From the short time that I've tested it, it has worked without any crackling or popping and connection issues. Unfortunately, it doesn't have any XLR inputs for mics and I don't think I'll be using this as my desktop interface, long term. The HX Stomp also has it's own power supply and is not bus-powered. I'm wondering if that's the issue- that since the implementation of Thunderbolt 3 by Asrock/AMD is still in relative infancy, it's not supplying enough power consistently? Not sure how I could measure this though. I'm using BIOS version 2.00, and I'm curious if the latest updates would help, but nervous that it would mess with booting into MacOS.
What audio interfaces are others using successfully with Ryzen/Hackintosh? I'd be interested to see if higher end UA TB3 interfaces that aren't bus-powered (Apollo Twin, etc.) work. I'm not tied down to the UA ecosystem though, I don't use or even own a ton of their plugins. I do like their preamps and there's no doubt that there hardware has a certain polish to it. I don't have a huge need for tons of VSTs or anything like that. Just 2-4 inputs for plugging in mics (vocals/acoustic instruments) or instruments (guitars/keyboards/etc.). No preference for thunderbolt 3 or USB. In fact, I might even have a slight preference for USB, if I know it'll work more reliably:)
I'll definitely make a more detailed post later about my build and hackintosh experiences, but for now just wanted to see what interfaces are being used by others with similar computer hardware.
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