Help with Canopus ADVC-110 for my 2017 iMac.

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Level 1

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Help with Canopus ADVC-110 for my 2017 iMac.

Okay, so basically, I wanted to plug in to my Canopus ADVC-110 I recently owned to my iMac and make it work. However, as the device can only support FireWire, I went ahead and bought a 4-pin FireWire to USB adapter since Apple got rid of the FireWire port in the mentioned Mac model. I tried everything to see what's the problem, including making sure the device needs to show a picture like the test bars as mentioned in the manual or to check to see if the pins are connected properly. I even tried plugging it into my Steam Deck to see if not detecting the device is a problem. Unfortunately, it is. I did check the web to see what was the problem with the device and people did say that Apple removed FireWire support a few years ago, which does make me wonder if that was the case for the FireWire to USB adapters as well. I tried to download stuff like Universal Control since they did mention of FireWire, but the device didn't show up on the list, only to think it could possibly only be used on supported music devices. So overall, I'm stuck. So, can any of you guys help me make my Mac finally detect the device with any third-party drivers or other suggestions like any other adapter, even if you tried them and it worked? Thanks.

iMac (2017 – 2020)

Posted on Mar 30, 2024 1:11 PM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

MartinR

Level 7

24,996 points

Apr 2, 2024 6:02 AM in response to sjb04

The cable is a scam. As @Keith Barkley already told you, there is no such thing as a Firewire-to-USB converter ... or cable. Never has been.

You still haven't identified the model iMac you have. Depending on the model, you need one or both of these Apple adapters. If your iMac has Thunderbolt/USB-C ports you need both adapters, which you daisy-chain to each other:

Apple Thunderbolt-to-Firewire adapter (discontinued, may be hard to find but still available from some online stores)
Apple Thunderbolt3-to-Thunderbolt2 adapter

You will also need a genuine 9-pin to 4-pin firewire cable like this one.

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Answer 2

Apr 2, 2024 8:11 PM in response to sjb04

sjb04 wrote:

I went ahead and bought a 4-pin FireWire to USB adapter

USB and Firewire are too different to convert USB to Firewire by gluing together a pair of connectors.

If you're lucky, a "USB to Firewire adapter" won't work. If you're unlucky, it will damage equipment by connecting together pins that should never be connected. (Say, by connecting 30V Firewire power to the USB 5V power pin.)

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