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neatlyfolded
User level: Level 1 (8 points)

Revisiting old Logic Express files with FireWire interfaces

Technical objectives:


I have some old home studio recordings that I need to revisit. They exist as Logic Express 7/8 session files, on drives dormant for 15-20 years. I've been asked to polish up one or two of these recordings, quickly, for release. But the virtual environment that birthed them needs to be approximated first. So that sessions can be transferred to a current, more portable file system. (See https://kb.avid.com/pkb/articles/en_US/Knowledge/Pro-Tools-System-Requirements).


Tools available:


  1. I have the two *FireWire* audio interfaces that I used for home recordings throughout that era. Both are Echo Audiofire models -- 8ch analog IO, 16+ digital, one FW400, one FW800. Hardware is functional, nominally, but practical use became untenable for me circa Yosemite. (User forums indicate that stability issues correspond to end of FireWire support.)
  2. I have the 2008 Mac Pro (A1186?) that I used to create later sessions. Shipped with Leopard(?), slowly updated over the years, currently at Yosemite 10.10.5. Stock 2.8GHz Intel Xeon 'Quad-Core'. Hardware upgrades: 16GB memory kit (OWC bought, matched set, period install, working); four 500GB-to-2TB SATA drives in internal bays (OWC bought, Seagate or WD 7200rpm, period installs, working); EVGA GTX680 Mac Edition (Ebay bought, clean appearance, new install, working). Performance is what you'd expect.
  3. I have the 2007 iMac (A1224?) that I used to create early sessions, also. Shipped with Leopard(?), slowly updated over the years, currently at Yosemite 10.10.5. Stock 2.4GHz Intel 'Core 2 Duo', 2GB DDR2 memory, ATI Radeon HD 2600 graphics, all working. Again, performance is what you'd expect.
  4. I have a 2024 MacBook Pro (A3401?) as my daily driver. Stock M4 Pro, T5 ports, 48GB memory. Shipped with Tahoe, now at 26.7.1. Wary of lack of Rosetta support in Golden Gate, so looking to stay put for now.
  5. I have an OWC 2.5"/3.5" dual-bay drive dock. USB-C, 3.1 Gen_?, newly purchased. Tested with spare 320GB SATA drive (unknown origin, WD 5400rpm, noisy but working), it has performed well thus far, shuttling files between mentioned machines.


Concerns:


Acknowledging absence of FireWire support, and the likelihood of more general mishaps, working across OS divides, addressing hardware+software design limits... it is the turnaround demand here that concerns me most. My lack of troubleshooting and problem-solving experience present real challenges, but they feel like secondary issues, practically, in current context.


Questions:


Is it sensible for me to attempt a working assembly of elements needed? Given that it would be, essentially, to transfer of one set of session files? What might cost and turnaround be if I found someone else to do this?


General notes and suggestions appreciated. Technical insights critical.


Thank you... !


Brian

Posted on Oct 4, 2026 11:42 AM

3 replies

Servant of Cats
User level: Level 9 (55,707 points)

Oct 4, 2026 5:39 PM in response to neatlyfolded

neatlyfolded wrote:
I have the two *FireWire* audio interfaces that I used for home recordings throughout that era. Both are Echo Audiofire models -- 8ch analog IO, 16+ digital, one FW400, one FW800. Hardware is functional, nominally, but practical use became untenable for me circa Yosemite.
…
4. I have a 2024 MacBook Pro (A3401?) as my daily driver. Stock M4 Pro, T5 ports, 48GB memory. Shipped with Tahoe, now at 26.7.1. Wary of lack of Rosetta support in Golden Gate, so looking to stay put for now.


Tahoe and Golden Gate do not support Firewire in any way, shape, or form. Apple removed the last bits of Firewire support, leaving Sequoia as the last version of macOS that can even read Firewire-attached drives.


If I remember correctly, Apple dropped support for "plug-and-play" Firewire audio devices in Monterey or Ventura (not sure which).


So it's really hard to use Firewire audio interfaces with any Apple Silicon or late-Intel-era Mac.

  • Chances are, that Mac is going to be running some version of macOS that doesn't support FireWire at all, or that, at least, doesn't support plug-and-play Firewire devices and requires the use of drivers.
  • Most Firewire audio drivers are going to be written for very old PowerPC-based or Intel-based versions of Mac OS X. PowerPC code won't run at all on Apple Silicon Macs. Intel-only kernel extensions won't run at all on an Apple Silicon Mac, either. Rosetta 2 can only translate application-level code.

So you might have working Firewire equipment, and even a chain of adapters (Thunderbolt 3-to-2 + Thunderbolt to Firewire 800 + possibly Firewire 800 to 400), but if there is no support for running the drivers and no plug-and-play support either, you're going to be up the creek without a paddle.

neatlyfolded Author
User level: Level 1 (8 points)

Oct 5, 2026 11:09 AM in response to Servant of Cats

Thank you for your response, Servant of Cats.


Understood re multi-level incompatibility of Apple Silicon (my M-series laptop), contemporary Mac OSs, and FireWire devices. I've done enough research to recognize direct combination of those elements as non-viable. Not looking for any miracles there.


I don't have the background needed to interpret wariness of earlier Intel Macs (my 2008 Mac Pro), period Mac OSs, and FireWire devices. Given that those elements are of the same era, and created to work together. But I recognize your broad experience with Apple Community, SoC, and respect your reasoning.


Thanks again for your response.


Brian

neatlyfolded Author
User level: Level 1 (8 points)

Oct 12, 2026 7:07 AM in response to Servant of Cats

Servant of Cats wrote:
Tahoe and Golden Gate do not support Firewire in any way, shape, or form. Apple removed the last bits of Firewire support, leaving Sequoia as the last version of macOS that can even read Firewire-attached drives.
If I remember correctly, Apple dropped support for "plug-and-play" Firewire audio devices in Monterey or Ventura (not sure which).


Hi.


I'm obliged to provide session files mentioned, so pursuing help with that elsewhere. All good on that front.


Two follow-up questions re quoted bit on earlier Mac OSs:


Ventura is in relatively wide use with Pro Tools packages. Setting plug-ins aside...


  1. Is there a legacy OS preference among Logic users here?
  2. Does that OS offer any advantages when working with early Logic (7/8) sessions?


Many thanks.


BM

Originally posted at discussions.apple.com/thread/256370404