Updating Symphony I/O firmware

This article applies to the Original Symphony I/O only, not the MkII.

Note: The updater program is only compatible with OS X 10.6.8 - 10.10. This means you need a Mac running one of these operating systems in order to update your Symphony I/O's firmware. Once the firmware update is complete, you can plug the Symphony I/O into a newer version of macOS and it will fully function. It is only the updater that needs the older OS. If you do not have access to such a Mac through a friend, local business, or library and you are in the US or Canada, contact Apogee Support to arrange for the unit to be shipped to Apogee for the update. You are only responsible for getting it to Apogee however you choose, and Apogee will update the unit and ship it back to you for free via standard Ground shipping services. (If you are not in the US or Canada, contact the Apogee Distributor for your region. Be aware additional charges for service may apply if purchased in a different region.)

Before you begin the update process, trash ANY older Symphony installer packages you may have on your computer (desktop, downloads folder, etc.) Old installers can mistakenly trigger 'firmware mismatch' warnings. 

  1. Download the latest Symphony installer package from our website: 
    Downloads
    • For Operating System, select the version on which you will run the fully updated Symphony I/O.
  2. Once you have the DMG file downloaded, open it and inside are many files.
  3. Locate the file "Symphony System Uninstaller.app" and run it. Follow the prompts to a restart of your computer.
  4. When the computer is back up, open the same DMG file but this time located the "Symphony Software Installer.pkg" and run it. Follow the prompts to another restart of your computer.
    • If on macOS 10.13 High Sierra or newer, make sure you allow the Apogee extension to run or it will not be recognized properly: Read More
  5. Plug in the Symphony I/O via USB to your Mac.
    • If your Mac has USB 3.0, you should first try it with a USB hub (an Apple keyboard with USB ports is the best hub to use if you have one) to do the firmware update… the firmware update will not work on most USB 3.0 ports, so a hub will bring it down to USB 2.0. Note- USB Audio should work fine on USB 3.0 ports.
  6. Power up the Symphony I/O.
  7. Locate the file for "SymphonyIO Firmware Updater.app" and open it.
    • If the firmware needs an update, copy this newest updater.app to a USB memory stick and transfer to a Mac running OS X between 10.6.8-10.10, and connect the Symphony I/O via USB to that Mac to perform the update.
  8. Note any settings you may have made for your Symphony I/O in the Maestro software, as these settings can get reset after an update.
  9. Open the "SymphonyIO Firmware Updater.app" and update the firmware. Make sure the firmware successfully updates before proceeding to the next step.
    • If the firmware updater gets stuck or doesn't work, quit the firmware updater app, power off the Symphony I/O, power the Symphony I/O back on and try the update again.
    • You may need to try different USB ports.
    • If the updater says it 'failed', click 'try again' and run the update again.
    • If you have multiple Symphony I/Os, make sure to update EACH of them by selecting each unit in the drop-down menu of the firmware updater (Symphony I/O 1, Symphony I/O 2, etc.)
    • Once the update finishes, quit the updater and then relaunch it to confirm that the firmware is up to date for each unit.

Once you've confirmed that your Symphony I/O's firmware is up to date, ensure it is in the correct Audio Interface Mode (AIM):

  • Push in and hold down the right-side front-panel encoder knob until you get to the audio mode menu.
  • Let off the knob and then turn it to scroll through the different modes.
  • One the desired mode is selected, push in on the knob again to restart the unit in that mode.
  • Here is a video demonstrating how to change interface modes: Video

If you’re using Symphony I/O with Symphony64 PCIe or Symphony64 Thunderbridge: Launch Audio MIDI Setup (Applications Utilities Audio MIDI Setup). We recommend using Audio MIDI Setup instead of System Preferences Sound. Make sure that ‘Symphony64′ (PCIe or Thunderbridge) is selected in the left-side column. In the ‘Source’ menu on the right, choose the appropriate port selection depending on how many Symphony I/Os you have. If you have 1 unit, choose ‘Port 1: 32ch’… if you have 2 units, choose ‘Ports 1-2: 64Chs’. Quit Audio MIDI Setup and restart the computer.  Wait until the unit/units sync and stop clicking before launching Maestro. This can take a couple minutes if you're using 2 Symphony I/Os.