Emagic A26

Emagic (EMI) driver

Please note: I have just updated the driver for MacOS Catalina (10.15). Please let me know if you have any issues with the update. I would also appreciate emails of successful instals as confirmation that it is working on different OS versions.

The A2|6 driver provided with the device has not worked since Mac OS-X Lion (10.7). I have written a replacement driver which works from Lion to present (Catalina). Update: it seems Midi is not working (tested in Mojavé) and possibly never has. Sound input is certainly working in Mojavé.

Please note, this driver is for the A26 device (2 inputs 6 outputs), not for the A62m. A driver for the A62m can be found here.

To install the driver you will need to obtain and install files as detailed below. When finished you will have files installed as follows. Notice that the A26 file has moved to a new (hidden) location (October 2019). This was a requirement for Catalina support.

A26 file and directory structure after installation
Files post-installation

Pre Installation

Installation

  1. Download and expand the A26.zip file

    Download the archive from this link. When expanded it produces an A26 folder containing three files. Make sure the folder’s name is “A26” exactly. If it is not, rename it. Also ensure the A26 folder is on your desktop and not somewhere else. A step below expects to find it on the desktop with this exact name. (You may remove the folder after successful installation).

  2. Obtain the firmware files

    Note: if you are upgrading the driver skip to step 4. You do not need to obtain the files again.

    The .HEX files shown in the above image are the firmware for the A26 device. These files are copyright, so I have not included them in the zip file. They are not hard to find on the internet, for example here.

    If you use the above link, click on the 'Download' icon near the top-right of the page (the down-pointing arrow). This will download an emi26.zip file. Open (expand) the zip file, and you will find three ".HEX" files.

    Please note, this website has changed its interface in the past. You might need to modify the above instructions to obtain the files.

    (Alternatively: the three files can also be found here, however you need to click each file in turn, then click the 'raw' button, and then save the raw page into a text file. Repeat for each file).

  3. Move the files into place

    Firstly place all three .HEX files (loader.HEX, bitstream.HEX and firmware.HEX) into the A26 folder on your desktop. They should not be inside another folder. The file structure should look as follows (file sizes could vary slightly).

    Note: if you are upgrading the driver you do not need to obtain these files again. You will only have 3 files in the A26 folder.

    File structure pre- install
    Files pre-installation

  4. Run the install script

    Open Terminal and type the following 2 lines (type <return> after each line):

    cd $HOME/Desktop/A26
    sudo /bin/bash <install.sh

    Provide your admin password when requested. You should see something like the following:

    Unloading previous driver (if any)...
    Making directories...
    Renaming files…
    Copying files…
    Setting permissions...
    Installation successful. Launching driver...
    Done!

    Your files and folders should now reflect the picture shown at the start (with A26 in the new location).

Done

That's it. No need to reboot. You will need to plug in your A26 before the driver will load.

The driver can take several seconds to upload the firmware. Between 10 and 20 seconds is typical. You can use the Sound Control Panel to check that the firmware has been uploaded successfully.

Sound Control Panel
System Preferences Sound Panel showing the A26 device

Please follow the instructions carefully. I have responded to many emails for assistance. Almost every time the problem has been a result of people not following the instructions carefully enough.

If you still have issues, please read the FAQ page carefully before emailing me. It contains instructions regarding things check, and what to send me if you need assistance.

Thanks,
John