Emagic A6|2m

Emagic (EMI) driver

Please note: I have 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.

The A6|2m driver provided with the device has not worked since Mac OS-X Lion (10.7). I have written a replacement driver for Audio and Midi usages, from Lion to present (Catalina). The audio outputs and midi work well, however there appears to be an issue with the audio inputs on Sierra and later. Sadly there is nothing I can do about this. Apple slowly remove functionality for old devices; eventually we will all have to buy new audio interfaces.

Please note, this driver is for the A62m device (6 inputs 2 outputs). It is not for the A26. A new driver for the A26 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 A62m file has moved to a new (hidden) location (October 2019). This was a requirement for Catalina support.

A62M file and directory structure
Files post-installation

I have circled the size of bitsream.HEX because the size is important. There are many "wrong" versions available on the internet (though they're slowly being corrected). If yours is about 190 KB you have the wrong file.

Pre Installation

Installation

  1. Download and expand the A62M-v3.zip file

    Download the archive from this link. When expanded it produces an A26 folder containing three files. Make sure the name of the folder on your desktop is “A62M-v3” exactly. If it is not, rename it. Also ensure the A62M-v3 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 A62m device. These files are copyright, so I have not included them in the zip file. They are not hard to find on the internet, but many bitstream.HEX files I have found are the wrong file. (Reading various blogs, it seems bitstream.HEX for the A26 has been mistaken as the A62m file of the same name). The A26 file is approx. 190 KB. The correct A62m file is approx. 270 KB.

    The correct files can be found at many locations, including here and here. From this location click on one file (eg. bitstream.HEX), then click the download link at the far right (the tray icon with an arrow pointing down) to save the file. Repeat for the other two files (loader.HEX and midi.HEX)

    Please note, many websites hosting these files keep changing their interfaces. You might need to adjust the above instructions to get the files.

  3. Remove unwanted ".txt" file extension

    Check to see if your browser has added ".txt" to the end of any filenames and remove them if it has. Safari added them for me. It is safest to check the file names using "Get Info" in the Finder. (This step shouldn't actually necessary anymore, as the updated script should do this for you now).

  4. Move the files into place

    Place all three .HEX files directly into the A62M-v3 folder on your desktop. (Unless you are upgrading from a previous installation, in which case do nothing).

    Whether upgrading or not, open Terminal and type the following 2 lines (type <return> after each line):

    cd $HOME/Desktop/A62M-v3
    sudo /bin/bash <install.sh

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

    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 top.

Done

That's it. No need to reboot.

The driver takes 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 A62m 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.

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

Thanks,
John