Getting a Roland Quad-Capture to work with an Apple Silicon (M1/M2) Mac can be tricky because Roland does not officially support the M1 chip for this specific interface. The latest official drivers are designed strictly for Intel-based Macs.
However, if you want to attempt to get "extra quality" or even basic functionality out of your device on a modern Mac, here is the current state of compatibility and the community-tested workarounds. 1. The Official Compatibility Status
Roland's official position is that the QUAD-CAPTURE Driver Ver. 1.5.6 is compatible only with Intel-based Macs running macOS 11 (Big Sur) or 12 (Monterey). They explicitly state that Apple Silicon (M1) is not supported. Unlike newer interfaces, the Quad-Capture relies on a proprietary "VS Streaming" driver rather than being "class-compliant," which is why it doesn't work plug-and-play with M1 Macs. 2. Can You Use it on M1? (Community Workarounds)
Users have had mixed, mostly unsuccessful results trying to force the Intel driver to work via Rosetta 2.
Power Issues: Some M1 users report the interface won't even power on when plugged directly into the Mac, likely due to how the M1 manages USB bus power. roland quadcapture driver mac m1 extra quality
Driver Failure: Even if it powers on, the Intel-based driver often fails to recognize the hardware because kernel extensions (drivers) cannot be translated by Rosetta 2 in the same way applications can.
Partial Success: A few users on newer macOS versions (like Ventura) have managed to get the audio inputs/outputs working by disabling certain security features (SIP) to allow the "Legacy System Extension," but this often breaks MIDI functionality or causes "double notes". 3. "Extra Quality" Tips for Legacy Setups
If you are using the Quad-Capture on a supported (Intel) Mac or a Windows machine and want the best possible audio performance: Support - QUAD-CAPTURE - Updates & Drivers - Roland
Roland Quad-Capture (UA-55) is officially incompatible with Apple Silicon (M1/M2/M3) Getting a Roland Quad-Capture to work with an
. Roland has explicitly stated that Mac computers using the M1 chip are not supported for the Quad-Capture Roland - Global Compatibility Status Report Apple Silicon (M1/M2/M3) Support . Official drivers only support Intel-based Macs. Operating System Limits macOS 11 (Big Sur) & 12 (Monterey) : Only supported on Intel-based Macs using Driver Ver.1.5.6. macOS 13 (Ventura) & later : No official driver exists for these versions for the Quad-Capture Core Audio : While the Quad-Capture
uses Roland's proprietary "VS Streaming" for low latency, it does
support the "Class Compliant" mode that allows many other older interfaces to work without drivers on newer Macs. Roland - Global Issues & Limitations No M1 Drivers
: Roland has not developed and reportedly will not develop M1 drivers for this legacy model. Kernel Panics Issue: High Pitched Noise or Static
: Users attempting to force older drivers on unsupported systems have reported severe stability issues, including system-wide kernel panics and frozen screens. Hardware Disconnection
: Plugging the unit into an M1 Mac often results in the device not being recognized at all by the operating system. Apple Discussions Alternative Solutions If you need a similar interface that
compatible with M1 Macs and recent macOS versions (Sonoma/Sequoia), Roland offers newer series with full Apple Silicon support: QUAD-CAPTURE | USB 2.0 Audio Interface - Roland
Even with the driver installed, your DAW must be told to launch in the correct mode.