Recommended accessories for using a Mac in professional production environments such as theater, broadcast, and art installations.
Add more Ethernet ports to a Mac. Ready for use with NDI, Art-Net, sACN, Dante, OSC, etc. Connect to multiple isolated networks (such as an lighting network and an audio network) from one Mac. A Dante-ready Ethernet adapter can fix Dante issues on older Intel macs.
| Connection | Speed | Connector | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| USB-C | 1G | RJ45 | Anker USB C to Ethernet Adapter |
| USB-C | 2.5G | RJ45 | Sonnet Solo2.5G Adapter |
| USB-C | 5G | RJ45 | Sonnet Solo5G Adapter |
| Thunderbolt | 10G | RJ45 | Sonnet Solo10G Thunderbolt Adapter |
| Thunderbolt | 10G | SFP+ (LC multi-mode fiber) | Sonnet Solo10G SFP+ Thunderbolt Adapter |
MIDI Show Control is the tried-and-true method for making one playback system trigger another. Send MIDI messages from QLab on your Mac to the lighting console to trigger cues in sync.
| Connection | DIN MIDI | USB MIDI | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| USB-C | 1/1 | 1 | iConnectivity mioXC |
| USB Cable | 4/4 | 4 | iConnectivity mioXM |
| USB Cable | 8/12 | 10 | iConnectivity mioXL |
Use an audio interface to add outputs to a Mac beyond the built-in headphone jack. Many digital audio consoles support a direct USB connection from the Mac to the console for multichannel playback and recording without requiring an interface.
| Connection | Max IO | Link |
|---|---|---|
| None (Software) | 64 x 64 Dante (built-in Ethernet or Adapter) | Dante Virtual Soundcard |
| USB 3.0 Cable | 64 x 64 Dante (RJ45) + 64 x 64 MADI (BNC) | RME Digiface Dante Dante/MADI/USB 3.0 Audio Interface |
| USB 2.0 Cable | 64 x 64 MADI (BNC or SC multi-mode fiber) | RME MADIface USB Audio Interface |
Add native displays to a Mac in nearly any pixel dimension up to the maximum supported resolution. Native displays are recognized by macOS and could show Finder, your desktop, etc. Every Mac has a maximum number of native displays it supports.
| Connection | Output | Max Output Resolutions | HDR | HDCP | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| USB-C | HDMI | 4096 x 2160@60Hz | Yes | HDCP 2.2 | CalDigit USB-C to HDMI 2.0 4K HDR Adapter |
| USB-C | DisplayPort |
5120 × 2880@30Hz with DisplayPort 1.2 7680 x 4320@60Hz with DisplayPort 1.4 |
Yes | Yes | CalDigit USB-C to DisplayPort 1.4 8K HDR Adapter |
| USB-C | HDMI | 7680 x 4320@60Hz with DSC 7680 x 4320@30Hz without DSC |
Yes | HDCP 2.3 | CalDigit USB-C to HDMI 2.1 8K Video Adapter |
| Thunderbolt | HDMI X 2 | 3840 x 2160 @ 60Hz X 2 | - | HDCP 2.2 | Sonnet Thunderbolt Dual 4K HDMI 2.1 Adapter |
These accessories add video inputs and outputs to a Mac that are only available to professional playback software like QLab, Millumin, or Resolume. MacOS does not recognize the displays so there's no chance of showing the desktop to an audience. They are limited to broadcast aspect ratios which do not scale perfectly on a 16:10 projector.
| Connection | Max IO | PCI Slots | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderbolt | 2048 x 1080 @ 60Hz HDMI + SDI | - | Blackmagic Design UltraStudio Monitor 3G |
| PCIe Card | 1920 x 1080 @ 60Hz X 4 BNC SDI | 1 | Blackmagic Design DeckLink Duo 2 |
| PCIe Card | 1920 x 1080 @ 60Hz X 8 Micro BNC SDI | 1 | Blackmagic Design DeckLink Quad 2 |
| PCIe Card |
8192 x 4320 @ 60Hz X 4 BNC SDI, or 4096 x 2160 @ 120Hz X 4 BNC SDI |
1 | Blackmagic Design DeckLink 8K Pro Mini |
PCIe cards must be installed in a Thunderbolt Expansion Chassis to connect them to most Macs. Mac Pros have built-in PCIe slots. Reference the Sonnet PCIe Card Compatability chart when selecting a chassis.
For receiving an HDMI signal from a camera or playback machine as a live video input.
| Connection | Max Input Resolution | Max Output Resolution | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| USB-C | 3840 x 2160 @ 30Hz | 1920 x 1080 @ 60Hz | Kondor Blue HDMI to USB-C Capture Card |
| USB-C (or USB-A 3.0) | 3840 x 2160 @ 60Hz | 3840 x 2160 @ 60Hz | Elgato Cam Link 4K |
| Thunderbolt | 2048 x 1080 @ 60Hz | 2048 x 1080 @ 60Hz | Blackmagic Design UltraStudio Recorder 3G |