Does Audacity support thunderbolt on Windows 10?

Audacity Help Forum Windows
1

Does Audacity support thunderbolt on Windows 10? I have a thunderbolt interface and it’s not appearing in the input and output dropdown tabs.

2

If it has regular Windows drivers, I’d expect it to work. If it only works with ASIO drivers, Audacity doesn’t support ASIO “out of the box”.

Does the interface work with Windows Media Player?

3

You don’t say what your hardware is. FWIW, there is a post on the Amazon web site for Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 (3rd Gen). It says,

USB Driver Installation Not Simple
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 13, 2020

I’m an IT professional and even I struggled to install the software.
My mistake was to plug in the Scarlett Solo to USB before installing the software.
DO NOT DO THIS because Windows will then search Windows Updates for drivers and then get into into mess which won’t be solved when you go to install the downloaded Focusrite Control software and USB driver. That will hang for a very long time and maybe not complete at all.
Follow these steps:

  1. Download the FocusRite Control software
  2. Right click and Run as Administrator
  3. Select either Full Installation or one of the specific USB/Thunderbolt options
  4. Accept to install each of the the USB and/or Thunderbolt driver. This might seem to take a long time installing the drivers but leave it to get on with it.
  5. Reboot your computer and wait for the Focusrite Control window to come up saying “Hardware Not Connected”.
  6. Now plus in the Scarlett Solo and WAIT while Windows goes off and searches Windows Updates. This may also seem to take a long time but be patient.
  7. If all is well, Windows will come back saying device is ready, having linked the driver to your Solo and Focusrite Control will show the Solo configuration options.
  8. Lastly, it is advisable to go to your Windows Playback Devices, and in the Properties of the Focusrite Usb Audio, go to the Advanced tab and untick the option to “Allow applications to take eclusive control of this device”.

Having gone through this learning curve for a couple of hours, I’m very happy with the sound quality. The earth hum and other unwanted noises I was getting from my older 1st generation Scarlett is no longer present.

4

Sorry guys. I meant to say I am using the Zen Q from Antelope audio. I know that their interfaces have problems with Mac and PC

5

Did you read this Amazon review?

You also cannot use this interface via USB and you also cannot use AFX2DAW with a Windows PC as of the time of this review. If I were a Windows user I would probably go with the Zen Go and save the $400.

In the Zen Q manual, it states,

The Zen Q Synergy Core is bus-powered from your computer’s Thunderbolt™ port and no external power is necessary.
Note that legacy Thunderbolt™ 2 and 1 connections via external adapters are incompatible due to insufficient power delivery.
The Zen Q Synergy Core is compatible only with Thunderbolt™ 3.

Do you have a Thunderbolt 3 port?

What did Antelope say when you asked them? https://en.antelopeaudio.com/products/zen-q-synergy-core/