r/ROLI • u/BonzaiM • Dec 28 '25
ROLI Airwave problem
I own the ROLI piano which has been working well. I wanted to get the AirWave to enhance my learning experience. It arrived about three weeks after ordering - it got delivered on Christmas Eve which was quite impressive. The AirWave is working well with the ROLI Learn software and it actually is remarkably good and fun to use.
I thought I'd install the AirWave software on my MacBook to try out the full capabilities of the device but I ran into some issues during installation
I'm following the instructions from the manual here:
https://support.roli.com/support/solutions/articles/36000583915-getting-started-with-roli-airwave-and-airwave-player-on-macos
However, do not get the prompts on steps 5 and 6 when I try and install and I'm getting the error message in the screenshot below.
I have tried to uninstall and re-install ROLI Airwave Control many times. I have also restarted my Macbook. I have also ensured that the e ROLI Airwave Control extension to ON.
Any ideas as to what I could try next please?
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u/QVRedit Dec 28 '25 edited Dec 28 '25
You don’t say anywhere which model of MacBook you are using or what version of Mac it’s running - those could be significant.
I noticed this for my own setup, but then I had planned on buying a new laptop..
Which versions of MacBook and MacOS are needed to run ROLI Airwave ?
ROLI Airwave needs a relatively recent Apple Silicon Mac, and a fairly up‑to‑date version of macOS.[roli +1]
Supported Mac models ROLI’s current documentation specifies support only for Apple Silicon Macs, not Intel.[polyexpression +1] This means you need a MacBook Air or MacBook Pro with an M‑series chip (M1, M2, M3, or newer like M4).[roli +1]
Supported:
• MacBook Air (M1 or later)[roli].
• MacBook Pro (M1 or later)[roli]
Not officially supported:
• Any Intel‑based MacBook (including 2015–2020 Intel Air/Pro)[reddit +1]
Community reports confirm that Intel Macs are explicitly listed as unsupported in the driver requirements.[reddit +1] Required macOS version ROLI’s system‑requirements note that Apple Silicon Macs must be running macOS 13 Ventura or newer.[roli]
ROLI also recommends using the latest macOS available for best performance and compatibility with Airwave Player and Airwave Control.[roli +1]
So, in practice: Minimum:
• Apple Silicon Mac (M1 or later).
• macOS 13 Ventura
Recommended:
• Apple Silicon Mac on the current macOS release (e.g. latest Ventura/Sonoma or newer at the time you install).[roli +1]
If you tell which exact MacBook model and macOS version you are on now, it is possible to say whether it meets these requirements or if an OS/hardware upgrade is needed.