Too many USB devices in use?

[brms]

Thanks for the comments!
The thing is - it's hard to test, because usually the problem happens after about 3/4 hours.
I'd have to play and watch continuously to see if something gets disconnected/connected.

But what I've also found in this thread: https://apple.stackexchange.com/questio ... connecting

Perhaps it's simply too much USB bandwith for the macbook to handle.
In the "System information" window I see that there's basically 500 mA available for each of the 2 usb ports.
My USB hub is 3.0, but this doesn't matter because as I plug in a usb 2.0 device, it becomes a 2.0 hub. So I only get 500 mA.
My devices combined require more than 500 mA.
I will try to spread them across the 2 ports, but I'm not sure if the entire internal USB-bus can only handle 1000mA together or only 500.

The problem also happened recently in my home-studio with normal power and no strange circumstances, and only 5 usb devices connected, however one of them was a usb keyboard which may have taken a bit of power.

So it might anyway just be that too much is too much?

chapelier fou: Yes I power the devices that allow it externally, but the problem still occured..
Pitch Black: I tried everything with new USB cables, but this didn't solve it. Also, it can't be because of vibration, I am standing absolutely still when performing live and there's no heavy bass

[fishmonkey]

are you using powered USB hubs?

[brms]

Yes, sure! Anker 7 port usb 3 hub and Trust usb 2 hub all powered.

[SpacetimeLive]

I also have this problem of USB controllers randomly disconnecting. I have 5 USB MIDI controllers connected through 2 powered USB hubs. My audio interface is connected directly to a third USB port on the laptop (PC) and never disconnects.
When the problem happens I'll notice one of my controllers is unresponsive. I'll have to disconnect then reconnect it and then it resumes functionality.
It happens seemingly at random. It might not occur for a month or it might occur twice in a 3 hour session. When it happens while playing a gig it's really annoying.

I have my computer's USB settings so that the ports never sleep. I've tried different powered hubs but it still happens.
I always connect my devices in the same order, I try to keep all variables constant so I can troubleshoot the issue. Crazy how sometimes it just doesn't happen for days or weeks. Overall it's been going on since I started with Ableton 4 years ago. I still use Live 9 by the way.
Anyone else have this problem?

[grrrz]

I had a disconnection problem at one point and it was a combinaison of a cable too long with an extension and a spike caused by the usage of a mixer on stage (I mean an actual food processor; not a sound mixer. don'k ask). Always happened at the same point. So I would investigate cable quality and length, and maybe go with a ferrite bead for every cable would help. Spikes could come from the use of light strobing hard for example, or worst a fluo ballast. Does it always happen with the same devices? or the same cables? I'd put the sound interface on it's dedicated port alone also but that's likely not the cause of your problem.

[SpacetimeLive]

Great I'll investigate USB hub cable length as a possible source of the problem as I use hubs with 3' cables since my laptop is on a stand up above the controllers.

It's not always the same device that goes unresponsive, but it is always something on the hub with 3 devices: a novation keyboard, an mpd226 and a midi foot switch. Can be any of those three. Interesting how simply disconnecting and reconnecting the individual device cable resolves the problem. Like I said I've swapped out the hub and also tried connecting the hub to a different USB port on my laptop but the problem persists and is very whimsical. Might not happen for a long time but always returns at some point.

Power in my home is pretty stable, ie no drink mixers in my bedroom studio lol, but who knows it could be the microwave downstairs or something else. I'll try putting ferrite beads on the cables and see what happens. The hubs don't have them nor do the long cables between the hub and the controllers.
Thanks for the suggestion.
Meanwhile I'd be happy to hear anybody else's experience too because this is so far an elusive problem