USB hub MacBook Pro help!

[squuesh]

Hi all,

Help!

I recently had to get a new laptop and got a 2017 MacBook Pro.

Sadly they now only have two USB-C ports and I am now having issues with my Scarlett 4i4 interface cutting out when powered via a USB hub.
I'm also using Push 2 so I do need 3 ports in total.

Does anyone have advice on a hub/alternative options? Should I just return the laptop and get an older one? I've already gone way over my budget so I'm looking for affordable options.

Thanks in advance!

[Tone Deft]

don't put your sound card on a USB hub. I just learned that lesson. had the same problems with my PC, the sound card would cut out and drop. when I posted my fix on here the response was "yeah, don't do that." it's not a matter of power with the USB card, the hubs can screw things up.

Push should be fine on a hub.

[squuesh]

Thanks!
I'd like to know of the work around for this though.
If one USB-C is MacBook charger and the other is the sound card then I don't have an input for the Push.
I've looked at loads of hubs but the ones that charge and have a USB port seem to take up both USB-C ports.
Any recommendations?

[Tone Deft]

sorry, I'm not that familiar with Macs. if you have the money maybe a high quality sound card like an RME can live on a USB hub. I'd buy one and keep the receipt in case it didn't work.

there probably isn't one for your Mac but docking stations can expand USB ports for a computer. just throwing that out there.

ugh, I'll keep it in mind. (it's fun helping other people config gear.)

[squuesh]

Thanks for your help!!

[TLW]

Audio interfaces generally don’t like being attached to USB hubs. My RME UFX certainly doesn’t, so I run it using an Apple Thunderbolt to Firewire adaptor which works fine. Personally I wouldn’t buy one of the smaller MBP’s with only two USB C/TB ports precisely because of the problem you’re having. The MBPs with 4 TB/USB sockets I might consider as a gigging Mac but not as my main “studio” one. Removing the magsafe power connection and using one of the data sockets for power isn’t the best idea Apple have ever had (in my opinion anyway).

What might work for you is a Thunderbolt hub (for the correct TB generation) which has USB sockets and also passes enough current to run/charge the MBP when connected to a TB port. Connecting the Push to that and the interface to the other USB port ought to work. I think. MIDI stuff is generally much less fussy about what it’s connected to - I have a 7 port powered USB hub which I use for MIDI->USB and everything I’ve ever connected to it works fine.

It occurs to me that if the hub you have is unpowered it might be worth trying a powered USB hub before spending the kind of money you need for a TB hub. Unpowered USB hubs tend not to pass on enough current for current-hungry things that are USB-powered.

[squuesh]

Thank you, that is so helpful. I definitely learnt this lesson the hard way and I am basically looking into returning this one and with the same budget purchasing an older computer with more ports... which seems like backwards logic but the only way I can see forwards on this budget!

Yes the hub I have is unpowered. I realised this and spent ages yesterday researching powered ones but I'm just full of confusion so I think it may be best just to get something with the right number of ports.

Thanks again!

[gross9978]

I use two of Elektron’s overhub usb hubs daisy chained together and haven’t had any issues at all. I have the same computer with only four usbc ports. They’re expensive but I’d buy them again, every other brand I tried seemed to give me trouble.

[nsastef]

VERY IMPORTANT

There is people that will find this out the hard way.

What you need to do is have the interface directly to the laptop. Then go and buy a usb hub that is powered with an external power supply, not usb. However, these things can be very dangerous and completely fry your laptop if they are not designed correctly and power is given back to the laptop.

To test if that's the case -> connect the usb hub to the laptop without the power supply. If your usb hub doesnt connect, you have nothing to worry about
To fix -> I personally cut off a very small piece of tape, and stuck it on the 5V pin on the usb cable.

Please let me know what latency you get with the Scarlett 4.4 using 256 sample rate ! I get 7-8 ms just wondering what other people get

Hope that helps.

[TLW]

A TB3 hub designed to pass power to a MacBook ans sold by Apple. This is what I was referring to. There are others on the market as well.

https://www.apple.com/uk/shop/product/H ... 5%252B45e3