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  #1  
Old 10-02-2013, 07:30 AM
jccmusic jccmusic is offline
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Default USB hub ?

so i posted this question on the homerecording.com forum and haven't gotten a single response -- i thought i'd give it a shot here:

i record with cubase 6 (dongle) and a macbook pro with only 2 usb inputs. i need to record with two usb inputs simultaneously (e-drums and an interface).

my understanding is that a powered usb hub will not reduce power or produce latency issues. i don't need 7 inputs, really 2 or 3 (additional) would be fine.

basically the response i'm looking for from someone is along the lines of "i use this (link), it costs (<$40), is rock solid, i've used it for (>6 months) with no problems."

cursed dongle.

thanks in advance.
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Old 10-02-2013, 09:09 AM
MikeBmusic MikeBmusic is offline
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Hey, I responded there! Not much patience? Sorry, don't know anything about USB hubs excpet seen general warnings not to use them when recording.
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  #3  
Old 10-02-2013, 09:34 AM
jccmusic jccmusic is offline
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yeah, Mike - definitely impatient. and thanks for your responses, but as i posted over 'there.' ...

"thanks for the replies, but my problem still remains -- in using cubase (which requires a usb dongle) i am OUT of usb inputs on the board -- there are only two - one for the dongle, and one for either my e-drums or the interface. i need to plug in both, so i need at least one additional usb port.

while mjbphoto's solution (recording to cubase and the zoom simultaneously) would bypass this need, it adds a handful of frustrating steps to the process -- and i'd be unable to monitor drums and cymbals at the same time - since to use the zoom as the monitor, it'd have to be plugged into the computer via usb as an interface. unless i'm not thinking of something, this rules this solution out.

anyone else? is a hub really going to slow things down if i just have the e-drums and the cubase dongle plugged into it? this seems ridiculous to me since i'm sure lots of other people with laptops that only have 2 usb ports must run into this problem.?
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Old 10-02-2013, 09:54 AM
JanVigne JanVigne is offline
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"is a hub really going to slow things down if i just have the e-drums and the cubase dongle plugged into it? this seems ridiculous to me since i'm sure lots of other people with laptops that only have 2 usb ports must run into this problem.?"




Ridiculous it may seem, but there are potential problems with your solution. The best answer, of course, is experiment and determine for yourself how satisfied you are with the results. You're the only one who can decide what you will accept.

Processors have difficulties with USB ports when it comes to pulling and pushing data simultaneously. Data rates for most USB ports is far lower than other options - options which aren't typically included in a lower cost lap top. Various sources such as Benchmark suggest it is best to use only one USB port for audio purposes and, if your laptop has multiple USB ports, you might even find one port is superior to the other when it comes to audio quality. That, of course, is a subjective opinion and only you can decide what you will accept as "quality". Obviously, if you're recording at low bit rates, then quality has already been compromised to some extent. However, if you're listening over inexpensive computer speakers or headphones, you'll probably never recognize that fact.

Try a USB hub. They don't cost much. Listen to the results and determine how much you can deal with the computer processing speeds. I would, however, you contact a quality retailer such as Sweetwater and ask them your question.

http://www.sweetwater.com/
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Old 10-02-2013, 10:26 AM
jccmusic jccmusic is offline
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thanks for your response, JanVigne -- i'm using a macbook pro (old though, from 2008 w/4gb ram) and cubase 6. i generally record at 44.1 and 24bit.

i guess i have 2 questions now -- first, does anyone have a recommendation for a reliable cheapish powered hub? second, if this isn't the best option, what is? i really have a hard time believing that of all the people recording on mac laptops (a ton) using cubase (also a ton), there aren't quite a few people who need to have 2 usb devices in addition to their dongle plugged in. what do those people do (cause i'm one of them!)?

i used to be a hardware-only type guy. i was forced into using a computer/DAW because of a project that i did for a film -- now i see the obvious benefits of recording on the computer and using midi, etc. -- but i still run into the problems i knew would frustrate the hell out of me.

while i appreciate any info, and i don't want to seem ungrateful, what i need is a couple "this is what i do" responses.

thanks again
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  #6  
Old 10-02-2013, 03:21 PM
JanVigne JanVigne is offline
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Can't help with the hub. What sort of responses do you need?

It's likely someone at Sweetwater or a similar retailer can provide both a hub and some answers.
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  #7  
Old 10-02-2013, 03:44 PM
muscmp muscmp is offline
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i use an iogear combo firewire/usb hub and have had no problems with it.

here is their website but you'll want to google the particular unit you are interested in for the best price. also, just google "usb hub" to see what comes up.

http://www.iogear.com/

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  #8  
Old 10-02-2013, 08:25 PM
philjs philjs is offline
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There are oodles of makes/models for these and I doubt there will be major differences between those made by the larger names (eg. Belkin, IOGear, Tripplite, etc.). As long as there's a wall wart that provides 5v power to the hub AND you keep the hub to computer distance as short as possible (use the shortest USB cable you can find -- I try to use no more than a 3' USB cable between the hub (upstream port) and the computer -- don't know whether it helps but I'm sure it doesn't hurt) you shouldn't have too much problem.

My studio setup is a Mac Mini with 2 Dell Ultrasharp 20" widescreen monitors, with built-in USB hubs (1 upstream, 4 downstream ports in each monitor), and my Cubase license dongle, my G-Drive (recording drive), my Presonus Audiobox 44VSL, and a Steinberg CMC TP (remote transport control) use the 4 ports on one of the monitors without any issues at all. The other monitor only has 2 of the 4 ports available (because 2 ports on the side of the monitor are hidden by having the monitors side by side) and one of those ports runs another downstream powered hub for easy access to ports for USB drives. No problems at all...

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Old 10-03-2013, 07:34 AM
jccmusic jccmusic is offline
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thanks for the feedback -- i know to some degree i'll just have to try and see what works, but i didn't want to run into a situation where i spent time and money on a solution only to find out afterward that a basic element of the plan made the whole thing fail.

i'm mostly a tinkerer rather than a sit-down-and-learn-er. i've been using cubase for 2 years and just learned about using sends instead of inserts yesterday. yes, i'm a little bit impatient - comes from using hardware for so long i suppose - just turn it on and press record was a lot easier, but there's no denying the advantages of using a DAW anymore.

so i'm going to get a hub, plug the e-drums and dongle into it, plug the interface directly into the computer, use the interface as the stereo out in cubase, and if i'm thinking clearly, should be able to monitor everything from there.... right?

thanks again.
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2001 Gibson J-45 Rosewood
1979 Yamaha G231
1996 Takamine G330
2010 Martin LXM
1982 Christiansen Sausage-fingered Hand (x2 as it happens)

myspace.com/joshchristiansenmusic
teawithstavrogin.blogspot.com
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  #10  
Old 10-03-2013, 09:38 PM
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ljguitar ljguitar is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jccmusic View Post
thanks for the feedback -- i know to some degree i'll just have to try and see what works, but i didn't want to run into a situation where i spent time and money on a solution only to find out afterward that a basic element of the plan made the whole thing fail.

i'm mostly a tinkerer rather than a sit-down-and-learn-er. i've been using cubase for 2 years and just learned about using sends instead of inserts yesterday. yes, i'm a little bit impatient - comes from using hardware for so long i suppose - just turn it on and press record was a lot easier, but there's no denying the advantages of using a DAW anymore.

so i'm going to get a hub, plug the e-drums and dongle into it, plug the interface directly into the computer, use the interface as the stereo out in cubase, and if i'm thinking clearly, should be able to monitor everything from there.... right?

thanks again.
Hi jccm...

There are 2 types of hubs - unpowered and powered.

A powered hub comes with a power supply which plugs into the AC to supply power to the devices plugged into it. A non-powered USB hub plugs into the computer port and draws power from the computer's power supply to power devices.

There will be limits to how much power the computer itself can provide to chained USB devices.

I'd imagine in this case you'd want a powered hub rated for USB 3 (and retro for all previous versions of USB).


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