Good USB hubs? (Now that OB has been out for a minute)

Actually, that figure shows 7 A4 + 8 AR, because I was not recording L+R Master on A4, but I just added the Pre-FX track without any problems filling it up to 8.

Pretty sure whatever issues you’ve had with the small USB hub are maybe due to certain USB3 device problems on some laptops (eg, like my own NEC based chipset which outputs 0 sound).

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I’m using a Mac Pro Xeon, not a laptop.
Either way, the PCIe solution I have found is doing the trick.
I’m glad the hub works for you!

I’m using a Mac Pro Xeon, not a laptop.
Either way, the PCIe solution I have found is doing the trick.
I’m glad the hub works for you![/quote]
Yeah, PCIe sounds like a solid way to go on a desktop!

Tried again on USB3 after a few tweaks, and I can get all 8 of the A4’s tracks recorded, but nothing at all from AR. Basically something wrong with the USB3 device coupled with the little hub. But Overhub also has some issues with some of the USB3 devices as well, from what I remember.
So, if you’re having problems getting multiple Elektrons recorded on a USB3 port, try a USB2 port instead.

I’ve had a similar powered Anker hub for years now. It’s still going strong.[/quote]
I have one of these and they appear finicky with the A4 for overbridge. I had it plugged on port #4 or so and it was complaining with more than 3 tracks. I switched it to another port and it was fine. I think it may not like sharing the hub with the my midi express XT…
I still find it bizarre elektron cannot easily push all tracks on the A4, AR, etc in both directions. RME and other usb soundcards can push up to 30 tracks per interface on usb 2.0 so I’m a bit disappointed these boxes are so troublesome.

I’m in need of another hub, possibly 2.

I already have one Overhub, but am thinking that we might at some point have identified some alternatives I could consider…?

It can feel like too expensive… Because this price for a USB hub is very high…
But it takes away all problems i had with USB hubs. For something that is very relyable, it delivers such a fantastic service… The price is very good. I am happy i bought one.

Overhub sure is not the cheapest hub, but it’s price is not unusual for a high-end one with this number of sockets in a solid metal case.

Powered Anker jobby does the trick for me. Running RYTM + 4 via OB.

I have zero experiences with USB hubs. I have a Macbook pro with only 2 USB jacks. I have to connect an A4, Ableton Push 2, an Expert Sleepers ES8 Audio Interface, an Ipad and an external drive :zonked:

I wondering if overhub would be suited.? I’m concerned, since it has no individual power supply. However, most of the devices I listed do have their own. And I wonder, if overhub can handle all the midi and audio signals. I have to connect the ES8 to a hub, because the other Macbook USB jack is reserved for my NI Komplete Audio Interface.
Sorry if similar questions answered already, but would do you think overhub would be a good option for my needs, or should I look elsewhere? Thanks!

just add a power supply, 5v 3a

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You can get power supplies for it on amazon

FWIW I’ve been using Overhub for a long time with no issues. Currently it’s hosting an A4/AH/OT/webcam/DVD drive/card reader and then one port left for whatever. I have it plugged into a SS port on my pc laptop.

I had purchased a new MBP and I had issues running the same amount of devices (one of the many isssues that caused me to return the MBP).

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thanks. do you use it with a power supply too?

Yes I use it with a power supply (I totally meant to mention that in my first reply lol)

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Is there an off-brand one?

Powered USB hub?

I use an Anker one. Does the job. USB 3.0

Has extra ports solely for charging. I’ll find a link

Anker® 60W 7-Port USB 3.0 Data Hub with 3 PowerIQ Charging Ports for iPhone, iPad, Samsung, Motorola, HTC, and More https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00VE4UJD4/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_WiC3BbDGESZ58

is that one Multi-TT ? because any OverHub alternative would have to be Multi-TT

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I just wrote them and will report back soon.

+1 for Anker, I have a few. Also an unpowered one that works wonders in low gear profile situations

All hubs using the VIA VL812 chipsets are single-TT, FYI. That includes most, if not all, currently shipping Anker hubs and a majority of 4, 7, and 10 port hubs on the market (BTW nearly every hub with more than 4 ports is a series of chained hubs internally since most USB hub chipsets have 4 downstream-facing ports, this is why they usually come in series of 4, 7 (4 + 3) and 10 (4 + 3 + 3) because each internal chip consumes one downstream port from the 4 port chip upstream of it.

The Overbridge hub isn’t special in any way, though. It’s a twinned pair of Genesys GL3520 chips in the 4+3 config. Apparently many bargain-basement USB hubs of no-name sort also use this chipset - so it’s clear the chipset is quite cheap, but it’s hard to get a definitive list of currently available hubs which do use it.

The VL811+ chipset (although I’m not certain about all versions of the 811 series) in the Plugable 7-port hub is also reported to be Multi-TT as indicated here (and by my own research as well).

My biggest gripe with the Overbridge hub is that the upstream port is NOT the Standard-B robust connector but a Micro-B connector which is surface mounted to the board. These connectors can be prone to peeling off the board and are not as durable or resistant to wear, corrosion, etc. over time as the Standard size USB series. Also they disconnect more easily and are more physically fragile.

A crap ton of boring implementation details

Anyways, my own tests have shown that Multi-TT is not necessary for the modern crop of Elektron products since those are USB 2.0 compliant interfaces (Digitone, AR MkII for sure, I can’t speak for the others since I don’t own them). Multi vs. Single -TT only applies for USB 1.0 and 1.1-spec devices which need a translator to connect to the USB 2.0 bus. So if you only run USB 2.0 gear from Elektron over overbridge, you’re not likely to run into problems with a Single-TT hub. If you run more than one USB-1.0 or 1.1 device (dark trinity, etc) on the hub, though, you’ll want a multi-TT hub for the high bandwidth that Overbridge requires to those devices. For basic MIDI, it doesn’t make a huge difference since the internal latency handling the various transfers to each device has roughly 1ms timing (and can be faster or slower depending on a wide variety of factors - USB is a bit complex) and that’s within the time frame it takes to spit out a new MIDI message at standard MIDI speed so Single-TT is certainly no slower than a DIN connection under normal conditions. People pushing lots of USB-1.1 devices with very busy MIDI routing (clock + polyphony + CC sequencing, etc. or a 1.1 device generating clock and the computer repeating it back to other 1.1 devices on the same hub, etc) might run into some timing issues - but in that case even Multi-TT is not guaranteed to solve your problem since some of that often comes from DAW MIDI sloppiness or the USB stack internal to the computer.

More useless rambling: most MIDI devices don’t use the guaranteed-bandwith “isochronous” mode of USB, because the spec supports “bulk mode” or polling-based USB bus usage. This means that timing of MIDI over USB is always the dead last priority for the USB bus with a resolution of 1ms or so per polling interval per bulk device. Since the total bandwidth is not really a concern, but MIDI is highly timing sensitive, this “slop” can multiply by the number of MIDI devices on the bus and in some cases result in multi-ms deviations between the intended note-on and the actual received note-on by the destination device. It also means if you’re streaming audio or using the USB hub for a hard drive which is also in “bulk” mode that the hard disk transfers and the isochronous nature of the audio stream can take priority away from the MIDI data. So, MIDI over USB is not quite the panacea it was thought to be.

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