So I contacted Sequential about known USB issues since I got a bit nervous with two people here reporting their USB boards getting fried or malfunctioning. Just so others can avoid incident, I’ll post the response here.
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“I do not recommend connecting the Take 5 to a powered USB hub, but it’s fine to connect it to most types of computer. Apple has reliable voltage management on their USB ports, so you’ll be particularly safe there.
The danger is from powered hubs with cheap or incorrect-voltage PSUs. If a voltage spike is present at the USB port on the Take 5, the processor handling MIDI over USB could be damaged.
We do have strategies in place to help you out, if something unforeseen occurs.”
Also, in the follow up message they noted:
“ I tend to recommend using MIDI DIN for that reason. You can always connect something like the iConnectivity Mio to the hub and communicate with the synth over MIDI DIN. Since this also makes avoiding MIDI feedback loops easier, maybe that’s the best of both worlds.”
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I use a lightning-powered hub on the front of my iMac, so I ordered a Mio, just to be safe as I want to eventually try some more advanced midi stuff, like experimenting with the Soundtower Plug-in version that lets you automate all the Take 5’s parameters in the DAW, seems like you could do some crazy evolving stuff with that.
FWIW, they said the Anker and Elektron hubs tend to be the most reliable.
Also, they said they have no ETA on the official firmware release, but that the beta is “reasonably stable now”.