What MK3 power supply to buy?

Ccart4 · 2023-04-21T22:15:34+00:00

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I need an MK3 power supply because my setup runs off a long usb cable and MK3 crashes because of this. The power supply is sold out on NI’s website. I have tried to buy two power supplies with the correct voltage & amps, but neither fits the power port of the MK3. I am wondering if someone knows a power supply that will definitely work, or if you can tell me what size & type of port so maybe I can buy an adapter tip.

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Ccart4

FYI, I ended up buying this adapter tip to go with a 15V power supply I had purchased. The tip does the trick just fine. Thank you!

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08YWMLGLX?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details

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LostInFoundation

I would wait they are back in stock and buy the official one. With power supplies always better to be careful. Unless you are really in a hurry

JesterMgee

Power supplies are no great mystery, as long as volt/amp and plug polarity all match it's fine.

Likely if you are finding the DC plug just won't push in on the P/S you have purchased, the DC plug is 2.1mm and you would need one with a DC plug of 2.5mm.

A simple fix if you already have a suitable replacement but the plug is too small could be to head down to your local electronics supply store (or order online from Ebay etc.) and get a 2.1 to 2.5mm adapter plug like this:

I always keep a few of these arouns as well as 2.5 to 2.1mm adapters (and just plugs) because I keep the P/S from everything I throw out and reuse them where needed> I do have Electronic Engineering experience so usually know what i'm doing, but all you need to do is match the specs on the P/S with similar and all should be fine.

Some manufacturers will get a little tricky in this area and even when the plug/socket look standard the depth of the socket or the position of the centre pin are different meaning only the original will fit but looking at my Maschine Studio, seems a standard 2.5mm DC plug and my laptop P/S fits into it (tho is 28v so I wouldnt power it on)

Otherwise as suggested, wait for stock to be available (which being an NI user for over a decade, waiting for NI to do things can be a lifetime commitment) or use a powered USB hub at the Maschine end of your USB extension to connect Maschine into.

LostInFoundation

Yes they are no mystery. And of course you can use other manufacturers models. I always do.

But I also had experiences where, after a device malfunctioning, the company answered me “in our manual we stated clearly to use our provided power supply, so we won’t help you”.

Even MK3 manual states “(11) Power Supply socket: Connect the included power supply to the socket.”. These are the kind of things they use to not respond to hardwares issues.

My own was just a suggestion in case you are not in a hurry. Up to you to decide.

@JesterMgee In my experience using a powered USB hub has not the same results (I can see it clearly also by the difference in the amount of the screens brightness when MK3 is connected only to the powered hub or also with power supply. And I also noticed a humming electricity noise in the audio without power supply, which is why my MK3 is always connected with it, unless I go mobile)

LostInFoundation

If you are interested, in Moog Audio site they seem to have the original NI in stock (more expensive, but they have a “found a better price” button).

I say “they seem” because they use the same picture of NI site that doesn’t show the top (all NI original power supplies have “Native Instruments” written on them, but we can’t see it from the image)

https://moogaudio.com/products/native-instruments-power-supply-23974

JesterMgee

Yeah, of course the manual will state to use the manufacturer's own P/S because most poeple have no clue and if a plug fits a socket they will just plug it in.

But volts and amps are just volts and amps, if it matches and you can connect it, it will work.

There is a brightness difference between USB and P/S powere, USB is always a bit dimmer, even Komplete Kontrol keyboards have this BUT user is already using just USB so the suggestion to use a hub is simply tso they don't have to source/mess around with a P/S especially if stocks could take months to come back into existance.

Noise/Hum is more a sign of a ground loop problem which could arise if the hub is powered from a different outlet than the computer, could also be an underpowered hub or just a cheap one.

LostInFoundation

Yes. This is what I was saying.

”And of course you can use other manufacturers models. I always do.”

Volts and amps are just volts and amps, if it matches and you can connect it, it will work. But I wrote what I wrote just to make him aware they could use this AGAINST him. They don’t write it in manuals because most poeple have no clue, but to cover their back in case of problems. Maybe you didn’t get my point

And I said about the hum ground loop exactly to make the OP also aware that some hubs could cause this (Btw: my hub is plugged in the same outlet as computer. But…you know…in a Studio with 100 things plugged in…ground loop can happen. But with the power supply it went away)

Thank you anyway

Ccart4

Thank you so much. I will look for a 2.5mm adapter, should be a good option for me. I appreciate you pointing out the adapter on the moog site as well.

Warren Postma

People who don’t understand polarity shouldn’t try to plug stuff in that is not the right polarity.

That’s why manuals are written to say “use the factory power supply”.

These manuals also tell you not to use this device in the bath and not to use it to enrich uranium or to start a war.

Ccart4

FYI, I ended up buying this adapter tip to go with a 15V power supply I had purchased. The tip does the trick just fine. Thank you!

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08YWMLGLX?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details

MKB

In my day job I design in power supplies into equipment, and I have to agree with those that say it is best to use the manufacturers power supply. Modern supplies are more than simply power sources, there are noise and voltage/current regulation specs as well. Another spec is called holdup, which is how long a supply can provide rated power with AC brownouts or voltage loss. Inexpensive switching power supplies can create enough RF noise to wipe out your Wi-Fi or any radio signals in the area. And how the supply reacts to power spikes can damage the equipment.

That being said, I suspect that NI does not design and manufacture their own proprietary supply. They most likely sourced one from a supply manufacturer and fully verified it with their designs. NI may have not replaced the manufacturer’s original label (there are legal reasons not to do this), and you might be able to buy the exact supply from other sources.

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