What USB C powered hubs and USB C to USB cables to use for NI controllers ?

Jeremy_NI · 2022-03-04T17:00:08+00:00

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Hey dear NI fam, we often get this question asked in support, especially from new Macbook users: What would we recommend for powered USB hubs and/or USB C to USB B cables for our hardware controllers, Maschine, Komplete Kontrol, Traktor ?

Since we can't really recommend brands as a company, we could use your help on that matter.

What are your experiences ? Can you share models and brands you are using and would recommend ?

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JesterMgee

Ha. Yeah macOS is so fragile with everything, seems to crumble in the corner if you give it even a slightly dirty look!

I can't recommend brands and the ones I see people recommend are usually stupidly "high end" expensive solutions. I use a generic one I got from Kogan.com.au (unpowered/powered multi-hub)

https://www.kogan.com/au/buy/kogan-8-1-type-c-pd-hub-gigabit-ethernet-port-4k-30hz-hdmi-space-grey/

Works with anything I throw at it, tho on my mac that isn't much, but it passes the USBC power through so can power devices and gives me the all important physical network+HDMI ports. I did have a generic one from eBay but that didn't work, tho I think that was a physical issue as it caused the machine to almost freeze when plugged in. Could also depend on what the day of the week is, what the temperature currently is and in what phase the moon cycle is if things work properly these days on macOS. No doubt whatever option you select it will stop working after the next OS update :)

Cables, again no idea on brands and on my windows machines literally everything has worked from USB2/3 hubs and a 5m generic USB cable. Trick is to make sure you get one that has the shielding and the higher spec and of course if you have any kind of problems, always revert to the included NI cable (which has the NI logo embedded in the plug) to see if that works.

Murat Kayi

This is my chance to ask what the cylindrical thingamabob on the original USB cables my Maschine controllers came with is for and if those cables ever break if I need to get some kind of special USB cable to ensure smooth Maschining?

V01d

https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/8631#Comment_8631

You talk about the Ferrite Bead?

Wikipedia:

A ferrite bead (also known as a ferrite block, ferrite core, ferrite ring, EMI filter, or ferrite choke) is a type of choke that suppresses high-frequency electronic noise in electronic circuits.

Ferrite beads employ high-frequency current dissipation in a ferrite ceramic to build high-frequency noise suppression devices.

Maciej Repetowski

Anything from Startech.com worked really well with any Macs I’ve had so far.

Murat Kayi

I lost one of the original cables and although I find the answer to to my question fascinating, I can say it works with whatever ****** cable you plug into those Maschines

JesterMgee

https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/8631#Comment_8631

What @V01d posted. It's used to suppress interference signals in some cables, not usually a requirement for things to work specifically, more just an insurance to help combat unwanted noise (but sometimes a UL requirement to make sure the device operates within acceptable RF noise requirements) and often it's not to make the cable or device work better, it's to catch and "choke" any signals the cable may be throwing out so as not to cause issues in other gear such as noise induced in your audio cables. If you ever hear that digital static noise when you do things on your computer going through your speakers, this is what these things on cables will suppress.

JesterMgee

To get specific product recommendations and learn about user experiences, you can visit online forums, review websites, or social media groups dedicated to Native Instruments users. Members of these communities often share their experiences with various accessories and can provide valuable insights into what works well with NI controllers.

You mean, like this forum right here discussing this exact thing.... Another generic bot reply maybe?

Kymeia

I followed the advice here:

https://support.native-instruments.com/hc/en-us/articles/210293725-Choosing-the-Correct-USB-Cable-for-Your-NI-Hardware-Device

Our tests have shown that you should always use USB cables carrying a /2C (or X2C) code beginning with 24 (e.g. 24/2C, 24AWGX2C, AWG 24X2C).

the ones I have used with this spec include

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B0919FS5CV?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B00CKDC5V2?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title

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