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What USB hub works for microbook? I'm using Digital Performer 6.02 with MOTU Microbook, a keyboard controller, external hard drive, iLok for ivory and need to get a hub that will power the microbook and/or keyboard controller. I'm on a MacBook Pro OS X 10.6.4
Any recommendations?
While I can't address any specific issues involving your specific computer or DAW, I can tell you that I've been using a Microbook with my Acer laptop (Windows 7) for about a year now and have been very pleased with its performance (after returning 2 cheaper USB interfaces to Sweetwater, a Tascam and a Mackie!). My DAW is Sonar Producer. I use quite a bit of external USB gear (3 Korg nano controllers - NanoKontrol2, Nanopad2, and Nanokey2; a wireless receiver for my Frontier Tranzport; a wireless receiver for a mouse; and various external hard drives and thumb drives), so I have to use USB hubs to connect all this gear at once.
First, I would never use an unpowered hub, because most of these devices have power demands that may exceed what the computer will provide through the USB connector (especially when multiple devices are connected to an unpowered hub). My laptop has 3 USB connections so I have 2 externally powered USB hubs connected to 2 of them. The last connector is dedicated to the Microbook. Why? Because every time I've tried routing the Microbook through a hub (even a powered one) I've had hiccups. The Microbook locks up and doesn't respond. Most of the time the audio output to my monitors simply disappears!
If your laptop has only two USB connectors, I would recommend dedicating one to the Microbook (after all, this is the heart of your audio system and the most important piece of external gear). Connect a good quality externally powered USB hub to the other USB connector and connect the rest of your external gear to that hub. You shouldn't have a power issue with a keyboard controller, iLok, and an external drive being hooked up to it.
Good luck.