Reply With QuoteYes, a hub will give you additional USBs to use as you please, no difference if your devices are directly plugged into the computer or via a hub.
It’s good to be back! So…
My MacBook Pro (mid-2012) has two USB 3.0 ports. One is utilised by the Cinema Display's 3-part power and data cable, which I don't want to mess about with in any way. The other us currently allocated to an external hard drive on which I store my photos and movies.
A week or two ago I decided to buy a new USB microphone as the set-up I was using was showing it's limitations, and after trawling the Internet for about a week I managed to snag a Blue Yeti Nano that's due to arrive in a day or two. My plan is to plug it straight into a spare USB 2.0 port on the back of my Cinema Display. However, some of the controls are only accessible via Blue's Sherpa app, and my fear is that - if I don't plug the mic into the computer as opposed to the monitor - the app won't be able to detect it.
Now, I know I'm planning for the worst case scenario but should this issue arise, would using a USB hub plugged into the computer's USB port fool the software into thinking the mic was directly connected to the computer? if so, can I get away with a non-powered hub if I'm only using it for at most the external drive, webcam and mic? The external drive can’t be connected to the monitor instead, by the way, as the ports are all USB 2.0 and data transfer speed is too slow for video uploads.
Thanks in advance for any advice offered :)
Yes, a hub will give you additional USBs to use as you please, no difference if your devices are directly plugged into the computer or via a hub.
The other alternative could be a docking station assuming Apple offer such a thing ?
I am using a dock with my Surface Pro so have 2 screens and all USB periperhals plugged into the dock (RDX, speakers, phone charger etc.) so then I can just take the laptop away with me disconnecting just one port.
If you are not planning to charge your devices via the USB connection I don't see the need for a powered hub. It's obviously dependent on how powerful the USBs on your computer are, but I'd say a modern good-brand laptop will have plenty of power for a good number of peripheral devices. I have everything on an unpowered hub (camera, ext HDD and occasionally even an external CD burner) and there is no issue.Originally Posted by learningtofly
I can't be 100% certain but i thought apple displays passed through the connection as is via the dual power/usb connectivity. I'm sure mine used to (no longer have it so can't confirm).
So in theory it is seen as a fully attached device via the monitor?
As Raffe states, a USB Hub will definitely allow you to connect your microphone as though plugged directly into the computer. However, you state 'One is utilised by the Cinema Display's 3-part power and data cable.' I'm not a Mac user but if it's a data cable for more than just the video I strongly suspect that it's providing the USB connectivity to allow the ports on your Cinema display to act as a hub and your microphone will work just fine plugged into them. You could test this now by plugging the hard drive into one of the USB2 ports on the back of the display and confirming that you can read/write data.
To add, your MacBook Pro dates from 2012 and it has 2 x USB 3? USB 3 standards came out in 2013 and weren't widely implemented in hardware until 2014 or so. Worth checking that they are USB 3 ports.
This. If the display has its own USB plugs, no hub should be needed. Also correct on the USB 3 issue, I completely missed that.
Thanks again, guys. Interesting point about the USB hubs; I checked the system
properties/info and they’re listed as USB 3.0, and I also got the same info when I checked the spec online using my laptop’s s/n. Mid-2102 Retina MacBook Pro shows 2 x USB 3.0 ports (unless I'm
going completely mad), which seems to be demonstrated by the speed of video upload (minutes) compared to the hubs on the monitor (hours).
Notwithstanding the above, the machine was refurbished by Apple much more recently (2016, I think). Would they have upgraded the ports then, I wonder?
Just checked the all-knowing Wikipedia and USB 3 was introduced in 2009/2010 and Apple launched them in 2012, it was USB 3.1 which came out July 2013.
On 11 June 2012, Apple announced new MacBook Airs and MacBook Pro with USB 3.0.
Completely missed the point you were making here, actually (and thanks for clarifying); however, it seems to me that I'd be far better off having a few more USB 3.0 ports than the USB 2.0 ports on the back of the monitor. I've therefore bought one of these and will allocate the USB 3.0 port currently utilised by the monitor to it. In the unlikely event that I need a couple more ports I can always connect the monitor's USB cable to it as well, and bring the monitor's ports back into play.
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