Overhub - Can I use it without powersupply?

Hi,

I own a RYTM and an A4. My Macbook Pro has two usb ports (2.0).
To use a free usb port for my midi keyboard I’m considering to buy Overhub.

I know there is no power supply included. It is unclear for me if I need the power supply in my desired situation. Please advise.

I’m also curious about alternatives for the Overhub.

Cheers!

Alternatives are discussed in a few older threads

You’d only need a PSU if your mA needs exceeded the current draw your host port is capable of supplying or realistically if the sum total came to 500mA or so iirc

So for self powered devices like the analog series there will only be a tiny few milliamps current draw, same for USB ilok dongles etc, but if you need to hook up a portable hard drive then you’ll soon need a PSU as they could take the whole ‘allotment’

so it depends on your hardware and your requirements, but I picked up a £6 unpowered 4 port MTT hub with the same chip as the Elektron one and it’s been fine (no hard drives hanging off it though)

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Should work fine. Like Avantronica said, there is 500mA supplied by most usb ports to power devices that don’t have there own psu. Since the Elektrons plug in, they won’t require much juice. To find out how much current is required by a usb device on a mac, click on the apple on the top left and select about this Mac. On the window that pops up click on system report. This brings up a window were you can find out all sorts of stuff about your Mac. Click on usb and then locate the device you want to know about, it must be plugged in at the time. There it will tell you current available and current required. So plug in your keyboard and locate it in system report and it will tell you how much juice it needs. You won’t need a power supply until the sum current required of everything you have plugged into a hub is more than 500mA, although the hub itself might need some out of that 500 as well, not sure about that part…

Edit: Not sure but I believe most hubs require 100mA so your left with 400 until you need to add power. Look up the hub itself in system report for current required…

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So glad to learn this, great pointer :thup:

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No.

Good point! I checked and the Rytm needs exactly half of the capacity (500mA of 1000mA) when I plug it directly into the usb port on the macbook. :confused: not sure about the a4. Could not test it yet… so as you mentioned there may occur a problem when using Overhub as it needs some juice also.

The Rytm has its own power supply, you only need to worry about USB powered gear.

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This seems strange. First off a usb 2.0 port should only supply 500mA of power, and usb 3.0 900mA, so your 1000mA seems odd. Second, the Rytm shouldn’t need much since it plugs in, perhaps it just reports wrong.
Anyway as Simon says, (Ha!,Simon Says is an old kids game) don’t worry about the Rytm or A4…

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Also wanna through out that I’m almost certain you’ll have no problems with your setup, I just went more in depth about checking power requirements for future reference and more complex setups.

Thanks for the tips guys!
I found this one at the office:
http://www.belkin.com/us/p/P-F4U039/

As it turns out it works on my Macbok Pro (early 2011) with RYTM and A4 attached to the hub WITHOUT powersupply.
:slight_smile:

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It does not mention that it’s a MTT compliant hub, just sayin’ (it may well be), it may work intermittently if it’s not so you cannot be confident you won’t get interrupted bandwidth on a port

OB requires a very small bandwidth, but it’s the ‘protection’ of the bandwidth that the MTT hub ensures, best to browse the earlier threads linked above to get the lowdown on MTT (or ask belkin if it is)

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I purchased the rather expensive Elektron Overhub, it did not come with an adapter, WHY? Now I have to try and guess which adapter it needs, sure I can look and order the label on the actual hub, receive the part and the GD tip doesnt fit, TF?? Why for 70 am I having to deal with this crap?

Second issue is the damn thing doesn’t even work. When using the 3.0 hub overbridge does not work, it returns an error out of range or something like that so I have to use my $10 2.0 hub. This is the type of S that makes me just want to sell on my elektron gear, really goes deep under the skin, and I think elektron makes huge mistake alienating folks for a few dollars, bad mojo does not bode well in the long term.

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Which PSU would work flawlessly with an Overhub? I need to get one in Switzerland and can’t seem to find the right one on Amazon, Thomann, etc. ??

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Same question here…
Especially with the revised Overhub Version, which needs a 5V4A supply…