Need Recommendation For USB Hub

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ahoustondj

ahoustondj

Mac Daddy DJ
Aug 13, 2007
20,235
3,465
Texas
OK all you computer geeks. I need a recommendation for a USB Hub that will have no issues that will interrupt my performance.
On my Gig Laptop I wish I had one more USB Hub.

However, this Hub will be used mainly on my Backup Lappy/Notebook which only has two USB ports.
List of things to be plugged in. (At least 6)
Sound card
External Drive
External CD/DVD Drive
Connection Cable to Pioneer MEP-7000 Controller
Flash Drive (For on the fly use)
I have heard that some components don't like to share hubs and thus don't play nice with other components.
Spare
 
Houston, are you looking for a brand suggestion? General overview - I'd go with a powered USB hub and I'd plug in (and leave plugged in) the tools that you will be using during your show. Can you define 'on the fly' and why you would have something 'on the fly' at a show - and what that would be? May I ask why you need an external CD drive & flash drive? Does the internal drive not work?

I can see and understand the sound card, the external drive and the MEP. Why the others?
 
ittigger said:
Houston, are you looking for a brand suggestion? General overview - I'd go with a powered USB hub and I'd plug in (and leave plugged in) the tools that you will be using during your show. Can you define 'on the fly' and why you would have something 'on the fly' at a show - and what that would be? May I ask why you need an external CD drive & flash drive? Does the internal drive not work?

I can see and understand the sound card, the external drive and the MEP. Why the others?
Click to expand...
The (Backup) Notebook does not have a CD/DVD Drive.
"On the Fly" means if a customer/patron/Open Mike Performer comes up and hands me their music on a Flash Drive during the event.
Mind you, the above is NOT my main Gig Lappy!
 
Some components don't like hubs to begin with, let alone sharing them...

The problem with your solution, is that all these items will then be going through a single USB host controller in your computer, and probably will create bandwidth issues...

You should check to see if your two USB ports each have a separate host controller (USBVIEW.exe is a handy program to do that with). If so, you should split up the load to each host controller.
 
other day, I have 2 WD passports that are powered by the USB, twin drives on twin lappys, well one started not reading into my dj program, I fiddled and sorted , and finally attached a new cord to it, that must have been the trick,, loads up fine now and faster
 
SoftJock Rick said:
Some components don't like hubs to begin with, let alone sharing them...

The problem with your solution, is that all these items will then be going through a single USB host controller in your computer, and probably will create bandwidth issues...

You should check to see if your two USB ports each have a separate host controller (USBVIEW.exe is a handy program to do that with). If so, you should split up the load to each host controller.
Click to expand...
That would mean having to buy two USB Hubs, won't it? = Additional Cost + Having to remember where everything is plugged in + additional AC Outlet/jack + additional piece to setup.
 
Way too much stuff on there Canute, it looks like you'll drive the little backup computer nuts. The only stuff I run off a powered hub are 2 HD's the other 2 ports are for the controller (DN-HC4500) and my trackball and have not had a problem. With all your stuff plugged in as Rick mentioned the bandwidth will be kaput .
 
ahoustondj said:
That would mean having to buy two USB Hubs, won't it? = Additional Cost + Having to remember where everything is plugged in + additional AC Outlet/jack + additional piece to setup.
Click to expand...

Well, if you want consumer level performance, then get a cheapy hub, and plug everything you have into it... ;)

Me, I would never have the sound card and external drive on the same host controller -- yer just begging for latency issues...
 
Well I just wanted to utilize the Notebook if I needed it as a backup. The notebook presently has only two USB ports. I have my mouse on one. That leaves one open. If I have to use the Notebook in an emergency to need to run my DJ program I will need at least
extra ports for the following Minimum.
1 Port For Soundcard
1 Port For External Drive
1 Port For Connection To Controller.
 
ahoustondj said:
Well I just wanted to utilize the Notebook if I needed it as a backup. The notebook presently has only two USB ports. I have my mouse on one. That leaves one open. If I have to use the Notebook in an emergency to need to run my DJ program I will need at least
extra ports for the following Minimum.
1 Port For Soundcard
1 Port For External Drive
1 Port For Connection To Controller.
Click to expand...

If it's just going to be strictly for backup, I would set it up that way. A backup doesn't have to have all the features of the main rig, as the odds are you will rarely, if ever, use it.

Squeeze as many songs onto its internal drive as you can (known good stuff, that will carry you to finish a gig if necessary), use the headphone out for sound.

I use a netbook for a backup -- just has a mouse attached, and patch cable to the mixer. If the main lappy crashed for some reason, the backup only has to work long enough to get it rebooted. If a catastrophic failure occurred, I have plenty of songs on the netbook to do a whole gig if necessary. It's always hooked up, with songs loaded in the decks. :)
 
SoftJock Rick said:
If it's just going to be strictly for backup, I would set it up that way. A backup doesn't have to have all the features of the main rig, as the odds are you will rarely, if ever, use it.

Squeeze as many songs onto its internal drive as you can That makes sense.(known good stuff, that will carry you to finish a gig if necessary), use the headphone out for sound. Not an option, I like mixing live with 4 decks (Or at least two) and having an additional headphones out. = 5 or 3 output pairs.

I use a netbook for a backup -- just has a mouse attached, and patch cable to the mixer. If the main lappy crashed for some reason, the backup only has to work long enough to get it rebooted. If a catastrophic failure occurred, I have plenty of songs on the netbook to do a whole gig if necessary. It's always hooked up, with songs loaded in the decks. :)
Click to expand...
At my gigs, a canned playlist won't work. Yes I can have favorites in a list but I have to mix live and on the fly.
I do have favorite songs on a flash drive which I can play and mix from my MEP 7000 but Traktor is more versatile.

Oops I forgot to put in color. See above in red.
 
I completely agree with Rick's last statement. This is a backup and you want it to be rock solid. Rock solid is at the opposite and of the spectrum from USB attached anything! Use your netbook as a backup with what it has onboard. Each component you add to it adds a layer of complexity. If you want a fully functional backup, have a completely mirrored system. The reason for a backup is in case your overburdened main system glitches which would probably be caused by one or all of the external devices. Hopefully you only play one, maybe 2 songs while your main reboots and all the external devices come on line. I suggested practicing a system failure a couple times and see how smoothly you can switch back & forth.

I'm sure I will get flack, but I run iTunes on my secondary laptop and depending on the circumstance I can usually mix over to it before anyone notices there was a problem. If it's worst case and I hit dead air I jump on the mic and say "sorry, someone bumped the table and the record skipped" while I switch. Depending on the BAC of the audience some people will smile, others will look confused and most won't even notice. :trirolleyes:
 
Scott Harris said:
I completely agree with Rick's last statement. This is a backup and you want it to be rock solid. Rock solid is at the opposite and of the spectrum from USB attached anything! Use your netbook as a backup with what it has onboard. Each component you add to it adds a layer of complexity. If you want a fully functional backup, have a completely mirrored system. The reason for a backup is in case your overburdened main system glitches which would probably be caused by one or all of the external devices. Hopefully you only play one, maybe 2 songs while your main reboots and all the external devices come on line. I suggested practicing a system failure a couple times and see how smoothly you can switch back & forth.

I'm sure I will get flack, but I run iTunes on my secondary laptop and depending on the circumstance I can usually mix over to it before anyone notices there was a problem. If it's worst case and I hit dead air I jump on the mic and say "sorry, someone bumped the table and the record skipped" while I switch. Depending on the BAC of the audience some people will smile, others will look confused and most won't even notice. :trirolleyes:
Click to expand...

Some of what you all say makes sense but there are some things I just got to have in the event I have complete failure. For temporary failure I can use the MEP 7000 with a Flash or External drive.
I guess I will need to have a mirrored Lappy. I don't ever buy from itunes. I like when I buy music that I can move the files as I please too wherever I please. Which reminds me that I do have to make an emergency playlist for the MEP 7000.
 
Canute,
My backup PC is the same type of PC as the main and I'm building my second rack which will have pretty much the same stuff as the 1st unit. I fails just scoot over to the left or right and continue the party.
 
+1 with Rick and Scott. Totally agree with SVO too. I'm setup for recovery but not using an exact replica - although I would accomplish the task at hand.
 
ahoustondj said:
Some of what you all say makes sense but there are some things I just got to have in the event I have complete failure. For temporary failure I can use the MEP 7000 with a Flash or External drive.
I guess I will need to have a mirrored Lappy. I don't ever buy from itunes. I like when I buy music that I can move the files as I please too wherever I please. Which reminds me that I do have to make an emergency playlist for the MEP 7000.
Click to expand...


What happens when the MEP fails...?

I assume, you are capable of using a mouse, or keyboard shortcut, to load tracks into your software on your backup notebook/netbook.

BTW, nobody mentioned pre-canned playlists. I don't use those either. I have large MP3's, that are pre-mixed using Sound Forge in my studio. Songs that I'll commonly mix together, turn into one big MP3 file -- usually 2 or 3 songs, but sometimes a 25 minute set.

That is not a playlist -- it is mixed just as you would do live, and then recorded to a single file -- just like a mixtape or CD. They work great in the normal scheme of things, but even better if you need them for backup.

Unless you like to impress redheads with your mad, live mixing skillz, it's a heck of lot easier to spend a half hour at home, to pre-mix some of these tracks, and you can usually get a good couple months use out of them... ;)

As Scott mentioned, you need to practice disaster recovery, just like you practice your home fire drill -- you do that, right...?
 
ahoustondj said:
The (Backup) Notebook does not have a CD/DVD Drive.
Click to expand...

Oh.

ahoustondj said:
"On the Fly" means if a customer/patron/Open Mike Performer comes up and hands me their music on a Flash Drive during the event.
Click to expand...

Maybe it's just me, but I wouldn't be inserting any flash, usb anything from anyone without checking it for A/V (and other) issues first. If I did, I definitely would not be performing this on my live nor backup machine. Also, once my library is loaded, I am not unloading and reloading it unless absolutely necessary - it does take a few minutes to load.

SoftJock Rick said:
What happens when the MEP fails...?
Click to expand...

Good question.

SoftJock Rick said:
As Scott mentioned, you need to practice disaster recovery, just like you practice your home fire drill -- you do that, right...?
Click to expand...

I do, yes sir. Can I have that donut now?
 
SoftJock Rick said:
just like you practice your home fire drill -- you do that, right...?
Click to expand...

Ask the Redhead!:tribiggrin: She complains that I keep burning her up! :yoHot: I keep telling her that she needs to put more lube in the ball bearings so the pistons won't overheat! The meltdown finally calms things down though! :yorofl:
 
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