Does anybody use a wall powered USB hub like this? I just got one and will be installing it in a few minutes. I have a 7 port now and it's really clunky. It won't make the PC run any better or anything but it will keep be from powering that many devices from the PC power supply. Between dongles for the mouse and keyboard, the camera, the Focusrite, the GPS, the Bose headphones and the et cetera... the 7 port is full. Any time I want to pop a thumb drive on to do file management I have to unplug something. 3 more ports will help. And each port is switchable so I can turn the power to each port on and off if I cared to.
I have one and it worked for a while. After a few weeks, my PC (Windows 11 up to date) started acting out. I took it off the pc and the machine started to work as before.
I use 2 of them 7 ports a piece and have had nothing but good experiences with both. I have lots of stuff that requires USB and powered hubs make a lot of sense to reduce the power coming from the PC.
My wife asked if I had seen the dog bowl. I told her I didn't even know he could.
Inateck PCIe to USB 3.2 Gen 2 Extension Card with 16 Gbps Bandwidth, 6 USB Type-A and 2 USB Type-C Ports, RedComets U22
I can tell you it was a b... to install. The tolerances were tight. But working well for past week or two. I went with the PCIe because all the stuff I have to plug in is already taking up precious desktop space. I'm also sure the red color, implying this to be very fast, helped in my descision.
Plug the hub into a USB 3 port on the back of your computer. Better, get what Dan has (I have one of those, older than his).
Problems some people run into relate to power and interrupts.
Each USB port supports a maximum power drain. There are utilities that can make it easier to view this. Each USB port may use its own channel or share with others, and devices sharing the same channel may or may not work well together. For example, I would make sure any digital audio equipment was placed on different interrupts. This may require experimentation.
BIAB 2026 Win Audiophile. Software: Fender Studio One 8, Swam horns, Acoustica-7, Notion 6, Song Master Pro, Win 11 Home. Hardware: Intel i9, 32 Gb; Fender Quantom HD8 & Faderport 8, Royer 121, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors.
I purchased the card with two priorities, number of USB ports and speed. Number because no manchines give you enough USB ports for all the devices they have, and speed, because I move a lot of data to external drives for backup storage of VI libraries and pictues and business. And moving 6TB of data can take over a day or 2 with USB 2.0.
This card does share the speed (as they all will) and I liked how it showed what was shared.
I need all 10 of the ports. And I don't have a slot on this mobo for it. My only PCIe is where my video card is. My main problem is that I just too much crap that needs to be charged that I barely use. My Garmin GPS stays plugged in so it updates but I so rarely go anywhere I don't even really need the thing with Waze on my phone. The Bose QC-35 headphones that I bought because I could and rarely use have to stay charged. And some are stupid. The camera that sticks to the dashboard and records stuff in front of me, phones, Echo Dot... I really am an over consumer, so with all that stuff I wanted to not over consume power from one USB port.
Matt, is there still such a thing as IRQ conflicts? I haven't seen one of those in years. Don't the newer operating systems allocate those in a way that there is no conflict possible? I thought there was a change in one of the OS upgrades (like back after XP) that allowed for more IRQs but I could be wrong.
I remember setting IRQs on modems with jumpers. I used to know the numbers. 3 or 4 for modem, keyboard was 1, printer was 7... that is taking me WAY back to DOS!
Some devices may not work well on an externally powered USB hub. I forget what it was exactly.... but I did have something that said explicitly in the setup instructions NOT to run it off of a powered hub but to connect it directly to a USB port on the computer.
You can find my music at: www.herbhartley.com Add nothing that adds nothing to the music. You can make excuses or you can make progress but not both.
The magic you are looking for is in the work you are avoiding.
Well, I have often read the advice that a mouse and a keyboard should not be plugged into a USB hub on a Windows-based computer, although I forgot why if I ever did know. This is NOT the case with Macs.
Most Windows-based computers I've seen expect that the two USB ports in the upper left of the back panel will be used for mouse and keyboard.
If there is something else besides those two, I'm interested in learning about that, too.
BIAB 2026 Win Audiophile. Software: Fender Studio One 8, Swam horns, Acoustica-7, Notion 6, Song Master Pro, Win 11 Home. Hardware: Intel i9, 32 Gb; Fender Quantom HD8 & Faderport 8, Royer 121, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors.
Some devices may not work well on an externally powered USB hub. I forget what it was exactly.... but I did have something that said explicitly in the setup instructions NOT to run it off of a powered hub but to connect it directly to a USB port on the computer.
Korg keyboards for one.
Byron Dickens
BIAB. CbB. Mixbus 32C 8 HP Envy. Intel core i7. 16GB RAM W10. Focusrite Scarlett 18i 20. Various instruments played with varying degrees of proficiency.
I'm not following why would I plug my Korg keyboard into a USB port other than using that USB port to transfer MIDI data to the computer, which I would kind of wave off by saying that I have never used USB for MIDI. And even in that case, plugging the keyboard into a
The voltage delivered from this hub is the same 5v as what is delivered by the computer. I have read over a dozen articles about these self powered hubs vs bus powered and the ones that speak of any sort of anomaly are 10 years old or older. Currently I have the dongles for my mouse and keyboard, my Garmin GPS, my Samsung tablet, my iPad, and cell phones plugged into the self powered hub and I have seen nothing wrong.
If anybody has had an issue PLEASE DO tell me so I can test it out. I will literally go buy whatever hardware resulted in a problem to test it because I'm a nerd like that.
Byron can you expand on why a Korg keyboard would have issues, and if you have seen it yourself or read that somewhere? Since, as I said. you don't actually power the keyboard by USB, but just pass MIDI through it, I'd be interested to know more.
I'm also interested to know more about the statement "Korg keyboards for one."
I would like to know how the keyboard is connected, and for what purpose (playing, downloading etc?), any software applications in use (BiaB?, others?) and what are the exact problems that were experienced. Such information would be most useful.
BIAB & RB2026 Win.(Audiophile), Windows 10 Pro & Windows 11, Cakewalk Bandlab, Izotope Prod.Bundle, Roland RD-1000, Synthogy Ivory, Session Keys Grand S & Electric R, Kontakt, Focusrite 18i20, KetronSD2, NS40M, Pioneer Active Monitors.
Take note of Jim's article and its mention of Selective Suspend.
You can do this from Control Panel, Power Options (and that's about the only place I need to make adjustments in Windows now). Under the USB power settings, Selective Suspend should be Disabled.
BIAB 2026 Win Audiophile. Software: Fender Studio One 8, Swam horns, Acoustica-7, Notion 6, Song Master Pro, Win 11 Home. Hardware: Intel i9, 32 Gb; Fender Quantom HD8 & Faderport 8, Royer 121, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors.
Korg tells you in the documentation that they don't work plugged in to a hub.
They are correct.
Last edited by Byron Dickens; 01/02/2312:57 PM.
Byron Dickens
BIAB. CbB. Mixbus 32C 8 HP Envy. Intel core i7. 16GB RAM W10. Focusrite Scarlett 18i 20. Various instruments played with varying degrees of proficiency.
Last Chance! The Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac® Special Ends Today (May 31, 2026) at 11:59pm PDT!
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Band-in-a-Box® 2026 is packed with major new features, enhancements, and an incredible lineup of new content! The program now sports a sleek, modern GUI redesign across the entire interface, including updated toolbars, refreshed windows, smoother workflows, a new dark mode option, and more. The brand-new side toolbar provides quicker access to key windows, while the new Multi-View feature lets you arrange multiple windows as layered panels without overlap, creating a flexible, clutter-free workspace. We have an amazing new “AI-Notes” feature. This transcribes polyphonic audio into MIDI so you can view it in notation or play it back as MIDI. You can transcribe an entire track (all pitched instruments and drums) or focus on individual parts like drums, bass, guitars/piano, or vocals. There's an amazing collection of new content too, including 202 RealTracks, new RealStyles, MIDI SuperTracks, Instrumental Studies, “Songs with Vocals” Artist Performance Sets, Playable RealTracks Set 5, two RealDrums Stems sets, and much more!
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202 New RealTracks Released with Band-in-a-Box 2026!
With Band-in-a-Box® 2026, we've released 202 incredible new RealTracks (in sets 468-488) in a variety of genres—featuring your most requested styles!
Jazz, Funk & World (Sets 468-475):
Our new jazz, funk & blues RealTracks include a groovin’ collection of RealTracks and RealDrums! These include more requested “soul jazz” RealTracks featuring artists Neil Swainson (bass), Charles Treadway (organ), Brent Mason (guitar), and Wes Little (drums). There are new “smooth jazz” styles (4), which include a RealTracks first: muted trumpet, as well as slick new smooth jazz brushes options for drums. Blues lovers will be thrilled—there are more “classic acoustic blues” styles, including guitar (5), bass (4), and drums (10) with blues master Colin Linden, featuring understated and tasty background acoustic soloing, plus brushes drums and acoustic bass. There are also new electric blues RealTracks, including electric blues with PG favorite Johnny Hiland (3) and soulful electric slide guitar from Colin Linden (4). If you love funk & gospel, there are great new options this year, including gospel organ (3) from Charles Treadway, as well as new funk, tango, and rock ’n’ roll drums (3) and bass (1). And for big, bold arrangements, we have uptempo soul horns (4) featuring a three-part hip horn section with options for a full mix or stems of each individual horn — plus an accompanying rhythm section (4) of drums, bass, guitar, and electric piano!
Rock & Pop (Sets 476–482):
Our new rock & pop RealTracks bring a powerful mix of requested favorites, fresh genres, and modern chart-inspired styles! We have more of our popular “Producer Layered Acoustic Guitars (15)” featuring Band-in-a-Box favorite Brent Mason. We’ve continued our much-requested disco styles (10), and added new Celtic guitar (5) with a more basic, accessible approach than our previous Drop-D or DADGAD offerings. There are also highly requested yacht rock styles (17), inspired by the smooth, polished soft-rock sound of the late ’70s and early ’80s — laid-back grooves, silky electric pianos, warm textures, elegant harmonic movement, and pristine production aesthetics. Fans of heavier styles will love our new glam metal (13), capturing the flashy, high-energy sound of ’80s arena-ready guitar rock. We also have a set of rootsy modern-folk rock (18), with a warm, organic sound combining contemporary folk textures and driving acoustic strumming. And we’ve added lots of new modern pop styles (16) — the kinds of sounds you’re hearing on the radio today, featuring exciting new drums, synths, and cutting-edge RealTracks arrangements.
Country, & Americana (Sets 483–488):
Our new country & Americana RealTracks deliver a rich collection of acoustic, electric, and roots-inspired styles! We have new country pop (9) with legendary guitarist Brent Mason. There is also a potpourri (14) of bouzouki, guitars, banjo, and more, perfect for adding texture and character to contemporary acoustic arrangements. We’ve added funky country guitar (5) with PG favorite Brent Mason, along with classic pedal steel styles (5) featuring steel great Doug Jernigan. There are more country songwriter styles (8) that provide intimate, rootsy foundations for storytelling and modern Americana writing. Finally, we have “background soloing” acoustic guitar (12) with Brent Mason — simpler, but still very tasty acoustic lines designed to sit beautifully behind vocals or act as a subtle standalone solo part.
And, if you are looking for more, the 2026 49-PAK (for $49) includes an impressive collection of 20 bonus RealTracks, featuring exciting and inspiring additions to add to your RealTracks library. You'll get new country-rhythm guitar styles from PG Music favorites Johnny Hiland and Brent Mason, along with modern-pop grooves that capture today’s radio-ready sound! There are also new indie-folk styles with guitar, bass, 6-string bass used as a high-chording instrument, acoustic guitar, and banjo. Plus, dedicated "cymbal fills" RealDrums provide an added layer that work very well with low-key folky styles with other percussion.
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MIDI Styles Set 92: Look Ma! More MIDI 15: Latin Jazz
MIDI SuperTracks Set 46: Piano & Organ
Instrumental Studies Set 24: Groovin' Blues Soloing
Artist Performance Set 19: Songs with Vocals 9
Playable RealTracks Set 5
RealDrums Stems Set 9: Cool Brushes
SynthMaster Sounds Set 1 (with audio demos)
iOS Android Band-in-a-Box® App
Looking for more great add-ons, then upgrade to the 2026 49-PAK for just $49 and you'll get:
20 Bonus Unreleased RealTracks and RealDrums with 20 RealStyle.
FLAC Files (lossless audio files) for the 20 Bonus Unreleased RealTracks and RealDrums
MIDI Styles Set 93: Look Ma! More MIDI 16: SynthMaster
MIDI SuperTracks Set 47: More SynthMaster
Instrumental Studies 25 - Soul Jazz Guitar Soloing
Artist Performance Set 20: Songs with Vocals 10
RealDrums Stems Set 10: Groovin' Sticks
SynthMaster Sounds & Styles Set 2 (sounds & styles with audio demos)
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