Elektron has introduced Overhub, described as ‘a USB hub for the modern studio’.
According to Elektron, Overhub is the ideal USB hub solution for Overbridge-enabled gear.
Overhub lets you connect up to 7 units to a single host computer. It’s driverless and is fully compatible with all USB peripherals. And it’s designed with ‘Multi TT technology’, to deliver optimal USB data transfer performance.
Features:
- 7 USB ports
- Supports USB 3.0
- Specifically made for Overbridge enabled units
- Fully compatible with all USB peripherals
- MTT technology for efficient merging of multiple USB Full speed (12 Mbit/s) streams
- Driverless operation
Elektron Overhub is available now for US $65/€69. See the Elektron site for details.
“Specifically made for Overbridge enabled units”
What does it, technically, mean ?
i too would like to know this.
here you go- http://eu.elektron.se/overbridge/
its apparently some hardware/software combo for simplifying USB usage in the studio, but apparently you need DAW support to take advantage of it.
It means it says “Elektron” on it. This is an overpriced USB hub. Thats it. A fool and his money is easily parted.
actually, as someone who has tried probably a dozen different traditional USB hubs over the years, all of which have some type of issue (not enough bus power, the garble MIDI clock, they randomly disconnect, etc) I would GLADLY pay $65 for a rock solid multi-TT hub that is specifically designed for music and audio applications… that is not even much more than the regular 7 port powered hubs you might find in a store or online…
If it is driverless, there’s nothing special about it. For half the price I can get a USB 3.0 hub. Just look at the reviews on amazon and pick one (ex: dodocool). I got one with 3 ports and an ethernet plug and it works flawlessly (250MBytes/s sustained transfer from an external SSD enclosure).
And “Multi TT”… Toms Hardware has a review of one of the first hubs to support it, in 2003.
As for the 12Mbit/s, I have no idea what they’re talking about.
I guess half the price is the guarantee that it will work with your overbridge units.
It wouldn’t surprise me if this hub would actually work with the Virus TI as well. Expensive, sure – but if it’s working better than those cheapo usb-hubs then it might a good investment and end to many usb-related headaches.
/C
The way I understand it (Overbridge) is that if you have an analogue device, that supports overbridge, you can then route audio directly to your DAW and in some cases route audio from your DAW to the analogue device to filter it with analogue effects etc. Normally you can’t do this in real time with analogue devices.
Very cool.
USB3 is 5gbps or 640MBps. That’s great but what if you connect a USB 1.1 or 2.0? That’s where the translation technology comes in or TT. In this case, Multi TT or MTT.
Quoted from Tom’s Hardware:
“All USB 2.0 hubs have at least one built-in transaction translator (TT) so that they can be downwards compatible. The TT automatically recognizes which USB category is connected on a particular port and translates any USB 1.1 signals to USB 2.0. There is a catch: you only have one TT for all your available ports, which keeps the bandwidth to the system down to no more than 12 mbit/s.”
So this device, does not have one TT but multiple TT’s. I would guess 7? It could be as little as two. Haven’t looked at the specs. But assuming it’s 7…
So each device no longer has to share 12Mbps (1.5 megabytes/sec); 12Mbps / 7 = 1.7Mbps for each device if all 7 ports are used . This is not good for a studio.
So with this hub,each of the 7 non USB3.0 devices has it’s full 12Mbps for that device. No matter how many devices are connected to the hub. Greatly enhanced bandwidth on the hub as opposed to the normally common hubs that simply don’t have it. Like many non specialized hubs on Amazon etc etc as mentioned.
Just for multiple external USB2.0 drives alone, this would be a giant step up in data rates if your drives are accessed at the same time. I don’t own any overbridge devices but I do own many older external drive enclosures.
Jason, thanks for the explanation. I still don’t understand how it works though. At the moment I have 4 controllers / synths running through a USB hub into my MacBook, which uses processor power. Will the overhub use more processor power (as it’s giving each synth 12mbs) or does it take the pressure off the processor?
“Normally you can’t do this with analogue devices” seriously? Um plug in a midi cable and 2 audio cables to/from your interface. And guess what… That way is backwards compatible back to the 80’s. fyi this hub seems to spec just like the d-link USB 3.0/tt hub I got last year for 50euros. People comparing this hub to some cheap alibaba penny hubs, please read a bit on 2015 technology and learn about the tech before you compare Mustangs and Model Ts please
The whole thing is silly, the TT is only necessary for USB 1.0/1.1 support, and in general doesn’t have a single thing to do with the USB 3.0 features. They use totally different chipsets. In any case, any USB hub built in in the last 5-10 years already has a TT for each port so you don’t hose the whole hub by plugging in a 1.0 mouse into it. This is just a fancy rebranded 7 port USB hub, which may offer some psychological comfort to musicians, but totally not necessary.
This comment is 100% wrong.
it is actually hard to find USB hubs with independent TT. .. There are some, but its more like 5% of those available. Most USB2 hubs dont and many USB3 hubs dont support USB1.1
it is also hard to find USB hubs that support USB1.1 in isochronous mode
just ask any Virus Ti owner 😉
Given i have spent well over $100 on random hubs to discover this, this hub is a bargain..lol
This thing is overly priced… a $20 cheap chinese-made usb hub with branding slapped on.
You might want to learn about the advantages of USB 3 and Multi TT support before you waste your $20…..
Have you ever tried USB2.0 speed on cheap USB3.0 hub.
Try once before spreading marketing buzz.
Try using multiple legacy streaming devices (USB Full Speed) concurrently on a non multi-TT hub.
Well I have USB3 hub that cost $21 and Analog Keys + Analog Four in it.
Haven’t seen any problems or Hiccups.
I think your/their perception that USB3 Translator should work on USB2 speed and divide frequency, rather than on USB3 speed might be/is wrong.
Would this help on my MacBook pro in combination with a Virus TI, dongles and MIDI controllers?
The Virus TI has always given my headaches because of its USB 1.1 implementation.
I’m interested in how this would help with a Virus TI2 Desktop as well. Had nothing but trouble w/ USB.
http://www.coolgear.com/product/7-port-usb-3-metal-hub-with-surge-protection
Point me to a metal cased, Multi-TT, USB 3.0, 7 port hub for less than $65 shipped.
You can’t.
Mine just arrived today. No power supply included. It requires an unusual power connector size. Weak.
Yes, it can run from bus power, but it has 7 ports– I was assuming it would come with a power supply though, in fairness, that wasn’t listed in the included parts list. Grr.
Soooo would it stream 11 channels of audio from my Roland tr 8 through the usb into my daw?
Cheers