Macbook Pro (15 inch mid 2012) and multiple monitors

[[email protected]]

I am attempting to hook up two monitors in my home studio, the monitors are ASUS VS228 (and have DVI, VGA, and HDMI inputs), but I am having issues.
My first question is am I attempting to do something beyond the limitations of my stock Macbook Pro graphics card, which is a NVIDIA GeForce GT 650M 1024 MB, based on the system information.
From what I read online, I thought this was workable without changing/purchasing a new graphics card.
I bought an adaptor that uses the thunderbolt/mini display output on the Macbook, and has the option of a HDMI/VGA/DVI connection to the monitor.
When I plug in one of the monitors, say using the HDMI, it works, but then if I plug the other monitor in, using the VGA output of the adaptor, the HDMI monitors goes off and the VGA displays, so I can only use one or the other. Both are not working at the same time. In the display settings, everything seems to work fine, but it only shows my Macbook display and one other monitor. If I unhook the HDMI, the VGA will come on, and work fine, they just won't work together.
This is why I began to wonder if this was a graphics card limitation issue.
I thought maybe the adaptor could only support one output, so I went online and found a product that had dual HDMI outputs, and plugged into the Macbook using the thunderbolt/mini display socket. This way I could just run multiple outputs via HDMI, but the box I purchased isn't work at all, but I think it may be simply a defective product, it got bad reviews and I took a shot….my Macbook doesn't recognize that it is even connected and nothing works when I hook the monitors up through it, so long story short, I am still trying to figure this out.
If anyone knows an easy way to do this, I would greatly appreciate the help.
Thanks!

P.S.
The box I got from Monoprice is

http://www.monoprice.com/Product?c_i...t=2#reviewInfo

[Southsidemusic]

Hi

We have one of our Macbook pro retinas connected to 2 X 27" monitors in thenpre production room. One goes into the thunderbolt input via a thunderbolt to DVI and the other monitor goes into the HDMI input. Then i just streched the desktop over all 3 screens and set the monitor control to mirror monitor off.

We now have all 3 screens working great (although the HDMI monitor has better resolution)

On the MBP screen we have plugins and on the other 2 the edit and mix windows.

I would NOT try to get two monitors out of the same connection so if you wanna try again, get one monitor into the Thunderbolt box and the other either via the HDMI on the computer or via the second thunderbolt port via a DVI or HDMI adaptor, thats how we did and i think it's the only way.

Best Regards
Christopher

[CME]

Just did some reading. I think it's the way you're going about it. Does yours have an hdmi output? If so you'll have to use it in conjunction with the thunderbolt port. If not you'll need one monitor to have a thunderbolt port so you can daisy chain. Or it might work if you get a thunderbolt hub with hdmi. Then one monitor will plug into the hdmi and one off the second tb port on the hub.

[[email protected]]

That's the problem, this mid 2012 MBP only has one thunderbolt/mini display port, so I don't have the option of running one monitor off the thunderbolt and one off another port.
I have a firewire port, two USB's and one thunderbolt on this MBP.

Could I run one monitor via the thunderbolt and then one via USB/Firewire? Do they make such an adaptor?

Thanks for the replies!

[CME]

They make usb to video adapters. But performance varies. I saw where caldigit is taking pre orders for a new hub that includes hdmi. It's available for $169 now. It will be $199 when released. Something like that might be a better solution.

Fwiw I have a 2011 MacBook Pro. I use an akitio Thunder dock. It doesn't have any extra video outputs but I really like what it does add. Mostly usb 3, eSata, and a second firewire buss.