Solution to not enough USB ports on Macbook pro?

[Brockley]

First of all I'm sure this is a very common issue that people have figured out how to work around, but I'm not having any luck.
So I've got a new retina Macbook pro. It comes with 2 USB3 ports and 2 Thunderbolt ports. Thing is, I need to plug in:
-iLok
-Apogee duet 2
-external hard drive (which is USB)
-a mouse (not mandatory but would prefer for editing)

That's 4 USB ports. I have 2, and these super fast thunderbolt ports that nothing will connect to. My first thought was that there must be adapters for USB into Thunderbolt, but all I found was very expensive.
I started looking at USB hubs, but further research was confusing as to whether it was ok to use a hub when dealing with audio interfaces and the hard drive that I'm planning on recording directly to.
I know something works and that there's many many people out there running protools on their macbook pro. Please share the working formula!
Thank you

[mesaone]

Kanex Simpledock? Seems to be a real problem solver. And it's not too expensive, about $45

ETA: http://www.amazon.com/Kanex-simpleDo.../dp/B00H4IB9J2

[Southsidemusic]

And this one as you should have a powered USB3 hub. This ome has 4 USB3 ports but as Mesaone said it coukd be any of the USB3 poweredhubs. It all depends on how many connectiosns you want.

http://www.amazon.com/AmazonBasics-P.../dp/B00DQFGH80

We use 4 of the 7 port USB3 powered units and love them:

http://www.tp-link.com/lk/products/d...761_UH700.html


Always works and we even run SSD drives thru them sometimes when we are ut on the road.

Get the best one for your needs and your budget BUT make sure it's a USB3 hub!

[Brockley]

So there is no issue running an audio interface, an iLok, and mouse through a powered USB3 hub?

[mesaone]

I don't think there is, not with a thunderbolt hub anyway. If your audio interface or iLok doesn't play nice with the USB 3.0 ports on the hub, then you can just plug them into the 2 USB ports of your computer.

[Southsidemusic]

You can use one the USB3 ports for the interface as i believe thats wise and then use the second one for the USB hub amd connect your gear to that one.

[Brockley]

Originally Posted by mesaone

I don't think there is, not with a thunderbolt hub anyway. If your audio interface or iLok doesn't play nice with the USB 3.0 ports on the hub, then you can just plug them into the 2 USB ports of your computer.

thing is with the Thunderbolt hubs, they all seem to be over $200, and come with a bunch of other connectivity options when all I really want is a couple usb holes

[Brockley]

Originally Posted by Southsidemusic

You can use one the USB3 ports for the interface as i believe thats wise and then use the second one for the USB hub amd connect your gear to that one.

So you think I could run my interface out of one, and put a hub on the other and run my external hard drive, iLok, and mouse there? This would be a much cheaper solution than getting a Thunderbolt hub

[Southsidemusic]

Originally Posted by Brockley

So you think I could run my interface out of one, and put a hub on the other and run my external hard drive, iLok, and mouse there? This would be a much cheaper solution than getting a Thunderbolt hub

Absolutely, thats how we have been doing it for two years on the hotelrooms and we even mix songs on the plane like that. Also we have even used 2 SSD drives from the hub and ilok and keyboard and mouse and a midi interface plus an extra ball mouse so you would save money and still have good resources there.

[mesaone]

Originally Posted by Brockley

thing is with the Thunderbolt hubs, they all seem to be over $200, and come with a bunch of other connectivity options when all I really want is a couple usb holes

Or $45, like the one I gave you a link to.