Thomann 7 Port USB C Hub

I run a macbook pro, with a focusrite saffire 2i2, along with a launchpad pro, akai mpk mini and of course a hard drive or two. The big issue others and I have had is how to find a good value USB hub that can work for a setup such as mine.

The big problem that has arisen is that many external devices for bedroom / project studio production (like the Saffire) are powered by the USB connection. Which is great, except most USB hubs struggle to deliver the required level of power to multiple devices simultaneously. This is bad news, particularly for macbook users who have to deal with the measly two USB C sockets that are available to connect with.

Many manufacturers like Anker, Belkin etc. have large swathes of USB hubs in various configurations, and whilst these brands are not unreliable as such (they work fine with one or two devices) it becomes clear that for those who are using multiple MIDI devices along with an external audio interface and hard drives that they just can't cope. I've tried some of the cheaper powered ones in the past but have found these to be poorly constructed, with one even frying my interface!

Of course, for those with formal studio setups and/or big wallets there are plenty of solid solutions that address all these needs. The Thomann 7-in-1 hub is the first I have seen that is explicitly designed with bedroom / project studio users in mind. With all my aforementioned devices connected they worked perfectly, with no latency with MIDI input nor slow loading with the external hard drive.

There is no charge through with this model, but given I can use my remaining USB c socket on the macbook to charge with, I'm fine with this. A final warning also - I ensure that my external hard drive is disconnected fully from the interface, and is only connected after powerup, to avoid any issue with the switching that occurs when the USB C hub is plugged into the macbook.

Overall, this would be the only USB C hub I would recommend under £50.