All Native Instruments hardware products are compatible with USB 2.0 / 3.0. Some NI devices draw their power directly from the USB port of your computer, while others draw it from a power outlet via a Power Supply Unit (PSU).
Note: If you do not have a (required) power supply for your NI device, you can purchase one here.
In some cases it is recommended to implement a USB hub, for example when encountering the issues described below.
Symptoms
- Your setup requires more USB devices than there are available USB ports on your computer.
- The connected device does not receive enough power from the integrated USB port.
- You want to connect a supported USB audio interface to your iOS device.
Recommendations
When using a USB hub to connect your Native Instruments hardware device, please consider the following:
- Always use a USB hub with an external power supply - this is also referred to as a self-powered USB hub.
- If you require the use of a USB hub to connect more devices than there are available USB ports, connect your audio interface to a single USB port on the computer and connect the remaining devices (MIDI controllers, external HDs, etc.) via the USB hub.
- When using multiple devices in a studio environment, make sure to identify each power supply unit with its unique device. Failing to observe this may cause the USB hub or even your computer to cease functioning. We recommend to write down the name of your device on a piece of adhesive paper and tape it onto its corresponding power supply.