How many different usb controllers are possible on one computer?

[Johan-v]

Hello,

I would like to assign many different keyboard ( or pad ) controllers to one laptop computer.
So many students can play simultanious and record vsti's on different tracks and channels.
My laptop has only 3 usb ports but I would use usb splitters which will allow more input devices.
Anybody has reached the maximum of possible input devices that way?
How many controllers are possibe?

Thanks,

Johan

[BertKoor]

With 3 usb ports and a 4-way hub on each you get 12 connections. Would that suffice?

Midi over USB doesn't need much bandwidth. This will not be the bottleneck.

[Johan-v]

Thanks for helping.
I was thinking the same.
15 controllers would be ideal.

Anybody has experience with that many controllers?
How many hubs can be cascaded?
I would like to create a very robust setup.
I would use this in a classroom.
Any time out is a nightmare in such a situation.

Regards,

[T-CM11]

Thanks for helping.
I was thinking the same.
15 controllers would be ideal.

Anybody has experience with that many controllers?
How many hubs can be cascaded?
I would like to create a very robust setup.
I would use this in a classroom.
Any time out is a nightmare in such a situation.

Regards,

I have 22 ports on my laptop (4 on laptop, 2 in use for 4/7/10 port hubs). At one point in time I had 18 USB devices (synths, controllers, dongles, hdd, midi interfaces, audio interface) connected, without problems.

[dellboy]

Thanks for helping.
I was thinking the same.
15 controllers would be ideal.

Anybody has experience with that many controllers?
How many hubs can be cascaded?
I would like to create a very robust setup.
I would use this in a classroom.
Any time out is a nightmare in such a situation.

Regards,

I have 22 ports on my laptop (4 on laptop, 2 in use for 4/7/10 port hubs). At one point in time I had 18 USB devices (synths, controllers, dongles, hdd, midi interfaces, audio interface) connected, without problems.

Were these powered hubs ?

[T-CM11]

The 7 port and 10 port are, the 4 port (connected to the 10 port) isn't.

[THE INTRANCER]

Hello,

I would like to assign many different keyboard ( or pad ) controllers to one laptop computer.
So many students can play simultanious and record vsti's on different tracks and channels.
My laptop has only 3 usb ports but I would use usb splitters which will allow more input devices.
Anybody has reached the maximum of possible input devices that way?
How many controllers are possibe?

Thanks,

Johan

You are very much likely to run into problems adding many Midi based USB devices to one port and that's even with powered USB adapters. Some midi devices will simply not work unless they are connected directly to the main USB port of the computer itself (i.e with no splitters) and with only 3 USB ports, you will be limited. The operating system you use, can impose limitations and require the clearing of the midi ports within the registry of Windows based operating systems to get them to work and you have the issue of the amount of power the USB port of the computer can provide for any attached un-powered USB devices.

You have a large playing field of traps you can fall into, the method in which you can get through them to the other side, is really dependent on the method you use and type of equipment you use to get there of which you've not specified to make any real estimation of being successful in what you plan to do.

[T-CM11]

You are very much likely to run into problems adding many Midi based USB devices to one port and that's even with powered USB adapters. Some midi devices will simply not work unless they are connected directly to the main USB port of the computer itself (i.e with no splitters)

Maybe it would be more helpful to list some of those problematic devices (or provide an online source).
I've had:
- 4 Steinberg CMCs
- Korg Padkontrol
- Korg Nanokontrol 2
- Korg MS20 controller
- Behringer BCR2000
- Novation Remote SL49
- Alesis IO Dock
- Steinberg Midex8
- M-Audio Midisport 4x4
- Novation Bass Station 2
(Maybe more)
... all running on 2 powered hubs, no problemos!

edit: first on Win7, then Win10.

[Johan-v]

Hello,

Thanks for sharing.
I've heard I could have problems using multiple controllers from the same brand and type.
Anybody has used multiple same controllers?

Regards,

Johan

[BBFG#]

I had 12 running at one time. It really can have more to do with your host though, as long as you're using powered hubs.

Recent updates to how they recognize class compliant boards have forced me to split any of the keyboards I have two of though.

i.e. I now use my second Studiologic and second Emu on a second computer as they wouldn't show, load, or work correctly on the same system as the first. It mainly became unusable on Sonar Platinum after a particular update that support didn't think was not a problem and kept asking why anyone would use two of the same controllers anyway.
They did continue to work on Cubase though, however, without any indication of which one was which, like it had always had shown before. It also was the one thing I stopped using Reaper for. Perhaps they have corrected it since then. But the problem was they showed, and appeared to record fine... until playback - where it merged all the multiple input data together.
Contacting support, they questioned why anyone would want to record multiple inputs simultaneously.

So definitely get a powered hub. And test your host/DAW extensively with it. And BTW, it definitely works smoother with my dual Xeon computer than my single CPU computer.

There are powered USB 3 hubs that have 15+ ports now. I have one 8 port USB 2 and one 8 port USB 3 - now on two separate computers. But at one time they were on the same one with no problem and the only direct to computer USB I was using was the MOTU midi patchbay and the Korg NanoKontrol 2.

One other consideration I experienced is I had to stop using Peavey Revalver because their protection required using a USB device as a dongle. And it effectively made that port no longer usable (until I reformatted the whole computer OS... and refused to install it again).

[BertKoor]

Real midi on 5-pin DIN plugs instead of USB has none of those headaches, and should just work.

[fabi]

They seriously asked why one would want to use two or more of the same kind? How can a developer be able to to develop their products and yet be sooo freaking daft? Just baffling...

I mainly use one of each kind of my controllers nowadays due to such problems. Ridiculous if you ask me.

The only thing of which I have two is the bcr 2000. And ever since I gave them separate id's they don't get mixed up anymore so far...

[T-CM11]

Real midi on 5-pin DIN plugs instead of USB has none of those headaches, and should just work.

But there's not much choice when buying a new (multi-port) Midi interface these days. And one of those (few) choices (ESI) stopped developing multi-client drivers for Windows.

[Mushy Mushy]

Just curious why you need 12?
Would you not be better off buying a handful of more flexible ones? Personal preference obviously but my brain would explode with 12.

[BBFG#]

They seriously asked why one would want to use two or more of the same kind? How can a developer be able to to develop their products and yet be sooo freaking daft? Just baffling...

I mainly use one of each kind of my controllers nowadays due to such problems. Ridiculous if you ask me.

The only thing of which I have two is the bcr 2000. And ever since I gave them separate id's they don't get mixed up anymore so far...

Yes, it seems they all get a bit daft in their own particular way on this. AFAICT, it is as much of an OS problem in their beliefs of class compliance as well. That is, giving no ID distinction or indicative separate number. Depending mainly on MIDI channel and your ability to remember which one is which. Roland/Cakewalk simply believes that keyboards simply must have b their b own drivers to fix that. But as many of us have learned, their drivers are only as good as the current version and their voices willingness to update them when the OS updates and effectively kills them. Which oftentimes means they see more opportunity to making a new controller and abandoning the customer with the old one.

So they've found a way to create obselesence where it otherwise should continue to work for a lifetime.