Connecting Multiple Usb Interfaces; Recording Midi - MOTU FastLane Quick Start Manual

CONNECTING MULTIPLE USB INTERFACES

The USB (Universal Serial Bus) specification allows
you to connect multiple MOTU interfaces to a
single Macintosh. You can mix and match any
combination of MOTU USB interfaces to suit your
needs.
The USB (Universal Serial Bus) specification allows
many USB devices — theoretically up to 127 — to
be connected to a single computer. However, many
USB devices, including all MOTU USB interfaces,
reserve USB bandwidth, so the theoretical and
practical limits for MOTU interfaces are
considerably fewer. In theory, the maximum
number of MOTU USB interfaces you can connect
to one Macintosh is around 25 interfaces.
Practically speaking, regardless of how slow or fast
your USB-equipped Macintosh is, you should be
able to connect upwards of 10 or more MOTU USB
MIDI interfaces to the Mac and still enjoy just as
much performance from each one as if it were the
only one connected. Just don't try to run your USB
scanner or digital camera while playing back and

recording MIDI!

For further details about USB, visit www.usb.org.
To connect multiple FastLanes (or other MOTU
interfaces) to a Macintosh, you'll need an
inexpensive device called a USB Hub (purchased
separately from your computer peripherals
dealer). A USB Hub has multiple Type A ports on
8
it, usually between 4 and 7 ports, to which you
connect multiple USB MIDI interfaces as shown
below in Figure-5. Connect them to the hub in the
standard fashion, as if you were connecting them
directly to the computer. If needed, you can
connect multiple hubs to each other to get enough
USB ports for your multiple MOTU USB
interfaces.
The flat, "Type A" USB plug on the USB cable from each
MOTU interface connects to the USB hub.
Standard USB Hub
Figure-5: An inexpensive, standard USB hub, such as the
mac hub4U™ shown above from Entrega, allows you to connect
multiple MOTU USB MIDI interfaces. You can even mix and
match different models of MOTU interfaces, using the combina-
tion that best suites your needs for synchronization, number of
MIDI ports, etc.
I N S T A L L I N G F A S T L A N E - U S B
USB
cables