Problem Using Analog Keys As USB Audio Device

Elektron Gear Analog Keys/Four
#1

Hi, first post here and it’s something I can’t work out for myself or from the manual. I am using Analog Keys as my USB audio device. i.e. The output from my PC is running through the AK’s main outputs and into my monitors. My problem is that with Overbridge VSTi running, the output is also being fed back into the PC, creating a delay effect on the signal (latency is a bitch). Is there some way to prevent this? A “monitor” switch or something I can toggle, maybe?

Using the AK as an audio I/O device is something that doesn’t seem to get a mention in the manual, as though it’s possibly not a use Elektron have envisaged for the product. When you only have a limited number of USB ports to use, it is a very handy feature to have and, right now, the PC I am using only has one USB port, which makes it essential. I will eventually get myself an OverHub but nobody has them in stock so I will have to order it and wait a few weeks.

#2

If you read around you’ll see that Overbridge isn’t really ready…

The Overhub is also not a good idea, I recommend an Anker USB hub. Better and cheaper.

#3

Mute the OB track in the DAW or set it to no output?

#4

Thanks for your replies, I appreciate the effort.
Any advice as to which Anker hub? They seem to make a lot of them and some are more expensive than an OverHub. Is price the only reason not to get an OverHub (because I can get it fairly cheap)? My thinking is that if I get a third party one and I have problems, Elektron can blame the hub and the hub company can blame Elektron. If I buy an OverHub, I can put any problems onto Elektron to sort out.

#5

Overhub is multi-TT, which is important for OB.

I have no issues with my AK and OB on a 2008 Mac Pro with 10.11.6

Have you looked at the Overbridge specific PDF manual yet?

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#6

What does “multi-TT” mean?

Yes, I’ve looked at the OverBridge manual and it’s no help, either. I had a thought last night, that I haven’t had a chance to check out yet, but I’m thinking if I disable the main outs and use the individual outs instead, the problem should go away. As Overbridge places 9 extra mixer strips into my host software, I may as well take advantage of the clutter. My only concern will be bandwidth, I imagine, but I’m only using one track at a time at the moment (I can’t get enough of Analog Keys’ monstrous UNISON) so it should be fine.

#7

OK, I found some very old articles that indicate that Multi-TT is only useful when dealing with USB 1.1 devices. Surely the Analog Keys is using USB 2, which means it won’t benefit from Multi-TT at all?

#8

No sir. MK1 analogs have a USB 2.0 port but Overbridge in these devices operates at USB 1.1 speeds.
This is due to noise from the analog circuits interfering with the bus.
This has been discussed at length on Elektronauts.

#9

Really? Very interesting. I’ve tried searching the forum but it doesn’t seem to yield even half-decent results. Still, it means that an Overhub will speed things up considerably, assuming it, at least, is USB 2. You didn’t answer my question about which Anker hub to buy. I’ve looked on their website and there is no mention of single or multi TT in any of their product descriptions or any reviews I could find.

#10

Since I cannot verify multi TT capability on any of their hubs, I cannot advise.

#11

The overhub or other multi TT hub won’t speed up usb1, it allows more than one usb1 device to operate at full speed, without slowing down…

Check out section 6 of the Overbridge manual pg 11.
6. USB and BANDWIDTH

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#12

That’s what I need - a way to connect multiple devices without having any of them slow down my Analog Keys. Then I will be able to use the AK for it’s primary purpose and use something else, probably my Zoom U-24, as my Audio I/O. Right now, though, I only have one USB port so I have to use my AK for everything. I’ve got a few cheap hubs lying around but I wouldn’t trust them with two flash drives, much less two audio devices.

@ AdamJay - my apologies for hassling you, it was someone else who recommended the Anker hub but I had conflated the two posts in my mind.

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#13

Here’s a thread about other multi TT hubs. Search the forum for “multi TT” with the quotation marks intact and you may find a cheaper hub that could do the job.

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