Ten USB Audio Interface Tips You Need to Know - By Craig Anderton

USB is a common and stable protocol for transferring digital data, but there are some cautions...

By Craig Anderton

Many modern effects, keyboards, controllers, audio interfaces, and other music-related devices include a USB port (Fig. 1). When connected to a computer, audio interfaces use USB to pass audio back and forth to the computer; with some signal processors, there may be audio interfacing or even a computer-based editor so you can tweak parameters and save/load presets to/from your computer. Most of today's MIDI controllers use USB for transferring data, not the old 5-pin DIN connectors. So given how dependent we are on USB, it's important to observe the following USB survival tips.

Fig. 1: DigiTech’s RP500, like many other current effects, has a USB port that can serve several purposes.

1. A USB 2.0 interface is much faster than a USB 1.1 interface, and can handle more channels of audio at higher sample rates. Although USB 1.1 and USB 2.0 are interchangeable, a USB 1.1 device won’t run faster with a USB 2.0 or 3.0 port, and a USB 2.0 device will slow down when connected to a USB 1.1 port. (Note that USB 3.0, which is faster than 2.0, is currently not being used commonly for musical devices - and may end up being "leapfrogged" by the Thunderbolt protocol if it obtains widespread adoption.)

2. A class-compliant device doesn’t require a driver and can plug directly into a USB port. Current Mac and Windows machines (update the OS to the latest version for best results) will recognize the device because the drivers are built into the operating system itself. However, custom drivers often give better performance; use them if available. One caution: with Windows machines, the Logictech Camera Driver is reported to interfere with USB audio interfaces. If you encounter this problem, search “Logitech Camera USB Fix” and you’ll find several sites with the solution.

3. It’s considered good practice to unplug all unneeded USB devices (in other words, everything except keyboard and mouse) prior to installing drivers.

4. If during installations on older versions of Windows you’re warned that the driver has not passed Windows logo testing, click on “Continue Anyway.” This simply means the manufacturer decided not to pay for Microsoft to conduct the tests needed to certify operation.

5. When installing Windows driver software, read the instructions carefully—maybe even read them twice before installing. It’s common to install the driver software first, before connecting the accompanying device (but not always!)—see Fig. 2. After installing the drivers, plug in the USB device; once the computer recognizes it, you can use it.

Fig. 2: Not all companies are as clear as Line 6 about disconnecting hardware prior to driver installation. Read all installation documentation carefully before starting the installation process.

6. If the USB device has memory (e.g., for storing patches), it will likely show up as an external computer drive. Before physically unplugging the USB device, eject it properly. Mac: Drag the USB drive icon to the trash (which turns into an eject button) and wait several seconds before actually removing the USB connection. Windows: Click on the Safely Remove Hardware button in the taskbar, then click on the USB device you want to eject. Note that unless the computer is communicating with the USB device, there will likely be no negative consequences from just disconnecting the device (other than seeing a scary warning on your computer screen). However, it’s always best to use the correct disconnection protocol.

7. Almost all music-related USB devices recommend connecting directly to a USB port in the computer itself, not through a USB hub—especially if it’s an unpowered hub. Unpowered hubs are mostly suitable for low bandwidth devices, like mice and QWERTY keyboards.

8. The USB ports built in to computers may not be suitable for high-performance audio. I’ve solved many USB problems by simply adding a USB PCI pr PCIe card (Fig. 3) and using its ports only for audio. Avoid combo USB/FireWire cards—some users report performance issues.

Fig. 3: Adding a USB port card to your computer can solve a variety of USB-related issues.

9. With Windows, if you plug a USB device into a port other than the one used during installation, you may be asked if you want to install the drivers. Select the Install Automatically option. Now both ports will recognize the device.

10. If your computer doesn’t recognize a USB device after you’ve installed the drivers, unplug the USB cable, wait a few seconds, then plug it back in again. Sometimes the computer will “overlook” the USB device when booting up, but will recognize it once plugged in.

Craig Anderton is Editor Emeritus of Harmony Central. He has played on, mixed, or produced over 20 major label releases (as well as mastered over a hundred tracks for various musicians), and written over a thousand articles for magazines like Guitar Player, Keyboard, Sound on Sound (UK), and Sound + Recording (Germany). He has also lectured on technology and the arts in 38 states, 10 countries, and three languages.