MacBook Pro TB2 port help

[cgs]

Hello, just picked up a 2015 Macbook Pro for DP. I realized but didn't really consider the ramifications of having only 2 USB ports. I need min 3: audio interface, controller, ext hard drive. I've been scouring the web looking for some way to use the TB2 ports (adapter, etc.) but with TB3 being all the rage now, I'm not finding much.

I'm assuming it's not a great idea to put any two of these devices on a USB hub. Suggestions? Hoping I didn't paint myself into a corner here...

[mikehalloran]

There are a number of MBPs for 2015 but all have the following.
Connectivity includes 802.11ac Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, two USB 3.0 ports, two "Thunderbolt 2" ports, an HDMI port, an audio in/out port, and an SDXC card slot.

https://everymac.com/systems/apple/macb ... okpro.html

No one wants to write a book listing all your options—and that's about what it would take, there are that many.

Your question is along the lines of, I just bought a car. What accessories do I need? No one here is going to know.

So, what are you looking to do (be a lot more specific)? Include such things like the number of channels needed, if the rig needs to be portable and so on. Is it primarily audio, VIs, both?

Also, which MacBook Pro do you have and what kind/how much storage? Some of the options may including upgrading the one you have.

[cgs]

Thanks Mike. My question wasn't clear at all, my fault. I already have everything I need, including a controller, interface, external storage (all USB), Etc.

My question is more about needing more than the two USB ports. I'm looking for a way to either adapt one of the Thunderbolt 2 ports to USB, or some reassurance that I might be able to put at least two of my three devices on a USB hub. I would think it would be a bad idea to put any of the two of the three devices I listed on a hub in a digital audio setup, but maybe I'm wrong. Otherwise I haven't had any luck in looking for a way to adapt a thunderbolt 2 port to USB, everything I've found is for Thunderbolt 3.

I hope I was more coherent this time

[mikehalloran]

You're looking in the wrong places. No way to adapt USB to TB2.

A powered hub should be all you need except for the hard drive.

USB 2 can have sleep issues in that, when your Mac goes to sleep, it doesn't always wake up. Don't let your Mac go to sleep during an audio session.

If your external HD is in a USB 2 housing, time to upgrade. If the drive is not that old, remove it from the housing and put it in a USB 3 or Thunderbolt dock. If portability is not your issue, something like this is fine.
https://www.amazon.com/Cable-Matters-Do ... USB+3+dock

With a mechanical hard drive, the platter speed is the bottleneck—USB3 andTB will have identical transfer rates (still a whole lot faster than USB 2). If an SSD, USB 3 will be a little slower and the SATA limit will be your bottleneck in a TB dock. TB2 is backwards compatible with TB1 — you would need a large number of external drives in a RAID array to take advantage of TB2 speeds.


Thunderbolt Dock
https://www.amazon.com/HighPoint-Dual-B ... rbolt+dock

If that drive is approaching 5 years old or older, replace it. You can get a good 2T SSD under $300 — stick it in a dock and you're fine.
https://www.amazon.com/Micron-MTFDDAK2T ... -1ar1zabyy

[cgs]

Thanks again Mike, very helpful. Yep I was searching for the wrong type of product apparently - thanks for setting me straight. My controller works with USB 1/2/3, audio interface is USB2, hard drive is USB3 (I think - have to double check).

So it sounds like I'd be ok with either:

1 - powered USB hub on one USB port (controller, interface), USB3 drive on the other USB port (or in a USB3 or thunderbolt dock)

2 - interface on one USB port, hard drive on the other USB port, something like this on a thunderbolt port for additional USB connectivity (controller, keyboard, mouse, etc.): https://eshop.macsales.com/item/OWC/TB2DOCK12P/