+- Conductive Labs Support Forum (https://conductivelabs.com/forum)
+-- Forum: MRCC 880 MIDI Router (https://conductivelabs.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?fid=27)
+--- Forum: General Support (https://conductivelabs.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?fid=28)
+--- Thread: Why USB-B? Expandable? (/showthread.php?tid=3623)
Why USB-B? Expandable? - unfrostedpoptart - 04-29-2025
Hi.
I've been setting up a big Eurorack modular system (DAW-less) and realized I need a MIDI router/merge. I have 3 keyboards outputting DIN MIDI and currently 3 MIDI-to-CV converters (Behringer CM1A, Model D, and B2600) and probably a 4th (2-XM) soon. The MRCC 880 looks like it's by far the closest device to what I need without buying a very old Roland A-880 or JL Cooper MSB. These have more ports but very limited merging. The JMK Music Pedals Plexus:4 also looks very nice but only has 3 DIN inputs and outputs. If it was 4 by 4 DIN, it would be a really difficult choice. So, it looks like the MRCC 880 is it but I have a couple of questions/concerns:
Why does it have a USB-B jack? I have at least a dozen USB-B to USB-A cables sitting around so that's not the issue. But it's seems really strange they didn't go with USB-C on a modern device! And the bigger MRCC - which is an older device - has a USB-C for power! Makes no sense.
Also, it's not exactly cheap so what happens in a year if I want to expand my setup? Again, the bigger MRCC is expandable but there's nothing about expanding the MRCC-880 - which is the one that you'd more like want to expand.
I thought of making my own with a Raspberry PI but I don't think I want to have a whole, big project just for a MIDI router.
Thoughts?
David
RE: Why USB-B? Expandable? - RadekPilich - 05-01-2025
Big MRCC has USB-C for power, but for computer connection, it has USB-B as well. It's a couple of years old hardware, USB-C is only slowly becoming the main standard in the current / upcoming generation of HW.
RE: Why USB-B? Expandable? - Jesse Johannesen - 05-04-2025
I will ask the team, but my money is on USB B being way less fragile than USB C. If I trip over a USB B cable, I will probably have to pick some stuff off the floor, if I trip over a USB C cable, I am going to have to get out my soldering iron to replace a port on something....