01 Jan USB Cables, for your Audio Interface in 2024. New mac?
USB Guide:
- Type A: Keyboard / mouse
- Type B: printers / audio interfaces (square shaped)
- Type C: The annoying apple design
USB cable for printers / audio interfaces
Have you got an iMac with type A USBs and a MacBook with type C USBs?
Struggled to connect your audio interface (type B USB) to your newer MacBook that has a type C USBs?
Does your USB cable work fine with your printer and not your audio interface?
Which ever DAW (recording software) it is you use and audio interface you have, this solution should work for you.
How do USB cables work?
USB Stands for Universal Serial Bus. A bus whether on a windows or macintosh machine is a collection of wires that either transfer data, audio or both.
USB Cables are used to connect various devices such as keyboards (type A) and printers (type B) that communicate packets of data.
Other examples that use USBs to function are audio interfaces which can either connect from a type B USB (the printer shape) to either a type A (keyboard shape) or type C (the ‘new’ “mac shape” as pictured below.
The host computer automatically detects which kind of device it is and enables the driver to function. Audio interfaces such as the Focusrite i8i8 is automatically detected and doesn’t need any extra software to function. Hence why you’d be forgiven for thinking all USB cables function in the same way especially if they look the same.
What do type B-C USB look like?
Pro tip: These USB cables look the same, but function differently.
This is a type B – C USB Cable designed for printing.
This is a type B – C cable designed for Audio.
The USB cable might look the same and it might even work great for your printing needs but there are different types of USB cables for different purposes. One for data and another for audio.
Why newer USBs aren’t necessarily better
What is great about a type A USB is that these USB cables are able to accommodate your printing, data, your audio interface and midi needs.
You’re able to swap between the two functions without having to purchase a specific cable. You’d be forgiven for thinking that the newer USB type B – Cs would work in exactly the same way.
The USB cable you need for audio
This is the USB cable that you need for a type B (printer shape) connection to a type C. If this isn’t the right connection type for you any type A (keyboard shaped) connection should work find for both audio and printing.