I am buying a new audio interface and I want to use it on my laptop. I only have one TB3 port on the laptop, and it's provided via a USB Type-C connection, which I'm already using with a hub for my USB 3.0 backup hard drive. The audio interface is a true Thunderbolt 2 device, so it has the "Apple TB connector".
Here are the specifics:
The laptop is an Alienware 17M. That page should include links to the manual showing the details about the Type-C connector, but here's a copy/paste of the relevant details:
Thunderbolt 3 (USB Type-C) port
Supports USB 3.1 Gen 2, DisplayPort 1.2, Thunderbolt 3 and also enables you to connect to an external display using a display adapter.
Provides data transfer rates up to 10 Gbps for USB 3.1 Gen 2 and up to 40 Gbps for Thunderbolt 3.
NOTE: A USB Type-C to DisplayPort adapter (sold separately) is required to connect a DisplayPort device.
The audio interface is a UAD Twin Quad. A rear view of the unit shows the "Apple" Thunderbolt connector.
When I placed my order with Sweetwater, we included the standard TB cable and the Apple adapter. So now I can get from the Apple connector on the device all the way to the type-C connector on the laptop. But I still need a hub for the other devices. Sweetwater also have have a hub, but it includes things that I don't need, such as video and Ethernet connections. And it's a couple hundred dollars. I'd like to spend $30-50 on a good quality hub for this purpose.
So I'm on the hunt for a new TB hub. And I'm having trouble coming up with a good search argument for Google and Amazon. I've tried "Thunderbolt 3 hub", and I've tried various iterations of "passthru/passthrough" and "TYPE C" (to try to find a hub with an ACTUAL USB Type C port ON THE HUB ITSELF.
The results all seem to be for hubs designed for the Mac or they have stuff that is more than I need (Ethernet, scads of video options), or less than I need (no USB 3, no camera card slots), or kind of pricey.
So I'm looking for a Thunderbolt 2 or 3 hub that plugs into USB Type3, has a camera card slot, supports 2 or more USB 3 devices, AND supports at least one Thunderbolt device plugged into the hub via USB Type 3.
Is there anything out there? Thanks for any help you can offer!