The Experts team wondered what we thought people would want to find behind the windows of a dream studio advent calendar. Some of the things we own, some we wish we did. Owned or not, we think any of the things we name in the next 16 days would be a gift to a professional studio owner. Russ Hughes chooses the Caldigit TS3 Plus.

Day 9 - Caldigit TS3 Plus

It would be easy to think that when it comes to studio hardware choices the selection would be a vintage valve compressor or a microphone. The idea that it is a computer peripheral like the CalDigit TS3 Plus indicates the way recording has been transformed since we introduced computers into recording studios.

So, yes the thing that has made my life easier in the studio and something I’d love to gift to others is the CalDigit TS3 Plus, a Thunderbolt 3 Hub that means my entire recording studio can run off one Thunderbolt 3 cable connected to my MacBook Pro.

The connectivity is impressive;

• 2 x Thunderbolt™ 3

• 1 x DisplayPort 1.2

• 5 x USB-A 3.1 Gen 1 (5Gb/s, 1.5A, 7.5W)

• 2 x USB-C

• 1 x USB-C 3.1 Gen 2 (10Gb/s, 1.5A, 7.5W) Rear

• 1 x USB-C 3.1 Gen 1 ( 5Gb/s, 1.5A, 7.5W) Front

• 1 x SD Card Reader (SD 4.0 UHS-II)

• 1 x Digital Optical Audio (S/PDIF)

• 1 x Gigabit Ethernet

• 1 x Analog Audio In (Stereo)

• 1 x Analog Audio Out (Stereo)

Furthermore, the CalDigit TS3 Plus is built like a tank and it also offers constant power to my MacBook Pro which I run in Clamshell mode when in the studio. I have around 10 external drives, numerous USB devices like keyboards and control surfaces as well as two external monitors. To the casual observer I’m running a desktop computer in the studio.

When I need to leave the studio and take my MacBook Pro with me, it’s as simple as unplugging one Thunderbolt 3 cable and I’m done.

The CalDigit TS3 Plus has allowed me to transition from a desktop Apple Mac Pro to running my studio on a MacBook Pro with minimal headaches. That’s why it has been given my product of 2020, it really has changed my life!