SD Card Passthrough in Computer Mode (Prime 4+)

Engine DJ Hardware Standalone Controllers
1

The functionality that the Prime 4+ becomes a USB hub, providing access to any connected USB devices, including thumb drives, is a great feature. This has allowed me to test SoundSwitch without having to unplug it from the Prime 4+, as well as update USBs connected to the Prime 4+ without unplugging them and plugging them in directly to the computer.

I primarily use the internal SSD for my main Collection, and I have USB drives that contain specific genres, or entire discographies from specific labels, and I use them from time to time. But other than the SSD, my second most used medium is the SD Card.

I really appreciate how I can insert an SD Card, and it is securely inserted, and recessed so that it is completely out of the way. This means I have very little chance of damaging the medium, or my Prime 4+, while having it inserted. USBs on the other hand, protrude from the device, and I prefer to remove them when not in use to ensure I don’t damage the thumb drive nor the controller.

(Specifically, I use the SD Card to store Samples, so that I always have access to them, and so they don’t show up while I’m using a Source/Collection of actual tracks to play, such as the internal SSD or a USB drive)

Because of this, I was disappointed to see that there is no passthrough or hub capability to access the SD Card while inserted into the Prime 4+ in Computer Mode. Is this feature actually missing, or am I just missing a setting or some sort of configuration option that would allow for me to access the SD Card on my computer connected to the Prime 4+ in Computer Mode? If this feature is truly lacking, does anybody have any ideas as to why, or if it is at all possible to bring this feature to the Prime 4+?

I’d love to be able to keep my SD Card safely inserted into the Prime 4+ while being able to access it as a drive while the Prime 4+ is in Computer Mode.

2

It probably depends on how the routing of connections is managed and what is active or inactive in computer mode.

I highly doubt they would ever have considered making removable storage visible in computer mode, due to the fact it’s easily removable.

3

Well, the USB and internal SSDs are both accessible, so actually it seems like the SD card not being seen by the computer with the Prime 4+ in Computer Mode is actually the outlier.

4

I’m sure they have their reasons for it. Raise it as a feature request.

5

It’s the same on the original Prime 4.

I’d guess that it’s related to the internal computer. When the unit is not in standalone mode, the internal computer is off - so if the SD slot is part of the computer PCB, then it will not be active.

6

Cool, cool. I mostly wanted to check that I wasn’t a doofus and needed to change something in Windows or Engine DJ Desktop to expose this capability.

It seems you guys are suggesting it’s just something that’s not supported, so I appreciate that information.

I would like to understand WHY this isn’t implemented, esp with access to the USB/SSD, but that’s just me being curious to understand if there is some technical limitation, or just some sort of oversight and we might get such a feature in the future.

7

My guess is the USB being visible was more of an accident, they expect people to just remove them and access them using the ports on the computer.

The SSD obviously is different as it’s been installed into the device so makes sense seeing that.

8

May be a driver problem? Sd readers need to be maneged with a specific driver.

???

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