MacBook Air M4 unable to read external SSDs without an external powered hub

I have a 2025 M4 MB Air. I am doing a documentary using the latest SARAMONIC microphone system (the Ultra). That systems two microphones connect to camera/iPhones for recording AND record a sound track with timecodes directly on te mikes themselves. The problems has beeb that the microphones when plugged into the USBC ports of the MBA do not mount the internal SSD (10gb) cards.

I am lucky that I previously encountered a problem of connecting to an external monitor (I forget what make) and finding that it would not work. By accident I tried another time with the same monitor but I had connected to the MBA an external multi-port Hub with a power-through USBC port. That time the external monitor connected (but only while the external power was provided through the multi-port device.

So with the Saramonic mikes I tried the same external hub and when plugged in the way and with the hub being powered vis usb, the Mike SSDs would mount.

NOTE. When the Saramonic mikes were unsuccessfully connected to the MBA, they did not show up under disc utility.)

I have no trouble with the MBA with large external SSD's I use as back up (Sandisc 2gb). But it seems that some external devices will need power that the MBA ports cannot provide. I have tried unsuccessfully to mount those discs whilst the MBA was connected to full 63W external supply (and fully charged); they still did not allow the mike SSDs to mount.

What is the problem with the USBC ports on the MBA? This was an issue with the M2 versions. It has not been fixed.

[Re-Titled by Moderator]

Original Title: Issue with MacbookAir M4 not able to read external SSD's without connecting through an external powered hub