Over the past few years I’ve seen several solutions hit the market offering portable on the fly audio I/O for location recording such as PCMCIA laptop cards and USB audio interfaces (but none of these products offer integrated support for Pro Tools software which is arguably one of the industry standards for working with digital audio). — Enter Digidesign’s new USB based Mbox, opening up a brand new wave of audio editing and recording possibilities for Pro Tools users at a price that is hard to beat.

FEATURES

Looking over the feature set it is quite easy to see why this little 1 lb, 7.6 ounce wonder is such a great deal. This unit boasts two analog inputs and outputs featuring Focusrite mic preamps full 24-bit stereo S/PDIF digital I/O, two analog TRS inserts jacks, a zero-latency mix control for monitoring both your source and Pro Tools playback, two headphone output jacks (the front for 1/8" jacks, and the rear for 1/4" jacks) and a dedicated volume control for the headphone output built in 48 volt phantom power, a mono compatibility switch, and best of all its powered solely by the Mac’s USB port. The Mbox package also includes Pro Tools 5.2 LE software and the new DigiStudio, giving one the potential to turn a Mac into an online virtual studio environment and allowing for both Pro Tools TDM and LE users to collaborate on the same session over the Net. For folks needing Pro Tools compatibility and not wanting to go the OMF transfer route now being offered by several of the big MIDI/audio sequencers the Mbox is a dream come true.

PLUG & PLAY

Setting up to use the Mbox could not be simpler. I connected the supplied USB cable, ran the installer, did a quick restart, entered the included serial number on my first launch of the Pro Tools software and I was ready to start recording all within about five minutes total. If you are familiar with using Pro Tools software then all you need do is make your audio connections, set your levels and start recording. Its as simple as setting either channel’s source selector buttons to any of the three settings: mic, line or instrument. Then all you have to do is tweak the level controls, adjust the headphone and mix controls, enable a track for recording and start making magic. If you have a mic that needs phantom power just press the 48V button and power will be sent instantly to both mic/line inputs.

There are various LED’s that show peak levels, indicate if the USB connection is active, and tell you whether SPDIF and/or the Mono compatibility switch are enabled. The latter is a useful feature for checking phase relationships between channels, but is only available on the input source being monitored and has no effect on playback monitoring. I’d like to have seen this available for both, as checking for mono compatibility in a mix is something lacking in all versions of Pro Tools unless you have a plug-in or a mixing board that offers this useful feature.

The Mix control lets you easily blend the source input and Pro Tools playback to your tastes with a smooth turn of the knob, plus the zero latency monitoring makes overdubbing a breeze. Having two headphone jacks with both 1/8" and 1/4" jacks is a great feature, but sadly only one output is operative at a time so if there is more than one person working on a session you’ll need a headphone amplifier or a splitter. I have not checked the output to see how it will hold up or not when using two sets of headphones, though the specs say its 0.25 w into 600 ohms so this should work OK. In a similar manner the SPDIF output is a mirrored image of the signal found at the analog outputs, though it would have been nice to have the option for two separate mixes to be output as on the older AudioMedia III card rather than only the same audio output for both, ah well perhaps this is due to the limitations of the USB 1.0 spec.

Last but not least there are two analog Insert points that use TRS jacks making it easy to use outboard compressors or equalizers when needed. Note: you cannot use the insert points for routing audio tracks in Pro Tools, as they are located before the analog source (input) is converted to digital.

Since Mbox uses Pro Tools LE software you have access to a growing assortment of RTAS and AudioSuite plug-ins offering great sounding real-time plug-in effects and instruments from companies such as Antares, Bomb Factory, DUY, GRM Tools, McDSP, Metric Halo, Native Instruments, Spectrasonics, WAVES and many more. Another point worth mentioning is session compatibility with TDM based Pro Tools systems. For example using a PowerBook one could do basic tracking at a location without AC power to capture the mystical vibe of the woods, or while sitting on a rock near a river. Then, once back at the studio, open the same session on a TDM system, add more tracks, do a bit of editing and sweeten up the mix with some power packed TDM plug-ins.

WISHING & HOPING

Currently Mbox is only available for the Mac platform with a Windows version coming soon. Hopefully it will not be a long wait as it looks like all that is needed is a compatible USB Driver, and a 5.2 update to the Windows version of Pro Tools LE software. You may likely end up needing a USB hub in order to best make use of Mbox, which brings up an important issue you should be aware of. Digidesign states that the Mbox will not operate if placed on a passive USB hub — they say it must be connected directly to the Mac’s built-in port or a powered USB hub to function properly. This may or may not be a problem for some users depending upon their USB peripheral needs. Another issue that will frustrate some users is the lack of a built-in MIDI port, which really would have put this product over the top for the money. I suppose one could also argue about the lack of multiple outputs for surround work or support for higher sample rates such as 88.2 and 96K, and frankly though I’d welcome these additions, but its clear this is not the audience that Mbox version 1.0 was designed for.

SOUND & VISION

Digidesign and Focusrite have an instant winner as the Mbox sounds great and is more than adequate for 24-bit tracking and playback needs. Does it have the overall warmth and body of my EnVoice Mindrpint or Universal Audio 2-610 tube mic pre’s? Not really, but so what! It costs a fraction of the price and offers everything I need for doing portable on-the-fly recording whether I am sitting on a beach or taking a break in a hotel room. Yep, the Mbox will kick serious booty whenever and wherever you use it. I’ve heard some folks say it looks like a toy, but as I sit here holding it in my hand it is very clear that this is no toy. It’s solidly built and feels like it will hold up well traveling anywhere I’d need to go.

CONCLUSION

A year ago I went into the Amazon jungle to record a CD of live tracks working with a tribe of Shaman Headhunters, and for that recording I rented a $10,000 24-bit portable hard disk recorder that did not always work the way it should have. Now all I’d need to do is bring my Titanium PowerBook, an extra Firewire hard drive and the Mbox and I’d be set and even able to start editing down the days takes right there in the jungle rather than having to wait until I got back to my studio. Sure I’d like to see a 96K version, but for now all I have to say is if you want to jump onto the Pro Tools platform and don’t need more than two inputs or outputs just buy an Mbox — you won’t regret it.

For more information about this or any other product on our site, please write us at:
sales@audiomidi.com

Or to be kept informed of all the latest news, reviews, articles, and more, click here to subscribe to the audioMIDI.com newsletter.