® Mbox User Guide Version 9.
Legal Notices This guide is copyrighted ©2010 by Avid Technology, Inc., (hereafter “Avid”), with all rights reserved. Under copyright laws, this guide may not be duplicated in whole or in part without the written consent of Avid.
contents Chapter 1. Welcome to Mbox . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Mbox Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 System Requirements and Compatibility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Conventions Used in This Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Chapter 6. Using the Multi Button (Pro Tools Only) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 Using the Multi Button . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 Press and Release Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 Press and Hold Options. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 Hold Duration Options.
chapter 1 Welcome to Mbox Welcome to the Mbox® USB audio and MIDI interface from Avid®. Mbox provides your USB 2.0-equipped computer with two channels of analog audio input and output, two channels of digital audio input and output, MIDI In and Out ports, one headphone output with front panel level control. Mbox includes two professional-quality mic preamps and 24-bit/96 kHz analog-to-digital and digital-to-analog converters.
System Requirements and Compatibility Conventions Used in This Guide Mbox can be used with a qualified Windows or Mac computer running Pro Tools software 8.0.4 or higher. All of our guides use the following conventions to indicate menu choices and key commands: For Pro Tools installation instructions, see the Pro Tools Installation Guide. Mbox can be also be used with a qualified Mac or Windows computer running other Core Audio- or ASIO-compliant applications.
About www.avid.com The Avid website (www.avid.com) is your best online source for information to help you get the most out of your Pro Tools system. The following are just a few of the services and features available. Product Registration Register your purchase online.
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chapter 2 Mbox Hardware Overview Mbox Front Panel Features Figure 1 identifies controls, indicators, and input and output ports on the front panel on the Mbox. Input 1 Input 2 Sig/Clip Sig/Clip Headphone LED LED Volume Soft Limit Soft Limit Gain/ Gain/ USB Multi -20dB -20dB LED Instrument Source selector Instrument Source selector 48V Headphone Output Dim Monitor Level Mono Figure 1.
Gain Controls/–20dB Pad About Phantom Power These knobs adjust the input gain levels of the Mic/Line inputs. Turn the knob clockwise to increase gain, and counter-clockwise to decrease gain. Dynamic microphones (such as Shure SM57s or M-Audio Aries) do not require phantom power to operate, but are not harmed by it. Most condenser microphones (like an M-Audio Solaris) do require phantom power to operate.
Checking Phase Relationships Multi Button The Mono switch can also be used for a quick check of the phase relationship between Source 1 and Source 2 inputs. (Pro Tools Only) Guitar Tuner Function When the Dim Button and the Mono Button are pushed at the same time, the Guitar Tuner function is activated. The Dim and Mono LEDs flash between off and on to indicate tuner mode is active.
Mbox Back Panel Features Figure 2 identifies each port on the back panel of the Mbox. MIDI I/O S/PDIF digital I/O Monitor outputs Mic/Line inputs USB port Figure 2. Mbox back panel USB Port This standard USB connector is used to connect a USB 2.0 port on your computer to the Mbox. One standard USB cable is included with your system. (It is also used to power the unit in stand-alone mode.) In use, the S/PDIF input and output channels are available in addition to the four channels of analog audio I/O.
S/PDIF Digital I/O The S/PDIF in and out ports are unbalanced twoconductor phono (RCA) connectors that utilize a full 24-bit, two-channel digital data stream. The Sony/Philips Digital Interface Format (S/PDIF) is used in many professional and consumer CD recorders and DAT recorders. To avoid RF interference, use 75-ohm coaxial cable for S/PDIF transfers and keep the cable length to a maximum of 10 meters.
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chapter 3 Installing and Connecting Mbox To use Mbox with Pro Tools or any other CoreAudio- or ASIO-compatible applications, you must install the Mbox hardware drivers on your computer. This chapter provides instructions on installing the drivers on Mac and Windows, and connecting the Mbox to your computer. Do not start this procedure with your Mbox connected to your computer. Before installing the hardware drivers, refer to the Read Me information included with the drivers installer for your device.
6 After the computer has restarted, connect the small end of the included USB cable to the USB port on Mbox and connect the other end to any available USB port on your computer. If the USB LED on the front panel of the Mbox does not illuminate, try unplugging the USB cable from the Mbox USB port, and plugging it back in. If the USB LED still does not illuminate, shut down the computer, disconnect Mbox and start the computer. Once the computer has fully restarted, reconnect Mbox.
chapter 4 Making Studio Connections This chapter provides step-by-step instructions for connecting mics, instruments, mixers, headphones, speakers, and other devices to Mbox . Connecting Headphones You can use headphones equipped with a 1/4inch stereo jack to monitor your audio. The Headphone Output mirrors Monitor Output channels 1–2.
Connecting a Sound System The Monitor Outputs on the back of the Mbox support 1/4-inch plugs. These connections can be balanced TRS (Tip-Ring-Sleeve) connectors, or unbalanced TS (Tip-Sleeve) connectors such as those on instrument cables. To listen to your to audio, connect these outputs to any amplification system: powered speakers, a home stereo system, or an audio mixer.
Each Input section has three analog input jacks (the Mic and Line are on a single, combo jack): Connecting a Microphone Mic For XLR microphone cables. Mic Cables and Connectors Line (TRS or TS) For 1/4-inch Tip-Ring-Sleeve or Tip-Sleeve cables from keyboards, mixers, and other line-level sources. Use a microphone with an XLR connector to connect the microphone to the Mbox. DI For 1/4-inch Tip-Sleeve cables from guitar, bass, or similar sources.
Using a Mic with an XLR Connector 4 On the front of the Mbox, carefully turn the To use a microphone that has an XLR connector: Gain control to the right to increase the input level of your microphone signal. 1 Plug your microphone cable into one of the Mic/Line inputs on the back of Mbox. Input 2 Mic input Gain Input 1 Mic input Gain knob for Input 1 5 If the incoming signal is too loud, pull the XLR connector plugged into Input 1 Gain knob out to engage the –20 dB pad.
Connecting Electric Guitar or Bass Connecting Keyboards and Mixers To use a guitar with Mbox: To use a keyboard or mixer with Mbox: 1 On the front of the Mbox, plug your guitar ca- 1 Plug your keyboard, mixer, or other audio ble into one of the Instrument inputs. source into either the Input 1 or Input 2 Line (TRS) inputs on your Mbox.
Digital Input and Output Mbox provides digital inputs and outputs for S/PDIF-format digital audio. The two channels of S/PDIF digital input can be used in combination with the two analog inputs (for a total of four simultaneous input channels). The two channels of S/PDIF digital output can be used in combination with the two analog outputs (for a total of four simultaneous output channels).
MIDI Connections Monitoring MIDI Instruments with Mbox The two MIDI ports on Mbox are available to any MIDI application on your computer, as long as the Mbox hardware drivers are installed. If you have a MIDI instrument that has analog outputs, you can connect it to Mbox to monitor its output. If you need additional MIDI ports you can add a compatible MIDI interface. USB MIDI interfaces work effectively with Windows or Mac. Serial MIDI interfaces are supported on Windows systems only.
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chapter 4 Using the Driver Control Panel The Mbox Driver Control Panel lets you configure settings for your audio interface for use with Pro Tools or other audio applications that support the CoreAudio (Mac) or ASIO (Windows) standard. For information on configuring applications other than for use with your interface, see “Using Third-Party Applications” on page 37. Several features of Mbox can be accessed directly from the Mbox front panel, such as input gain, phantom power, and output levels.
To open the Driver Control Panel from Pro Tools: 1 Choose Setup > Hardware. 2 Click Launch Setup App. Layouts The Layout drop-down menu lets you choose what information you would like the Driver Control Panel to show, and how you would like that information to be displayed. There are four layouts to select from: Horizontal The Horizontal layout is the default layout. It shows all knobs, faders, meters and buttons in a layout similar to that of a mixing console.
Vertical Vertical (Meters Only) Mbox Driver Control Panel (Vertical shown) Mbox Driver Control Panel (Vertical (Meters only) shown) The Vertical layout provides access to all controls and meters in a vertical window. The Vertical layout was designed for compact operation, which is convenient if you want to run it along with Pro Tools or your other audio application (uses far less screen real estate, but provides full functionality).
Additional Functions Mbox also features a variety of functions accessible through pop-up menus located at the upper-right area of the Control Panel: • Tuner Setup Setup is where you define the hardware settings of the Mbox. For example, you can set buffer size, sample rate, and clock source. Think of Setup as a quick way to customize Mbox behavior. • Setup • Flow • About Tuner The Tuner activates the tuner function of Mbox.
Disable Host Control When you launch Pro Tools, it takes control of the Driver Control Panel's first stereo mixer. If you want to obtain full manual control of the Driver Control Panel, choose this option. If you want to use the Low Latency Monitoring option of Pro Tools, this option must not be checked. Clock Source This setting determines the clock source to which Mbox is synchronized. Internal If you are using Mbox by itself (i.e.
Post-Fader Meters This menu only appears on Windows systems. Most Mac OS X applications allow to change the buffer size from within the audio application itself. Please see your audio application’s user guide to learn how to change this setting. Soft Button Settings The Mbox has four “Soft” buttons: Multi, +48v, Mono, and Dim. Hold Duration This pop-up menu gives you four choices of Press and Hold duration for all soft buttons on the front of the Mbox.
FX Sends Mode About Pre-Fader FX Sends The About pop-up menu allows you to view the firmware version of the Mbox hardware, and the package version of the Mbox driver installer. When Pre-Fader FX Sends is selected, the full audio signal is be sent to the FX Sends, regardless of the position of the Channel Faders of stereo mix 1–2.
Stereo Mixes This 8-input, 4-output mixer allows you to create two different stereo mixes from 8 input sources consisting of any of the hardware inputs (i.e., analog and digital inputs) and software returns (software outputs). This allows you to set up near-zero latency cue mixes in which the performers hear a “customized” mix while recording.
Using the Stereo Mix Section The stereo mix section is located in the main view of the Driver Control Panel and is divided into four main sections: • Hardware Inputs • Software Returns • Effects • Master Hardware Inputs Software Returns Signal Meter Pan Solo Master Mute Channel Fader Channel Label Link Effects Hardware Inputs Software Returns The Hardware Inputs section is where the Mic/Line and Instrument inputs are monitored, as well as the S/PDIF input of Mbox.
Pan Link The Pan knobs control the position of a channel’s audio signal in the stereo image of the stereo mix (double-click the knob to return pan to center). The Link buttons connect stereo pairs of knobs or faders (and also links the corresponding FX Send knobs), so that adjusting either channel (left/right) adjusts the other side identically.
FX Returns Master These knobs control how much of the Effect audio output is mixed in with the monitor signal Master L/R outputs. Unlike sends, FX Returns are individually adjustable for each stereo mix. The Master section is for monitoring the main mixer output. This output can be routed to any hardware output.
Swap Button Swaps the stereo image, making the left channel play out the Right output, and the right channel play out the Left output. Link Button Links the FXReturns section and the mute buttons. Master Meters Lets you have a visual representation of the audio signal being fed to the associated hardware output pair. Stereo Mix Copy Lets you copy the settings of the current stereo mix to one of the other stereo mixes.
chapter 5 Using the Multi Button (Pro Tools Only) The Multi button on the front panel of the Mbox can be assigned to easily execute several functions in Pro Tools including (but not limited to): • Add Track • Start/Stop Record • Tap Tempo • Locating to Next/Previous Marker • Save Session Using the Multi Button In the Hardware Setup dialog, Pro Tools lets you set three Multi button parameters for your Mbox using the “Multi Button Function” pane. (You can also launch the Driver Control Panel from here).
To use the Multi Button Function pane and configure its parameters (example): 1 Launch Pro Tools. 2 Choose Track > New and create 1 Mono audio track. You need to have at least one track available in a session to use the Add Last Track and Add Selected Track functions. 3 Choose Setup > Hardware. 4 From the Press and Release list, select Start/Stop Record (the default). 5 From the Press and Hold list, select Add Se- lected Tracks (the default). 6 From the Hold Duration list, select 500 msec (the default).
Press and Hold Options Hold Duration Options When you click on the Press and Hold list, a pop-up menu provides access to the following options: When you click on the Hold Duration list, a drop-down menu provides access to the following options: None No function is selected in this mode. Hold Duration There are four choices of Hold Duration (250 msec, 500 msec, 750 msec, and 1 sec), which is the amount of time you choose to hold the Multi button down in Press and Hold mode. The default is 500 msec.
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appendix a Using Third-Party Applications The Mbox hardware drivers allow you to use third-party CoreAudio-(Mac) or ASIO-(Windows) compliant audio and MIDI applications with your Mbox. For driver installation instructions, see Chapter 3, “Installing and Connecting Mbox.” Configuring Mbox for ThirdParty Applications When using Mbox with third-party applications (such as Apple GarageBand), you may be able to configure hardware settings through the audio preference settings available in that application.
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appendix b Compliance Information Environmental Compliance Disposal of Waste Equipment by Users in the European Union Proposition 65 Warning This product contains chemicals, including lead, known to the State of California to cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductive harm. Wash hands after handling. Perchlorate Notice This product may contain a lithium coin battery.
EMC (Electromagnetic Compliance) Australian Compliance Avid declares that this product complies with the following standards regulating emissions and immunity: • FCC Part 15 Class B • EN 55022 Class B • EN 55204 Class B • AS/NZS 3548 Class B • CISPR 22 Class B Canadian Compliance FCC Compliance for United States This Class B digital apparatus complies with Canadian ICES-003 Radio and Television Interference This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device
Important Safety Instructions 1) Read these instructions. 12) For products that are not rack-mountable: Use only with a cart, stand, tripod, bracket, or table specified by the manufacturer, or sold with the equipment. When a cart is used, use caution when moving the cart/equipment combination to avoid injury from tip-over. 2) Keep these instructions. 3) Heed all warnings. 4) Follow all instructions. 5) Do not use this equipment near water. 6) Clean only with dry cloth.
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index A P audio digital connections 18 peak indicators 5, 6 phantom power 16 when to use 6, 15 Pro Tools LE installing (Mac) 11 G gain headphones 7 input 6 H headphones gain control 7 output 6, 7 I indicators peak level 5, 6 USB connection 7 input and output connectors 9 inputs analog 8 digital 8 gain 6 monitoring 6 installing Pro Tools LE Mac 11 M R recording digital inputs 18 S S/PDIF 9 sources analog 8 DI 8 digital 9 line 8 microphone 8 selecting 5, 7 Stereo Width control 17, 19 T TRS 15 U US
Avid Technical Support (USA) Product Information 2001 Junipero Serra Boulevard Daly City, CA 94014-3886 USA Visit the Online Support Center at www.avid.com/support For company and product information, visit us on the web at www.avid.