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Mbox Pro User Guide

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3. 5 6 7 8 A Aux inputs connecting 15 jacks 9 B buffer size 28 C Clock source 27 compatibility 3 connecting Mbox Pro 11 D DI Input connecting instruments 19 Mic DI combo jacks 6 digital 0 connecting 21 S PDIF Connector 9 Driver Control Panel 25 F features 1 G Gain adjusting gain for mics 17 gain adjusting gain for instruments 19 Gain knob 6 H hardware drivers installing 11 using the Driver Control Panel 25 Hardware Settings 27 headphones assigning sources for headphones 34 configuring in the Driver Control Panel 32 connecting 13 Headphone outputs 7 High pass filter 28 Indicators LED ladders 6 Power Indicator LED 7 Inserts connecting 21 jacks 8 installing hardware drivers 11 L Line inputs connecting keyboards or mixers 20 jacks 8 Master Volume knob 7 Mic Inputs connecting a mic 18 Mic DI combo inputs 6 MIDI making connections 23 ports 9 Monit
4. Hardware Input FX Sends Mbox Pro Driver Control Panel Software Retum FX Sends Chapter 5 Using the Driver Control Panel 25 Setup General Setup General Setup options are grouped in the fol Click Setup to access the General Setup and Out lowing categories put Setup dialogs You can toggle between dia e Hardware Settings logs by clicking General Setup or Output Setup e Soft Button Settings Configure Mbox Pro hardware settings in Gen High Pass Filter Options eral Setup For example you can set buffer size Standalone Settings sample rate and clock source You can also de fine how Mbox Pro functions when it s con nected to a computer or when it s in standalone Hardware Settings mode not connected to a computer erecta General Setup Output Setup Intermal Configure your monitoring and output settings in Output Setup For example you can config Soft Button Settings ure up to three stereo hardware output pairs to Hold Duration BENESEENNS Use Dim LEDs for Button off State function as control room outputs which are a ae ES then selectable using Mbox Pro s Speaker button Driver Control Panel Options front panel You can also configure the Master praga ed te Volume knob to function as the master volume past enter quei dim Roe control for all six outputs simultaneously pro Standalone Settings viding a 5 1 surround monitor master volume sme ord de E control Setup pop up me
5. 6 Mbox Pro User Guide LED Ladders Inputs 1 4 These four eight segment LED ladder style me ters illuminate green in the presence of audio signal and illuminate red when the signal is about to clip overload the input The LEDs are associated with signals routed from inputs 1 4 48V Switch and LED Phantom Power The 48V switch toggles phantom power on off for all mic input channels The LED when lit indicates that 48V phantom power is active on the XLR Mic inputs About Phantom Power Most condenser microphones such as an M Audio Solaris require phantom power to op erate Dynamic microphones such as a Shure SM57 do not require phantom power to oper ate but are not harmed by it A Although phantom power can be used safely with most microphones it is possible to damage some ribbon microphones with it Always turn off phantom power and wait at least ten seconds before connecting or dis connecting a ribbon microphone A When using phantom power Mbox Pro s maximum current per microphone is 10 mA If you are not sure about the phantom power re quirements for your microphone consult your microphone s documentation or contact the manufacturer Master Volume Knob The Master Volume knob adjusts the output level of the assigned Monitor output pair The Master Volume knob is assigned to an output pair 1 2 3 4 or 5 6 in the Control Panel See Master Vol on page 32 Dim Mute Switch The Dim Mute swi
6. Mbox Pro User Guide Version 9 0 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 003 96 1 0 96i 1 0 192 Digital I O 192 1 0 888 24 I O 882 20 I O 1622 1 0 24 Bit ADAT Bridge I O AudioSuite Avid Avid DNA Avid Mojo Avid Unity Avid Unity ISIS Avid Xpress AVoption Axiom Beat Detective Bomb Factory Bruno C 24 Command 8 Control 24 D Command D Control D Fi D fx D Show D Verb DAE Digi 002 DigiBase DigiDelivery Digidesign Digidesign Audio Engine Digidesign Intelligent Noise Reduction Digidesign TDM Bus DigiDrive DigiRack DigiTest DigiTranslator DINR D Show DV Toolkit EditPack Eleven EUCON HD Core HD Process Hybrid Impact Interplay LoFi M Audio MachineControl Maxim Mbox MediaComposer MIDI I O MIX MultiShell Nitris OMF OMF Interchange PRE ProControl Pro Tools M Powered Pro Tools Pro Tools HD Pro Tools LE QuickPunch Recti Fi Reel Tape Reso Reverb One ReVibe RTAS Sibelius Smack SoundReplacer Sound Designer Il Strike Structure SYNC HD SYNC I O Synchronic TL Aggro TL AutoPan TL Drum Rehab TL Everyphase TL Fauxlder TL In Tune TL MasterMeter TL Metro TL Space TL Utilities Transfuser Trillium Lane Labs Vari Fi Velvet X Form and XMON are trademarks or registered trademarks
7. o 009009008 o 0069008008 200000008 209000009 Master Volume a knob Soft limit 48V switch Mono limit switches switch switch Speaker source LED ladders Headphone select button inputs 1 4 outputs Front Back Front Back input source input source Mic Line switch switch input source button Figure 1 Mbox Pro front panel Chapter 2 Mbox Pro Hardware Overview 5 Input Combo Jacks Mic DI These combination jacks Mic DI provide XLR and 1 4 inch TS inputs for Input channels 1 and 2 Gain 20 dB Pad Switches These knobs adjust the input gain levels of Mic DI 1 and 2 or Mic 3 and 4 Turn the knob clockwise to increase gain and counter clock wise to decrease gain If your input signal is too hot even with the Gain knob at a low setting pull the Gain knob out to engage a pad that attenuates the signal by 20dB Front Rear Input Source Switches These buttons select the input source for input channels 1 and 2 When out the front panel Mic DI input is active when in the back panel Line Input is active for that channel Soft Limit Switch These switches engage a soft limiter on that channel applying a smooth overdriven tape type limiter to strong input signals Mic Line Input Source Button These buttons select the input source for input channels 3 and 4 When out the back panel Mic input is active when in the back panel Line Input is active for that channel
8. Tools Interface with Apple iTunes or QuickTime Player To use your Mbox Pro with certain CoreAudio compatible playback applications such as Apple iTunes or QuickTime Player you will need to configure either Sound Preferences or Audio MIDI Setup To configure the Apple Sound Preferences 1 Launch System Preferences Apple menu gt System Preferences 2 Click Sound 3 Click Output and select your Pro Tools hard ware as the device for sound output 4 Click Input and select your Pro Tools hardware as the device for sound input 5 Quit System Preferences Appendix A Using CoreAudio and ASIO Compliant Applications 47 48 Mbox Pro User Guide appendix b Compliance Information Environmental Compliance Disposal of Waste Equipment by Users in the European Union This symbol on the product or its packaging indicates that this product must not be disposed of with other waste Instead it is your responsibility to dispose of your waste equipment by handing it over to a designated collection point for the recycling of waste electrical and electronic equipment The separate collection and recycling of your waste equipment at the time of disposal will help conserve natural resources and ensure that it is recycled in a manner that protects human health and the environment For more information about where you can drop off your waste equipment for recycling please contact your local city recycling office or the dealer
9. over the RCA jacks Use these inputs to connect line level sources such as mixers CD or DVD players or MP3 play ers 6 You can monitor Aux input 5 6 through the designated control room output by pressing and holding the front panel Spkr button To configure control room settings see Control Room Assignment on page 32 Chapter 4 Making Studio Connections 15 Connecting a Microphone Mic Cables and Connectors Use a microphone with an XLR connector to connect the microphone to the Mbox Pro The Mbox Pro can only supply phantom power through a microphone cable with an XLR con nector If you are not sure about the phantom power requirements for your microphone refer to your microphone s documentation or con tact the manufacturer XLR connector 16 Mbox Pro Setup Guide Phantom Power 48V Some microphones require power to operate This power called phantom power is supplied ei ther by a battery in the microphone or through an audio interface such as Mbox Pro that can supply power through the microphone cable Most condenser microphones such as an M Audio Solaris require phantom power to op erate Dynamic microphones such as a Shure SM57 do not require phantom power to oper ate but are not harmed by it A Phantom power can be used safely with most microphones However it is possible to damage ribbon microphones with it Al ways turn off phantom power and wait at least ten seconds before co
10. ASIO compliant software Mbox Pro hardware drivers must be installed be fore you can connect and use your Mbox Pro For Mbox hardware drivers installation in structions see Chapter 3 Installing and Connecting Mbox Pro A DVD drive is required to use the Drivers In staller disc included with your Pro Tools soft ware package Avid can only assure compatibility and provide support for hardware and software it has tested and approved For complete system requirements and a list of qualified computers operating systems hard drives and third party devices visit www avid com compatibility Conventions Used in This Guide All of our guides use the following conventions to indicate menu choices and key commands File Save Choose Save from the File menu Control N Hold down the Control key and press the N key Control click Hold down the Control key and click the mouse button Right click Click with the right mouse button The names of Commands Options and Settings that appear on screen are in a different font The following symbols are used to highlight important information Xy User Tips are helpful hints for getting the most from your system 4h Important Notices include information that could affect your data or the performance of your system Shortcuts show you useful keyboard or mouse shortcuts Cross References point to related sections in this guide and other Pro Tools guides
11. Configuring Mbox Pro for Third Party Applications oo 4T Configuring the Apple Sound PreferenceS o o oo menea 47 Appendix B Compliance Informati0N 49 Environmental Compliance sous asar Rex uso a e CY ode O Oa e CR d 49 EMC Electromagnetic Compliance 0 0 0 cs 50 Safely ComplianCe sooo Saee A ee Url ee eee aia 51 IAGO ee Ee tn mE 53 iv Mbox Pro User Guide Welcome to Mbox Pro Welcome to the Mbox Pro FireWire audio and MIDI interface from Avid Mbox Pro provides your FireWire equipped computer with six channels of analog audio in put six channels of analog audio output two channels of S PDIF digital audio input and out put MIDI and Word Clock I O and two front panel headphone outputs with independent level controls Mbox Pro provides professional quality mic preamps and 24 bit 192 kHz analog to digital and digital to analog converters Mbox Pro integrates with Pro Tools software and is compatible with third party audio and MIDI applications that support the CoreAudio Mac or ASIO Windows standard Mbox Pro Features The Mbox Pro provides the following Audio Inputs and Outputs Mbox Pro provides up to eight discrete channels of input and up to eight discrete channels of output using the following analog and digital I O Analog Inputs e Two channels of analog audio input with high quality microphone p
12. Stereo Mix includes a master section with several controls Master fader Stereo Mix Copy pull down Balance knob ENSE Balance Width knob MS Width HH Mute button R liso des Mute button L SHAF Swap button Channel Fader Link button Mono button FX Returns section FX Returns Master section of the Driver Control Panel Master Fader Adjusts the overall level of the ste reo mix Balance Knob Adjusts the left right balance of the stereo mix double click the knob to return it to center Width Knob Adjusts the width of the stereo im age where fully counter clockwise is mono and fully clockwise is full stereo double click the knob to return it to center Mute Buttons Mutes the left and or right side of the stereo mix 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 FX Returns section and the mute buttons Master Meters Lets you have a visual representa tion of the audio signal being fed to the associ ated hardware output pair Stereo Mix Copy Lets you copy the settings of the current stereo mix to one of the other stereo mixes Mono Button The Mono button is available only under the following circumstances e Atleast one output pair is assigned as a con trol room output pair e The currently displayed stereo mix is the stereo mix used by the current
13. a Settings file 40 Mbox User Guide 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 The Horizontal layout is used for all the screen cap tures in this chapter Horizontal Meters Only The Meters Only layout emphasizes pre fader hardware input and software return metering but does not provide access to the stereo mixers Mbox Pro Driver Control Panel Horizontal Meters Only shown Vertical Vertical Meters Only The Meters Only layout emphasizes pre fader hardware input and software return metering but does not provide access to the stereo mixers Em a n EXT n Em a Em c Mbox Pro Driver Control Panel Vertical shown The Vertical layout provides access to all con trols and meters in a vertical window The Verti Mbox Pro Driver Control Panel Vertical Meters Only cal layout was designed for compact operation shown which is convenient if you want to run it along with Pro Tools uses far less screen real estate but provides full functionality Chapter 5 Using the Driver Control Panel 41 42 Mbox User Guide chapter 6 Using the Multi Button The Multi b
14. is used to synchronize a wide range of devices such as non linear video systems and other types of equipment typically found in professional audio facilities With both Word clock input and output your Mbox Pro equipped system can act as Word clock slave or master Do not confuse Word clock and other forms of clock reference with time code and other forms of positional reference For an overview of synchronization terminology and concepts see the Pro Tools Reference guide A Mbox Pro can synchronize to Word clock at 44 1 kHz 48 kHz 88 2 kHz 96 kHz 176 4 kHz and 192 kHz sample rates To connect Word clock to Mbox Pro Using high quality 75 ohm BNC cables not included connect the Mbox Pro Word Clock In and Out connectors to the appropriate ports on the other Word clock capable devices in your studio Using Word Clock with Pro Tools Pro Tools with Mbox Pro can act as Word clock master or as a Slave to Word clock supplied by an external device When using third party applications you can configure the Clock Source for Mbox Pro using the Control Panel See Clock Source on page 27 Chapter 4 Making Studio Connections 23 Pro Tools as Word Clock Master Mbox Pro Word clock output is always active letting Pro Tools supply Word clock to any con nected devices that support standard Word clock To use Pro Tools as Word clock master 1 Make sure all connections are correct between Mbox Pro and y
15. lightning storms or when unused for long periods of time 14 Refer all servicing to qualified service personnel Servicing is required when the equipment has been damaged in any way such as power supply cord or plug is damaged liquid has been spilled or objects have fallen into the equipment the equipment has been exposed to rain or moisture does not operate normally or has been dropped 15 For products that are a Mains powered device The equipment shall not be exposed to dripping or splashing and no objects filled with liquids such as vases shall be placed on the equipment Warning To reduce the risk of fire or electric shock do not expose this equipment to rain or moisture 16 For products containing a lithium battery CAUTION Danger of explosion if battery is incorrectly replaced Replace only with the same or equivalent type 17 For products with a power switch The main power switch is located on the front panel of the Mbox Pro It should remain accessible after installation 18 The equipment shall be used at a maximum ambient temperature of 40 C Appendix B Compliance Information 51 Important Safety Instructions Hebrew yx 9
16. monitoring Insert jacks 1 4 for inserting external pro cessing devices on input channels 24 bit A D and D A converters supporting sample rates of 44 1 kHz 48 kHz 88 2 kHz 96 kHz 176 4 kHz and 192 kHz Digital I O Two channels of S PDIF digital input and out put S PDIF inputs are available independent of and in addition to analog inputs 1 6 S PDIF outputs are always available in Pro Tools Mbox Pro User Guide e One MIDI In and one MIDI Out port provid ing 16 channels of MIDI input and output Other Capabilities and Specifications e Front panel Multi button assignable to a variety of common Pro Tools functions e Low latency direct record monitoring On board tuner e Two 1 4 inch TRS stereo headphone outputs A and B with independently adjustable level and routing controls e Control room functionality including front panel Dim Mute Mono and Speaker Source switches e Footswitch jack for starting or stopping play back or punching in and out while recording Multi pin port DB15 connection that han dles Word Clock MIDI and S PDIF via in cluded breakout cable System Requirements and Compatibility Mbox Pro can be used with a qualified Windows or Mac computer running Pro Tools software 8 0 4 or higher For Pro Tools installation instructions see the Pro Tools Installation Guide Mbox Pro can be also be used with a qualified Mac or Windows computer running any other Core Audio or
17. of Avid Technology Inc Xpand is Registered in the U S Patent and Trademark Office All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners Product features specifications system requirements and availability are subject to change without notice Guide Part Number 9329 65070 00 REV B 05 11 Documentation Feedback At Avid we are always looking for ways to improve our documentation If you have comments corrections or suggestions regarding our documentation email us at techpubs avid com Chapter 1 Welcome to Mbox Pro es 1 MOX Fro Features ss ess ires xu Wd s ene a a prece qe n a eR NC Poe p a peg hs 1 System Requirements and Compatibility 3 Conventions Used In This Guide assess See eS Oe ee Fee eee uU Eee 9 About WWW avd COMM xta Re O A ee eae d do Coca ui A ra ur earl ena 4 Chapter 2 Mbox Pro Hardware Overview 0 0 0 ee eee eee ees 5 Mbox Pro Front Panel Features oie pads xe Hew ee we Se CRED LEG LEE ERA 5 Mbox Pro Back Panel Features 2 as 2 EA we eee ey ee oer SOR A 8 Chapter 3 Installing and Connecting Mbox Pro 11 Chapter 4 Making Studio Connections 13 Conhecihe 005 eorura pace oca retenir e 0 ed S tate Clg a 00 13 AUTO NPS car czar law Brrr qa Do ne ir ce RIO weer des 15 Connecting a Microphone coord greed dd ef CP EM gard Weds 20 Rey aedes 16 Connecting Instruments to the M
18. output Choose between the following options e None e Speakers A Green LED e Speakers B Red LED e Speakers C Amber LED Let s say that outputs 1 2 are set up to be Speak ers A outputs 3 4 are set up to be Speakers B and outputs 5 6 are set up to be Speakers C Pressing Mbox Pro s Speaker button lets you switch between the three pairs of speakers Only one control room output pair is active at any time in Stereo mode 32 Mbox User Guide Master Vol This option lets you choose which output pairs are controlled by Mbox Pro s Master Volume knob If you enable this option for the all three Moni tor output pairs then the Master Volume knob controls all of them at once A If an output pair is designated as a control room speaker pair this checkbox is auto matically checked and cannot be un checked Left Trim This knob trims the level of the Left odd numbered output Right Trim This knob trims the level of the Right even numbered output S PDIF Outputs L R These outputs are not assignable as control room outputs You can assign a name to your stereo output pairs The name appears in the Output Pair tabs in the Stereo Mix section Headphone Outputs A and B These outputs are not assignable as control room outputs You can assign a name to your stereo output pairs The name appears in the Output Pair tabs in the Stereo Mix section Flow Clicking the Flow button opens a display show ing the sig
19. Chapter 1 Welcome to Mbox Pro 3 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 fol lowing are just a few of the services and features available Product Registration Register your purchase online Support and Downloads Contact Avid Customer Success technical support download software updates and the latest online manuals browse the Compatibility documents for system re quirements search the online Knowledge Base or join the worldwide Pro Tools community on the User Conference Training and Education Study on your own using courses available online or find out how you can learn in a classroom setting at a certified Pro Tools training center Products and Developers Learn about Avid products download demo software or learn about our Development Partners and their plug ins applications and hardware News and Events Get the latest news from Avid or sign up for a Pro Tools demo 4 Mbox Pro User Guide Mbox Pro Hardware Overview Mbox Pro Front Panel Features Figure 1 identifies controls indicators and input and output ports on the front panel on the Mbox Pro Headphones A and B Volume knob Input combo jacks Dim Mute Gain 20 dB Pad switches switch Multi button Power indicator LED Pad e Sft cl 0 ces Front O 59 Mico 5 Mic 4 a dp Gain 20 dB Multi o m Mute
20. UV marks on its compliant equipment Warning RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK DO NOT OPEN Important Safety Instructions 1 Read these instructions 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 T Do not block any ventilation openings Install in accordance with the manufacturer s instructions 8 Do not install near any heat sources such as radiators heat registers stoves or other equipment including amplifiers that produce heat 9 Do not defeat the safety purpose of the polarized or grounding type plug A polarized plug has two blades with one wider than the other A grounding type plug has two blades and a third grounding prong The wide blade or the third prong are provided for your safety If the provided plug does not fit into your outlet consult an electrician for replacement of the obsolete outlet 10 Protect power cords from being walked on or pinched particularly at plugs convenience receptacles and the point where they exit from the equipment 11 Only use attachments accessories specified by the manufacturer 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 13 Unplug this equipment during
21. adphones with a 1 4 inch stereo connector or adapter to the Headphone out puts A or B 2 Adjust the volume using the corresponding Headphone Volume knob on the front panel By default Headphone output A mirrors Moni tor output channels 1 2 Xy You can create independent stereo mixes for each headphone output in the Driver Control Panel See Stereo Mix Section on page 34 A Do not use the front panel headphone out puts for anything but headphones If you use a headphone distribution amp or cue system use any of the six Monitor outputs on the back panel See Monitor Outputs 1 6 on page 14 Chapter 4 Making Studio Connections 13 Connecting a Sound System The default monitor outputs on the back of the Mbox Pro Monitor outputs 1 and 2 support 1 4 inch plugs These connections can be bal anced TRS Tip Ring Sleeve connectors or un balanced TS Tip Sleeve connectors such as those on instrument cables To listen to your to audio connect these outputs to any amplifica tion system powered speakers a home stereo system or an audio mixer Monitor outputs 1 6 Line Out connectors for monitors on Mbox Pro To connect to a sound system For stereo monitoring connect Monitor out puts 1 and 2 to the inputs of your main left and right speakers You can hook up more than one set of stereo speakers and switch between them Speaker A B C switching See Output Setup on page 31 v Mbox Pro is c
22. apable of 5 1 surround moni toring complete with custom configuration and routing controls For more information see Output Setup on page 31 14 Mbox Pro Setup Guide To connect to a stereo system When connecting to a stereo system connect the left channel of the stereo often the white plug to Monitor output 1 and the right chan nel of the stereo often the red plug to Monitor output 2 e Home stereo systems often use RCA connec tors You can use an adaptor or a special ca ble to convert from the 1 4 inch TRS Tip Ring Sleeve connectors used by Mbox Pro to the RCA connectors on your home stereo Monitor Outputs 1 6 Monitor outputs 1 6 can be connected to any device that has analog inputs Use these six bal anced 1 4 inch TRS outputs to feed analog de vices such as headphone amps or cue systems for discrete headphone mixes samplers or a sec ondary recorder There are other use for Monitor outputs such as e Stereo main monitors Monitor outputs 1 2 e Stereo Alt monitors Monitor outputs 3 4 e Surround Monitor outputs 1 6 To connect additional Mbox Pro outputs Using 1 4 inch TRS cables connect any of the Line Out 1 6 connectors on the back panel to the inputs of your external devices 0 See the Pro Tools Reference Guide for infor mation on signal routing sends and bussing Audio Inputs Mbox Pro provides six channels of analog in puts and supports microphone
23. be set from the Setup Tab of the Control Panel The clip indicators can be set to stick by choosing Hold Clipping Indicators until Clicked in the Setup pop up menu and reset by clicking on the clip indicator itself The stereo mix section is located in the main view of the Control Panel and is divided into five main sections e Hardware Inputs e Software Returns e Output Pairs e Master e Effects Hardware Inputs Output 1 2 Output EN CI pa i rS Hardware Inputs Signal Meter 22 Solo Mute Channel Fader Software Returns Master Software Returns Balance Channel Label Esisog 1 Analog 2 Analog 2 Analog 4 Return 1 Return 2 Return 2 Return 4 Return 3 Return 6 Return 7 Return 8 a a MON Channel Link a ad Hardware Input FX Sends Effects Duration Stereo Mix Section Hardware Inputs The Hardware Inputs section is where the Mic Line Instrument and S PDIF inputs of Mbox Pro are monitored Hardware Inputs 1 6 are the analog inputs and Hardware Inputs 7 8 are the S PDIF inputs pas er bors EX Software Return FX Sends FX Returns Volume Software Returns The Software Returns section is where the audio coming back from Pro Tools or other audio ap plication is monitored Y Software Returns 1 and 2 are the default ste reo output from Pro Tools Chapter 5 Using the Driver Control Panel 35 Output Pairs For each Mbox Pro Monit
24. boxPr0 o oo Rs 19 Connecting Keyboards and Mixers gt 20 Connecting INSeris sad ap ar we P bt ED nC a 21 Connecting Digital IQ ceu var a roe c e oy aee rt Ca OCA EXC ob n 21 MIDI 60 gt 0 66 Acad Sin Sede ri bee rsd wo d ut euo duree 23 Word Clock su iore Der ands Cr estt aed i Praed a et Cogo Ard wr Poe eds 23 Using d FOOISWIECDI 5 25 iue este de n tene a DC t ERU tC ta B E GA o BER Loh 24 Chapter 5 Using the Driver Control Panel 25 SOU ion ek ng AE 26 ee TETUETTITEUETTTT 33 ADQUE ruta Soi e d ach oc Spas or ea oe aa eet caos ee ee eo Beth cem 33 Stereo Mix Section x ios eco nest pu ES ros racista Xi INR LG wee ek 34 Contents iii A See ck acu a e eee acu ER qo dra i di a UEM RC 40 LAYOU S cessa ty elt E ee dps x i ad kc cee a edd E AAA 40 Chapter 6 Using the Multi Button 43 Using the Multi BUON ss sas ri oe a A RR S eg 43 Press and Release Options 2 00 ccc es 44 Press and Hold OptionS ars Se Gs A e reda Po RE i es 45 Hold Duration Options x cc ok TEL ee MI a ee we eR UR rs ds cd 46 Appendix A Using CoreAudio and ASIO Compliant Applications 47
25. buttons that are off so you can still dis cern the LED in the dark High Pass Filter Enable A 75 Hz high pass filter is available for each In put channel 1 4 Enable the high pass filter for the desired channel to reduce low frequency rumble caused by for example HVAC systems or microphone handling Driver Control Panel Options Hold Clipping Indicators until Clicked The top section of the meters or right section for horizontal meters of the Driver Control Panel feature a red clipping indicator When this option is selected the clipping indicators will re main lit until they are clicked Load Latency and Clock Settings from Settings Files When this option is selected the clock source and buffer settings are recalled when loading a setting file Post Fader Meters When this option is selected fader positions will affect the meters Post Fader Meters mean the meter indicate post fader levels Pre Fader Meters When this option is selected the meters display the level of a signal before it passes the fader This allows signal levels to be displayed regard less of the fader positions within the stereo mix in other words a fader can be all the way down and no sound will be heard from the mixer s output but you can still see if there is any activ ity on that input FX Sends Mode Pre Fader FX Sends When Pre Fader FX Sends is selected the full au dio signal will be sent to the FX Sends regardless of t
26. clock e f the LED is pulsing clock source is S PDIF 30 Mbox User Guide Sample Rate This setting assigns the sample rate when it s set to internal clock source in standalone mode Mode The Mbox Pro can be in the following three types of sub standalone modes AD DA Converter When in AD DA mode analog inputs 1 and 2 are routed to S PDIF outputs left and right and S PDIF inputs left and right are routed to analog outputs 1 and 2 Preamp When in Preamp mode analog input 1 is sent to analog output 1 and S PDIF left Ana log input 2 is sent to analog output 2 and S PDIF Right Analog inputs 3 6 are sent to analog out puts 3 6 Mixer When in Mixer mode all analog and dig ital inputs are summed and routed to analog outputs 1 2 are mirrored to S PDIF outputs left and right Changing Sub standalone Modes Once you are in standalone mode you can tell which of the three sub standalone modes the Mbox Pro is in and change them using the Speaker source select switch pushing the Speaker button cycles through them all The button displays the following colors for each mode e Green in AD DA Converter Mode e Red in Preamp mode e Amber in Mixer mode Output Setup You can configure stereo and surround monitor ing and output settings in Output Setup Stereo Monitor Configuration You can assign up to three Monitor output pairs to function as control room monitor pairs Pressing front panel Speaker button cycles thr
27. coaxial cables connect the Mbox Pro S PDIF In to the S PDIF output of the device Ay Use 75 ohm RCA cables the standard for digital audio as other cables such as home stereo cables may have problems 3 Connect the Mbox Pro S PDIF Out to the S PDIF input of the external device 4 Be sure to read the next section for important information Chapter 4 Making Studio Connections 21 Using S PDIF Input If you are using Pro Tools use the Hardware Setup dialog in Pro Tools If you are using the S PDIF input on Mbox with a third party CoreAudio or ASIO compliant ap plication use the Mbox Control Panel to config ure the input See General Setup on page 26 G Mbox Pro supports external sync at sample rates of up to 192 kHz Xy S PDIF inputs on Mbox Pro can sync to an external Word clock See Word Clock on page 23 for configuration information To enable S PDIF when using Pro Tools 1 Make sure your have connected the external digital device to the correct Mbox Pro S PDIF connector In and Out 2 Make sure the external device is powered on that it is set to the correct sample rate and that it is configured to provide S PDIF clock if rele vant to your device 3 Launch Pro Tools 4 Choose Hardware gt Setup 5 Click the Clock Source pop up menu and choose S PDIF Once enabled in the Hardware Setup dialog the S PDIF inputs become active and will pass audio to Mbox Pro 22 Mbox Pro Setup Gu
28. control room output pair Status Indicators Along the bottom left of the Driver Control Panel are the following status indicators Hardware Connected This tells you the status of the hardware if a properly installed powered on Mbox Pro is con nected to the computer Status indicators Streaming This indicates if audio from a Digital Audio Workstation or a media player such as Pro Tools or Windows Media Player is currently stream ing audio to the Mbox Pro Host Control Enabled If an application such as Pro Tools has control over the Driver Control Panel then Host Con trol Enabled displays Chapter 5 Using the Driver Control Panel 39 Presets The Preset view lets you load and save Mbox Pro Settings files This is useful if you d like to save various configurations of the Control Panel so that you do not have to manually reconfigure your system each time you work on a different type of project For example you could save the following pre sets A preset for live tracking in stereo low la tency direct monitoring and or for dis crete headphone mixes e A preset for mixing in stereo alternate speakers etc e A preset for working in multi channel sur round Load Button The Load Button opens a file browser that lets you load a previously saved Settings file Save as The Save as button opens a file browser that lets you save the current settings of the Driver Con trol Panel to
29. d in Pro Tools Same as the Undo command from the Pro Tools menu Save Session Each time the Multi button is held and released it saves the session Chapter 6 Using the Multi Button 45 Hold Duration Options When you click on the Hold Duration list a drop down menu provides access to the follow ing options Soft Button Function Press and Release Press and Hold Hold Duration 250 msec wv 500 msec 750 msec 1 sec th control panel Hold Duration There are four choices of Hold Du ration 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 46 Mbox User Guide appendix a Using CoreAudio and ASIO Compliant Applications The Mbox Pro hardware drivers allow you to use CoreAudio Mac or ASIO Windows compliant applications with your Mbox Pro For driver installation instructions see Chapter 3 Installing and Connecting Mbox Pro Configuring Mbox Pro for Third Party Applications When using Mbox Pro with an application other than Pro Tools such as Apple Garage Band you may be able configure hardware set tings through the audio preference settings available in that application You can also configure your hardware using the Control Panel See Using the Driver Control Panel on page 25 Configuring the Apple Sound Preferences Mac Only Required for Using Qualified Pro
30. dals with a 1 4 inch TS connector Continu ous on continuous off pedals can also be used but may result in unexpected behavior Chapter 2 Mbox Pro Hardware Overview 9 10 Mbox Pro User Guide Installing and Connecting Mbox Pro To use Mbox Pro with Pro Tools or any other CoreAudio or ASIO compatible applications you must install the Mbox Pro hardware drivers on your computer This chapter provides instructions on installing the drivers on Mac and Windows and connect ing the Mbox Pro to your computer Ay Do not start this procedure with your Mbox connected to your computer A Before installing the hardware drivers refer to the Read Me information included with the drivers installer for your device To install the drivers and connect the Mbox Pro 1 Make sure you are logged in as an Administra tor for the account where you want to install the drivers For details on Administrator privileges see the documentation for your computer 2 Do one of the following e Insert the Drivers Installer disc that came with your Pro Tools software package into your computer e Download the Mbox Pro drivers installer for your computer platform from www avid com After downloading make sure the installer is uncompressed dmg on Mac or ZIP on Windows 3 Do one of the following e On Mac locate and double click Avid Mbox Pro mpkg e On Windows locate and double click Install Avid Mbox Pro exe 4 Follow the on sc
31. entation Aux Inputs 5 6 The RCA jacks and the 1 8 inch mini are all part of Aux input 5 6 Use the RCA jacks for line level devices like CD players or mixers Use the 1 8 inch mini to connect line level sources such as MP3 players with an 1 8 inch stereo connector FireWire Ports These standard FireWire 1394 connectors are used to connect your computer to Mbox Pro The Mbox Pro cannot be powered solely through its 1394 connection to your computer The Mbox Pro requires the power supply to function Power Input Jack This port supplies power to Mbox Pro using the included power supply The Mbox Pro requires the power supply to function For stand alone mode you power on the unit with a power con nection and no FireWire connection Power Switch This button is used to turn Mbox Pro on or off Word Clock MIDI S PDIF Connector The DB15 connection that handles Word Clock MIDI and S PDIF is a multi pin port where you plug in a breakout cable included On the op posite end of the cable you can connect to Word Clock MIDI and S PDIF devices Breakout cable Foot Switch Connector The footswitch connector on Mbox Pro lets you use a footswitch to control either playback start stop or recording punch in out Both QuickPunch audio punch in and punch out and MIDI punch in and punch out recording are supported The footswitch connector is designed speciti cally for instantaneous momentary on off pe
32. er will be required to correct the interference at his own expense Any modifications to the unit unless expressly approved by Avid could void the user s authority to operate the equipment 50 Mbox Pro User Guide Argentine Compliance TUV Rheinland Argentina S A Australian Compliance N1709 Canadian Compliance This Class A digital apparatus meets all requirements of the Canadian Interference Causing Equipment Regulations Cet appareil num rique de la classe A respecte toutes les exigences du R glement sur le material brouilleur du Canada CE Compliance EMC and Safety CE Avid is authorized to apply the CE Conformit Europ nne mark on this compliant equipment thereby declaring conformity to EMC Directive 2004 108 EC and Low Voltage Directive 2006 95 EC Korean EMC Regulations o AFSAR MAH FE ASAE 0 5 m 2784 9 9 AL SoM AE pie He c S 5492 Ad 2 L sr Japan VCCI Compliance COREG 797A AN BENAMTT COAMEXERN TERY ScWoEUGEtsERCTICHNAUTIY COMBS LIES HREM SL BRANDO CND VCCI A Safety Compliance Safety Statement This equipment has been tested to comply with USA and Canadian safety certification in accordance with the specifications of UL Standard UL 60950 1 2nd edition IEC 60950 1 2nd edition and Canadian CAN CSA C22 2 60950 1 07 2nd edition Avid Technology Inc has been authorized to apply the appropriate TUV amp cT
33. from whom you purchased the product Proposition 65 Warning A This product contains chemicals including lead known to the State of California to cause cancer and birth defects or other re productive harm Wash hands after han dling Perchlorate Notice This product may contain a lithium coin battery The State of California requires the following disclosure statement Perchlorate Material special handling may apply See www dtsc ca gov hazardouswaste perchlorate Recycling Notice AN Es Appendix B Compliance Information 49 EMC Electromagnetic Compliance Avid declares that this product complies with the following standards regulating emissions and immunity FCC Part 15 Class A EN 55022 Class A EN 55024 Class A AS NZS CISPR 22 Class A CISPR 22 Class A FCC Compliance for United States Communication Statement Note This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class A digital device pursuant to part 15 of the FCC Rules These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference when the equipment is operated in a commercial environment This equipment generates uses and can radiate radio frequency energy and if not installed and used in accordance with the instruction manual may cause harmful interference to radio communications Operation of this equipment in a residential area is likely to cause harmful interference in which case the us
34. he Headphone outputs can be configured in the Control Panel See Stereo Mix Section on page 34 Headphone A and B Volume Knobs The Headphone knobs adjust the output level of their corresponding Headphone output A or B Multi Button The Multi button can be assigned to execute sev eral functions in Pro Tools including Track Create Start stop Record Tap Tempo Toggle Marker Locations and Save Session For detailed information see Chapter 6 Using the Multi Button Power Indicator LED The Power LED indicates that the Mbox Pro is receiving power from its power supply Once the light is on audio can pass in or out of the sys tem If the light is flashing the power is not cor rect or clock is not locked Chapter 2 Mbox Pro Hardware Overview 7 Mbox Pro Back Panel Features Figure 2 identifies each port on the back panel of the Mbox Pro Aux inputs 5 6 RCAs and 1 8 inch mini Power input jack Power switch Monitor outputs 00200 Foot switch FireWire ports Word clock MIDI S PDIF connector Figure 2 Mbox Pro back panel Mic Inputs These two jacks provide XLR inputs for Input channels 3 and 4 The Mic signal is adjusted by the each channel s Gain knob on the front panel Insert Jacks Use these 1 4 inch TRS jacks to patch or in sert an external analog effect such as a com pressor or limiter onto the input signal between the preamp and the A D converter Any inserted effect
35. he Add Last Track and Add Selected Track functions 3 Choose Setup gt 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 Soft Button Function Press and Release Start Stop Playback Y Press and Hold Add Selected Track V Hold Duration launch control panel Multi Button Function pane Shown in Hardware Setup dialog 7 Go to the Edit Window and select the track you just created 8 Press and hold the Multi button for 500 msec then release A new track is added in Record En able mode 9 Press and immediately release the Multi but ton The track begins recording This is just one example of how easy it is to use the Multi button if you want to quickly throw down tracks and record But you can personalize the Multi button settings to fit any audio work flow that works for you 44 Mbox User Guide Press and Release Options When you click on the Press and Release list a pop up menu provides access to the following options Soft Button Function Press and Release None v Add Last Track Add Selected Track Cursor to Next Marker Cursor to Previous Marker Start Stop Playback Start Stop Record Loop Playback Toggle Undo Save Session Tap Tempo Ue None No function is selected in this mode Add Last Track Adds the last track ty
36. he position of the Channel Faders of stereo mix 1 2 Post Fader Mix 1 2 FX Sends When Post Fader Mix 1 2 is selected the audio signal level being sent to the FX Sends will be af fected by the position of the Channel Faders of Stereo Mix 1 Standalone Settings Standalone settings affect the setting of the Mbox Pro when it s in standalone mode with no host computer connected Cr When you set up your standalone settings you must be connected to the computer The interface can function in the following two modes Hosted Operation If there is a FireWire connec tion to the computer when the Mbox Pro is first powered on then it boots into hosted mode Standalone Operation If there is no FireWire con nection to the computer when the Mbox Pro is first powered on then it boots into standalone mode When you are in standalone mode the follow ing functions can be adjusted e Clock source e Sample rate e Mode Chapter 5 Using the Driver Control Panel 29 Clock Source Clock source and sample rate settings work in the same manner as above it defines what the clock source will be internal S PDIF or word clock The clock source can be switched from the front panel when in standalone using the Multi but ton The LED button will either be off on pulsing to indicate which clock source is currently as signed e fthe LED if off the clock source is internal e f the LED is on the clock source is word
37. ide To enable S PDIF when using a third party application 1 Do one of the following e On Mac launch System Preferences Apple menu gt System Preferences then double click Avid Mbox You can also open the Driver Control Panel from the Applications menu e On Windows choose Start gt Control Panel gt Mbox 2 In the Control Panel choose Setup 3 Select S PDIF from the Clock Source pop up menu MIDI Connections Two MIDI ports become available when you connect the provided breakout cable into the Word Clock MIDI and S PDIF input on the back panel of the Mbox Pro See Word Clock MIDI S PDIF Connector on page 9 If you need additional MIDI ports you can add a compatible MIDI interface USB MIDI interfaces work effectively with Pro Tools systems on Win dows or Mac To connect MIDI devices to Mbox Pro 1 Using the included breakout cable connect it to the Word Clock MIDI and S PDIF input on the back panel of the Mbox Pro 2 Connect the MIDI OUT of your MIDI device or controller to the MIDI IN port on the break out cable 3 Connect the MIDI IN of your MIDI device or controller to the MIDI OUT port on the break out cable e On Mac OS X use the Audio Midi Setup AMS utility to customize the names of your MIDI devices Word Clock Mbox Pro provides Word Clock In and Out con nectors on the back panel that let you synchro nize or clock Mbox Pro to industry standard Word clock Word clock
38. itch connector is designed speciti cally for instantaneous momentary on off pedals with a 1 4 inch TS connector Continu ous on continuous off pedals can also be used but may result in unexpected behavior To use a footswitch control 1 Connect a footswitch to the footswitch con nector on the back panel of the Mbox Pro 2 Launch Pro Tools 3 Choose Setup Hardware 4 Select Record Punch In Out or Playback Start Stop 5 Click OK Using the Driver Control Panel The Mbox Pro Driver Control Panel lets you configure settings for your audio interface for use with Pro Tools as well as for other audio ap plications that support the CoreAudio Mac or ASIO Windows standard Several features of Mbox Pro can be accessed di rectly from the Mbox Pro front panel such as in put gain phantom power and output levels But there are many additional parameters that cannot be accessed from the front panel These additional features are available to you using the included Driver Control Panel application Horizontal Outputs 1 2 Stereo Mix 1 To open the Driver Control Panel On Mac launch System Preferences Apple menu gt System Preferences then double click Avid Mbox Pro a On Windows choose Start gt Control Panel gt Mbox Pro To open the Driver Control Panel from Pro Tools 1 Choose Setup gt Hardware in the Edit window 2 Click launch control panel Bl E E NE E E E T a a a a
39. le from the mixer s outputs the stereo mix does not affect the signals that are sent to your re cording application For example if you are re cording a vocalist and he she tells you to turn up the vocal track so they can hear themselves better you can increase the vocalist s micro phone channel in the stereo mix This will make the vocal part louder in the vocalist s head phones but it will still be recorded into Pro Tools at the volume determined by the front panel Gain Adjustment Knob 34 Mbox User Guide The stereo mix is set up like a standard mixing console There are 16 input channels eight hardware inputs from Mbox Pro and eight soft ware returns from your recording application Each input channel has its own volume fader pan and aux send knobs solo and mute but tons as well as a master output section with its own pair of faders and mute buttons A pair of channels can be linked together by clicking the link icon between the two channels Linking channels lets you adjust mute solo and fader settings simultaneously by modifying pa rameters on either one of the linked channels However linking two channels will not have any effect on their Pan controls which are al ways made on a per channel basis The stereo mix features multi segment meters to show input channel levels directly above each channel and main mixer output levels at the top right of the mixer The pre post fader me tering operation can
40. nal flow from the inputs to the out puts of Mbox Pro This is a useful reference for understanding the path of an audio signal flow ing through Mbox Pro caza LEM DELL x IRALA E FY pce FTTIIIIT AAA Ton About The About pop up menu lets you view the firm ware version of the Mbox Pro hardware and the package version of the Mbox Pro driver installer Package 1 0 2 Manual Updates Support FAG Register Firmware 0 15 4 Web links Firmware and driver information Accessing the Web Links Along the bottom right of the Driver Control Panel you can easily access helpful online re sources on our Avid website www avid com by clicking on the following pop up menus e Manual e Updates e Support e FAQs e Register O Clicking on any of the Web links will open your web browser Your computer must have Internet access for these pages to load Chapter 5 Using the Driver Control Panel 33 Stereo Mix Section These 16 input 2 output mixes allow you to cre ate up to six stereo mixes when running at a sample rate at or below 96 kHz and up to two stereo mixes when running at a sample rate above 96 kHz This lets you set up near zero latency cue mixes in which the performers hear a customized mix while recording Itisimportant to note that any changes made to the stereo mix will only affect what is audib
41. nnecting a ribbon microphone The Mbox Pro can only supply phantom power through a microphone cable with XLR connec tors If you are not sure about the phantom power requirements for your microphone refer to your microphone s documentation or con tact the manufacturer Using a Mic with an XLR Connector Input Channels 1 2 To use a microphone with an XLR connector 1 Plug your microphone cable into one of the two Mic DI inputs on the front of Mbox Pro in this example input 2 Gain Pull 20dB Fronto Sft clp wem 02 o 03 o 04 9 ta Sftclp Mica Sft cl ooaoooooQ 009000008 0099609908 om Mic DI input 2 XLR connector plugged into Input 2 Mic DI combo jack 2 Set the input source to Mic DI microphone by pressing the Front Rear switch for channel 2 to the out position When the button is set to the out position the front panel combo Mic DI inputs will be active When the button is set to the in position the back panel Line in puts will be active ic DI o e 04 9 ot o2 os o4 en H A o 48V Front Rear switches Front Rear switches for Mic DI combo jacks 3 If your microphone requires phantom power make sure the microphone is connected then press the Phantom Power switch labeled 48V on the front of the Mbox Pro This switch sends 48V to all four mic inputs The 48V LED on the front of the Mbox Pro lights when phantom power is engaged Dim M
42. nstru ments that use pickups Line Inputs Back Panel Use the back panel 1 4 inch Line inputs for line level devices including electronic audio sources such as mixers sam plers keyboards and synthesizers Aux 5 6 Back Panel Use the back panel RCA jacks or the 1 8 inch stereo jack for line level de vices such as a CD players or MP3 players Connecting Electric Guitar or Bass To use a guitar with Mbox Pro 1 On the front of the Mbox Pro plug your guitar or bass cable into one of the Mic DI inputs E e Hd Connecting guitar to the Mic DI 1 connector 2 On the front of the Mbox Pro make sure the Front Rear switch for Mic DI 1 is in the out position 3 On the front of the Mbox Pro turn the master volume knob to the desired level 4 On the front of the Mbox Pro carefully turn the Gain control knob to the right to increase the input level of your guitar You can tune your guitar using the on board tuner from the front panel of the Mbox Pro Hold down the Mono and Dim buttons to launch the tuner in the Driver Control Panel See Setup on page 26 Chapter 4 Making Studio Connections 19 Connecting Keyboards and Mixers To use a keyboard or mixer with Mbox Pro 1 Plug your keyboard with line outputs mixer or other audio source into any one of the four Line Input channels on the back of the Mbox Pro If your source is stereo such as a ste reo keyboard or the stereo output from a mi
43. nu General Setup mode shown 26 Mbox User Guide Hardware Settings This section of the Control Panel provides con trols for setting parameters on your interface when it is connected to a computer using a FireWire cable called Hosted Mode Disable Host Control This setting lets you wrest control of the Driver Control Panel from Pro Tools 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 Xy Ifyou want to use the Low Latency Monitor ing option in Pro Tools this option must not be checked Clock Source This setting determines the clock source to which Mbox Pro is synchronized Internal If you are using Mbox Pro by itself for example without other digital devices or an ex ternal clock select the Internal option for the in terface to work properly S PDIF If you have connected a S PDIF device to your Mbox Pro and would like to use that device as the master clock source select the S PDIF op tion This will make Mbox Pro clock to the exter nal device s clock Word Clock If you are transferring material into Pro Tools from an external digital device or if you utilize a common house clock signal you will need to synchronize Pro Tools to that digital device or common signal Select the Word Clock option Sample Rate This drop down menu sets the sample rate of Mbox Pro Note tha
44. or output pair Moni tor outputs 1 2 3 4 5 6 S PDIF Left and Right or Headphones A and B there is a representa tive tab in the output pair select view The output pair select view lets you choose the audio source for each Monitor output pair and where appli cable edit the audio source Tabs representing each Mbox Pro hardware output pair output pair select view shown Each output pair select tab includes a drop down menu where you can select the audio source you want The sources include e Stereo Mix 1 e Stereo Mix 2 e Stereo Mix 3 Available only at sample rates at or below 96 kHz e Stereo Mix 4 Available only at sample rates at or below 96 kHz e Stereo Mix 5 Available only at sample rates at or below 96 kHz e Stereo Mix 6 Available only at sample rates at or below 96 kHz e Software Returns 1 2 e Software Returns 3 4 e Software Returns 5 6 e Software Returns 7 8 e Hardware Inputs 1 2 e Hardware Inputs 3 4 e Hardware Inputs 5 6 e Hardware Inputs 7 8 The available output pair audio sources can be divided into two categories 36 Mbox User Guide Stereo Mixes A stereo mix lets you set up a custom stereo mix setting the desired level for each hardware input and software return that is fed to the hardware output pair See the Stereo Mix section below for details Direct Routes A direct route means that the chosen signal is passed directly to the hardware output pair For example if the so
45. or outputs assigning in Driver Control Panel 36 configuring outputs in the Driver Control Panel 32 connecting 14 jacks 8 Index 53 Multi button description 7 using 43 P phantom power 48V Switch and LED 6 when to use 6 16 Power input jack 9 Power Switch 9 S S PDIF connecting 21 connector 9 using 22 sample rate 27 system requirements 3 V volume Headphone A and B Volume knobs 7 Master Volume knob 7 W Word clock connector 9 overview 23 using with Pro Tools 23 54 Mbox Pro User Guide
46. ough the control room output pairs This is useful for A B ing your mix between different studio monitors Multi Power Dim Mute 1 A BOX B PRO 48V Mono Spkr ooo 7 7 A Speaker button Mbox Pro Speaker source select button Surround Monitor Configuration You can choose which Monitor output pairs are controlled by Mbox Pro s Master Volume knob For example if you enable Master Volume for all three Monitor output pairs then the Master Vol ume controls all of them at once This is useful if you are mixing in surround General Setup Analog Outputs 1 2 Left Trim Alama Name Control Room Assignment Speakers A Green LED Master Vo Analog Outputs 3 4 Name Left Trim Control Room Assignment Speakers B Red LED ster Vo Analog Outputs 5 6 Left Trim Output 5 6 Control Room Assignment Speakers C Amber LED Name S PDIF Outputs L R Headphone A j Headphone A Headphone B lame Jame Name Setup pop up menu Output Setup mode shown The Output Setup options are grouped in the fol lowing categories Chapter 5 Using the Driver Control Panel 31 Monitor Outputs 1 2 3 4 5 6 Name You can name your stereo Monitor output pairs by clicking in the box The name appears in the Output Pair tabs in the Stereo Mix section See Output Pairs on page 36 Control Room Assignment This drop down menu assigns a Monitor output pair 1 2 3 4 5 6 as a control room
47. our external devices 2 Configure all external devices to slave to the Word clock coming from Mbox Pro Be sure to verify sample rate settings termination require ments and other internal settings for the device refer to the manufacturer s documentation if you need more information on the particular re quirements for your other equipment 3 Launch Pro Tools 4 Choose Hardware Setup 5 Click the Clock Source pop up menu and choose Internal Pro Tools as Word Clock Slave In order to slave Pro Tools to an external Word clock source you must configure Word clock as the Pro Tools Clock source To configure Pro Tools with Mbox Pro as a Word clock slave 1 Make sure all Word clock and audio connec tions are correct as described earlier in this sec tion 2 Make sure the external Word clock source is powered on and configured to output 1x Word clock Be sure to verify any required termina tion refer to the manufacturer s documentation if you need more information on the particular requirements for your device 3 Launch Pro Tools 24 Mbox Pro Setup Guide 4 Choose Hardware Setup 5 Click the Clock Source pop up menu and choose Word Clock Using a Footswitch The footswitch connector on Mbox Pro lets you use a footswitch pedal to control either playback start stop or recording punch in out Both QuickPunch audio punch in and punch out and MIDI punch in and punch out recording are supported The footsw
48. our insert jacks Inserts 1 4 for inserting external processing devices such as an EQ or a compressor between the input channel s onboard mic preamp and the onboard analog to digital convertor Inserts 4 Insert jacks for external processing on Mbox Pro To insert an external processor on an input 1 Using a 1 4 inch insert cable single TRS con nector to dual TS connectors connect the sin gle TRS connector the connector with two rings to one of the insert jacks on your Mbox Pro 2 Connect the dual TS connectors the Y end of the cable to the external processor as follows e Connect the TS connector that corre sponds to the tip send on the TRS connec tor to the input of the processor and e Connect the other TS connector that corre sponds to the ring return on the TRS con nector to the output of the processor Dual TS CD connector Single TRS connector Insert cable Connecting Digital 1 0 Mbox Pro provides digital inputs and outputs for S PDIF format digital audio S PDIF digital I O can be used in combination with analog I O and are independently routable Multi pin port for breakout cable input Word Clock MIDI and S PDIF input on Mbox Pro Connecting Digital Devices To connect Mbox Pro to an external digital device 1 Using the included breakout cable connect it to the Word Clock MIDI and S PDIF input on the back panel of the Mbox Pro 2 Using RCA
49. pe that you created in the session Say you have created two Audio tracks in a session It will add another mono Audio track Add Selected Track Adds whatever tracks that you have selected in a session Say you have se lected two Audio tracks in a session It will add another two Audio tracks Cursor to Next Marker Each time the button is pressed and released the transport will locate to the next marker location Cursor to Previous Marker Each time the button is pressed and released the transport will locate to the previous marker location Start Stop Playback Each time the button is pressed and released it starts stops playing back the session Start Stop Record Each time the button is pressed and released it starts stops recording Loop Playback Toggle Each time the button is pressed and released the Loop Playback mode is toggled between enabled and disabled Undo Each time the button is pressed and re leased it undoes that last operation you per formed in Pro Tools Same as the Undo com mand from the Pro Tools menu Save Session Each time the Multi button is pressed and released it saves the session Tap Tempo The Multi button can be tapped to adjust the session tempo Tapping tempo will cause Pro Tools to come out of Conductor mode and match its tempo to the tapped tempo If Pro Tools is already in Manual Tempo mode the session will automatically adjust its tempo to match the value created by the Tap Tempo f
50. reamps inputs 1 2 Each input channel 1 2 provides e 48v Phantom Power and inserts e Two XLR TRS Mic DI combo connectors on the front panel and two 1 4 inch TRS Line connectors with switchable 4 10 in put level on the rear panel Mic preamps feature a 20 dB pad and soft limit switch separately on each analog in put channel Mic DI signal is adjusted by the Gain knob for each channel Chapter 1 Welcome to Mbox Pro 1 e Two additional channels of analog audio in put with high quality microphone preamps Each input channel 3 4 provides 48v Phantom Power and inserts e Analog input jacks include two XLR Mic connectors on the rear panel and two 1 4 inch TRS Line connectors with switchable 4 10 input level also on the rear panel Mic preamps feature a 20 dB pad and soft limit switch separately on each analog in put channel e Mic signal is adjusted by the Gain knob for each channel Two channels of analog audio input via RCA or 1 8 inch connectors Aux 5 6 Each input channel provides e Analog input jacks provide an unbalanced line input on either RCA connectors or a 1 8 inch mini stereo connector common for connecting most MP3 players e Inputs are fully functioning inputs to Pro Tools as well as providing an alternate monitor source using the Speaker button Analog Outputs Six balanced 1 4 inch TRS analog outputs supporting line level outputs multiple stereo monitors or up to 5 1 surround
51. reen instructions to proceed with installation 5 When installation is complete restart your computer 6 After the computer has restarted connect one end of the provided FireWire cable to the FireWire port on Mbox Pro Connect the other end of the cable to any available FireWire port on your computer Connect the power cable and turn on the Mbox Pro using the power switch on the back Then follow the remaining on screen instructions to complete installation You can now use your Mbox Pro with Pro Tools or with any other CoreAudio or ASIO compati ble application For Pro Tools installation instructions see the Pro Tools Installation Guide Chapter 3 Installing and Connecting Mbox Pro 11 12 Mbox Pro User Guide chapter 4 Making Studio Connections This chapter provides step by step instructions for connecting mics instruments mixers head phones speakers and other devices to Mbox Pro Connecting Outputs To hear audio from Mbox Pro you will need to connect headphones or an external sound sys tem such as powered monitors or a home ste reo to Mbox Pro Connecting Headphones You can use headphones equipped with a 1 4 inch stereo jack to monitor your audio Headphone level A B e Gain Gain 04 9 o oz os o ill 20dB aba Pull 20dB Hp 1 4 inch Headphone outputs A B Headphone jacks and controls on front of Mbox Pro To connect headphones 1 Connect he
52. s guitars key boards and other types of instruments and de vices For information about connecting specific au dio sources see Connecting a Microphone on page 16 and Connecting Instruments to the Mbox Pro on page 19 01 02 03 04 14 e j HHE Mono Spkr 00 000 Aux inputs 5 6 and 1 8 inch Input channels on the front back of Mbox Pro Mic DI Inputs 1 2 Line Inputs 1 2 The front panel Mic DI inputs 1 2 provide com bination XLR Mic or a 1 4 inch DI jacks for Input channels 1 and 2 Toggle each channel s Front Rear input source switch to switch between the front panel Mic DI input and the 1 4 inch TRS Line Input located on the back panel When the switch is in the out position the front panel Mic DI input is active when in the rear Line Input is active Mic Inputs 3 4 Line Inputs 3 4 The back panel Mic inputs 3 4 provide two ded icated XLR connectors for Input channels 3 and 4 Toggle each channel s Front Rear input source switch to switch between the XLR input and 1 4 inch TRS Line Input located on the back panel When the switch is in the out position the Mic input is active when in the Line Input is active for that channel Aux Inputs 5 6 The Aux inputs 5 6 section provide dual mono RCA jacks or a single 1 8 inch stereo jack for Aux input channels 5 and 6 If the 1 8 inch jack and the RCA jacks are both connected the 1 8 inch jack takes precedence
53. s affect the recorded signal These inserts are only active when a connector is inserted and are otherwise bypassed The TRS jack is configured as follows Tip Send Ring Return Sleeve Ground 8 Mbox Pro User Guide Insert jacks Mic inputs Line inputs 4 10 switches Monitor Outputs There are six balanced 1 4 inch TRS analog outputs that support line level outputs multiple stereo monitors or up to 5 1 surround monitoring For more information on configuring stereo and surround monitoring in the Driver Control Panel see Output Setup on page 31 Line Inputs There are four TRS balanced analog Line inputs on the back panel for Input channels 1 4 For input channels 1 2 Line inputs are selected us ing the 01 and 02 Front Rear switch on the front panel set to Rear For inputs 3 4 Line inputs are selected using the 03 and 04 Mic Line switches on the front panel set to Line Mic inputs are selected using the 03 and 04 Mic Line set to Mic 4 10 Switches These switches let you select 4 or 10 input op erating levels for Line Input channels 1 2 and or 3 4 When out the level is set to 4 and when in it is set to 10 A If the device you are connecting to any of these inputs has unbalanced outputs or you are using an unbalanced TS cable set the line input switch to 10 For balanced outputs using balanced TRS cables set the switch to 4 Refer to your device s docu m
54. sirable Pan The Pan knobs control the position of a chan nel s audio signal in the stereo image of the ste reo mix double click the knob to return pan to center Solo Each Solo button lets audio be monitored for the channel of which it is a part while simultane ously muting all other Hardware Input channels and Software Returns except for those that also have their Solo buttons activated Mute The Mute buttons are used to individually turn off audio monitoring for each channel in the stereo mix Channel Faders The Channel Faders control the monitoring vol ume level of each channel in the stereo mix Channel Labels By default the Channel Labels show the input name of each channel 1 8 except for the Mas ter fader pair which is labeled L R by default Clicking on a Channel Label gives you a cursor allowing you to type in your own custom chan nel name such as guitar vocals etc The Channel Labels also display the signal level in dB while a fader is being adjusted Link 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 Links buttons otha ane Ree berth and Input ERES ES EFFECT Biogen 1 x Pan controls are unaffected by linking two channels Hardware Input FX Sends FX Sends are shared by all Stereo Mixes unless Post Fader S
55. t the Mic Line input switch for channel 3 to the in position line Mic DI Mic DI O je 01 i 5 04 os O ee 1 l 00 9 4 e a 00 e Mic Line switches Mic Line switches for Mic DI combo jacks 3 If your microphone requires phantom power make sure the microphone is connected then press the Phantom Power switch labeled 48V on the front of the Mbox Pro This switch sends 48V to all four inputs The 48V LED on the front of the Mbox Pro will light when phantom power is being supplied 18 Mbox Pro Setup Guide 5 ES S 04 idee Dim Mute 6 6 0 06 1 48V Phantom Power Phantom Power switch 4 On the front of the Mbox Pro turn the master volume knob to the desired level Gain knob Master volume knob adh kd ro dh TH ON Gain knob for Input 3 Master volume knob shown 5 On the front of the Mbox Pro carefully turn the Gain knob to the right to increase the input level of your microphone signal 6 If the incoming signal is too loud press the Push Pull knob to the out position to engage the 20 dB pad yo 9 01 2 D 3 9 zii iii l suc fm W nno O 48V 20 dB Pad Input 3 Pad Connecting Instruments to the Mbox Pro Mbox Pro provides three input types DI Line and Aux In for instruments DI Input Front Panel Use the front panel DI Direct Inject inputs for instruments such as electric guitar electric bass or other i
56. t when using the interface with an ASIO or CoreAudio application the sample rate can also be determined by your au dio application This parameter may not be ed itable from within the Mbox Pro Control Panel if your audio application is running In this case any changes to the sample rate must be made through the audio application itself If the appli cation does not provide a way to set the sample rate quit the application then change the sam ple rate through the Mbox Pro Control Panel When the sample rate is locked to an external digital clock source the Mbox Pro s LED is solid blue When the sample rate is set and there is no digital clock source detected or cannot lock to it for some reason the LED will blink A message appears at the bottom of the Hardware Settings section stating that External clock not de tected Audio Streaming is Disabled Chapter 5 Using the Driver Control Panel 27 Buffer Size Windows only This menu sets the size of the input and output buffers on Mbox Pro Buffers are used to help keep audio hardware and software running smoothly by processing audio in groups of samples rather than one sam ple at a time Due to variations between com puter hardware and software it is impossible to recommend a single optimum setting for all sys tems It may be necessary to experiment with various settings until you find the best buffer size for your system The goal of setting a buffer size is
57. tch affects the output volume for control room outputs as assigned in the Driver Control Panel setup by default Line out puts 1 and 2 See Control Room Assignment on page 32 The switch has two functions When pushed Line outputs 1 and 2 or the currently assigned Control Room outputs are dimmed When Dim is engaged the switch LED lights solid When pushed and held in Line outputs 1 and 2 or the currently assigned Control Room out puts are muted When Mute is engaged the switch LED flashes Mono Switch The Mono Button sums the control room out puts to a mono signal delivering that identical signal to both speakers via the Driver Control Panel or the Mbox Pro When engaged the Mono LED lights Spkr Speaker Button You can assign Monitor outputs pairs to the Speaker button and cycle through the pairs as configured in the Control Panel see Chapter 5 Using the Driver Control Panel and Control Room Assignment on page 32 This is useful for A B ing your mix between different studio monitors When pressed and held it sources Aux inputs 5 6 letting you can switch between monitoring playback from your audio application and mon itoring an external source such a CD player connected to Aux inputs 5 6 Headphone Outputs Usethe A and B front panel Headphone outputs to connect stereo headphones with a 1 4 inch stereo connector Headphone output A mirrors Monitor outputs 1 2 by default Sources for t
58. tereo Mix 1 is chosen in the Setup pop up menu Software Return FX Sends FX Sends are shared by all Stereo Mixes unless Post Fader Stereo Mix 1 is chosen in the Setup pop up menu Chapter 5 Using the Driver Control Panel 37 FX Returns These knobs control how much of the Effect au dio output will be mixed in with the monitor signal Master L R outputs Unlike sends FX Returns are individually adjustable for each stereo mix Master section FX Returns section FX Returns below Master section The Clip LED will show clipping if the input to the FX is clipping and if the output is clipping the rest of the meter is just output Effect The Effect drop down menu is used to select the effect to be applied to the Hardware Inputs and or Software Returns effects are not avail able if the sample rate is gt 96 kHz There are five available reverb types Three room reverbs and two hall reverbs delay and echo These effects can be customized by using the following three controls Duration This knob controls decay time for the reverbs or delay time for delay and echo Feedback This knob controls the number of re peats for the delay and echo effects It does not affect the reverbs Volume This knob controls the effects output level being sent to the FX Returns 38 Mbox User Guide Master The Master section lets you control the main mixer output This output can be routed to any hardware output Each
59. to reduce it as much as possible without hearing any clicks pops or other glitches If the buffer size is too small the computer will not be able to make all the required audio calculations on time and you will hear pops clicks and stuttering in your au dio streams On the other hand if the buffer size is set too high your computer will process audio without incident but your software will feel sluggish and unresponsive To find your system s optimum buffer size set ting begin with a high setting and gradually re duce the size until you begin to hear clicks pops or other audible glitches in your audio Then raise the buffer size setting until these glitches disappear You may need to stop play ing audio any time you change this setting and certain applications will require you to re launch the program before the new buffer size settings become active A This menu only appears on Windows sys tems Most Mac OS X applications allow to change the buffer size from within the au dio application itself Please see your audio application s user guide to learn how to change this setting 28 Mbox User Guide Soft Button Settings Press and 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 Pro Choose between 250 msec 500 msec 750 msec and 1 sec Use Dim LEDs for Button off State Checking this option gives you a dim LED for all the soft
60. unc tion Press and Hold Options When you click on the Press and Hold list a pop up menu provides access to the following options Soft Button Function Press and Release Start Stop Playback M Press and Hold None Add Last Track v Add Selected Track Cursor to Next Marker Cursor to Previous Marker Start Stop Playback Start Stop Record Loop Playback Toggle Undo Save Session None No function is selected in this mode Add Last Track Adds the last track type that you created in the session Say you have created two Audio tracks in a session It will add another mono Audio track Add Selected Track Adds whatever tracks that you have selected in a session Say you have se lected two Audio tracks in a session It will add another two Audio tracks Cursor to Next Marker Each time the button is held and released the transport will locate to the next marker location Cursor to Previous Marker Each time the button is held and released the transport will locate to the previous marker location Start Stop Playback Each time the button is held and released it starts stops playing back the session Start Stop Record Each time the button is held and released it starts stops recording Loop Playback Toggle Each time the button is held and released the Loop Playback mode is toggled between enabled and disabled Undo Each time the button is held and released it undoes that last operation you performe
61. urce for output pair 1 2 were Hardware Inputs 1 2 then the signal coming into hardware inputs 1 2 of the Mbox Pro would be fed directly to hardware outputs 1 2 Similarly if the source were Software Returns 1 2 the signal fed from an audio host software returns 1 2 would be fed directly to hardware outputs 1 2 Notes e The source of the currently selected tab is displayed below the output pair select view See Output Setup on page 31 e For Stereo Mix sources a traditional mixer view is displayed e For direct route sources a view with meters is displayed and the input source and out put destination are highlighted e You can drag and drop the tabs to reorder them if you want Notes on output pairs that are designated as control room outputs e If an output pair is a designated control room output see Control Room Assign ment on page 32 a speaker icon will ap pear in the upper right corner of the tab Click the speaker icon or double click the tab to make the associated output pair the active control room speaker pair e Control room output pairs must have ste reo mixes as their source This is enforced automatically by the software e n most cases you will want to use the same stereo mixer for example Stereo Mix 1 for all designated control room out put pairs This is not enforced by the soft ware because there are cases in which varying sources for control room output pairs would be de
62. ute Gain Gain O 01 02 Z E o o o o o o a Sttcips Mica Strcip H H 0 a 5 0 o 0 48V Phantom Power Phantom Power switch 4 On the front of the Mbox Pro turn the master volume knob to the desired level Gain knob Master volume knob Volume Powe o Multi M Dim Mute 48V A BOX B Mono Spkr PRO l 0 000 A 2008 y yO e i Gain knob for Input 1 Master volume knob shown 5 On the front of the Mbox Pro carefully turn the Gain knob to the right to increase the input level of your microphone signal 6 If the incoming signal is too loud press the Push Pull knob to engage the 20 dB pad meo 01 f meo 03 04 o2 03 04 o o e o o o o o Fronts Sftclp 8 o o oe 005000 o 0000 t 5 20 dB Pad Input 2 Pad Chapter 4 Making Studio Connections 17 Using a Mic with an XLR Connector Input Channels 3 4 To use a microphone with an XLR connector 1 Plug your microphone cable into one of the two Mic inputs XLR on the back of Mbox Pro In this example Input 3 Mic input 3 XLR connector plugged into Mic Input 3 XLR jack 2 There are two Mic inputs XLR on the back panel Input 3 and 4 On the front panel set the Mic Line input switch for channel 3 to the out position microphone Use the corresponding back panel inputs marked Line Input 3 and Line Input 4 on the back when working with line level sig nals In that case se
63. utton on the front panel of the Mbox Pro can be assigned to easily execute sev eral functions in Pro Tools including but not limited to e Add Track e Start Stop Record e Tap Tempo e Locating to Next Previous Marker e Save Session Mbox Pro Multi button shown You can use the Multi button to do these and other common tasks with a single button in stead of using on screen menu commands By pressing the Multi button two different ways Press and Release Press and Hold you can per form two functions with one button Using the Multi Button In the Hardware Setup dialog Pro Tools lets you set three Multi button parameters for your Mbox Pro using the Multi Button Function pane You can also launch the Driver Control Panel from here Cr For more information on the Driver Control Panel see Appendix The Multi Button Function includes the follow ing options Press and Release Displays the options avail able for Press and Release mode Press and Hold Displays the options available for Press and Hold mode Duration Gives four time duration options for Press and Hold button Launch Control Panel Launches Driver Control Panel Chapter 6 Using the Multi Button 3 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 T You need to have at least one track avail able in a session to use t
64. xer connect the left channel often the white plug to Input 1 and right channel often the red plug to Input 2 A If your keyboard has unbalanced outputs set the line input switch to 10 instead of 4 Refer to your keyboard s documenta tion 2 On the front of the Mbox Pro set the Front Rear switch to Rear or Mic Line switch to Line that corresponds to your channel 3 On the front of the Mbox Pro turn the master volume knob to the desired level 4 Set your instrument s volume to its optimal level For example the optimal level for most keyboards is between 80 and 100 of maxi mum volume 5 On the rear panel of the Mbox Pro use the In put Level switch for 4 10 input line level set tings one for each stereo pair 1 2 amp 3 4 In the out position the level is set to 4 and when pushed to the in position it is set to 10 20 Mbox Pro Setup Guide To use Aux Input 5 6 Line inputs Plug your keyboard mixer or other line level device into the Aux Input 5 6 inputs L and R Connecting DJ Equipment To use the Aux Inputs 5 6 Plug your DJ mixer DVD player or similar outputs into the Aux Input 5 6 inputs L and R A There is no RIAA preamp or grounding post on the Mbox Pro so connect a turntable to a mixer or phono preamp before connecting to Mbox Pro Ay For Aux inputs 5 6 the 1 8 inch jack takes precedence over the RCA jacks Connecting Inserts Mbox Pro provides a total of f

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