How it Works
Pinnacle Systems
Loading...
I
J
L
M
Loading...
Loading...
Mbox - 9.0
User Guide
48 pgs1.53 Mb0
Table of contents
Loading...

Pinnacle Systems Mbox - 9.0 User Guide

®
Mbox 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.
Product features, specifications, system requirements, and availability are subject to change without notice.
Guide Part Number 9329-65068-00 REV A 9/10
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.

contents

Chapter 1. Welcome to Mbox . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Mbox Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
System Requirements and Compatibility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Conventions Used in This Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
About www.avid.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Chapter 2. Mbox Hardware Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Mbox Front Panel Features. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Mbox Back Panel Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Chapter 3. Installing and Connecting Mbox . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Chapter 4. Making Studio Connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Connecting Outputs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Audio Inputs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Connecting a Microphone. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Connecting Instruments to the Mbox . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
MIDI Connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Chapter 5. Using the Driver Control Panel. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Presets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Layouts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Additional Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Stereo Mixes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Using the Stereo Mix Section . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Contents iii
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. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Appendix A. Using Third-Party Applications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Configuring Mbox for Third-Party Applications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Configuring the Apple Sound Preferences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Appendix B. Compliance Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Environmental Compliance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
EMC (Electromagnetic Compliance) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Safety Compliance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Mbox User Guideiv
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.
Mbox integrates with Pro Tools is compatible with third-party audio and MIDI applications that support the CoreAudio (Mac) or ASIO (Windows) standard.
®
.
®
software, and

Mbox Features

Mbox provides the following:
• Two channels of analog audio input with high-quality microphone preamps and swit­chable 48V phantom power
• Analog input jacks include two XLR/TRS combo-jacks and two 1/4 TS jacks, with switchable Mic, Line, and DI levels
• Soft-limit feature on each input
• –20 dB pad available separately on each an­alog input channel
• Two channels of S/PDIF digital input and two channels of S/PDIF digital output
• S/PDIF inputs are available independently, in addition to analog inputs 1–2
• S/PDIF outputs are available indepen­dently, in addition to analog outputs 1–2
• Up to a total of four channels of input, using analog and digital inputs simultaneously
• One MIDI In and one MIDI Out port, provid­ing 16 channels of MIDI input and output
• Two 1/4-inch TRS analog monitor outputs
• 24-bit A/D and D/A converters, supporting sample rates up to 96 kHz
• Low Latency Monitoring (LLM) with adjust­able balance between input and playback
• Dim and Mono buttons
• 1/4-inch (TRS) stereo headphone output with adjustable level control
• On-board reverb and delay effects (useful for monitoring while tracking vocals)
• On-board Tuner
• Multi-function, assignable Soft button
• USB 2.0 High-speed operation
Mbox may not function properly if connected to a USB hub. Connect Mbox Mini to a sepa­rate, dedicated USB port.
Chapter 1: Welcome to Mbox 1

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.
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.
Mbox hardware drivers must be installed before you can connect and use your Mbox.
For Mbox hardware drivers installation in­structions, see Chapter 3, “Installing and Connecting Mbox.”
A DVD drive is required to use the Drivers In­staller disc (included with your Pro Tools soft­ware 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
All of our guides use the following conventions to indicate menu choices and key commands:
:
Convention Action
File > Save Choose Save from the
File menu
Control+N Hold down the Control key
Control-click Hold down the Control key
Right-click Click with the right
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:
and press the N key
and click the mouse button
mouse button
User Tips are helpful hints for getting the most from your system.
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.
Mbox User Guide2

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.
Support and Downloads Contact Avid Customer Success (technical support); download software updates and the latest online manuals; browse the Compatibility documents for system re­quirements; 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.
Chapter 1: Welcome to Mbox 3
Mbox User Guide4
chapter 2
48V
USB
Headphone
Headphone
Source selector
LED
Input 1
Volume
Output
Monitor
Level
Dim
Gain/
Source selector
Input 2
Sig/Clip
LED
Mono
Soft Limit
Soft Limit
Instrument
Instrument
Multi
-20dB
Sig/Clip
LED
Gain/
-20dB

Mbox Hardware Overview

Mbox Front Panel Features

Figure 1 identifies controls, indicators, and input and output ports on the front panel on the Mbox.
Figure 1. Mbox front panel
Instrument Inputs
Use these 1/4-inch TS inputs are for connecting an electric guitar, bass, or other instrument-level device. The level for these inputs is controlled by the Gain Controls.
Front/Rear Source Selectors
These buttons select either the front panel In­strument Inputs (TS) or rear panel Mic/Line In­puts (XLR/TRS combo) for each channel. When the button is set to the Out position, the front panel Instrument Inputs are active. When the button is set to the In position, the rear panel Mic/Line Inputs are active.
Chapter 2: Mbox Hardware Overview 5
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.
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 20 dB.
Signal/Clip LEDs
These LEDs illuminate green in the presence of audio signal, and illuminate red if the input sig­nal has “clipped” (overloaded) the input of the Mbox. Clipping the input can result in audible distortion.
Soft-Limit Buttons
These buttons activate the Soft-Limit function, applying a smooth, overdriven tape-type limit­ing to strong input signals on the Instrument, Mic, or Line inputs.
+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.
Dynamic microphones (such as Shure SM57s or M-Audio Aries) do not require phantom power to operate, but are not harmed by it. Most con- denser microphones (like an M-Audio Solaris) do require phantom power to operate.
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 dis­connecting a ribbon microphone.
When using phantom power, the Mbox maximum current per microphone is 4 mA.
If you are not sure about the phantom power re­quirements for your microphone, consult your microphone’s documentation or contact the manufacturer.
Monitor Level
The Monitor Level knob adjusts the output level of the Monitor Output ports.
Dim Button and LED
The Dim Button reduces by 30 dB the output volume from both the Monitor Outputs and the Headphone Output. When engaged, the Dim LED lights.
Mono Button
The Mono Button sums the control room out­puts to a mono signal (delivering that identical signal to both speakers) via the Driver Control Panel or the Mbox. When engaged, the Mono LED lights.
Mbox User Guide6
Checking Phase Relationships
The Mono switch can also be used for a quick check of the phase relationship between Source 1 and Source 2 inputs.
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. When a string is played on a guitar plugged into an Instrument Input, the Input 1 Sig­nal/Clip LED is illuminated red if tuning is too low, off when tuning is too high, and green when tuning is correct. The Input 2 Signal/Clip LED is illuminated red if tuning is too high, off when tuning is too low, and green when tuning is correct. The Tuner interface is displayed in the Software Control panel if the Software Control Panel is open.
Front Panel Headphone Output
Multi Button
(Pro Tools Only)
The Multi Button can be assigned to execute sev­eral functions in Pro Tools, including Add Track, Start/Stop Record, Tap Tempo, Toggle Marker Locations, and Save Session. See Chapter 5, “Us­ing the Multi Button (Pro Tools Only).”
USB LED
The USB LED indicates that the Mbox is receiv­ing power from its USB connection. Once the USB light is on, audio can pass in or out of the system.
The USB LED is a power LED, which is also indi­cates when the unit is powered in stand-alone mode. In this mode you can connect a USB cable but that cable is connected to a wall outlet in­stead of a computer (similar to an iPod or iPhone).
Use the Headphone Output to connect stereo headphones with a 1/4-inch stereo connector. The headphone outputs mirror the signal sent to the Monitor Outputs.
Headphone Volume
The Headphone Volume knob adjusts the out­put level of the Headphone port. This output is independent of the Monitor Level knob.
Chapter 2: Mbox Hardware Overview 7

Mbox Back Panel Features

USB port
S/PDIF
Monitor
digital I/O
outputs
MIDI I/O
Mic/Line
inputs
Figure 2 identifies each port on the back panel of the Mbox.
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.
Mic/Line Inputs
Each analog source input channel provides combination XLR/TRS on the rear panel. These balanced/unbalanced analog audio inputs sup­port the following input levels:
• Mic (microphone) for XLR inputs
• Line (TRS) for line level signals on TRS or TS inputs
On the front panel, the input signal is adjusted by the Gain control for each channel and the source (rear panel Mic/Line, or front panel In­strument) is chosen using the Source selectors.
Mic/Line Input 2 is at the far left (when looking at the back panel), and Mic/Line Input 1 is to its right. The back panel inputs for Mic/Line Input 1 and Mic/Line Input 2 are located such that they are directly in line with their associated in­put controls on the front panel. This lets you lo­cate input jacks more easily when viewing from the front of the unit.
Monitor Outputs
These outputs support balanced TRS, or unbal­anced TS, 1/4-inch connections. To monitor your mix, connect these outputs to a mixing board, directly to a monitoring system such as a stereo power amp, or another stereo destination.
Mbox User Guide8
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.
MIDI I/O
The MIDI In and MIDI Out ports are standard 5-pin MIDI ports, each providing 16 channels of MIDI input and output.
Chapter 2: Mbox Hardware Overview 9
Mbox User Guide10
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.
To install the drivers and connect the Mbox:
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:
• Insert the Drivers Installer disc that came with your Pro Tools software package into your computer.
– or –
• Download the Mbox 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:
• On Mac, locate and double-click Avid Mbox.mpkg.
– or –
• On Windows, locate and double-click Install Avid Mbox.exe.
4 Follow the on-screen instructions to proceed
with installation.
5 When installation is complete, click Restart.
Chapter 3: Installing and Connecting Mbox 11
Loading...
+ 33 hidden pages
Buy Points How it Works FAQ Contact Us Questions and Suggestions Privacy Policy Cookie Policy Terms of Use