Pinnacle Systems Mbox Pro - 9.0 User Guide

®

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.

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contents

Chapter 1. Welcome to Mbox Pro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Mbox Pro Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

System Requirements and Compatibility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Conventions Used in This Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

About www.avid.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Chapter 2. Mbox Pro Hardware Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Mbox Pro Front Panel Features. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Mbox Pro Back Panel Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Chapter 3. Installing and Connecting Mbox Pro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Chapter 4. Making Studio Connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Connecting Outputs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Audio Inputs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Connecting a Microphone. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Connecting Instruments to the Mbox Pro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Connecting Keyboards and Mixers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Connecting Inserts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Connecting Digital I/O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

MIDI Connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Word Clock. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Using a Footswitch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Contents iii

Chapter 5. Using the Driver Control Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

Flow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

About . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

Stereo Mix Section . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

Presets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

Layouts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

Chapter 6. Using the Multi Button . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

Using the Multi Button . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

Press and Release Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

Press and Hold Options. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

Hold Duration Options. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

Appendix A. Using CoreAudio– and ASIO–Compliant Applications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

Configuring Mbox Pro for Third-Party Applications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

Configuring the Apple Sound Preferences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

Appendix B. Compliance Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

Environmental Compliance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

EMC (Electromagnetic Compliance) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

Safety Compliance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53

Mbox Pro User Guideiv

chapter 1

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 in­put, six channels of analog audio output, two
channels of S/PDIF digital audio input and out­put, MIDI and Word Clock I/O, and two front
panel headphone outputs with independent
level controls. Mbox Pro provides professional­quality mic preamps and 24-bit/192 kHz analog­to-digital and digital-to-analog converters.

Mbox Pro integrates with Pro Tools
and is compatible with third-party audio and
MIDI applications that support the CoreAudio
(Mac) or ASIO (Windows) standard.

®

.

®

software,

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

• Two channels of analog audio input with high
quality microphone preamps (inputs 1–2).
Each input channel 1–2 provides:

• 48v Phantom Power and inserts

• Two XLR/TRS (Mic/DI) combo connectors
on the front panel, and two 1/4-inch TRS
Line connectors with switchable +4/-10 in­put level on the rear panel

• Mic preamps feature a –20 dB pad and soft­limit switch separately on each analog in­put channel

• Mic/DI signal is adjusted by the Gain knob
for each channel

Chapter 1: Welcome to Mbox Pro 1

• Two additional channels of analog audio in­put with high quality microphone preamps.
Each input channel 3–4 provides:

• 48v Phantom Power and inserts

• Analog input jacks include two XLR Mic
connectors on the rear panel, and two 1/4­inch TRS Line connectors with switchable
+4/-10 input level also on the rear panel

• Mic preamps feature a –20 dB pad and soft­limit switch separately on each analog in­put channel

• 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:

• 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)

• Inputs are fully functioning inputs to
Pro Tools as well as providing an alternate
monitor source using the Speaker button

MIDI

• One MIDI In and one MIDI Out port, provid­ing 16 channels of MIDI input and output

Other Capabilities and Specifications

• Front panel “Multi” button, assignable to a
variety of common Pro Tools functions

• Low latency direct record monitoring

• On-board tuner

• Two 1/4-inch (TRS) stereo headphone outputs
(A and B) with independently adjustable level
and routing controls

• Control room functionality including front
panel Dim/Mute, Mono and Speaker/Source
switches

• Footswitch jack for starting or stopping play­back or punching in and out while recording

• Multi-pin port (DB15 connection) that han­dles Word Clock, MIDI, and S/PDIF via in­cluded breakout cable

Analog Outputs

• Six balanced 1/4-inch TRS analog outputs,
supporting line level outputs, multiple stereo
monitors, or up to 5.1 surround monitoring

• Insert jacks (1–4) for inserting external pro­cessing 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 out­put. 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 Guide2

System Requirements and Compatibility

Conventions Used in This Guide

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 ASIO-compliant software.

Mbox Pro hardware drivers must be installed be­fore you can connect and use your Mbox Pro.

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.

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 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.

Mbox Pro User Guide4

chapter 2

Headphones A and B Volume knob

Gain/–20 dB

Master Volume
knob

Gain/–20 dB Pad switches

Pad switch

Input combo jacks

Multi button

Power indicator LED

Dim/Mute
switch

LED ladders
(inputs 1 - 4)

Mono
switch

Speaker source
select button

Headphone
outputs

Soft

Front/Back
input source

Soft

Front/ Back
input source

switch

switch

switch

limit

switches

limit

Mic/Line
input source button

48V switch

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.

Figure 1. Mbox Pro front panel

Chapter 2: Mbox Pro Hardware Overview 5

Input Combo Jacks (Mic/DI)

LED Ladders (Inputs 1–4)

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-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 –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 tape­type limiter to strong input signals.

These four, eight-segment LED ladder-style me­ters 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 op­erate. Dynamic microphones (such as a Shure
SM57) do not require phantom power to oper­ate, but are not harmed by it.

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.

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.

Mbox Pro User Guide6

When using phantom power, Mbox Pro’s
maximum current per microphone is 10 mA.

If you are not sure about the phantom power re­quirements 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.

When pressed and held, it sources Aux inputs
5–6, letting you can switch between monitoring
playback from your audio application and mon­itoring an external source (such a CD player)
connected to Aux inputs 5–6.

Headphone Outputs

Dim/Mute Switch

The Dim/Mute switch affects the output volume
for control room outputs as assigned in the
Driver Control Panel setup (by default, Line out­puts 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 out­puts) are muted. When Mute is engaged, the
switch LED flashes.

Mono Switch

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 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.

Use the 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 the
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 sev­eral 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 sys­tem. If the light is flashing, the power is not cor­rect or clock is not locked.

Chapter 2: Mbox Pro Hardware Overview 7

Mbox Pro Back Panel Features

Power switch

Power input jack

Monitor outputs

Aux inputs 5/6

Foot switch

FireWire ports

Word clo ck, MI DI

S/PDIF connector

Line inputs

Insert jacks

Mic inputs

+4/–10 switches

(RCAs and 1/8-inch mini)

Figure 2 identifies each port on the back panel of the Mbox Pro.

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 “in­sert”) an external analog effect such as a com­pressor or limiter onto the input signal, between
the preamp and the A/D converter. Any inserted
effects 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.

Mbox Pro User Guide8

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 us­ing 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

Power Switch

These switches let you select +4 or –10 input op­erating 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.

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 docu­mentation.

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 con­nection and no FireWire connection.

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 op­posite 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 specifi­cally for instantaneous (momentary) on/off
pedals with a 1/4-inch TS connector. Continu­ous on/continuous off pedals can also be used,
but may result in unexpected behavior.

Chapter 2: Mbox Pro Hardware Overview 9

Mbox Pro User Guide10

chapter 3

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 connect­ing the Mbox Pro 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 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:

• Insert the Drivers Installer disc that came
with your Pro Tools software package into
your computer.

– or –

• 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:

• On Mac, locate and double-click
Avid Mbox Pro.mpkg.

– or –

• On Windows, locate and double-click
Install Avid Mbox Pro.exe.

4 Follow the on-screen 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 on­screen instructions to complete installation.

You can now use your Mbox Pro with Pro Tools,
or with any other CoreAudio- or ASIO-compati­ble application.

For Pro Tools installation instructions, see
the Pro Tools Installation Guide.

Chapter 3: Installing and Connecting Mbox Pro 11

Mbox Pro User Guide12

chapter 4

1/4-inch
Headphone outputs (A, B)

Headphone level (A, B)

Making Studio Connections

This chapter provides step-by-step instructions
for connecting mics, instruments, mixers, head­phones, 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 sys­tem (such as powered monitors or a home ste­reo) to Mbox Pro.

Connecting Headphones

You can use headphones equipped with a 1/4­inch stereo jack to monitor your audio.

To connect headphones:

1 Connect headphones with a 1/4-inch stereo

connector (or adapter) to the Headphone out­puts A or B.

2 Adjust the volume using the corresponding

Headphone Volume knob on the front panel.

By default, Headphone output A mirrors Moni­tor output channels 1–2.

You can create independent stereo mixes for
each headphone output in the Driver Control
Panel. See “Stereo Mix Section” on page 34.

Do not use the front panel headphone out­puts 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.

Headphone jacks and controls on front of Mbox Pro

Chapter 4: Making Studio Connections 13

Connecting a Sound System

Monitor outputs 1–6

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 bal­anced TRS (Tip-Ring-Sleeve) connectors, or un­balanced TS (Tip-Sleeve) connectors such as
those on instrument cables. To listen to your to
audio, connect these outputs to any amplifica­tion system: powered speakers, a home stereo
system, or an audio mixer.

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 chan­nel of the stereo (often the red plug) to
Monitor output 2.

Home stereo systems often use RCA connec­tors. You can use an adaptor or a special ca­ble to convert from the 1/4-inch TRS (Tip­Ring-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 bal­anced 1/4-inch TRS outputs to feed analog de­vices such as headphone amps or cue systems
for discrete headphone mixes, samplers, or a sec­ondary recorder.

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.

Mbox Pro is capable of 5.1 surround moni­toring complete with custom configuration
and routing controls. For more information,
see “Output Setup” on page 31.

Mbox Pro Setup Guide14

There are other use for Monitor outputs, such as:

• Stereo main monitors (Monitor outputs 1–2)

• Stereo/Alt monitors (Monitor outputs 3–4)

• 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.

See the

Pro Tools Reference Guide for infor-

mation on signal routing, sends and bussing.

Audio Inputs

01, 02, 03, 04

Aux inputs 5/6
(and 1/8-inch)

Mbox Pro provides six channels of analog in­puts, and supports microphones, guitars, key­boards, and other types of instruments and de­vices.

For information about connecting specific au­dio sources, see “Connecting a Microphone” on
page 16, and “Connecting Instruments to the
Mbox Pro” on page 19.

Mic Inputs 3–4/Line Inputs 3–4

The back-panel Mic inputs 3–4 provide two ded­icated 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
over the RCA jacks.

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 com­bination 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.

Use these inputs to connect line-level sources
such as mixers, CD or DVD players, or MP3 play­ers.

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.

Phantom Power (48V)

Some microphones require power to operate.
This power, called phantom power, is supplied ei­ther by a battery in the microphone, or through
an audio interface (such as Mbox Pro) that can
supply power through the microphone cable.

The Mbox Pro can only supply phantom power
through a microphone cable with an XLR con­nector. If you are not sure about the phantom
power requirements for your microphone, refer
to your microphone’s documentation or con­tact the manufacturer.

XLR connector

Most condenser microphones (such as an
M-Audio Solaris) require phantom power to op­erate. Dynamic microphones (such as a Shure
SM57 or an M-Audio Aries) do not require phan­tom power to operate, but are not harmed by it.

Phantom power can be used safely with
most microphones. However, it is possible
to damage ribbon microphones with it. Al­ways turn off phantom power and wait at
least ten seconds before connecting a ribbon
microphone.

The Mbox Pro can only supply phantom power
through a microphone cable with XLR connec­tors. If you are not sure about the phantom
power requirements for your microphone, refer
to your microphone’s documentation or con­tact the manufacturer.

Mbox Pro Setup Guide16

Using a Mic with an XLR Connector

Input 1
Mic input

Mic/DI input 2

Front/Rear switches

48V (Phantom Power)

Master volume knob

Gain knob

–20 dB Pad

(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).

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 in­puts will be active.)

Phantom Power switch

4 On the front of the Mbox Pro, turn the master

volume knob to the desired level.

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.

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.

Input 2 Pad

Chapter 4: Making Studio Connections 17

Using a Mic with an XLR Connector

Mic input 3

Mic/Line switches

48V (Phantom Power)

Master volume knob

Gain knob

–20 dB Pad

(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).

XLR connector plugged into Mic Input 3 (XLR jack)

Phantom Power switch

4 On the front of the Mbox Pro, turn the master

volume knob to the desired level.

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 sig­nals. In that case, set the Mic/Line input
switch for channel 3 to the “in” position
(line).

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.

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.

Input 3 Pad

Mbox Pro Setup Guide18

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 instru­ments that use pickups.

Line Inputs (Back Panel) Use the back-panel 1/4­inch Line inputs for line-level devices, including
electronic audio sources such as mixers, sam­plers, keyboards, and synthesizers.

Aux 5/6 (Back Panel) Use the back-panel RCA
jacks or the 1/8-inch stereo jack for line-level de­vices 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.

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 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).

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 ste­reo keyboard or the stereo output from a mixer),
connect the left channel (often the white plug)
to Input 1, and right channel (often the red
plug) to Input 2.

If your keyboard has unbalanced outputs,
set the line input switch to -10 instead of
+4. Refer to your keyboard’s documenta­tion.

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 maxi­mum volume.

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).

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.

For Aux inputs 5/6, the 1/8-inch jack takes
precedence over the RCA jacks.

5 On the rear panel of the Mbox Pro, use the In-

put Level switch for +4/–10 input line level set­tings (one for each stereo pair, 1/2 & 3/4). In the
“out” position the level is set to +4; and when
pushed to the “in” position, it is set to (–10).

Mbox Pro Setup Guide20

Connecting Inserts

Inserts 1–4

Dual TS
connector

Single TRS
connector

Multi-pin port for breakout cable input

Connecting Digital I/O

Mbox Pro provides a total of four 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.

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 sin­gle 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:

• Connect the TS connector that corre­sponds to the tip (send) on the TRS connec­tor to the input of the processor.

– and –

• Connect the other TS connector that corre­sponds to the ring (return) on the TRS con­nector to the output of the processor.

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.

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 (coaxial) cables, connect the

Mbox Pro S/PDIF In to the S/PDIF output of the
device.

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.

Insert cable

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 ap­plication, use the Mbox Control Panel to config­ure the input. See “General Setup” on page 26.

Mbox Pro supports external sync at sample
rates of up to 192 kHz.

To enable S/PDIF when using a third-party
application:

1 Do one of the following:

• On Mac, launch System Preferences (Apple
menu > System Preferences), then double­click Avid Mbox. (You can also open the
Driver Control Panel from the Applications
menu.)

– or –

• On Windows, choose Start > Control Panel >

Mbox.

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 rele­vant to your device).

3 Launch Pro Tools.

4 Choose Hardware > 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.

2 In the Control Panel, choose Setup.

3 Select S/PDIF from the Clock Source pop-up

menu.

Mbox Pro Setup Guide22

MIDI Connections

Word Clock

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 Win­dows 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 break­out cable.

3 Connect the MIDI IN of your MIDI device or

controller to the MIDI OUT port on the break­out cable.

On Mac OS X, use the Audio Midi Setup
(AMS) utility to customize the names of your
MIDI devices.

Mbox Pro provides Word Clock In and Out con­nectors on the back panel that let you synchro­nize, or “clock” Mbox Pro to industry standard
Word clock. Word clock 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.

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 con­nected 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 your 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 require­ments and other internal settings for the device;
refer to the manufacturer’s documentation if
you need more information on the particular re­quirements for your other equipment.)

3 Launch Pro Tools.

4 Choose Hardware > Setup.

5 Click the Clock Source pop-up menu and

choose Internal.

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 footswitch connector is designed specifi­cally for instantaneous (momentary) on/off
pedals with a 1/4-inch TS connector. Continu­ous 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.

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 sec­tion.

2 Make sure the external Word clock source is

powered on, and configured to output 1x Word
clock. (Be sure to verify any required termina­tion; refer to the manufacturer’s documentation
if you need more information on the particular
requirements for your device.)

3 Launch Pro Tools.

Mbox Pro Setup Guide24

2 Launch Pro Tools.

3 Choose Setup > Hardware.

4 Select Record Punch In/Out or Playback

Start/Stop.

5 Click OK.

chapter 5

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 ap­plications that support the CoreAudio (Mac) or
ASIO (Windows) standard.

Several features of Mbox Pro can be accessed di­rectly from the Mbox Pro front panel, such as in­put 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.

To open the Driver Control Panel:

 On Mac, launch System Preferences

(Apple menu > System Preferences), then double­click Avid Mbox Pro.

– or –

 On Windows, choose Start > Control Panel >

Mbox Pro.

To open the Driver Control Panel from Pro Tools:

1 Choose Setup > Hardware in the Edit window.

2 Click launch control panel.

Mbox Pro Driver Control Panel

Chapter 5: Using the Driver Control Panel 25

Setup

Click Setup to access the General Setup and Out­put Setup dialogs. You can toggle between dia­logs by clicking General Setup or Output Setup.

Configure Mbox Pro hardware settings in Gen­eral Setup. For example, you can set buffer size,
sample rate, and clock source. You can also de­fine how Mbox Pro functions when it’s con­nected to a computer or when it’s in standalone
mode (not connected to a computer).

Configure your monitoring and output settings
in Output Setup. For example, you can config­ure up to three stereo hardware output pairs to
function as control room outputs, which are
then selectable using Mbox Pro’s Speaker button
(front panel). You can also configure the Master
Volume knob to function as the master volume
control for all six outputs simultaneously, pro­viding a 5.1 surround monitor master volume
control.

General Setup

General Setup options are grouped in the fol­lowing categories:

• Hardware Settings

• Soft Button Settings

• High-Pass Filter Options

• Standalone Settings

Setup pop-up menu, General Setup mode shown

Mbox User Guide26

Hardware Settings

Sample Rate

This section of the Control Panel provides con­trols 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.

If you want to use the Low Latency Monitor­ing 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 ex­ternal clock), select the Internal option for the in­terface to work properly

This drop-down menu sets the sample rate of
Mbox Pro. Note that when using the interface
with an ASIO or CoreAudio application, the
sample rate can also be determined by your au­dio application. This parameter may not be ed­itable 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 appli­cation does not provide a way to set the sample
rate, quit the application, then change the sam­ple 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 de­tected, Audio Streaming is Disabled.”).

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 op­tion. This will make Mbox Pro clock to the exter­nal device’s clock.

Wor d Clo ck 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.

Chapter 5: Using the Driver Control Panel 27

Buffer Size (Windows only)

Soft Button Settings

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 sam­ple at a time. Due to variations between com­puter hardware and software, it is impossible to
recommend a single optimum setting for all sys­tems. 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 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 au­dio 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 set­ting, begin with a high setting and gradually re­duce 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 play­ing audio any time you change this setting and
certain applications will require you to re­launch the program before the new buffer size
settings become active.

This menu only appears on Windows sys­tems. Most Mac OS X applications allow to
change the buffer size from within the au­dio application itself. Please see your audio
application’s user guide to learn how to
change this setting.

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 buttons that are off (so you can still dis­cern the LED in the dark).

High-Pass Filter Enable

A 75 Hz high-pass filter is available for each In­put 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 re­main 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.

Mbox User Guide28

Pre-Fader Meters

Standalone Settings

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 regard­less 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 activ­ity on that input).

FX Sends Mode

Pre-Fader FX Sends

When Pre-Fader FX Sends is selected, the full au­dio signal will be sent to the FX Sends, regardless
of the 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 af­fected by the position of the Channel Faders of
Stereo Mix 1.

Standalone settings affect the setting of the
Mbox Pro when it's in standalone mode with no
host computer connected.

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 connec­tion to the computer when the Mbox Pro is first
powered on, then it boots into hosted mode.

Standalone Operation If there is no FireWire con­nection to the computer when the Mbox Pro is
first powered on, then it boots into standalone
mode.

When you are in standalone mode, the follow­ing functions can be adjusted:

•Clock source

•Sample rate

•Mode

Chapter 5: Using the Driver Control Panel 29

Clock Source

Sample Rate

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 but­ton.

The LED button will either be off/on/pulsing to
indicate which clock source is currently as­signed.

• If the LED if off, the clock source is internal.

• If the LED is on, the clock source is word
clock

• If the LED is pulsing, clock source is S/PDIF

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. Ana­log input 2 is sent to analog output 2 and S/PDIF
Right. Analog inputs 3–6 are sent to analog out­puts 3–6.

Mixer When in Mixer mode, all analog and dig­ital 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:

• Green in AD/DA Converter Mode

• Red in Preamp mode

• Amber in Mixer mode

Mbox User Guide30

Output Setup

Speaker button

You can configure stereo and surround monitor­ing and output settings in Output Setup.

Surround Monitor Configuration

You can choose which Monitor output pairs are
controlled by Mbox Pro’s Master Volume knob.

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
through the control room output pairs. This is
useful for A/B-ing your mix between different
studio monitors.

Mbox Pro Speaker/source select button

For example, if you enable Master Volume for all
three Monitor output pairs, then the Master Vol­ume controls all of them at once. This is useful if
you are mixing in surround.

Setup pop-up menu, Output Setup mode shown

The Output Setup options are grouped in the fol­lowing categories:

Chapter 5: Using the Driver Control Panel 31

Monitor Outputs (1–2, 3–4, 5–6)

Master Vol.

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 output.
Choose between the following options:

•None

• Speakers A (Green LED)

• Speakers B (Red LED)

•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.)

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 Moni­tor output pairs, then the Master Volume knob
controls all of them at once.

If an output pair is designated as a control
room speaker pair, this checkbox is auto­matically checked and cannot be un­checked.

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.

Mbox User Guide32

Flow

Web links

Firmware and driver information

About

Clicking the Flow button opens a display show­ing the signal flow from the inputs to the out­puts of Mbox Pro. This is a useful reference for
understanding the path of an audio signal flow­ing through Mbox Pro.

The About pop-up menu lets you view the firm­ware version of the Mbox Pro hardware, and the
package version of the Mbox Pro driver installer.

Accessing the Web Links

Along the bottom-right of the Driver Control
Panel you can easily access helpful online re­sources on our Avid website (www.avid.com) by
clicking on the following pop-up menus:

•Manual

•Updates

• Support

•FAQs

•Register

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 cre­ate 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.

It is important to note that any changes made to
the stereo mix will only affect what is audible
from the mixer’s outputs—the stereo mix does
not affect the signals that are sent to your re­cording application. For example, if you are re­cording 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 micro­phone channel in the stereo mix. This will make
the vocal part louder in the vocalist’s head­phones, but it will still be recorded into
Pro Tools at the volume determined by the front
panel Gain Adjustment Knob.

The stereo mix is set up like a standard mixing
console. There are 16 input channels (eight
hardware inputs from Mbox Pro, and eight soft­ware returns from your recording application).
Each input channel has its own volume fader,
pan and aux send knobs, solo, and mute but­tons, 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 pa­rameters on either one of the linked channels.
However, linking two channels will not have
any effect on their Pan controls, which are al­ways 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 me­tering operation can 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:

• Hardware Inputs

• Software Returns

•Output Pairs

•Master

•Effects

Mbox User Guide34

Stereo Mix Section

Signal Meter

Solo

Channel

Pan

Mute

Channel Link

Channel Label

Hardware Inputs

Software Returns

Master

Effects

Output
pairs

Fader

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.

Software Returns

The Software Returns section is where the audio
coming back from Pro Tools (or other audio ap­plication) is monitored.

Software Returns 1 and 2 are the default ste­reo output from Pro Tools.

Chapter 5: Using the Driver Control Panel 35

Output Pairs

Stereo Mixes

For each Mbox Pro Monitor output pair (Moni­tor outputs 1–2, 3–4, 5–6, S/PDIF Left and Right,
or Headphones A and B), there is a representa­tive 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 appli­cable, edit the audio source.

Tabs representing each Mbox Pro hardware output pair,
output pair select view shown

Each output pair select tab includes a drop­down menu where you can select the audio
source you want. The sources include:

•Stereo Mix 1

•Stereo Mix 2

• Stereo Mix 3 (Available only at sample rates
at or below 96 kHz)

• Stereo Mix 4 (Available only at sample rates
at or below 96 kHz)

• Stereo Mix 5 (Available only at sample rates
at or below 96 kHz)

• Stereo Mix 6 (Available only at sample rates
at or below 96 kHz)

• Software Returns 1–2

• Software Returns 3–4

• Software Returns 5–6

• Software Returns 7–8

• Hardware Inputs 1–2

• Hardware Inputs 3–4

• Hardware Inputs 5–6

• Hardware Inputs 7–8

The available output pair audio sources can be
divided into two categories:

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 source 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:

• The source of the currently selected tab is
displayed below the output pair select view.
See “Output Setup” on page 31.

• For Stereo Mix sources, a traditional mixer
view is displayed.

• For direct route sources, a view with meters
is displayed, and the input source and out­put destination are highlighted.

• You can drag and drop the tabs to reorder
them if you want.

Notes on output pairs that are designated as
control room outputs:

• If an output pair is a designated control
room output (see “Control Room Assign­ment” on page 32), a speaker icon will ap­pear 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.

Mbox User Guide36

• Control room output pairs must have ste-

Links buttons

reo mixes as their source. This is enforced
automatically by the software.

• In most cases, you will want to use the
same stereo mixer (for example, Stereo
Mix 1) for all designated control room out­put pairs. This is not enforced by the soft­ware, because there are cases in which
varying sources for control room output
pairs would be desirable.

Pan

The Pan knobs control the position of a chan­nel’s audio signal in the stereo image of the ste­reo mix (double-click the knob to return pan to
center).

Solo

Each Solo button lets audio be monitored for the
channel of which it is a part, while simultane­ously muting all other Hardware Input channels
and Software Returns (except for those that also
have their Solo buttons activated).

Mute

Clicking on a Channel Label gives you a cursor,
allowing you to type in your own custom chan­nel 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.

Pan controls are unaffected by linking two
channels.

Hardware Input FX Sends

FX Sends are shared by all Stereo Mixes, unless
“Post-Fader Stereo Mix 1” is chosen in the Setup
pop-up menu.

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 vol­ume 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 Mas­ter fader pair (which is labeled L/R by default).

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

Master section

FX Returns section

Master fader

Width knob

Stereo Mix Copy

Balance knob

Mute button (L)

Mute button (R)

Swap button

pull-down

Link button

Mono button

Channel Fader

FX Returns
section

Master

These knobs control how much of the Effect au­dio output will be mixed in with the monitor
signal Master L/R outputs. Unlike sends,
FX Returns are individually adjustable for each
stereo mix.

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 Effe ct drop-down men u is used to selec t th e
effect to be applied to the Hardware Inputs
and/or Software Returns (effects are not avail­able if the sample rate is > 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 re­peats for the delay and echo effects. It does not
affect the reverbs.

Vol ume This knob controls the effects output
level being sent to the FX Returns

The Master section lets you control the main
mixer output. This output can be routed to any
hardware output. Each Stereo Mix includes a
master section with several controls:

Master section of the Driver Control Panel

Master Fader Adjusts the overall level of the ste­reo 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 im­age, 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.

Mbox User Guide38

Swap Button Swaps the stereo image, making the

Status indicators

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.

Status Indicators

Along the bottom-left of the Driver Control
Panel are the following status indicators:

Hardware Connected

Master Meters Lets you have a visual representa­tion of the audio signal being fed to the associ­ated hardware output pair.

Stereo Mix Copy Lets you copy the settings of the
current stereo mix to one of the other stereo
mixes.

Mono Button The Mono button is available only
under the following circumstances:

• At least one output pair is assigned as a con­trol room output pair.

• The currently displayed stereo mix is the
stereo mix used by the current control
room output pair.

This tells you the status of the hardware; if a
properly installed, powered-on Mbox Pro is con­nected to the computer.

Streaming

This indicates if audio from a Digital Audio
Workstation or a media player (such as Pro Tools
or Windows Media Player) is currently stream­ing audio to the Mbox Pro.

Host Control Enabled

If an application such as Pro Tools has control
over the Driver Control Panel, then “Host Con­trol Enabled” displays.

Chapter 5: Using the Driver Control Panel 39

Presets

Layouts

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 pre­sets:

• A preset for live tracking, in stereo (low-la­tency/direct monitoring, and/or for dis­crete headphone mixes).

• A preset for mixing in stereo (alternate
speakers, etc.).

• A preset for working in multi-channel/sur­round.

Load Button

The Load Button opens a file browser that lets
you load a previously saved Settings file.

Save as...

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 cap­tures 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.

The Save as button opens a file browser that lets
you save the current settings of the Driver Con­trol Panel to a Settings file.

Mbox User Guide40

Mbox Pro Driver Control Panel, Horizontal (Meters Only)
shown

Vertical

Mbox Pro Driver Control Panel, Vertical shown

The Vertical layout provides access to all con­trols and meters in a vertical window. The Verti­cal layout was designed for compact operation,
which is convenient if you want to run it along
with Pro Tools (uses far less screen real estate,
but provides full functionality).

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.

Mbox Pro Driver Control Panel, Vertical (Meters Only)
shown

Chapter 5: Using the Driver Control Panel 41

Mbox User Guide42

chapter 6

Using the Multi Button

The Multi button on the front panel of the
Mbox Pro can be assigned to easily execute sev­eral functions in Pro Tools including (but not
limited to):

•Add Track

• Start/Stop Record

•Tap Tempo

• Locating to Next/Previous Marker

• Save Session

Using the Multi Button

In the Hardware Setup dialog, Pro Tools lets you
set three Multi button parameters for your
Mbox Pro using the “Multi Button Function”
pane. (You can also launch the Driver Control
Panel from here).

For more information on the Driver Control
Panel, see Appendix , “.”.

The Multi Button Function includes the follow­ing options:

Press and Release Displays the options avail­able for Press and Release mode.

Press and Hold Displays the options available
for Press and Hold mode.

Mbox Pro (Multi button shown)

You can use the Multi button to do these and
other common tasks with a single button in­stead of using on-screen menu commands. By
pressing the Multi button two different ways
(Press and Release, Press and Hold) you can per­form two functions with one button.

Duration Gives four time duration options for
Press and Hold button.

Launch Control Panel Launches Driver Control
Panel.

Chapter 6: Using the Multi Button 43

To use the Multi Button Function pane and
configure its parameters (example):

1 Launch Pro Tools.

2 Choose Track > New and create 1 Mono audio

track.

You need to have at least one track avail­able in a session to use the Add Last Track
and Add Selected Track functions.

3 Choose Setup > Hardware.

4 From the Press and Release list, select

Start/Stop Record (the default).

Press and Release Options

When you click on the Press and Release list, a
pop-up menu provides access to the following
options:

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).

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 En­able 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 work­flow that works for you.

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 se­lected 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.

Mbox User Guide44

Undo Each time the button is pressed and re­leased, it undoes that last operation you per­formed in Pro Tools. (Same as the Undo com­mand from the Pro Tools menu)

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.

Save Session Each time the Multi button is
pressed and released, it saves the session.

Tap Temp o 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 func­tion.

Press and Hold Options

When you click on the Press and Hold list, a
pop-up menu provides access to the following
options:

Add Selected Track Adds whatever tracks that
you have selected in a session. Say you have se­lected 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 performed in
Pro Tools. (Same as the Undo command from
the Pro Tools menu)

None No function is selected in this mode.

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 follow­ing options:

Hold Duration There are four choices of Hold Du­ration (250 msec, 500 msec, 750 msec, and 1 sec),
which is the amount of time you choose to hold
the Multi button down in Press and Hold mode.
The default is 500 msec.

Mbox User Guide46

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.

Configuring the Apple Sound Preferences

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 Garage­Band), you may be able configure hardware set­tings 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.

(Mac Only–Required for Using Qualified Pro
Tools Interface with Apple iTunes or QuickTime
Player)

To use your Mbox Pro with certain CoreAudio­compatible 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 >

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

Mbox Pro User Guide48

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 from whom you
purchased the product.

Proposition 65 Warning

This product contains chemicals, including lead,
known to the State of California to cause cancer and
birth defects or other reproductive harm. Wash hands
after handling.

Perchlorate Notice

This product may contain a lithium coin battery. The State of
California requires the following disclosure statement:
“Perchlorate Material – special handling may apply, See
www.dtsc.ca.gov/hazardouswaste/perchlorate.”

Recycling Notice

Appendix b: Compliance Information 49

EMC (Electromagnetic

Avid

Compliance)

Avid declares that this product complies with the following
standards regulating emissions and immunity:

• FCC Part 15 Class B

• EN 55022 Class B

• EN 55204 Class B

• AS/NZS 3548 Class B

• CISPR 22 Class B

FCC Compliance for United States

Radio and Television Interference

This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the
limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the
FCC Rules.

DECLARATION OF CONFORMITY

We, Avid, 2001 Junipero Serra Boulevard
Daly City, CA 94014-3886, USA
650-731-6300
declare under our sole responsibility that the product
Mbox Pro
complies with Part 15 of FCC Rules.
Operation is subject to the following two conditions:
(1) this device may not cause harmful interference, and
(2) this device must accept any interference received,
including interference that may cause undesired operation.

Australian Compliance

Canadian Compliance

This Class B digital apparatus complies with Canadian
ICES-003

Cet appareil numérique de la classe A est conforme à la norme
NMB-003 du Canada

CE Compliance

(EMC and Safety)

Avid is authorized to apply the CE (Conformité Europénne)
mark on this compliant equipment thereby declaring conformity
to EMC Directive 89/336/EEC and Low Voltage Directive
73/23/EEC.

Communication Statement

NOTE: This equipment has been tested and found to comply
with the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to Part
15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide
reasonable protection against harmful interference in a
residential installation. This equipment generates, uses,
and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed
and used in accordance with the instructions, may cause
harmful interference to radio communications. However,
there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a
particular installation. If this equipment does cause harmful
interference to radio or television reception, which can be
determined by turning the equipment off and on, the user is
encouraged to try and correct the interference by one or
more of the following measures:

• Reorient or locate the receiving antenna.

• Increase the separation between the equipment and
receiver.

• Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit
different from that to which the receiver is connected.

• Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician
for help.

Any modifications to the unit, unless expressly approved by
Avid, could void the user's authority to operate the
equipment.

Mbox Pro User Guide50

Safety Compliance

Safety Statement

This equipment has been tested to comply with USA and
Canadian safety certification in accordance with the
specifications of UL Standards: UL60065 7th /IEC 60065 7th
and Canadian CAN/CSA C22.2 60065:03. Avid Inc., has been
authorized to apply the appropriate UL & CUL mark on its
compliant equipment.

War ning

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.

7) 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 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 back 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

Mbox Pro User Guide52

index

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 I/O

connecting 21
S/PDIF Connector 9

Driver Control Panel 25

F

features 1

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, 13
Headphone outputs 7

High-pass filter 28

I

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

G

Gain

adjusting gain for mics 17

gain

adjusting gain for instruments 19
Gain knob 6

Index 53

M

Master Volume knob 7
Mic Inputs

connecting a mic 18
Mic/DI combo inputs 6

MIDI

making connections 23
ports 9

Monitor outputs

assigning in Driver Control Panel 36
configuring outputs in the Driver Control Panel

32, 14

jacks 8

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, 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

Mbox Pro User Guide54

Avid

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Daly City, CA 94014-3886 USA

Technical Support (USA)

Visit the Online Support Center at
www.avid.com/support

Product Information

For company and product information,
visit us on the web at www.avid.com