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Mbox 2 vs Mbox 2 Pro? Which works best for you?

sloppywhitesloppywhite 230 Posts
edited December 2006 in Strut Central
I'm getting a new mac and need to get either the Mbox 2 or Mbox 2 Pro.Is the main difference in the connection, USB (Mbox 2) vs firewire (Mbox 2 Pro)? Does firewire make for a faster connection and improve the sound quality? Or would the USB connection be just fine for sample based production?Please, school me on what you know or recommend.

  Comments

  • TheBeatGoesTheBeatGoes 711 Posts
    if you use Microwave and want to record your sets on the same computer i'd use the Firewire so you don't got 2 audio things running on the same USB bus
  • sloppywhitesloppywhite 230 Posts
    good idea... but do you think the computer can handle running Microwave and a recording app at the same time?
  • TheBeatGoesTheBeatGoes 711 Posts
    good idea... but do you think the computer can handle running Microwave and a recording app at the same time?

    that i don't know, depends on your computer specs. someone else could answer this better than I could. If you have a dual monitor option on your laptop like powerbooks do that would be a nice so you could leave 1 window for PT and one for Microwave.
  • DJRELAXDJRELAX 452 Posts
    if you use Microwave and want to record your sets on the same computer i'd use the Firewire so you don't got 2 audio things running on the same USB bus

    plus the mbox wont work on a hub, it needs a direct connection. also the pro has more ins/outs i believe, 6 instead of 4.
  • bonzaisk8bonzaisk8 946 Posts
    if you want to use more than 2 ins and 2 outs at any given time (even that's pushing it though), then USB should not even be considered for your throughput interface. USB 2.0 would be a viable option, but since pro-tools doesnt even support USB 2.0, I would highly reccommend going with the MBox 2 pro w/Firewire.

    if you dont see yourself needing more than 2 ins and 2 outs, then you might want to check out the Mbox mini that just came out.

    still, i never trust USB connections for my audio interface to begin with because of its sporadic i/o botchiness. with exception to the dildo.
    hollur.
  • prof_rockwellprof_rockwell 2,867 Posts
    good idea... but do you think the computer can handle running Microwave and a recording app at the same time?

    absolutely. I'm using an old PPC 1.5 gHz powerbook and have used Microwave to make recordings into both Garageband and Ableton with no problems.

    as far as what's better, is the Mbox USB 2.0? Cause technically, USB 2.0 is actually faster than firewire 400, and I was reading an article that explained how the data transfer protocols are different between USB and firewire, where sometimes even USB 1.0 is almost as fast as firewire.
  • sloppywhitesloppywhite 230 Posts
    Thanks much for the input, guys...

    as far as the specs go, i'm getting a mac book pro with:

    2.33GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
    2GB memory
    160GB hard drive1
    8x double-layer SuperDrive
    ATI Mobility Radeon X1600 graphics with 256MB SDRAM
    FireWire 800

    If it's got firewire 800 (not 400) shouldn't that be faster than USB2? my main concern is stability and sound quality. i don't think i'd ever need a ton of ins and outs since i'm not recording multiple instruments at the same time.
  • spelunkspelunk 3,400 Posts
    good idea... but do you think the computer can handle running Microwave and a recording app at the same time?

    absolutely. I'm using an old PPC 1.5 gHz powerbook and have used Microwave to make recordings into both Garageband and Ableton with no problems.

    as far as what's better, is the Mbox USB 2.0? Cause technically, USB 2.0 is actually faster than firewire 400, and I was reading an article that explained how the data transfer protocols are different between USB and firewire, where sometimes even USB 1.0 is almost as fast as firewire.

    Firewire is designed for constant stream transfers I.E. music and video. USB is designed for speed, but not for steady speed delivery of data (i.e. it will rise and dip a lot). Firewire is a MUCH better protocol for audio interfaces, if you look at all the pro gear (Apogee X-HD cards, etc.) it's all Firewire.

    If you're going to drop Mbox 2 Pro money, unless you want to use ProTools LE, take a look at RME.
  • bthavbthav 1,538 Posts
    FiWi 800 and FiWi 400 have different physical inputs. pretty sure the mbox pro is FiWi 400.


    heres my .02

    mbox pro 1/2/10000000000000000000003 = garBAGE

    protools pro/sumer - garbouger


    only reason i use an mbox (one) is as a dongle for pfools

    shit is bonkers
  • prof_rockwellprof_rockwell 2,867 Posts
    good idea... but do you think the computer can handle running Microwave and a recording app at the same time?

    absolutely. I'm using an old PPC 1.5 gHz powerbook and have used Microwave to make recordings into both Garageband and Ableton with no problems.

    as far as what's better, is the Mbox USB 2.0? Cause technically, USB 2.0 is actually faster than firewire 400, and I was reading an article that explained how the data transfer protocols are different between USB and firewire, where sometimes even USB 1.0 is almost as fast as firewire.

    Firewire is designed for constant stream transfers I.E. music and video. USB is designed for speed, but not for steady speed delivery of data (i.e. it will rise and dip a lot). Firewire is a MUCH better protocol for audio interfaces, if you look at all the pro gear (Apogee X-HD cards, etc.) it's all Firewire.

    If you're going to drop Mbox 2 Pro money, unless you want to use ProTools LE, take a look at RME.

    yeah, that's true. The article I read was talking more about data transfers over a network. Firewire doesn't require a master/slave setup, so any computer on a firewire network can control it. Which in some of the tests showed it to be slower because it had to communicate with all the machines on the network first. Whereas USB has to have a master so data transfer can be a bit quicker because it can go straight to the machine it's looking to get the data from.

    For audio/video firewire is the shiz. Are there any audio interfaces that use Firewire 800?
  • sloppywhitesloppywhite 230 Posts
    mbox pro 1/2/10000000000000000000003 = garBAGE

    protools pro/sumer - garbouger


    only reason i use an mbox (one) is as a dongle for pfools

    shit is bonkers

    was there anything specific that you didn't like about it?
  • bthavbthav 1,538 Posts
    pre-amps are not good. recording into the mbox is x 1000

    unfortunatly, i really dont know what other option you have if you really want to use protools and keep your budget low.
  • sloppywhitesloppywhite 230 Posts
    pre-amps are not good. recording into the mbox is x 1000

    unfortunatly, i really dont know what other option you have if you really want to use protools and keep your budget low.

    thanks man... if i didn't want to use PT (maybe just abelton) is there another option?
  • spelunkspelunk 3,400 Posts
    For audio/video firewire is the shiz. Are there any audio interfaces that use Firewire 800?

    http://www.rme-audio.com/english/firewire/ff800.htm
  • bthavbthav 1,538 Posts
    whats your range, 5 bills?
  • sloppywhitesloppywhite 230 Posts
    whats your range, 5 bills?

    yeah i would say that i don't want to go over 800 at this point on a sound card.

    i just read the review of the RME Fireface 800 on musiciansfriend.com and it sounds dreamy but its $1,500 and i can't aford that at the moment.
  • bthavbthav 1,538 Posts
    http://www.zzounds.com/item--MTUTRAVELER

    could probably find it for cheap. golden for portability and sound.
  • crazypoprockcrazypoprock 1,037 Posts
    pre-amps are not good. recording into the mbox is x 1000

    unfortunatly, i really dont know what other option you have if you really want to use protools and keep your budget low.

    have you used an m-box? do you have anything to back up this claim? i have the mbox two and think the converters sound great. it's all about the converters, not the pre-amps. if you keep the pre-amps at unity they don't affect the sound.

    the mbox 2 pro is basically the size of a single rack unit and defeats the purpose of the m-box which was it's portability.
  • bthavbthav 1,538 Posts
    used all three. even if you are at unity gain, your signal still goes through the pre.

    i usta tutor kids in pt skillz and ive had a) radio transmission leak into the signal b) the spring "sound" in the trs input get picked up in pre and c) a retartedly high noise floor.

    seriously when you buy an mbox, most of your money is going to the software. the hardware is straight my first converter.
  • crazypoprockcrazypoprock 1,037 Posts
    interesting, although all of those problems aren't necessarily the fault of the m-box. not sure what you mean by the spring sound of the trs input, why would there be a spring inside a trs input? radio frequencies are a common problem in all audio gear. i work at a studio with a neve 8048 and tube neumann mics and we pick up radio frequencies all the time, it has more to do with where you are physically located rather than gear i think. noise floor can be more symptomatic of your audio set-up as a whole, the noise floor of the actual m-box is low. but that said, i do have noise issues with mine, although i think it's just my ghetto set-up and not the actual m-box. for the money, i still think it's a great piece of gear.
  • bthavbthav 1,538 Posts
    why would there be a spring inside a trs input?

    i guess its not so much a spring but the sound of a spring when your metal connectors that touch the Tip , Ring, and Sleave release their force from pushing against the jack itself.

    radio frequencies are a common problem in all audio gear.

    you are right, but this mostly happens with vintage gear or badly designed circuits that are improperly shielded. you can make a proper converter (granted with more dispensible flow) without this problem.

    that said, i do love working with pro tools so i have an mbox. but i never ever record with it because the fidelity is far to compromised to my liking. but who cares anymore, everyone listens to 128 kps on those janky ipod headphones.
  • crazypoprockcrazypoprock 1,037 Posts
    cool man. it sounds like you know your shit! i think i just convince myself that the mbox is good fidelity since it's all i'm working with now. lord knows it's miles ahead of the griffin imic i was using before! but it's no apogee or anything like that.

    i find that many professional studios use the mbox for remote recording and if it's good enough for these commercial studios then it should be fine for most home recording enthusiasts.
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