All user reviews for the Digidesign Mbox 2

comes with the pro tools
turned on pc and imac



UTILIZATION

no problem with the driver on my pc (XP)
either on the mac
as pro tools with the imac I can go down low enough with the buffer so no worries level latency


GETTING STARTED

pb-free installation (pc, mac)
good but there were bugs (pc mac) ... but nothing insurmountable ... For my config and my use


OVERALL OPINION

I do it again this election
some find the price a little high.
short if you're sure to save 90% more than 2 simultaneous entries do not make this choice
if you do find a real solution daw correct (NOT PIRATE) and interface to its current price does not make that choice ... And we can add

it is mainly for the Pro Tools LE software, which was given with.
I'm working on imac osx 10 5 8 2ghz intel duo 4 gb ram

but in general I prefer the MOTU, I work as an ultralite is much better
I have a universal audio pre amp 710 and twin speakers krk vxt8

UTILIZATION

I always find it very stable and I admit that the volume pot "mix baffles me sometimes
latency somewhat high
I use it mainly for work on pieces cut from other platforms pro tools
audio can work properly on a twenty tracks masi by not using too many plug-ins ....
I do not know for Maj mbox 2 my knowledge

GETTING STARTED

lem without install
config too
it works rather poorly on garage band with whom I work a lot for its simplicity (if it was not super careful fitting to do and you do not need to over-puncher)
The manual is quite complex because it describes the operations with pro tools and it's a little war movie .....
I think in English

OVERALL OPINION

I use very little
on the other hand with the offer there was a lot of software and plug-ins available and it is pretty kool .....
Finally, we must have the utility of it all.
I do a lot of audio, real guitars, bass, vocals and a tube amp .. then dub the virtual good !!.... ......
value for money is good anyway should not kidding ....
but I think that investing in another good interface is still the best way to do a good taf.
It all depends on what you are doing as ab ...

musically
zino

All was already said ...
I'm on 64 bit Windows Seven and make it work would be a miracle ... In short no drivers, an official website to find too much confusion for drivers, ...
I bought it for PT unfortunately it works once on 20 and not talking about the look of the Monster Ideue BOX. Completely useless.
There is still a MIDI in and out which can be handy if the bug works.

UTILIZATION

So here is simple:
Drivers totally unstable! When your computer recognize it by chance there is a 10 chance that your sound is clear and not filled with sizzle!
I use (when it works) Pro Tools 8.0.4. I heard about Cubase and I can tell you that exceeds Cubase Pro Tools in all respects (there all the same good plug in on PT). Besides totally incompatible with cubase ...
I can not record when shooting that it does not work but having tried the Apple staff, I can tell you that the registration is done but it's a bit laborious (especially guitar and bass Lost Live! ! its metallic and no grain, that breath!
The good point is that the can use that I made, latency parraissait correct but it absolutely does not justify all the problems described above ... Either bid

GETTING STARTED

compatible on Windows 7? I propose a good ba Avid to go home one day (even with the 8.0.4 update csp PT).
The manual does not explain anything but ...
When the installation when it works It takes 1hr max (if you have a minimum of RAM). I had to install and uninstall a 20aine times with pro tools and there is nothing to do!
Short of money wasted on the air.

OVERALL OPINION

I received in October after having purchased ThoTho that was a promo.
Before I was on Steinberg Cubase with sound card and after ... I'm on cubase steinberg with sound card.
I do not ever do it again this choice (although I have been given). If you're on mac, if not why not go directly to PT 9 (600 € nine still) compatible with any card system and all (well it seems). I'll probably passed to the mbox 3 also supposedly compatible with Windows 7 ...

Brief on the PC, look no, go your way. Thank you

(Originally written by Fablouis/translated from Audiofanzine FR)
Main motivation: Pro Tools!

Applications: audio recording and editing!

I work with a Mini Mac 2 GHz Dual Core...

I use almost only hardware gear (NM G2X, MPC 60, guitar, bass). (Cf http://www.myspace.com/spindlebog)

UTILIZATION

No installation problems.

Many compatibility problems, but it's Digidesign...

The configuration couldn't be easier.

Great PDF user's manual so you either have two screens or you print it (800 pages).

GETTING STARTED

Drivers ?!?!

Let me make something clear: at Digidesign nothing is free so don't expect any gifts. Most updates must be payed for.

Latency!!!

Such latency is a shame for a sound card coming from a company that is always bragging about its DAW knowhow and experience. To be continued!

I can't record two mono tracks simultaneously, probably due to the latency problem (with a 2GHz CPU). Pro Tools LE is like putting a Ferrari motor in a small Clio. It's possible but you need lots of processing resources.

OVERALL OPINION

I kept this interface for six months.

Protools is an amazing audio editing software and it gets better with every update (if you have enough money to pay for them). But the interface is not good: it has only two inputs (L/R), it generates a permanent hiss in your monitors, which is luckily inaudible in recordings unless you use plug-ins (in which case the noise is really loud!).

So Pro Tools is great but you must pay a price.

It really sucks as an audio interface, but it's worth buying this awful blue box just to have Pro Tools (even if its the LE version).

If I had the money I would save it for Pro Tools.

I first got the Digidesign Mbox 2 so that I could have a small audio interface that would run Pro Tools, as I like to be able to run Pro Tools wherever I go. While it only has two XLR inputs wit mic pres, it is sometimes all you need when recording a single instrument. For this reason it becomes very handy to have to bring it around and run Pro Tools with the capability of recording anywhere I go. I run it with a Mac Book Pro with a 2.2 Ghz Intel Core 2 Duo processor and 4 GB of RAM. I use it with Pro Tools LE 7.4 and have used it to record everything from vocals to electric guitars, bass guitar and piano. In addition to the 2 XLR mic pre inputs, it also has 1/4 inch DI inputs and outputs for monitors. It also has a MIDI input and output and RCA outputs.

UTILIZATION

I've never had a problem with the Mbox 2 with my machine. It is easy to use and does the job when trying to record with Pro Tools on the go. The manual is helpful with installation and is nice to have when learning how to use the interface.

GETTING STARTED

I only run the Mbox 2 with Pro Tools as that is what it is designed for. I don't get any latency with recording and you are able to record two tracks at a time. With Pro Tools LE you can run up to 32 mono tracks if your computer can handle it.

OVERALL OPINION

I've had an Mbox 2 for about a year and a half and it is great to have around when I want to do some recording with Pro Tools on the go. While the mic preamps aren't all that great, they aren't terrible and capture a very usable sound. While the Mbox Micro 2 will allow you to edit and mix on the go, there is no audio inputs, so even though this is a bit bigger to bring around, you have the capability of recording two tracks at once. While I think all of the Digidesign audio interfaces are a bit overpriced, you can get the Mbox 2 for a good price considering that you need it (or another Digidesign audio interface) to run Pro Tools. While this isn't suitable for the serious audio engineer, it is a useful tool for those who want Pro Tools on a budget or want to use it to gather ideas, or on the go like me!

I wanted a decent interface with at least two microfone inputs and a decent software bundle. ProTools was also in issue as I am working with Cubase and wanted to be able to transfer projects into ProTools so I could use them in a bigger studio later.

I really like the software bundle even though I don't really need most of it. The most important one is the ProToolsLE along the BombFactory plugins. That by itself justifies the price in my opionion.

I use this MBox with a Dell Inspiron 6400 Laptop (2GB RAM, 1.6GHz DualCore) and use it mainly with Cubase. The interface is very straight forward - maybe they could have built a little smaller.

UTILIZATION

I didn't have any problems installing the drivers. As for the manual there really isn't one. Yeah, yeah - there is always the .pdf but I just don't want to waste a bunch of paper and ink on that! Anyway - everything installed nicely.
I had one annoying problem though. When I started recording in ProTools everything was fine but in Cubase the interface suddenly shifted the recordings a bit to the left. This would have not been an issue at first but I was recording overdubs for a song I had recorded with my MOTU 2408...all the vocal takes were not synced with the playback! I still don't know why that is but I found a solution. I genereated a MIDI click and recorded that click via my speakers into the MBox again. Then I could see how much the signal was shifted and adjusted the delay time (samples) in the Cubase configuration. As I said it works now - but I have a feeling that it shouldn't be like this...

GETTING STARTED

Besides the issue mentioned above I have no copmlaints. When I bought the computer I was running Vista and Digidesign had promised to release a driver within a couple of months. Well the months became almost a year and I eventually gave up on Vista anyway (luckily I realized very soon what a piece of junk it is). So I don't blame them for not wanting to release a driver that wouldn't really work on Microsoft's faulty software.
It seems the preamp has a lot of headroom and I have not really had big issues with clipped signals.

OVERALL OPINION

I have been using the MBox 2 now for about a year and like that it really sounds quite good and gives me a professional sounding monitor output. Since it is meant to record only two tracks at a time (or four if you add digital) it doesn't really run into any performance issues. Just make sure to not have the interface hooked up to a USB hub - plug it in directly and you will be just fine.
I looked at the M-Audio interfaces and I think they are pretty good as well (maybe even better value for the money). But I put my faith into Digidesign and so far have not been disappointed.