Product Review: Digidesign's Mbox

Over the past four or five years, those of us who have chosen our computers as a means to record music and sound effects have been blessed with an incredible choice of affordable software and hardware. Who remembers the original Sound Tools days? The first time I saw a sales rep manipulate a Yes song left me in awe. The cost was astronomical, even by that time's standards; my studio's first 600MB hard drive, which we picked up for Sound Tools, cost close to $4,000. Today, that would buy enough gigabytes to store everything I've recorded in the past 10 years.

With the advent of USB and Firewire, new avenues have opened up for connecting hardware, transportable storage (hot swappable at that). We've been granted an exceptional means to input and output signal to our computers. In the past we had sound cards or, with Macintoshes, the built-in 16-bit I/O. But thanks to companies like Digidesign, we no longer have to worry about quality I/O and software at an acceptable price.

It's All in the Box
Enter Mbox, a collaboration between two partner companies, Digidesign and famed British audio designer Focusrite, a name revered in pro audio circles. Digidesign is best known for its Pro Tools systems of hard-disk recording, but its basic professional set-up is expensive and overkill for simple home studio or multimedia needs. A few years back they released the Digi 001 with Pro Tools LE, an affordable I/O and software package that addressed the needs of most lower-budget users, but with up to 18 inputs/outputs, it's still a bit too much for some.

With Mbox, the two companies offer us a smaller package that exemplifies ease of use in a powerful system. Mbox has a small footprint, as it sits upright on your desk or computer table. Compact yet sturdy and well made, it's a nice design that takes up little space, looks great, and is eminently portable.

I/O, I/O, So Off to Record We Go
Mbox's front panel is simple and well laid out, showing the unit's underlying flexibility. There are four main knobs situated vertically on the front panel, similar in style to the ones in Focusrite's Green and Platinum series. The top two knobs control gain for the two input sources, the third is an input/output monitor mix (more on this later), and the last knob is the headphones level. The two input source gain knobs have a small button to the left that cycles through that channel's input options, and three LEDs to the right that correspond to whatever mode the input channel is in, with choices being mic (green), line (green), and instrument (yellow). Directly below these LEDs and adjacent to the gain knob is a red peak LED for each input source.

Beneath the two input channels, on each side of the panel, are two additional LED indicators. The left green LED lights up when an S/PDIF signal is present, acknowledging that Mbox's inputs are set to receive digital in as opposed to analog. The one on the right signifies proper USB connection, giving visual feedback that the Mac recognizes the Mbox and has loaded the drivers for it.

There have been a few software issues with Mac OS 9.1 and Mbox not properly loading its USB drivers (as I found out shortly after my first reboot), but a quick fix - unplugging the USB cable from the back of the box and then reconnecting it - works more often than not. When I kept getting error messages or peak lights on Mbox, I had to drag and drop the whole collection of Digiextensions a couple of times too. Digidesign is aware of the problem and is working toward a permanent fix. For the time being, they recommend upgrading to Mac OS 9.2 and downloading the latest drivers from their web site.

The third knob down, actually a mix/ratio knob, works by mixing your input source (the knob all the way to the left) with the playback from software (the knob all the way to the right). You can dial in any blend of the two, which gives a zero-latency response to your input signal; you're listening to the track through Mbox, not through software, similar to listening through a mixer channel instead of "off tape," so there's no noticeable delay between what's playing and what you hear. If Mbox handles all of your monitoring and input/output chores instead of routing through a console, this is a nice addition, perfect for the small home studio on a budget.

The fourth and last knob, controlling headphone levels, has a mono-sum button to its side so you can check for phase problems or just listen to a mono mix. There's a 1/8-inch mini-plug on the front for connecting applicable headphones.

The M Connection
The back of Mbox is where it all gets patched in. Two Focusrite mic pre's, highlights of the input channels, guarantee a good sound. They are multi-connector-type jacks and accept either XLR or 1/4-inch in the same socket. This allows Mbox to use only one connector on each of the two inputs, and gives the user the option of a line/instrument or mic.

Four 1/4-inch connectors are located above the input jacks, the bottom two being channel inserts that access the channel after the preamp and before the A to D converter. These Tip-Ring-Sleeves give the user the ability to patch in their favorite analog device, such as a compressor or an EQ. The remaining two 1/4-inch jacks are line outputs, typically a left and right out from your computer. These can be patched to a mixer, a home stereo, a power amp for monitoring, or sent to a two-track for mix-down.

Above the outputs are RCA-type S/PDIF connectors, with an in and an out. A 1/4-inch headphone jack is also offered, but keep in mind plugging into this jack will negate audio to the front panel mini-plug headphone. The remaining items on the back include a single USB connector, and the phantom power switch providing 48 volts to both input channels simultaneously. Because it can potentially damage certain mics, most notably ribbon-type mics, it's a good idea to turn your volume down and unplug unused inputs when switching phantom power on and off.

That's Not All, Folks
Pro Tools 5.2 (version LE), included with Mbox, is the most popular hard-disk recording software in the world. But, since this isn't a Pro Tools review, I'll just add that this is a limited version of the fabled program, maxing out at 24 audio tracks. Still, Pro Tools LE is an exceptional recording package that will fulfill many people's needs, with plenty of included plug-ins for EQ, compression, and delays. Other plugs are available at an extra cost.

During the time I used Mbox, it met all my expectations and more. Perhaps its most notable feature is the fine tone of the input channels, a combination of the Focusrite mic pre's and Digidesign's 24-bit converters. There's plenty of routing; I used Mbox primarily with a small console, returning the two outputs in channels in the console for processing with live MIDI tracks. By plugging a number of powered and nonpowered mics and instruments into Mbox, I tested every input choice, and everything worked as I'd hoped.

Mbox can also be used with other sequencers or audio programs. Once the USB drivers are loaded, you can select Mbox in the Digidesign control panel, then select the Digidesign I/O from inside the software. I had absolutely no problems using Mbox with both Mark of the Unicorn's Digital Performer 3.0 and the included Pro Tools LE.

For a small studio that needs only one or two simultaneous inputs, Mbox is a charm. For a larger professional studio, Mbox offers two channels of quality audio in and out of your Mac. With its excellent sound quality, well-made hardware, and world-class software, the Mbox is hard to beat for its price (around $495 MSRP), and it's a great choice for someone seeking ease of portability. If you're looking to get into 24-bit recording, the Mbox is an exceptional way to get there.