Jump to content

Meet the MBox Micro


Gus Lozada

Recommended Posts

  • Moderators

Yes!!!

 

Do you have any idea how this would've help me out on my last project. I've been crying for a means to edit away from the studio without dragging an M-Box.

 

Of course now Digi makes the term "expensive dongle" more a reality than a point maker. But hey, $279 for the software and monitoring works for me. It is exactly what I need.

 

Cool.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Moderators

 

Well, it is a dongle AND a small audio interface @ 24 / 48 max.

 

 

Output only... correct?

 

And for the record, I'm not one to throw the term "expensive dongle" around as I think it a deal. You get the software. It's fair. I'm only commenting on the crazy anti Digi audio forum nonsense to come.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

Cute!

 

I see an explosion of PT mixers hanging out their shingles...

 

 

Just what the world needs now...

 

:D :D :D

 

 

 

[As redundant as the promotional copy on the page Gus linked to is -- I think it's a good idea to make it clear, as they do twice in the space of two sentences, that it doesn't have audio inputs.]

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

Dang - $279?? :eek: For a USB key with a headphone jack?

 

Seems to me you guys should offer these things as a cheap add-on to an Mbox or something. Isn't the market mainly going to be people who already own ProTools?

 

Not real impressive in terms of value, IMHO. No offense - I suppose this fills a need, but you could pay about the same money for a pro license for Reaper, mix all you like with no dongle to carry/lose/break (and any interface you like, including the one built into your laptop), and you get to record as well.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

Yeah -- but if you want to take in Pro Tools projects for mixing, this is a lot better than askng your client to do an audio export and then pulling that into your own DAW. That's fine once in a while but if you had PT projects coming in regularly for mixing, this would be one relatively inexpensive way of getting a basic PT-mix ready setup.

 

I'm not saying that PT LE is the full equivalent of something like Sonar Pro or Logic -- but it's also roughly half the price, in this package. And an even smaller slice of the price of Cubase, IIRC.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Moderators

Dang - $279??
:eek:
For a USB key with a headphone jack?


Seems to me you guys should offer these things as a cheap add-on to an Mbox or something. Isn't the market mainly going to be people who
already
own ProTools?


Not real impressive in terms of value, IMHO. No offense - I suppose this fills a need, but you could pay about the same money for a pro license for Reaper, mix all you like with no dongle to carry/lose/break (and any interface you like, including the one built into your laptop), and you get to record as well.

 

I'd love if it were $149 to registered PT users. Now that would rock. But as it stands, it's still a good deal. I believe that technically, Pro Tools is only allowed on one machine at a time per license. In practice though, you can install as many times as you like. You just need the hardware to make it work.

 

Smart on Digi's part. Hence the term "expensive dongle".

 

I'm all for it. They've found a way to fight piracy.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Moderators

But why the 48k limitation? This is a big mistake. I just ran over to Gearslutz to get their take on this and a lot of film guys and other working on HD, etc can't use it.

 

If they make it 96k what pro wouldn't buy one? But... I work in 44.1 so, whatever. And...

 

Now I can edit at work during lulls. Shhhh....

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1) Yes, OUTPUT ONLY.

 

2) Yes, 48kHz MAX. There's no USB 24/96 yet from Digi's side.

 

3) I agree, it "forces" you to buy yet another interface + software + plug-ins. However its estimated street price of $249 does really make it affordable, even if you already have another MBox system.

 

 

Of course if you bought a MBox Mini this would be lame...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

I think it a pretty cool idea, and a good value for those wanting to get a cheap Pro Tools setup, but like Lee said, they should have an offer for existing users otherwise the software value is useless, and yeah it should go to at least 96hz, Christ, PC laptops come with built in cheapo's that go 192hz. I expect to see more units like this from other companies. One final note, I'd get some sort of USB extension chord as that thing sticking out of the laptop is screaming for an eventuall accident or a short just from any play movement. I'd imagine a lot of people will be buying the thing a couple of times over for just that reason.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'd get some sort of USB extension chord as that thing sticking out of the laptop is screaming for an eventuall accident or a short just from any play movement.

 

 

... isn't that already a standard procedure? ;)

 

I use a pasive USB Hub which allows the dongles to hang away from the computer ports.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

 

I use a pasive USB Hub which allows the dongles to hang away from the computer ports.

 

 

Just as long as you keep your dongles away from my ports!

 

Cute little device. I can definitely see why some people would dig it. Cheapest entry point into Pro Tools ever. I knew people that were forced to buy hardware they didn't require to have PT compatibility before, and this is the least expensive way to negate that.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

I'm not a Pro Tools user. (Well, I have an M-Audio Black Box, but it's AC powered, so I can't really travel with PT M-Powered on my laptop the way I can with a native-based DAW.) So for me, it was the second bullet in their press release that caught my eye:

 

Affordable Pro Tools Compatibility

Even if your studio is based around another DAW, the Mbox 2 Micro is a great way to add Pro Tools compatibility to your setup.

 

They know how to get a guy.

 

I figure this is about as close at PT will get to going native (the Mini doesn't quite go far enough in affordability or portability). I just may bite.

 

And they're right; if you've resisted drinking the PT Kool-Aid for this long, chances are you have another way of capturing audio and/or MIDI. And once your audio/MIDI is inside your laptop through whatever non-Digi interface/DAW you're using, you can then simply import the files into PT (you can optionally step-edit MIDI too rather than go through a controller -- if you're patient enough ;)).

 

And why would I do this, fellow non-PT users may ask? Because I love the PT interface. I was more comfortable working with PT in 15 minutes than I was after weeks in Cubase. PT makes for nicer screen shots too when you're writing about digital audio recording. :)

 

Still, I too wish it were cheaper. At $250 street, the Micro is only $45 less than the Mbox Mini.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

just a silly question, if you already have pro tools on a mac laptop, couldn't you mix or work on PTLE with the on-board sound device?

So What is it for?

Windows PTLE?

or for those without any PTLE?

or do you need a dongle if no digidesign hardware is connected?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

or do you need a dongle if no digidesign hardware is connected?

 

The hardware itself is the dongle. Pro Tools LE does not run at all if no Digidesign hardware is present.

 

For Pro Tools M-Powered you do need the M-Audio hardware AND an ilok dongle with license.

 

Hopefully this made all clearer.

:wave:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...