M-Audio or M-Box?

molownia · 2nd April 2007, 03:02 PM

I am a PC user and want to buy a basic Pro Tools system, my budget is limited so I am considering two options: M-Powered or LE (M-box2 or M-box mini).
I have no experience with PT and would like to know which one is better.
Any suggestions? Experiences? What about M-Audio interfaces, which one is the best?
Michal

KyleTheSoundGuy · 2nd April 2007, 04:04 PM

then your best bet is probably an MBox. You can get an MBox 2 Mini for around $300 which includes ProTools LE software.

Personally, I prefer M-Audio hardware over the LE line. My main dislike with M-Powered is that you have to purchase ProTools seperately which adds another $250-$300 to your purchase price. However, you can use M-Audio hardware with more software than just ProTools.

For more help, post what you plan on doing with your ProTools rig. Are you just planning on recording a guitar and a vocal? Or do you want to mic up a whole drum kit?

terminal3 · 2nd April 2007, 04:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KyleTheSoundGuy

However, you can use M-Audio hardware with more software than just ProTools.

... as you can with LE hardware. It'll work with virtually anything as well.

One thing to consider: will you (molownia) ever need Digitranslator and/or DV Toolkit functions with PTLE? If so, you must go with LE as M-Powered doesn't support those expansions.

If the answer is NO, then you're back on a level playing field and you should probably then make your choice based on hardware functionality/needs and/or budget.

molownia · 2nd April 2007, 11:18 PM

thanks, I know that I can't record the whole drum kit using these interfaces :)
I only want to have PT at home to mix already recorded sessions
what about sound? does M-audio sound better than Mbox, or there's no significant difference, any experience with both? do they both come with the same plugin bundles?

J Wubz · 2nd April 2007, 11:24 PM

i would go with the mbox...software included!

Finnish · 3rd April 2007, 02:51 PM

Get M-Audio and try Reaper, I took the MBox-plunge 2 years ago and I wasn't happy with that setup.

AudioFocus · 4th April 2007, 01:11 AM

Ok, here goes.

You can spend the $300 on an Mbox Mini and get the software and all that jazz for free with it, or you can go with M-Audio and have heaps of upgradeability (is this even a word) later. For example. You can get a very basic M-Audio interface for $100-$150 with a couple of mic pres and no digital i/o, and buy the MPowered Pro Tools to run on your computer.

When you are ready to upgrade you can get an M-Audio Firewire 1814. It's $600 with 2 pres, and ADAT. It handles sample rates up to 192kHz and has line livel i/o on the back, and word clock. It's basically a 002r/003r with two less pres and two less line outs. All in all you've spent less than the price of a 002/003 and have a way more possabilities should you choose to dump PT and use something else.

my $.02

Creston

neverjared · 4th April 2007, 05:06 AM

The Mbox Mini is the best $202 I ever spent. The thing is terribly useful.

I'm considering ripping the thing apart and seeing if I can clean up the analog stages much like Black Lion Audio does.

sarrcford · 4th April 2007, 08:43 PM

Where did you get your Mbox mini for such a low price ?

Thanks very much !

raal · 4th April 2007, 09:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by molownia

I am a PC user and want to buy a basic Pro Tools system, my budget is limited so I am considering two options: M-Powered or LE (M-box2 or M-box mini).
I have no experience with PT and would like to know which one is better.
Any suggestions? Experiences? What about M-Audio interfaces, which one is the best?
Michal

if you ever need to sync @ 96kHz from an external source, nothing LE will currently do this AFAIK. M-Audio does. using it with HEDD verters clocking @ 96kHz now. works great. not possible with anything LE including 003. something else for you to consider.

MDM · 4th April 2007, 09:54 PM

absolutely, with no doubt : Digidesign Mbox

Maudio .... brrrrrrrr

dkelley · 4th April 2007, 11:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MDM

absolutely, with no doubt : Digidesign Mbox

Maudio .... brrrrrrrr

um, why would anybody say maudio.... brrrrrrr??
They're products have been considered mid level to high end for years now, the delta 1010 Inon-lt) is incredible and with outboard clock (which any high end pro studio should use anyway) the quality is equal to anything other than esoteric stuff. even the 1010lt is widely used and excellent sounding.

Not to mention the rest of their gear... they're not the same midiman any more, haven't been for a very very long time.

And any m-audio delta interface outperforms any m-box interface or in some ways also outperforms the digi 002 interface, at least according to what I've read over the last couple of years.

Cheers,
Don

J Wubz · 5th April 2007, 12:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by terminal3

... as you can with LE hardware. It'll work with virtually anything as well.

One thing to consider: will you (molownia) ever need Digitranslator and/or DV Toolkit functions with PTLE? If so, you must go with LE as M-Powered doesn't support those expansions.

If the answer is NO, then you're back on a level playing field and you should probably then make your choice based on hardware functionality/needs and/or budget.

True Story...i've used my mbox 2 with logic and protools for a little while now...

molownia · 5th April 2007, 03:05 AM

I think I'll go for Digidesign since I don't really need digital I/O
thanks for all the replies

t0lkien · 20th May 2007, 05:53 AM

Did you get the mini? And are you happy with it?

molownia · 20th May 2007, 01:53 PM

Yes, I did and I am quite happy with it. Sounds decent, I didn't expect anything better or worse. I have a "bedroom studio" setup so I don't need anything more than mini. No problems with OS on my PC, which is nice.

t0lkien · 21st May 2007, 12:21 AM

Nice! I'm facing a similar decision (between the E-MU 1616m and the Mini). I know the E-MU is a much better unit, but it also requires it's own power and is bigger. Also, being realistic, I'm not going to use anywhere near the E-MU's capabilities. I'm a songwriter not an engineer, and despite my thorough nature when it comes to music, I just don't have the time to be best at both. I read a great article recently that pointed out the mistake a lot of singer songwriters make in trying to set up home recording - they end up losing years to the engineering curve, and stop making music. I choose music

That means the Mini is likely more than enough for me despite it's ordinary converters and preamps, and it's link to ProTools. I'm going to use REAPER anyway. Also, it has a great software bundle (Reason for instance).

Two more questions:

1. What mic are you using?
2. Have you had an issue with latency?

gabehr · 21st May 2007, 09:15 PM

Cheaper to get ProTools with the Mbox, no doubt. So if the software is more important than the hardware, go that route.

M-audio's hardware spans a much better range from the very simple/small/low-end up to some passable mid-range gear. If you're willing to pay for ProTools M-Powered ($250) then go with M-Audio for the hardware flexibility down the road. Start with a MobilePre, move up to something like an 1814 later. You can even get the Profire Lightbridge and run 32 channels of any kind of i/o you want via optical into ProTools M-Powered.

Heck, wire up some Mytek/Apogee gear into M-powered through that thing if you want! I'd say Lavry, but it's only got AES/EBU out... sigh...

And consider having Black Lion Audio mod any of the Digi or M-Audio gear you get.

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2nd April 2007, 03:02 PM	#1
molownia Gear interested Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: New York Posts: 17	M-Audio or M-Box? I am a PC user and want to buy a basic Pro Tools system, my budget is limited so I am considering two options: M-Powered or LE (M-box2 or M-box mini). I have no experience with PT and would like to know which one is better. Any suggestions? Experiences? What about M-Audio interfaces, which one is the best? Michal

2nd April 2007, 04:04 PM	#2
KyleTheSoundGuy Gear interested Join Date: Apr 2007 Posts: 8	If budget is your biggest issue then your best bet is probably an MBox. You can get an MBox 2 Mini for around $300 which includes ProTools LE software. Personally, I prefer M-Audio hardware over the LE line. My main dislike with M-Powered is that you have to purchase ProTools seperately which adds another $250-$300 to your purchase price. However, you can use M-Audio hardware with more software than just ProTools. For more help, post what you plan on doing with your ProTools rig. Are you just planning on recording a guitar and a vocal? Or do you want to mic up a whole drum kit?

2nd April 2007, 11:24 PM	#5
J Wubz Gear Head Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: G Way Posts: 66	i would go with the mbox...software included! __________________ myspace.com/handmedownbuick

3rd April 2007, 02:51 PM	#6
Finnish Gear nut Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Finland Posts: 142	Get M-Audio and try Reaper, I took the MBox-plunge 2 years ago and I wasn't happy with that setup. __________________ HP Pavilion dv5-1035eo XP Pro, AMD Turion x2 (2,0ghz) XP Pro, LaCie D2/D3 250gb ext.drives, EMU 0404 USB, Pro Tools LE 7.0 MPatch2, BCF2000 M-Audio FW1814, REAPER-software Vox AC-30 modded re-issue, 1979 Fender Stratocaster Pearl Echo Orbit-tape delay My band/first record: http://www.rakkaudenammattilaiset.net

2nd April 2007, 11:18 PM	#4
molownia Gear interested Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: New York Posts: 17	thanks, I know that I can't record the whole drum kit using these interfaces :) I only want to have PT at home to mix already recorded sessions what about sound? does M-audio sound better than Mbox, or there's no significant difference, any experience with both? do they both come with the same plugin bundles?

4th April 2007, 01:11 AM	#7
AudioFocus Gear addict Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Nashville, TN - USA Posts: 379	M-Audio All The Way Ok, here goes. You can spend the $300 on an Mbox Mini and get the software and all that jazz for free with it, or you can go with M-Audio and have heaps of upgradeability (is this even a word) later. For example. You can get a very basic M-Audio interface for $100-$150 with a couple of mic pres and no digital i/o, and buy the MPowered Pro Tools to run on your computer. When you are ready to upgrade you can get an M-Audio Firewire 1814. It's $600 with 2 pres, and ADAT. It handles sample rates up to 192kHz and has line livel i/o on the back, and word clock. It's basically a 002r/003r with two less pres and two less line outs. All in all you've spent less than the price of a 002/003 and have a way more possabilities should you choose to dump PT and use something else. my $.02 Creston __________________ "Never let your sense of morals prevent you from doing what's right." - Isaac Asimov

4th April 2007, 05:06 AM	#8
neverjared Gear Head Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Orlando, FL Posts: 72	The Mbox Mini is the best $202 I ever spent. The thing is terribly useful. I'm considering ripping the thing apart and seeing if I can clean up the analog stages much like Black Lion Audio does. __________________ Jared D. Wynne, the raddest.

4th April 2007, 08:43 PM	#9
sarrcford Gear interested Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 5	Where did you get your Mbox mini for such a low price ? Thanks very much !

4th April 2007, 09:54 PM	#11
MDM Gear maniac Join Date: May 2006 Location: Amsterdam Posts: 225	absolutely, with no doubt : Digidesign Mbox Maudio .... brrrrrrrr

5th April 2007, 03:05 AM	#14
molownia Gear interested Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: New York Posts: 17	I think I'll go for Digidesign since I don't really need digital I/O thanks for all the replies

20th May 2007, 05:53 AM	#15
t0lkien Gear interested Join Date: May 2007 Posts: 20	Did you get the mini? And are you happy with it?

20th May 2007, 01:53 PM	#16
molownia Gear interested Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: New York Posts: 17	Yes, I did and I am quite happy with it. Sounds decent, I didn't expect anything better or worse. I have a "bedroom studio" setup so I don't need anything more than mini. No problems with OS on my PC, which is nice.

21st May 2007, 12:21 AM	#17
t0lkien Gear interested Join Date: May 2007 Posts: 20	Nice! I'm facing a similar decision (between the E-MU 1616m and the Mini). I know the E-MU is a much better unit, but it also requires it's own power and is bigger. Also, being realistic, I'm not going to use anywhere near the E-MU's capabilities. I'm a songwriter not an engineer, and despite my thorough nature when it comes to music, I just don't have the time to be best at both. I read a great article recently that pointed out the mistake a lot of singer songwriters make in trying to set up home recording - they end up losing years to the engineering curve, and stop making music. I choose music That means the Mini is likely more than enough for me despite it's ordinary converters and preamps, and it's link to ProTools. I'm going to use REAPER anyway. Also, it has a great software bundle (Reason for instance). Two more questions: 1. What mic are you using? 2. Have you had an issue with latency?

21st May 2007, 09:15 PM	#18
gabehr Gear nut Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Berkeley, CA Posts: 101	Cheaper to get ProTools with the Mbox, no doubt. So if the software is more important than the hardware, go that route. M-audio's hardware spans a much better range from the very simple/small/low-end up to some passable mid-range gear. If you're willing to pay for ProTools M-Powered ($250) then go with M-Audio for the hardware flexibility down the road. Start with a MobilePre, move up to something like an 1814 later. You can even get the Profire Lightbridge and run 32 channels of any kind of i/o you want via optical into ProTools M-Powered. Heck, wire up some Mytek/Apogee gear into M-powered through that thing if you want! I'd say Lavry, but it's only got AES/EBU out... sigh... And consider having Black Lion Audio mod any of the Digi or M-Audio gear you get.

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