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Avid Technology Mbox Mini User Manual
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Avid Technology Mbox Mini User Manual

Avid Technology Mbox Mini User Manual

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Mbox Mini User Guide
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Version 8.0.4

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Summary of Contents for Avid Technology Mbox Mini

  • Page 1 Mbox Mini User Guide ® Version 8.0.4...
  • Page 2 Legal Notices This guide is copyrighted ©2010 by Avid Technology, Inc., (hereafter “Avid”), with all rights reserved. Under copyright laws, this guide may not be duplicated in whole or in part without the written consent of Avid. 003, 96 I/O, 96i I/O, 192 Digital I/O, 192 I/O, 888|24 I/O,...
  • Page 3 Mbox Mini Features ........
  • Page 4 Connecting a Microphone to the Mbox Mini........
  • Page 5 Appendix F. Resources ............61 About the Pro Tools Guides .
  • Page 6 Mbox Mini User Guide...
  • Page 7 • USB-powered operation. The Mbox Mini provides the following: Mbox Mini may not function properly if con- nected to a USB hub. Connect Mbox Mini to a • Two channels of analog audio input: separate, dedicated USB port. • Combo connector with XLR (microphone) input and 1/4-inch (line-level) input and switchable 48V phantom power.
  • Page 8 Compatibility Pro Tools LE™ on Mac or Windows provides the following capabilities with Mbox Mini: Mbox Mini can be used with a qualified Win- • Playback of up to 48 mono or stereo digital dows or Mac computer. audio tracks, or a combination of playing...
  • Page 9 Important Notices include information that could affect your data or the performance of your system. Shortcuts show you useful keyboard or mouse shortcuts. Cross References point to related sections in this guide and other Pro Tools guides. Chapter 1: Welcome to Mbox Mini...
  • Page 10 Products and Developers Learn about Avid products; download demo software or learn about our Development Partners and their plug-ins, applications, and hardware. News and Events Get the latest news from Avid or sign up for a Pro Tools demo. Mbox Mini User Guide...
  • Page 11 Installation Overview To install Pro Tools LE on Mac OS X: Make sure you are logged in as an Administra- Installation of the Mbox Mini on a Mac includes tor for the account where you want to install the following steps: Pro Tools.
  • Page 12 On the Installer disc, locate and double-click Connect the small end of the included USB cable to the USB port on Mbox Mini. Connect Install Pro Tools LE.mpkg. the other end of the USB cable to any available USB port on your computer.
  • Page 13 DIGI.) plug-ins from Avid’s AIR group. To authorize Pro Tools LE software: Virtual Instruments Installs 20 free effects plug- Make sure Mbox Mini is connected to your ins from Avid’s AIR group. computer. Virtual Instrument Content Installs sample con- Click the Pro Tools LE icon in the Dock (or tent for AIR virtual instruments.
  • Page 14 Driver, see the CoreAudio Drivers Guide. Installers are located on your Pro Tools LE Installer disc in the Additional Files\3rd Party Content folder. If you uninstall Pro Tools, the Avid CoreAudio Driver is automatically uninstalled at that time. Mbox Mini User Guide...
  • Page 15 Pro Tools Demo Session Uninstalling Pro Tools The Pro Tools LE Installer disc includes a demo If you need to uninstall Pro Tools software from session that you can use to verify that your sys- your computer, use the Uninstaller application. tem is working.
  • Page 16 Mbox Mini User Guide...
  • Page 17 Mbox Mini connected to your computer. Installation Overview To install Pro Tools LE: Start Windows, logging in with Administrator Installing the Mbox Mini on a Windows com- privileges. For details on Administrator privi- puter includes the following steps: leges, refer to your Windows documentation.
  • Page 18 Mbox Mini may not function properly if con- • To install all Pro Tools application files and nected to a USB hub. Connect Mbox Mini to free plug-in suites (and associated content), a separate, dedicated USB port. leave the default Installation options se- lected and click Continue.
  • Page 19 Installation Options Additional Options The Pro Tools installer provides the following Pro Tools LE Options additional options to install along with To install a subset of Pro Tools software and Pro Tools software and plug-ins: plug-ins (and associated content), click the re- Mac HFS+ Disk Support Option This option lets veal triangle for the Pro Tools LE option in the your Pro Tools system read, write, record, and...
  • Page 20 DIGI.) Additional Software on the To authorize Pro Tools LE software: Pro Tools Installer Disc Make sure Mbox Mini is connected to your computer. The Pro Tools LE Installer disc provides addi- tional software for your system, including audio...
  • Page 21 Avid Audio Drivers Double-click LE Demo Session Setup.exe. Follow the on-screen instructions. The Avid Audio Drivers are multi-client, multi- channel sound drivers that allow Pro Tools and When prompted, select your audio drive as third-party audio programs that support the the install location and click Next to begin the ASIO Driver or WaveDriver MME/DirectX install.
  • Page 22 Mbox Mini User Guide...
  • Page 23 chapter 4 Configuring Your Pro Tools System After you have connected your system and in- With the volume of all output devices low- stalled Pro Tools software, you are ready to start ered, turn on your Pro Tools audio interfaces. up and configure your Pro Tools system.
  • Page 24 In addition to causing slower screen re- sponse and monitoring latency, higher Hardware Buffer Size settings can increase the latency caused by RTAS plug-ins, and affect the accuracy of plug-in automation, mute data, and MIDI track timing. Mbox Mini User Guide...
  • Page 25 Host Processors To set the number of Host Processors: Choose Setup > Playback Engine. The Host Processors setting lets you manage multi-processor support for RTAS (Real-Time From the Host Processors pop-up menu, select AudioSuite) plug-in processing. the number of available processors you want to allocate.
  • Page 26 To change the CPU Usage Limit: Choose Setup > Playback Engine. From the CPU Usage Limit pop-up menu, select the percentage of CPU processing you want to allocate to Pro Tools. Click OK. Mbox Mini User Guide...
  • Page 27 Minimize Additional I/O Latency (Mac Only) • DAE Playback Buffer Size settings higher than 1500 msec; Level 2 (Default) allow higher track When enabled, any additional latency due to count, higher density of edits in a session, or suppressing errors during playback and record is the use of slower hard drives.
  • Page 28 To change the Plug-In Streaming Buffer Size: Choose Setup > Playback Engine. From the Plug-In Streaming Buffer Size pop-up menu, select a buffer size. Click OK. Mbox Mini User Guide...
  • Page 29 Optimizing the Plug-In Streaming Buffer Default Sample Rate Size The Sample Rate setting appears as the default (Structure Plug-In Only) sample rate when you create a new session. (This setting is available in the Hardware Setup dialog This option appears in the Playback Engine dia- only when no session is open.) log only if one of the Structure sampler instru- ment plug-in is installed on your system.
  • Page 30 Pro Tools, you will usually use the Pro Tools Internal clock source. S/PDIF Use this setting if you are recording through the Mbox Mini S/PDIF input from an external digital device. This setting will synchro- nize Pro Tools to that digital device.
  • Page 31 Backing Up your System Turning Off Energy Saver Configuration To turn off the Energy Saver feature: After configuring your system and Pro Tools, Choose System Preferences from the Apple you should save an image of your system drive menu and click Energy Saver. using a backup utility such as Bombich Carbon Copy Cloner or Time Machine (Mac) or Acronis Do the following:...
  • Page 32 Choose System Preferences from the Apple Ensure that Enable Spaces is selected. menu and click Spotlight. In the Spotlight window, click the Privacy tab. To prevent indexing of a drive, drag its icon from the desktop into the list. Mbox Mini User Guide...
  • Page 33 Enabling Journaling for Audio Drives Enabling DMA To yield higher performance from audio drives, Enabling your computer's DMA (Direct Memory enable journaling. Access) frees up CPU bandwidth so your com- puter can do other Pro Tools tasks. To enable journaling: In most cases the DMA option will already be set Launch the Disk Utility application, located in correctly, as Windows detects and activates...
  • Page 34 (Windows 7) or Turn User Account Control on or off (Windows Vista). Move the User Account Control slider to Never Notify (Windows 7), or deselect the Use User Ac- count Control (UAC) to help protect your computer option (Windows Vista). Click OK. Restart your computer. Mbox Mini User Guide...
  • Page 35 Recommended Optimizations Disabling Network Cards If applicable, disable any networking cards Pro Tools can also be affected by other software (other than a FireWire card that you might use and hardware drivers installed on your com- to connect an external drive to your system). puter.
  • Page 36 Don't show this message again op- tion. If performance has not changed, run “msconfig” and return your computer Startup Selection back to Normal Startup - load all device drives and services. Alternatively, try disabling Startup items and non-essential processes indi- vidually. Mbox Mini User Guide...
  • Page 37 Phantom power Headphone (+48V) LED output Figure 1. Mbox Mini front panel Gain/–20 dB Pad Switch 1 Gain/–20 dB Pad Switch 2 This knob adjusts the Input 1 (Mic/Line or DI) This knob adjusts the input gain level of Input 2...
  • Page 38 Mbox Mini gives you the ability to monitor when the signal reaching Mbox Mini is about to your analog input signals while recording, with- clip. The LEDs are associated with signals routed out the delay incurred by A/D/A converters and from Inputs 1–...
  • Page 39 Mbox Mini Back Panel Features The Mbox Mini back panel has the following features: Line/DI switch DI input USB port Combo/DI switch Mic/Line input Monitor outputs USB 2.0 +48V Line Mic/Line Mic/Line Monitor Line/DI Output Phantom power (+48V) switch Line/DI Input 2 Figure 2.
  • Page 40 1/4-inch TRS (Tip-Ring- manufacturer. Sleeve) or TS (Tip-Sleeve) connections. When using phantom power, Mbox Mini’s On the front panel, the input signal is adjusted maximum current per microphone is 4 mA. by the Input 2 Gain control. The source (Line or...
  • Page 41 Connecting Headphones an audio mixer. On the front panel of the Mbox Mini is a 1/4- When connecting to a stereo system, connect inch jack to connect headphones. the left channel (often the white plug) to...
  • Page 42 For information about connecting specific audio sources, see “Connecting a Micro- Use a microphone with an XLR connector to phone to the Mbox Mini” on page 36, and connect the microphone to the Mbox Mini. “Connecting Instruments to the Mbox Mini” on page 37.
  • Page 43 Using a Mic that Has an XLR On the front of the Mbox Mini, turn the Mix control fully left to Input. Connector On the front of the Mbox Mini, carefully turn To use a microphone that has an XLR connector: the input’s Gain control to the right to increase...
  • Page 44 Mbox Mini Setup Guide...
  • Page 45 Pro Tools or other audio applications menu > System Preferences), then double-click that support the CoreAudio Drivers (Mac) or Avid Mbox Mini. (You can also open the Driver ASIO Audio Drivers (Windows) standard. Control Panel from the Applications menu.) The Driver Control Panel also features conve- –...
  • Page 46 Panel are the following status indicators: From the Driver Control Panel, you can change the Sample Rate or Buffer Size setting or access the Hardware Setup dialog for your Mbox Mini Hardware Connected or third-party application. This indicates if a properly installed, powered- on Mbox Mini is connected to the computer.
  • Page 47 appendix b Configuring AMS (Mac OS X Only) Click MIDI Devices. AMS scans your system for Audio MIDI Setup connected MIDI interfaces. If your MIDI inter- face is properly connected, it appears in the win- Pro Tools recognizes the ports on your MIDI in- dow with each of its ports numbered.
  • Page 48 TextEdit). Repeat steps 3–6 for each MIDI device in your MIDI setup. To configure an external MIDI device: Select the external device icon and click Show Info (or double-click the new device icon). External Device Icon Mbox Mini User Guide...
  • Page 49 Click the More Information arrow to expand Click the device image. The window expands the dialog, then enable the appropriate MIDI to show images for various MIDI devices (such channels (1–16) for the Transmits and Receives as keyboards, modules, interfaces, and mixers). options.
  • Page 50 Patch Select button Patch Select button (Edit window) (Mix window) edited in any text editor, or you can use third-party patch librarian and editor soft- Patch Select button ware to create your own custom patch names. Mbox Mini User Guide...
  • Page 51 appendix c Configuring MIDI Studio Setup (Windows Only) MIDI Studio Setup Window MIDI Studio Setup The MIDI Studio Setup window is organized MIDI Studio Setup (MSS) lets you configure the into three sections. Interface controls are at the MIDI controllers and sound modules that are top of the window.
  • Page 52 MIDI Studio Setup Properties section I/O), in addition to the MIDI ports on When a previously defined instrument is se- Mbox Mini, the MIDI Studio setup window lected in the Instrument list, the Properties sec- shows both the DirectMusic time-stamped out-...
  • Page 53 The Input Port pop-up menu displays a list of MIDI Patch Name Support available MIDI interface input ports. Inputs will include Mbox Mini and any additional MIDI in- Pro Tools supports XML (Extensible Markup terfaces enabled on your system. The MIDI in- Language) for storing and importing patch names for your external MIDI devices.
  • Page 54 Change button Patch Select dialog In the Open dialog, navigate to C:\Program Files\Common Files\Digidesign\MIDI Patch Names\Digidesign\<name of manufacturer>, and select the MIDI Patch Name file (.midnam) for the MIDI device. Click Open. Mbox Mini User Guide...
  • Page 55 appendix d Hard Drive Configuration and Maintenance It is recommended that you start with a newly Supported Drive Formats and formatted external or secondary internal audio Drive Types drive. You should also periodically defragment your audio drive to ensure continued system performance.
  • Page 56 The drive appears on the Desktop with the new Formatting Mac Audio Drives volume name. For optimum performance, audio drives should be formatted as Mac OS Extended (Journaled). To format an audio drive: Launch the Disk Utility application, located in Macintosh HD/Applications/Utilities. Mbox Mini User Guide...
  • Page 57 Formatting Windows Audio Drives If the volume is “Healthy,” do the following: For optimal performance, audio drives should Healthy volumes are volumes that have pre- be formatted as NTFS. viously been partitioned and formatted. Pro Tools only supports Basic drive types. •...
  • Page 58 On Windows, to avoid fragmentation, for- performance. mat drives with higher cluster sizes (such as 32K). Mbox Mini User Guide...
  • Page 59 Optimizing (Defragmenting) Drives When defragmenting is complete, close the Disk Defragmenter window. To prevent fragmentation, you can optimize your drive, which rearranges your files into a In Windows 7 you can Ctrl-Click on the contiguous format. Most optimizing software drive names to select multiple drives to de- lets you run a check on a drive to find out the fragment, and once more than one drive is percentage of fragmentation.
  • Page 60 Formatting and Maintaining HFS+ Drives To format and partition any drives as HFS+, con- nect the drives to a Mac computer and use the Apple OS X Disk Utility to format the drives as Mac OS Extended (Journaled). Mbox Mini User Guide...
  • Page 61 Hard Disk Storage Space Mono audio tracks recorded with 16-bit resolution at 44.1 kHz (CD quality) require approximately 5 MB of hard disk space per minute. The same tracks recorded with 24-bit resolution require about 7.5 MB per minute. Stereo audio tracks recorded with 16-bit resolution at 44.1 kHz (CD quality) require approximately 10 MB of hard disk space per minute.
  • Page 62 Mbox Mini User Guide...
  • Page 63 appendix e Troubleshooting Backing Up Your System Backing Up Your Work Configuration It is highly recommended that you back up your After configuring your system and Pro Tools, work on a regular basis, and especially before you should save an image of your system drive making changes to your system configuration.
  • Page 64 Pro Tools perfor- your cables are properly and securely connected mance. These features should be turned off. to your computer and to your audio interface. Verify that your Hardware Setup dialog set- tings are correct. Mbox Mini User Guide...
  • Page 65 Pro Tools Software Before You Call Avid Support • Pro Tools software version • Plug-In versions Register Your System • Other Pro Tools software options or components Register your purchase by following the instruc- tions on the Registration Information Card in- •...
  • Page 66 Mbox Mini User Guide...
  • Page 67 appendix f Resources Whether you are new to Pro Tools or just start- Printed Intro to Pro Tools Guide ing out with your new system, we encourage The printed Intro to Pro Tools has tutorials on us- you to read and utilize the many guides that ing Pro Tools (such as recording in a Pro Tools Pro Tools provides.
  • Page 68 Pro Tools users at the online User Conference. Go to: http://duc.avid.com • If you can’t find your answers on the User Conference or the Knowledge Base, contact Avid email support. Go to: http://www.avid.com/support Mbox Mini User Guide...
  • Page 69 appendix g Compliance Information Proposition 65 Warning Environmental Compliance This product contains chemicals, including lead, known to the State of California to cause cancer and Disposal of Waste Equipment by Users birth defects or other reproductive harm. Wash hands in the European Union after handling.
  • Page 70 • Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help. Any modifications to the unit, unless expressly approved by Avid, could void the user's authority to operate the equipment. Mbox Mini User Guide...
  • Page 71 Important Safety Instructions 12) For products that are not rack-mountable: Use only with a cart, stand, tripod, bracket, or table specified by the manufacturer, or sold with the equipment. When a cart is used, use caution when moving the cart/equipment combination to 1) Read these instructions.
  • Page 72 Mbox Mini User Guide...
  • Page 73 index Audio MIDI Setup (AMS) (Macintosh) 41 hard drives drive formats 49 authorizing Pro Tools LE FireWire requirements 50 Mac 7 formatting 50, 51 Windows 14 formatting (Mac) 50 IDE/ATA requirements 50 maintenance 49, 52 Cache Size 22 optimizing 53 Clean Uninstall (Mac) 9 partitioning 52 Clock Source 24...
  • Page 74 59 capabilities 2 configuration (Windows) 18 installing (Mac) 5 uninstalling Pro Tools installing (Windows) 11 Mac 9 Processor Scheduling performance (Windows) 30 Windows 15 User Account Control (UAC) disabling 28 QuickTime installing (Windows) 13 Mbox Mini User Guide...
  • Page 76 Avid Technical Support (USA) Product Information 2001 Junipero Serra Boulevard Visit the Online Support Center at For company and product information, Daly City, CA 94014-3886 USA www.avid.com/support visit us on the web at www.avid.com...