DigiDesign Mbox 2 Pro Getting Started Manual page 45

To use a microphone that has a 1/4-inch TS
(Tip-Sleeve) connector:
Connect the 1/4-inch cable from your micro-
1
phone to the front panel Input 1 DI input.
Input 1
Connecting a 1/4-inch microphone cable to the Input 1
DI connector
Set the source to DI by pressing the input
2
channel Source selector until the DI LED is lit.
Mic/DI
selector
Input 1 selector switch and DI LED
On the front of the Mbox 2 Pro, carefully turn
3
the Gain control to the right to increase the in-
put level of your microphone signal.
If the incoming signal is too loud, press the
4
Pad switch to engage the –20 dB pad.
Mic Cables and Connectors
There are several ways to use Mbox 2 Pro with a
microphone, depending on the type of micro-
phone and cable you use.
Some microphone cables use an XLR connector
to attach a microphone to an input; other mi-
crophones use a 1/4-inch connector.
If you have a choice, use an XLR connector to
connect the microphone to the Mbox 2 Pro to
yield better results.
XLR connector
XLR and 1/4-inch connectors
Phantom Power
Some microphones require power to operate.
This power, called phantom power, is supplied ei-
ther by a battery in the microphone, or through
an audio interface (such as Mbox 2 Pro) that can
supply power through the microphone cable.
Most condenser microphones (such as an AKG
C3000) require phantom power to operate. Dy-
namic microphones (such as a Shure SM57) do
not require phantom power to operate, but are
not harmed by it.
Although phantom power can be used
safely with most microphones, it is possible
to damage some ribbon microphones with
it. Always turn off phantom power and
wait at least ten seconds before connecting
a ribbon microphone.
The Mbox 2 Pro can only supply power through
a microphone cable with XLR connectors. If you
are not sure about the phantom power require-
ments for your microphone, refer to your micro-
phone's documentation or contact the manu-
facturer.
Chapter 6: Making Hardware Connections
1/4-inch connector
37