DigiDesign Mbox 2 Pro Getting Started Manual page 46

Connecting Instruments to the
Mbox 2 Pro
Mbox 2 Pro provides three input types (DI, Line
and Aux In) that correspond to the different sig-
nal strengths output by different types of instru-
ments and other equipment.
DI Input (Front Panel) Instruments such as elec-
tric guitar or electric bass that usually have a
lower level of output than line level instruments
use the front panel DI ("Direct Inject") input.
Line Inputs (Back Panel) Line level devices, in-
cluding electronic audio sources such as mixers,
samplers, keyboards, turntables, and synthesiz-
ers use the back panel Line input.
Aux In (Back Panel) Line in L and R for addi-
tional line level devices, plus Phono L and R in-
puts for turntables/preamps, DJ mixers, and
similar devices. The 1/4-inch TS Line L and R in-
puts accept balanced or unbalanced connec-
tions. The RCA inputs are fully RIAA compliant,
and Mbox 2 Pro also provides a grounding post
for devices that require such a connection. You
can connect devices to both pairs of Aux In in-
puts and then choose between them using the
front panel Source selector switch.
Connecting Electric Guitar or Bass
To use a guitar with Mbox 2 Pro:
On the front of the Mbox 2 Pro, plug your gui-
1
tar cable into one of the DI inputs.
Input 1 DI
Connecting guitar to the Input 1 DI connector
38 Mbox 2 Pro Getting Started
On the front of the Mbox 2 Pro, set the source
2
to DI by pressing the Mic/DI switch until the DI
LED is lit.
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 guitar.
When you record a guitar (or any mono in-
strument that uses only one source input),
you will hear the sound in only one side of
the stereo field. Pushing the "mono" button
on the front of the Mbox 2 Pro brings the
sound from one side of the stereo field to
both sides. The Mono switch does not affect
the audio being recorded. It only affects how
you hear your input to the Mbox 2 Pro.
Connecting Keyboards and Mixers
To use a keyboard or mixer with Mbox 2 Pro:
Plug your keyboard, mixer, or other audio
1
source into either the Input 1 or Input 2 Line
(TRS) inputs on your Mbox 2 Pro. If your source
is stereo (such as a stereo keyboard or the stereo
output from a mixer), connect the left channel
(often the white plug) to Input 1, and right
channel (often the red plug) to Input 2.
Set your instrument's volume to its optimal
2
level. For example, the optimal level for most
keyboards is between 80% and 100% of maxi-
mum volume.
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 keyboard.