I just bought a used Mbox “Classic,” that’s what I call the original vertical Mboxes. It was a total deal. I was so happy that I was about to add Pro Tools compatibility to my rig. It was going to be great. But it was also going to take me hours to get it to work. The first place I went for help was Digidesign’s website.
Oh my god! How many versions of Pro Tools are there?!? Just finding the correct version took me way longer than it should have. Then I found that each version had different compatibility issues with different versions of Mac OS and different Macs. Check out the Pro Tools LE Version Compatibility Grid for Mac OS X to get an understanding of what I’m talking about.
I was having lots of problems. The biggest was that none of my software could see the Mbox, even though my System Profiler knew it was there. Why?!? Well, I soon found the following recommendation on Digidesign’s support pages: “Do not use Apple’s automatic Software Update or the Mac OS X 10.4.9 Delta Update. Instead, install the Mac OS X 10.4.9 Combo Update for Intel-based or PowerPC-based Mac.” Excuse me? Is Pro Tools the most important application on my computer? It seems Digidesign feels it is, and that I should change my computer use habits to keep Pro Tools running smoothly. Argh!
I finally found the software update I needed to run on my specific machine with my specific version of OS X. Success… almost. Although things did run, the first time I closed my test Pro Tools session I got a kernel panic message. For those of you who don’t know, this is like the Mac’s version of the “blue screen of death.” After restarting my computer everything seemed to be okay. Even though Digidesign doesn’t officially support the version of Mac OS I am running (v10.4.10).
Despite all my troubles, I’m happy to have Pro Tools running. The thing is, Pro Tools is to recording studios as Word and Excel are to offices. There are other options out there, and some might be better for your specific needs. But compatibility is king and sometimes you have to go with the majority. Or as I see it, I like to have the option.
Wow, I ranted so much I got a little off topic there. Regardless, I want to end by saying that I have been running Logic Pro 6 since it was released in January of 2004 with a MOTU 828mkII and I’ve never had big issue upgrading thought the decimal upgrades of my OS. And when there’s a new version of Mac OS X, such as the imminent release of Leopard 10.5 this October, I know that MOTU and Apple will have updates ready within weeks, or even days. As it is the software and hardware still work with my machine, and it’s never been challenge to keep them up to date. Let’s hope my next Pro Tools upgrade will be just as painless. -mc
There are dozens of studio software packages to choose from. These can range from a $10,000+ Pro Tools rig to free open source applications such as Audacity. Your options narrow slightly depending on what operating system you’re running. Still, considering the number of software applications multiplied by the number of audio interfaces available on the market, there are easily hundreds of possibilities.
The best place to start is to ask yourself what you plan to use your recording setup for. Are you a singer songwriter looking to make demos? A five piece pop-rock band wanting to record your first EP? Knowing what you want to accomplish helps you make the right choice. How many audio inputs and outputs do you need? Is advanced MIDI editing necessary? Virtual instruments? Or what about integrated CD authoring?
Thoughts on the M-box
I asked singer/songwriter Scott Cooper about his setup, and why he chose it. Here’s what he had to say:
I have the M-box 2 Mini. It’s a pretty neat little thing, but for a little bit more money you get WAY more bang-for-your-buck with the standard M-box 2. I went the Mini because my needs were to find a portable Pro Tools solution for writing/demo’ing, and also for mobile editing on my laptop. Which meant portability/size was a factor, too.
The Mini is basically the cheapest real Digidesign hardware/software interface option to get Pro Tools + factory plug-ins. (I know there are technically cheaper M-Audio/M-Powered options, but I just wanted the real thing. Plus, M-Audio has so many hardware options it began to confuse me.)
Mini cons are no MIDI interface, and only one XLR input. (2 inputs total, the other is just a 1/4″ line) it does have +48V, though. I’ve also found it to be quite a resource hog for a laptop. I have 2GB of RAM and I still occasionally bog it down.
As a singer/songwriter the main purpose of Scott’s setup is for songwriting and creating demos. He also uses it for editing work he does in a professional studio running Pro Tools.
For Scott, having “real Digidesign” hardware and software is important. Because he does work elsewhere in a full-blown Pro Tools studio, compatibility between his personal setup and the pro studio he works at was important.
Likewise, if you collaborate with other musicians, it’s a good idea to find out what software they’re using. If they like it and you’re going to be working together, get the same thing so you can easily trade files and projects.
If you’re recording a full band, small 2 or 4-input interfaces are going to force you to cut some corners when recording. If you can afford it, consider an interface with at least 8 inputs. And, if you don’t need to be 100% compatible with Pro Tools like Scott, there are more options. I’ll talk about those in Part 2. -mc
