 What are the gain ranges of the Mic/Line/DI inputs for the Mbox 2 family ...
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| What are the gain ranges of the Mic/Line/DI inputs for the Mbox 2 family interfaces? |
Reference level: 0dBFS output = +6dBu (on Mini set Monitor level to max)
Min Gain: +5dB
Max Gain: +58dB
The pad is -20dB, so:
Min Gain with pad: -15dB
Max Gain with pad: +38dB
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What are the differences between Beat Detective and Beat Detective LE?
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| What are the differences between Beat Detective and Beat Detective LE? |
All versions of Pro Tools HD software include the full version of Beat Detective.
Pro Tools LE (v6.7 and higher) and Pro Tools M-Powered software both include Beat Detective LE.
Beat Detective LE differs from the full version of Beat Detective in these features:
- Beat Detective LE does not support using Beat Detective across multiple tracks. When Beat Detective is applied to multiple tracks, only the top track is edited.
- Beat Detective LE does not support Collection Mode
The separate purchase of the Music Production Toolkit adds those full Beat Detective features to Pro Tools LE or M-Powered software:
Music Production Toolkit Product Section
Beat Detective Information
For more information about Beat Detective, see the Beat Detective chapter of the Pro Tools Reference Guide:
Pro Tools Reference Guide - All 7.x Versions
See also the Music Production Toolkit Guide (PDF) in the Downloads tab of the Music Production Toolkit product section linked above.
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I hear white noise and a whine sound when I use the Line/DI input on my ...
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| I hear white noise and a whine sound when I use the Line/DI input on my Mbox 2 Mini. |
This problem can happen under the following circumstances:
When you have the Input 2 gain knob, or Input 1 gain knob (with "Mic/DI" button pushed in), turned all the way up, Mix knob turned all the way down, and Monitor knob turned up.
What is being heared is the inherent noise of the Line/DI circuit which sounds similar to white noise with a prominent 1 kHz fundamental frequency and not as prominent harmonic relative frequencies of 2 kHz, 3 kHz, 4 kHz, 5 khz, etc. This noise should not present a problem unless the input source has an extremely low output requiring the Input knob to be turned up very high. If Pro Tools is not playing back and the "Mix" knob is turned all the way up, you should very little noise (or silence) because you are no longer monitoring input.
Download the file below to listen to 3 MP3 examples of the noise. (Note: The audio samples have been boosted by 40 db in order provide a more appropriate listening level. When you are monitoring through your Mbox 2 Mini the noise/whine level will be much lower in volume.)
Noise 1)
Input 1 with "Mic/DI" button pushed IN. You will hear the inherent noise/whine of the DI Circuit.
Configuration:
-Input 1 gain knob turned all the way up.
-Mix knob turned all the way down (pointing toward "Mix").
-Monitor knob turned all the way up.
-Input 2 gain down knob turned all the way down.
Noise 2)
Input 1 with "Mic/DI" button pushed OUT. You will hear the inherent noise of the Mic Circuit.
Configuration:
-Input 1 gain knob turned all the way up.
-Mix knob turned all the way down (pointing toward "Mix").
-Monitor knob turned all the way up.
-Input 2 gain knob turned all the way down.
Noise 3)
Input 2. You will hear the inherent noise/whine of the DI Circuit.
Configuration:
-Input 2 gain knob turned all the way up.
-Mix knob turned all the way down (pointing toward "Mix").
-Monitor knob turned all the way up.
-Input 1 gain knob turned all the way down.
(Note: Sample #3 and #1 are similar since they are both sample from the DI circuit. However, the whine of Sample #3 is noticeably louder.)
If you are still hearing noise that sounds different than the noise described above, click here
Download Contents
The download below is a zipped folder with the following:
- Noise1_Input1DI.mp3
- Noise2_Input1Mic.mp3
- Noise3_Input2DI.mp3
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Mbox 2 Mini Noise Examples
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0.47 MB
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Download
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Determing PC Motherboard Chipset Using Device Manager.
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| Determing PC Motherboard Chipset Using Device Manager. |
To determine the Chipset using Device Manager in Windows XP:
- Click the Start menu
- Right-click on My Computer
- Choose Properties.
- Click on the Hardware Tab
- Click the Device Manager button.
- In the Device Manager, open the 'IDE ATA/ATAPI controllers' category.
To determine the Chipset using Device Manager in Windows Vista:
- Click the Start menu
- Right-click on Computer
- Choose Properties.
- Click on Advanced System Settings
- Click on the Hardware Tab
- Click the Device Manager button.
- In the Device Manager, open the 'IDE ATA/ATAPI controllers' category.
You will see your chipset brand there. It could say Intel, VIA, NVidia, SiS, ALI, etc. This is the chipset brand that you have. It may also be possible to find out which model chipset you have.
- In the Device Manager, open the category System devices.
- In that category, find the driver listing for the chipset for System and Graphics Controller, or Processor to AGP Controller.
It may say something like these examples:
Intel 955X Processor to I/O Controller - 2774, which would mean you have an Intel 955X Express chipset.
Intel 82810eDC-133 System and Graphics Controller, which would mean you have an Intel 810e chipset.
Intel 82865G\PE\P Processor to AGP Controller, which would mean you have an Intel 865G/PE/P chipset.
Nforce4 PCI-Express Root Port, which would mean that you have a Nforce4 chipset.
Often the chipset will be contained in the 'System devices' category and will be the last of all the listed 'Intel' or 'Via' or other manufacture in a row.
Keep in mind that it may not be possible to identify all brands and models of chipsets, but the above methods will identify quite a few.
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DAE error 6101 in Pro Tools with Mbox, Mbox2, Mbox2 Mini, and Macbook ...
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| DAE error 6101 in Pro Tools with Mbox, Mbox2, Mbox2 Mini, and Macbook or Macbook Pro. |
This error can occur if the USB audio interface is plugged in to the incorrect USB port on the laptop.
Macbook
- Due to internal USB architecture issues on the MacBook, use of Digidesign, M-Audio, or third-party USB audio devices is supported on the front USB port only (the port furthest away from the screen).
- Use of such devices on the rear USB port is not advised because it may cause audio interrupts and/or dropped samples.
Macbook Pro
- The 15" MacBook Pro models have 1 USB port on the left side, and one USB port on the right side.
- The 17" MacBook Pro models have 2 USB ports on the left side, and one USB port on the right side.
- Due to internal USB architecture issues on the MacBook Pro, use of Digidesign, M-Audio, or third-party USB audio devices is supported on the left-hand USB ports only (the port or ports next to the power adapter cable).
*Use of such devices on the right-hand USB port is not advised because it may cause audio interrupts and/or dropped samples.
- However, the use of an iLok on the right-hand port has been qualified and is fully supported.
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60 Hz hum / noise in the audio, ground loop troubleshooting.
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| 60 Hz hum / noise in the audio, ground loop troubleshooting. |
Q: I have a 60Hz hum in my audio and/or hear noise that seems to be dependent on my CPU or Hard disk activity. Why is that and what can I do about this?
A: What you are experiencing is commonly called “ground loop”. All devices in your studio should be connected to the same ground. If this is not the case and if one or more of the devices are getting their ground from somewhere else, (e.g. from a different power outlet that is running on a different electrical circuit) and devices with different ground are connected to each other (e.g mounted to the same rack rail), this type of noise might occur. Be aware that just plugging your gear into a 3 prong AC outlet does not mean the house is actually grounded. Some older homes or buildings are sometimes not grounded at all!
Depending on the amount of devices in your studio, it might be hard to find the device that is causing the problem. You want to disconnect and power down as much gear as possible and build the system back up to determine where the noise is coming from. Also, having a professional inspect your electrical wiring is highly recommended if you can't determine where the noise is coming from.
GROUND LOOP TROUBLESHOOTING:
1) First, unplug and turn off all unnecessary gear and run only the computer, the audio interface and monitors.
2) Make sure you're not running through a hub or other port replicating device such as some Apple displays for example.
3) Listen through headphones to see if the noise is also playing back in headphones. You can also plug the headphones into one MON output to test if the noise is playing out the MON output or not. If NOT, then the noise is most likely caused by the monitor cables or some where post the audio interface in the signal chain.
4) Try a different USB/1394 ports to see if the noise lessens.
5) Power supplies inside computers are likely culprits and sometime use low-quality components. Try upgrading the PSU to a higher quality PSU that uses more than 1 voltage rail.
6) Try installing and running on another computer (or if you're using a laptop, unplug the power supply and run off of batteries to see if noise goes away).
7) Make sure you're using balanced cables on all balanced inputs and outputs.
8) Try using a high quality power conditioner for all your electronic gear (Furman, Monster) Some Universal Power Supplies or Power Conditioners provide "True Sine-wave" output which is very good for audio gear stability and protection and can be a sign of a high quality device.
9) Run your outputs directly to shielded monitors and not through a mixer to see if the noise goes away.
10) Try a different AC outlet that has good grounding.
11) Trace your cable path for long cable runs, and isolate your cables from possible interference (other gear, fluorescent lighting, CRT monitors, etc).
12) Make sure you don't have audio cables and power cables running in parallel. If they must cross try to cross them at a 90, so interference or noise won't be induced into the audio cables.
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Pro Tools Accelerated Videos - Tutorials for Pro Tools, etc.
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| Pro Tools Accelerated Videos - Tutorials for Pro Tools, etc. |
Pro Tools Accelerated is a series of short tutorial videos designed to help you get up and running with Pro Tools fast. Hosted by musician, producer, and veteran clinician Phil Jackson, these videos cover topics applicable to all Pro Tools systems, including Pro Tools|HD, Pro Tools LE, and Pro Tools M-Powered.
Pro Tools Accelerated Videos
Also available on DigidesignTV
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Pro Tools Windows Computers Require a Dedicated Graphics Controller.
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| Pro Tools Windows Computers Require a Dedicated Graphics Controller. |
Windows computers with integrated (i.e. northbridge-based) graphics controllers are not supported and may not perform well with Pro Tools. To achieve best results, the system must use a dedicated graphics controller.
For desktop computers this usually means a separate graphics card is installed. For laptop computers, this is usually an option offered at the time of purchase. Desktop computers that do not have a dedicated graphics controller installed will need to install either an AGP or PCIe based graphics controller. PCI or PCIx based graphics controllers are not supported.
Unfortunately, Windows desktop computers without either an available AGP graphics or PCIe graphics slot available, and Laptop computers without a built-in dedicated graphics controller cannot be upgraded to this functionality.
Try checking the description for Display Adapters listed in the Device Manager. If you see the word "integrated" for an entry under Display Adapters, it usually indicates an unsupported integrated graphics controller is present. See Paragraph 2 above for solutions to this.
For motherboards based on Intel Chipsets, a supported graphics entry will include the name of another manufacturer: (ATI, nVidia, etc.). This is also true of motherboards based on VIA chipsets. Motherboards based on supported nVidia nForce family chipsets may have dedicated video controllers that also list nVidia as the manufacturer. However, the model will be different from the chipset: (nVidia GeForce, etc.).
To check the Display Adapters entry in the Device Manager:
Windows XP:
Start Menu > Control Panels > System > Hardware Tab > Device Manager > Display Adapters
-or-
Start Menu > Right-Click "My Computer" > Left-Click Properties > Left-Click the Hardware Tab > Left-Click the Device Manager Button > Left-Click the "plus" sign next to Display Adapters
Windows Vista:
Start Menu > Right-click on "Computer" > Left-click "Properties" > Left-click "Advanced System Settings" > Left-click the "Hardware" tab > Left-click "Device Manager" > Left-click the "+" sign next to "Display Adapters"
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DAE error -7401 when inserting TimewARP 2600 in any version of Pro Tools ...
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| DAE error -7401 when inserting TimewARP 2600 in any version of Pro Tools on Windows XP. |
This is a known issue with the version of TimewARP 2600 Lite for Windows XP included on the Ignition Pack 2 and Ignition Pack 2 Pro installation DVDs.
A new installer for Windows XP that fixes this issue is available for download here:
TimewARP 2600 Lite for Ignition Pack 2 Owners
note: the version (1.0) and creation date (11/26/2006) for the fixed version have not changed.
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Full-code (clipping) signal appears as soon as a track is record-enabled ...
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| Full-code (clipping) signal appears as soon as a track is record-enabled on the Mbox 2 Mini, even with no input present. |
In one case, the customer was on Pro Tools LE 7.1.1, and updating to version 7.3.1 solved the issue.
Click here to get to the download page for Pro Tools LE 7.3.1.
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