MBox 2 Micro and Other Recording Interfaces

[Jorock]

So here's my situation. I have a digi002 and i'mm looking to upgrade to higher quality AD/dA converters specifically an Apogee Rosetta 800. Being that it would void the use of my digi preamps, I would then need 8 other preamps to record with and being that I cant afford a bunch of individual preamps, i am interested in something like the presonus octopre. I would run the 8 preamps from that into the rosetta. However I still want to run pro tools. I also have the mbox 2 micro, which allows pro tools to run, so my question is, using this dongle can I achieve this?

Also would monitoring be an issue since the mbox 2 micro acts as the main monitor ouput, or could I assign the rosetta to handle the playback?

[MessianicDreams]

Well, using that setup (002, Focusrite Octopre, Rosetta 800), you'd have things running like this:

mic-->Octopre, analogue out-->Rosetta 800, optical ADAT out-->002

Although I suspect for the price of the Octopre you should be able to get a unit that has better pres and no digital conversion.

If you're looking at upgrade AD/DA, have you looked at the Black Lion Audio mods for the 002?


You have to use Digi interfaces with PT - you couldn't use the Rosetta 800 with the X-FW card directly with PT.

[Jorock]

Hey thanks for replying, I have looked at the Black Lion Audio studd and I am highly interested in that too. Just not sure where I wanna go at this point. Ultimately I want 8-ins to be able to handle a decent sized drum kit, with as close to protools hd quality i can get. Currently with the 002 I have a Mackie VLZ3 Pro mixer for the additional 4 preamps, but I am thinking when the bidget allows for having two Vintech 1272 2ch. preamps for the additional 4 preamps and ditching the mackie.

or keepign the mackie, the 2 vintech units and running that all into a Rosetta 800, but then where do I go from there to retain using protools, without going HD. I may be wrong but would the 002 still end up using its converters if I ran the Rosetta into it? Or would a 003 which offers the Wordclock option be a better alternative? Essentially I dont want to be stuck with a 002 or 003 functioning solely as a dongle.

[MessianicDreams]

Originally Posted by Jorock

I may be wrong but would the 002 still end up using its converters if I ran the Rosetta into it? Or would a 003 which offers the Wordclock option be a better alternative? Essentially I dont want to be stuck with a 002 or 003 functioning solely as a dongle.

For a start you're wrong. If you're running the Rosetta into the 002 using a digital ADAT connection, the converting is being done by the rosetta. Also, you can clock the 002 to the Rosetta's clock if that's how you'd like to work - effectively "bypassing" the 002's converter's as much as possible.

The only reason an external wordclock option is better than imbedded is that it's ever so slightly less susceptible to phase/jitter due to it running at lower frequencies. There's lots of information about this if you'd like to read about it, but take my word - it's dead boring, the gist of it is, there is a difference but in your circumstance, it will be fairly negligible!

In effect, if you want HD quality on an LE system, your interface IS going to be a dongle! Even if you get a M-powered setup with a profire lightbridge, is still going to be a dongle.

[greg2]

RME makes a REALLY nice single u 8 ch mic pre. light pipe output.
OctaMic II

rme-shop.com/acatalog/RME_Microphone_preamp