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anton

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a few newbie Mbox questions

Hey Everyone,

I posted this in another forum. when i realized i probably should have posted it here.

I just got an Mbox and am running Pro Tools on a Windows XP machine. Getting around in Pro Tools isnt to hard, but i am having trouble grasping the mixing concepts. Maybe a few of you who are familiar with the Mbox can answer my questions.


Is it possible for me to connect an external effects processor to add reverb during the mixing stage? My Mbox has 1/4" analog outs, so i assume i just take the dry recorded track, route the output to the outs on the Mbox, into the reverb unit, then back into one of the ins on the Mbox, where the signal goes to an Aux input, and eventually to a recorded track. I am not sure how to do all this.

Another problem i am having trouble with is mixing down on Pro Tools. Say i have three finished tracks that i want to mix down to one stereo track so i can apply an overall plug in, such as a reveb effect. I have read the pro tools manual, but am not having much luck with it. As far as i can tell, here is what i do.

Route sends all three tracks to a stereo bus, say Bus 1-2. When i say sends i mean the ones right below the inserts. Should i instead be routing the signal to Bus 1-2 via the track outputs, right below the inputs?

Anyways, i then create an Aux Input, whose input is Bus 1-2, and add effects. Then i send that signal to another bus, say Bus 2-4 and route to a new audio track, so i can record the wet signal.



Does that sound about right. I know this probably hard to grasp. I have flipped through a few Pro Tools books and am currently ordering Producing in the Home Studio with Pro Tools Vol.2, which should hopefully answer my questions. Alot of the books i have read just dont explain all this stuff clear enough.




anton
 
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ok I DO NOT have Mbox but i have the digi 001 so it's basically the same ... anyways what you want to do is add reverb to your mix is what your saying and you want to use an outboard rack reverb processor... well I reccomend you tryind to the a D-verb plug-in and just put it through so you do not have to disconnect and connect cables and uhgg go through that whole hassel and unless you have a very good outboard reverb unit then the plug in is the best way to go. but yes you are right on your routing...

Mbox out > into Reverb unit Input > reverb unit out back into Mbox input

do not try to go
Mbox out> reverb unit> another effect> another effect> another effect> into mbox your signal will suck and you will get alot of fuzz and hiss by doing this so add one effect at a time if you using outboard stuff thats mediocre. good luck with your mix
 
It'd be a good idea to check up on the digidesign User Conference forum too. There's just thousands of pages to search through there, and if you don't find it searching, just ask.

I love Dverb tho... theres so much different reverb setting you can get with that sweet little plug in!
 
Hey Anton,

Yup, if you want to use your outboard gear then that's the way to do it- with one exception.

You don't need to route the wet signal back in to an aux track and then to another audio track. You can just create a new audio track and set its input to the returning signal from the reverb box.

BlackRock has a good point, too: I'm not sure what plugins the Mbox comes with, but if you have a reverb plugin (DVerb seems like a standard reverb that might come with the Mbox) you might try using it. That's the magic of digital recording and mixing: no need to rearrange your wires everytime you want to add a different effect. Here's how:

1) Create a new Aux input.
2) Set its input to an open bus (We'll say 3-4)
3) Add DVerb as an insert on that Aux track.
4) Turn the volume up on the Aux track if it all the way down.

To add reverb to a track, say your vocal track:

5) Create a send on your vocal track- send to Bus 3-4
6) Bring the volume of the send up.
7) You should begin hearing the reverb on your vocal get louder as your turn the send up.

You'll probably also notice that the reverb isn't quite right- so you can go into DVerb and change the setting around until it does. Then you can MIX with reverb that you can change around to suit the mix. If you have the DVerb plug, its worth a shot to learn how to use.

Take care,
Chris
 
Thanks for the info guys. That really cleared alot of stuff up. I just got the Pro Tools book by David Franz, the one published by Berkely Press, so hopefully it should get on my way.



thanks again



anton
 
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