Cubase and new sound card, or mbox?

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ilovebeingabeta

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Ok.. i'm setting up a new, portable studio.
I make ambient synth/acoustic guitar post rock.

I just bought a 17" apple powerbook, which i'll be upgrading to 1gig of ram, and i'll be buying Reason and a oxygen8.

Now, I dont know how good the powerbooks soundcard is, but i'm guessing the answer will be "not very" once i hear it. so.. should i get a new soundcard and cubase SL, or an mbox (now that protools has ReWire support)?

How are the preamps on the mbox? would i be able to get decent sound out of them?
 
depends how much you want to spend. Do you know how many channels of audio you will need to record at once? Mbox is a good interface, but expensive for 2 channels. You could go for a less expensive interface but then again like you said you might have to purchase software such as cubase. First how many channels
 
really only about 2 channels.. voice and guitar, and sometimes bass, but that can be done seperately.
 
You should check out some of the delta stuff (maybe an omni studio?). It would allow for two preamps, two additional later down the road if you wanna upgrade with an outboard, and then it also allows inserts for effects if you need them. It's also got a ton of other stuff.

http://www.midiman.net/products/m-audio/omnistud.php
 
Chris Fallen, I believe the omni studio requires a pci card, and therefore cannot be used with a laptop.
 
keilson said:
Chris Fallen, I believe the omni studio requires a pci card, and therefore cannot be used with a laptop.
Click to expand...

yeah, it does.
i looked at some of the other midiman audio interfaces, but i figure if i'm going to get something like that, i might as well get the mbox and not have to buy a sequencer seperately.
 
i'm also hearing now that the mbox and another usb-powered device can't be used at the same time.. like the oxygen8. that's kind of disappointing, but I cant really think of a situation where i'd be using them at the same time and not have access to a power supply.
 
The Mbox is expensive unless you place a high value on the bundled software. You might instead look at the Edirol UA-5. the M-Audio Duo, or the M-Audio Mobile Pre among others. All are 2 channel USB sound interfaces.

As to using them with another device the only problem should be contention for bandwidth. However that is a serious concern as the last thing you want is dropouts in your tracking.
 
well, as i see it, the Mobile Pre is about $150, and cubase SL is $300, which works out to $450, the same as getting the mbox.

so really, the question is whether the mobile pre or the mbox actually WORK better than one another. (apart from the cubase/protools debate).

Is there any obvious hardware advantage in using the Mobile Pre as opposed to the mbox? how do their respective preamps sound?
 
Well, as I said it made sense only if you are placing a high value on the software.

Often people put together a 'portable' studio because they want to do on-site recording of events and they already have an editing station at home. In that case the portable studio is really only being used for tracking, and just about anything can get the tracks onto the hard drive.
 
well i think what we need is someone that owns the mobilepre and someone that owns the mbox to respond to this thread. anybody out there?
 
So is the only difference between the mbox and getting something like M-Audio Mobile is the software? Do they both do the exact samething hardware wise?
 
Features of mbox from their site
Two analog inputs and outputs, featuring Focusrite mic preamps
Pristine 24-bit signal path from input to output
24-bit stereo S/PDIF digital I/O (RCA)
Separate source selection (MIC/LINE/INST) and gain control per channel
48V phantom power
Hi-Z input for instrument pickup
Two analog TRS inserts
Zero-latency monitoring
Balanced/unbalanced connections
Headphone output with dedicated volume control
100% USB* powered

From the M-Audio Website
- 2 x 2 USB audio interface
- ideal for mobile operation
- 3 types of inputs
2 microphone inputs (XLR balanced) with 48v phantom power
stereo desktop microphone input (1/8”)
high-impedance instrument/line inputs (1/4” balanced)
- 3 types of outputs
2 analog outputs (unbalanced 1/4” @ -10dBv)
stereo line output (1/8”)
stereo headphone output (1/8”) with level control knob
- gain control knob for each input channel (+40 dB max)
- zero-latency hardware direct monitoring with software level control
- mono/stereo direct monitoring
- USB-powered (no wall wart or batteries needed)

Audio Performance Specifications
- resolution: 16-bit
- sampling frequencies (kHz): 8, 9.6, 11.025, 12, 16, 22.05, 24, 32, 44.1, 48
- signal-to-noise ratio: 96dB (line in > line out); 91dB (mic in > line out)
- dynamic range: 96dB (line in > line out); 91dB (mic in > line out)
- THD: 0.00447% (line out); 0.0100% (mic in); 0.0126% (line in)

Both are 2 channel combination preamps/USB sound cards with phantom power. Both are powered from the USB cord. Functionally they are quite the same although I am sure there are many differences in the internal implementations. The mbox has a spdif output which you need to go to the slightly more expensive M-Audio Duo to get.
 
Danger! Danger!

Usually I advise against Digidesign hardware unless you want or need pro tools. In this direct comparison of these 2 devices, though, the Mobile Pre is only 16 bit! I'd go with the Mbox if no other 24bit USB devices are availible.

That's a huge negative in my book. I'm almost absolutely certain that the Mbox will sound better on that spec alone. I've had only limited experience with the Mbox and none with the Mobile Pre, but I have a USB Duo and I like the sound it gets. M-audio is pretty good stuff. But that 16 bit depth is a deal breaker for me- there has got to be a better USB option than that. (But probably not for the same price.)

This is exactly the kind of niche that the Mbox was designed for: low cost, mobile recording. It just bites that there are no upgrade paths for it without replacing it. In any case, $450 (street) for a high quaity interface AND the software isn't really a bad deal.

Take care,
Chris
 
Wow, I didn't realize the mobilepre was on 16 bit. I am also looking for an interface for my computer. I already have software, so I am looking for a simple 24 bit interface. Any ideas besides mbox?
 
Simple, go one step up the M-Audio line from the MobilePre and you have the Duo, which is 24/96. The Edirol UA-5 is similarly priced and also offers 24/96. Both units, while not as sleek looking as the Mbox are small and portable enough.

One thing to note is that because of bandwidth limitiations of USB no unit will offer stereo 24/96 recording plus playback at the same time.

I have the Edirol unit that I use with my laptop. I am quite satisfied with it.
 
Firewire, or USB2, both offer much higher bandwidths. However if there are any firewire or USB2 units in the same budget/size category as the MBox and these other units I am not aware of them.

You could look at a MAudio Firewire 410, but that is a step up in both price and features.
 
hmmm i don't know of any usb2 interfaces. can you name some?
 
The Audiosport Quattro says 24 bit/96khz recording. So this will not do recording and playback at same time?
 
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