all around help needed setting up Pro Tools 9 and mbox 2

[nwheeler28]

Hello everyone!

let me start by saying I am a total noob at every piece of equipment I have, and will need all the help I can get. I had never owned a mac until 2 days ago, and had never used pro tools or an mbox until 2 days ago either. Im currently on a 27" iMac running OSX Lion, and i had bought pro tools 8 LE, but realized that wasn't compatible with Lion so I bought the upgrade to Pro Tools 9. After a lot of hassling (and trying to make my way about an apple computer), I finally got pro tools 9 to install. So, not only do I have no idea what any of these crazy features do yet (musician, not a tech guy), I for some reason cannot get any sound to record from the mbox2 to the computer

The setup is; mbox 2 plugged into the iMac via the USB cable that was included. 2 Fostex monitors hooked up to the mbox 2. Bass guitar plugged into Input 1.

So heres the problem; when I play the bass, I get great sound from the monitors, which indicates that the mbox is a successful medium of sound (bass travels through the mbox and out to the monitors). However, when trying to make a recording in pro tools, I hit record, and the screen indicated the recording was going, but when I tried to play it back I realized it was an empty recording. I have my bass plugged into the D1 slot of Input 1, and everything should be working, but it appears that the mbox isn't recording any sound onto my computer. I went back and checked the levels, and sure enough; even when I get great sound out of my monitors, the level bar stays at zero (i don't know what its called, but you know the bar thats green/yellow in the optimal zone, red when the sound is too loud, and nothing when you're getting no sound. Well I was getting no sound). Is there something I have to do to set up or synchronize the mbox2 to my pro tools 9 besides plugging it into the computer?


sorry guys Im very new at all this, please bear with me

[danander11]

Well, there are a number of reasons that this can be happening..

First and foremost, you are a bass player.. That, in and of itself ought to be enough..

Just kidding..


How do you have your routing set up? Make certain that you are routing to the channel you are recording in to.. For the life of me I cannot remember how a MBox routes so I'm guessing, but make sure that:

1. Your hardware setup is set to MBox.
2. You've created an audio track to record to, not an instrument track.
3. Make sure that you set the input of that track to Analog one, (which should be where your MBox input 1 is coming in to.
4. As you record, watch for a waveform to appear on the track that you are recording to.

Verify all of this and let us know how you're going.

[nwheeler28]

Bass, Guitar, Sax, Clarinet, Drums, Keys, Sitar, Sarod, Tabla, Veena, and Mridangam thank you very much!


Thanks for all your suggestions danander, I'll put those to the test immediately and let you know the outcome

[nwheeler28]

hey it works, thanks man!

another noob question.. on pro tools 9, half the time i press play, it plays. The other half of the time i hit play, the stop button highlights too, as if I pressed both buttons, and the screen says pause. Why would it be doing that?

[nwheeler28]

ok i spoke too soon. I just realized that all the recording has actually been recorded by my computer, and none of what i played went through the mbox at all -_- no wonder the sound quality was so subpar.

Does that mean my mbox isn't connected properly?

[nwheeler28]

*bump*


I really need help with this!!!!

[danander11]

Go to the menu bar and select SETUP/HARDWARE and see what is listed.

Change it to MBox and you should be set. Every time you start PT without the MBox being ready it will revert your gear to the internal sound car/mic.

Another way is to hold down the N key when starting PT. Hold it until the window pops up asking you what you want to use for hardware.. It should default to the MBox but if it doesn't just select it.

[nwheeler28]

awesome, it worked, thanks so much!


1 last thing; why is it that sometimes when i press play the screen says pause and i can't get it to play?

[danander11]

Beyond me... I haven't had that problem since I left PC for Mac.

Anyone else help this fellow out?