Mbox 3 mini Crazy feedback/ noise

[krabdagger]

I just bought a mini and am having crazy feedback/ buzzing issues through the monitors and headphone jack. Can't figure it out. The mic pre works if I have the "input/playback" knob set all the way to "input", but if I turn it even a little toward "p/b" I get this crazy feedback/ white noise. It's like someone's running a big muff through the mic input.

Downloaded all latest drivers that i'm aware of?Pro Tools 8.0.4, mbox mini drivers 1.0.5

running snow leopard on a macbook pro 2.16 gig, 2 gigs ram.

I also have a digi 002. I hooked it back up and it works fine, so i don't think it's a software routing issue.

Anybody have a clue what's wrong?

[krabdagger]

Well, returned it to my local pro audio store for credit for now. Ran through the paces with the sales rep at the store and we found the same issue with another mbox mini they had there. Guessing some kind of software/ hardware/ firmware issue.

I checked against Avid's compatibility grid and have all compatible drivers and software installed as far as I can tell. here's a run-down again:

Macbook Pro, Intel Core duo, 17". 2.16 processor. 2 gigs Ram
Mac OSX 10.6.4 Snow Leopard
Avid Mbox mini, 1.0.5 drivers
Pro Tools LE 8.0.4cs2 update (didn't work with regular 8.0.4 either)

Filed a technical assistance request a couple days ago w/ Avid. nothing back so far. They're probably pretty inundated if this is a common issue.


As I mentioned, I get mic signal through fine if the Monitor knob is set all the way to "input". Turning it at all toward "playback" brings the crazy noise, which makes impossible to use in any practical sense.
Again, everything works fine w/ my digi002.

Bummer, cause as far as i can tell, if it actually worked it would sound quite a bit better than the digi002.

[DigiTechSupt]

Originally Posted by krabdagger

Well, returned it to my local pro audio store for credit for now. Ran through the paces with the sales rep at the store and we found the same issue with another mbox mini they had there. Guessing some kind of software/ hardware/ firmware issue.

I checked against Avid's compatibility grid and have all compatible drivers and software installed as far as I can tell. here's a run-down again:

Macbook Pro, Intel Core duo, 17". 2.16 processor. 2 gigs Ram
Mac OSX 10.6.4 Snow Leopard
Avid Mbox mini, 1.0.5 drivers
Pro Tools LE 8.0.4cs2 update (didn't work with regular 8.0.4 either)

Filed a technical assistance request a couple days ago w/ Avid. nothing back so far. They're probably pretty inundated if this is a common issue.


As I mentioned, I get mic signal through fine if the Monitor knob is set all the way to "input". Turning it at all toward "playback" brings the crazy noise, which makes impossible to use in any practical sense.
Again, everything works fine w/ my digi002.

Bummer, cause as far as i can tell, if it actually worked it would sound quite a bit better than the digi002.

That sounds like a feedback loop. How close was the mic to the speakers you were monitoring with? Did you have an audio or aux track created in Pro Tools and was it record enabled (for the audio track) or was input monitoring enabled?

[krabdagger]

thanks for the reply, it does kind of sound like a feedback loop with a bunch of added white noise. it was happening even through headphones with the mic trim low and the spkr/ mute button set to "mute".

It was a new session, I created a single, mono, "audio" track. No auxes. the sound would occur when i record-enabled the track.

I also tried loading a couple of the different template sessions included with pt 8, and had the same experience with those.

And, as I mentioned the same levels/ setup w my digi002 doesn't have the issue.

as far as input monitoring, not sure if it was enabled?

[lukejd83]

I am having the EXACT same issue. It started when I record enabled a track, and now it does this all the time. Its on a Macbook Pro '08, Protools LE 8.0.4 Mbox Mini, but on my Mac Pro, early 2009, it does none of this. HELP?!?!

[lukejd83]

Oh yeah, and no feedback loop or funky stuff here, as I said, the Mac Pro does fine.

[lukejd83]

Some new updates- Called tech support and am using my one-off free tech support code for an issue that seems to be Avids issue. Tried uninstalling, deleting all digidesign folders in applications and application support, still happened.

Get this- I even reformatted the entire macbook pro with a FRESH install of Snow Leopard, and did all updates, installed nothing else besides updates and Protools. Still have the issue! Calling tech support tomorrow and will get their 2 cents on the matter.

Is anyone else having this issue?!?!?

[lukejd83]

Okay, I have no clue if anyone's even reading this or not, but it seems this issue is very uncommon, but still an issue.

However, I have, through hours of testing, figured out that if you connect the mbox to a powered usb hub, the issue goes away. This happened in my case. Looks like the Mac Book Pro is not providing the required power for the device to work. I'll have to look further into it, but thats the gist of it for now.

[DigiTechSupt]

Originally Posted by lukejd83

Okay, I have no clue if anyone's even reading this or not, but it seems this issue is very uncommon, but still an issue.

However, I have, through hours of testing, figured out that if you connect the mbox to a powered usb hub, the issue goes away. This happened in my case. Looks like the Mac Book Pro is not providing the required power for the device to work. I'll have to look further into it, but thats the gist of it for now.

Have you tried different USB ports on the Mac? I think the correct one is the one closest to the screen on the left hand side...

[krabdagger]

Originally Posted by lukejd83

Okay, I have no clue if anyone's even reading this or not, but it seems this issue is very uncommon, but still an issue.

However, I have, through hours of testing, figured out that if you connect the mbox to a powered usb hub, the issue goes away. This happened in my case. Looks like the Mac Book Pro is not providing the required power for the device to work. I'll have to look further into it, but thats the gist of it for now.

hmm, that's an interesting development. Let me know if it continues to work or if there are any other developments! I'd really like to move forward with this new line, but for now it seems a little iffy.