MBOX 3 Playback at Wrong Pitch/Tone?

[MitchM2006]

Greetings, while running a test to see how the playback quality of the MBOX3 is, I have noticed that when I go into Pro Tools 10 and listen to a 440Hz tone signal generator versus a 440Hz wav test found on the internet, both are playing back at the wrong pitch of 440Hz. How can I tell? I recently purchased an external USB Sound Blaster audio card, and listening back to the same 440Hz wav that I found on the internet, the pitch is exact, but if I go and switch outputs and listen to the 440Hz wav using the Mbox3, the pitch is not what it should be, the 440Hz sounds lower that expected. Therefore I have reason to belive that anything recorded on the MBOX3 either Instrument or Mic or MIDI instrument will be playing back at the wrong quality of pitch.
Please tell me if this is a normal issue, or what is the proper way to make sure that both soundcards, has anybody else had this issue where the MBOX3 and USB Sound Blaster, are playing back at the correct pitch and not a tone lower from one hardware interface to another.

[jasonthurley]

Hey man,

just one question to start... how are you bringing the .wav file into PT? Are you simply dragging the file into your audio bin or are you selecting IMPORT and then CONVERTING it into Pro Tools based on your session settings (or other)?

[MitchM2006]

Jason, what I have done is both, I have listened to the files inside protools, and the wav file outside of protools. Whats happening is the Mbox3 is playing at the wrong pitch versus the USB Sound Blaster, because when I go on different websites that have audio and do an A/B comparison, I can tell both hardwares are playing at a different playback pitch.

[jasonthurley]

I understand what you're saying... but literally HOW are you bringing the file into your PT session? If you go up and choose to IMPORT audio and it converts it and then brings it in your bin, you could be altering the sample rate...

The easy way to test the original file is to drag the downloaded tone example( .wav) right into your session from a window... Just select the .wav and drag it over your pro tools bin and release... it will simply throw the file in its original settings into your session.

If "everything" is playing out of your MBox at an altered pitch, than it sounds like a sample rate issue between hardware and software... If you have the Digidesign Coreaudio Engine then open the program so you can play your online stuff through your XBox...... Just close the Core audio engine and it should then defaault back to your sound card (you probably have to close and reopen your web browser to make it see the change)

[MitchM2006]

Jason, I took a 440Hz tone from a Behringer CT100 Cable Tester/sound generator and recorded it into the Mbox. Then I compared the 440Hz sound recorded to a 440Hz wav that I found off the internet.
I am running Win7. Where would the Core Audio Engine be?

[jasonthurley]

Originally Posted by MitchM2006

Jason, I took a 440Hz tone from a Behringer CT100 Cable Tester/sound generator

Just a joke, but thats the problem right there...

Ah so you recorded into PT.. thats different... have you tried recording the online tone into pt (just loop your audio out (card) into your Mbox and record it to disk by playing the online sample... then compare it to the original from online... Never good to compare 2 completely different source files if your trying to see if they match....

The Core Audio Manager in Windows 7... hmmmm... should be under programs... then digidesign folder... you should have the program in there unless you opted not to install it when you did your install.

[stanwin]

My problem is the same.? I am using MBOX 3 driver 1.10 but. not using protools. When I record music through the MBOX and play it back through another sound card it plays slower with pitch about 1/2 tone too low. I’m using windows 10 pro. I do have a solution but it’s not satisfactory. My solution is - once PC is booted up I unplug the USB cable from the MBOX, wait a few seconds, and plug the cable back in. This corrects the pitch problem, but I don’t know how or why.
The problem must be with the driver or else the MBOX needs a firmware update.
I’m hoping AVID has a solution for this problem. Since others have this problem when using protools and I have the same problem using other recording and playback software - I can only conclude the problem must be with the MBOX driver. I never had this problem using protools LE 8.05. Can you email a response to me at [email protected] Thanks Stanley

[Darryl Ramm]

Originally Posted by stanwin

My problem is the same.? I am using MBOX 3 driver 1.10 but. not using protools. When I record music through the MBOX and play it back through another sound card it plays slower with pitch about 1/2 tone too low. I’m using windows 10 pro. I do have a solution but it’s not satisfactory. My solution is - once PC is booted up I unplug the USB cable from the MBOX, wait a few seconds, and plug the cable back in. This corrects the pitch problem, but I don’t know how or why.
The problem must be with the driver or else the MBOX needs a firmware update.
I’m hoping AVID has a solution for this problem. Since others have this problem when using protools and I have the same problem using other recording and playback software - I can only conclude the problem must be with the MBOX driver. I never had this problem using protools LE 8.05. Can you email a response to me at [email protected] Thanks Stanley

(uh just realize this thread is from way back in 2012)

No. No. No.

Problems like this is *always* you have stuff set to the wrong sample rate. It's not going to be anything exotic, not going to be driver or firmware. It's you doing stuff wrong. You will not make progress if you are chasing phantom problems like drivers and firmware.

A semitone difference? The classic error is 44.1kHz/48 KHz and that's a little bit less than a semitone. So likely safe to guess that is your problem. You can always record a signal gen/test tone and use your DAW to calculate the exact frequency difference (spectrum analyzer plugin like Blue Cat FreqAnalyst) will tell you exactly what the wrong sample rate was.

You need to look at what the Mbox sample rate is actually set to at any time (using the driver control panel). You likely have an app or Windows audio itself setting the clock rate on the Mbox to the wrong value, when you unplug it it defaults to something different. Your DAW may also not correctly be setting the sample rate it thinks it is, look at and see what the control panel is saying. Start by getting whatever DAW you are using the *only* application using the device. Windows sound and other apps cannot be using the interface for sound. Followup with the DAW vendor support if things look like they disagree. ASIO devices have some challenges here at times (which yes might be driver related but... don't focus on that, just run the latest driver, and look at what the control panel says).

[stanwin]

I changed the settings for all my sound cards to 44100. The Windows & another sound cards were at 48000. This seems to have fixed my problem with the MBOX. Thanks for your quick response. Stanley

[Darryl Ramm]

Fantastic! Great to hear you are sorted out. Sorry to be harsh in my reply, but some folks spend forever with these type of problems thinking something deeper is broken (and some systems are really bizzare/make it easy to miss the sample rates are just set wrong).