i/o on master fader produces no sound using mbox pro and pro tools 10

[desertguitar]

I am trying to add an i/o insert on the master fader to use an outboard reverb unit (lexicon mpx 500). My monitors are using the analog 1-2 outputs so I have selected analog 3-4 for the i/o insert on the master fader in the pro tools 10 mix window.
I have the 3-4 outputs of the mbox pro going to the inputs on the reverb unit and the reverb outs going to the 3-4 inputs on the mbox pro. I have pushed in the two front buttons to select the line inputs for 3-4.

When I play the track there is simply no audio on the master fader. I have determined that there is some interplay from the mbox pro control panel mixer that is used for monitoring. Since I have designated the 1-2 outputs for the monitors, the mixer control panel has channels 1-2 at unity gain for the software returns. If I raise channels 3-4 in the software returns, I get the audio signal but it's not going through the reverb unit.

If I select the outputs 3/4 on the control panel mixer and raise channels 3-4 in the software returns, I then get the signal with some reverb, but nowhere near what it should be.

It seems as though this mixer interface is getting confused and does not allow the proper use of the i/o insert in the pro tools mix window. Is there a way to turn off the mbox control panel mixer that was installed with the driver? Even if I close the program and leave pro tools open, the control panel mixer still operates. So there's really two questions. How can I use a hardware insert and how can I bypass this mixer software if I just want to hear what protools is doing?

I've used a digi 002 for years on an older mac and it's simply plug and play. Route the cables to the ins and outs of your outboard gear, select an i/o insert and call it done.

I just upgraded to this new system and although I am impressed with the mbox pro preamps and soft limit feature, this situation may be a deal breaker, am I missing something? I've scoured the internet and other people have run into the same problem and I have not found a resolution. If other mbox pro users can use outboard gear (not on the inserts using a y cable, but the way I've described above) please enlighten me.

mbox pro package 1.1.3, firmware 1.0.2
pro tools 10.3.2
mac mini 2012 version (not the server) with quad core 2.6 ghz i7 processor, 4gb ram, osx 10.8.2

the mbox is connected to computer via a firewire 400 to 800 cable, no adapter is used.

[desertguitar]

I figured out a way around this problem. I created a stereo aux track and set the input to bus 1-2 and the outputs of each track to bus 1-2. Then on the aux track I used the insert and put the i/o on analog 3-4. Now all the tracks go through the external reverb unit and the reverb sounds exactly the way it did on my old system. The crucial key is that I also have to go to the mbox mixer that was installed with the driver, go to outputs 3-4 (I do not have this activated for monitoring, I'm using channels 1-2 for monitoring) and then bring up the channels 3-4 in the software returns to unity gain, then the glorious reverb happens.

This is a round about way to achieve the same result I was getting on the digi 002 by merely going to the pro tools mix window and selecting the i/o insert on the master fader. I hope others see this thread because every other thread I came across on the internet regarding how to properly use outboard gear with the mbox pro did not have a solution. I've used the steps above with an external compressor with the same successful result.

As far as I can tell, using inserts A-E as direct i/o with the mbox pro is useless, the above method achieves the same result but with more work.

[Weird Audio]

I didn't read your entire post but this should work

send all your audio to your hardware then send that to a bus and out to a your master fader. A really silly way of things but it will work for you.