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Old 02-25-2015, 09:26 AM
RZZube RZZube is offline
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Default Line Out / Monitor Imbalance Issues Mbox Pro 3 / PT11

Hello everyone, 1st post but lurked and followed the advice here for many, many years. thank you!

I've been having a horrible time trying to configure the Line outs 1&2 on my Mbox to simply output clean audio, and be the monitor outs for my brand new Yamaha HS7 monitors.

What I'm trying to do:
Use the default monitor output setup of my mBox Pro 3 (using outputs 1 & 2 as studio monitor outputs, volume controlled by front panel knob)

What the problem is:
Despite all meters telling me otherwise, and not touching any controls, Line out 2 (the right output) seems to be 50% lower volume than Line out 1, repeatedly, when they should be 100% even and at equal volume, and the driver settings have been unchanged. The internal digital meters show everything to be fine, but what comes out the Line Out jacks is a mess. It also seems to suffer from some harsh digital cracks. The crackling is intermittent, but lowered output on Line 2 out R is constant.

I at first thought it was new cables or the new speakers, but after testing the speakers for several days with every stereo and mono source I could find from iPhones to cassettes, with no problems, the culprit seems to be the Mbox Pro 3.


Before anyone says the obvious, the HS7s were set to unity volume with no adjustments- and they put out 100% evenly on other sources (like iPhone.) I've tested it in Pro Tools, outputting the mac's audio through it, Garage Band, they all seem to have the right output as 50% or more lower, yet meters and drivers settings all show it to be normal. I swapped all the cables and speakers around and still found Line 2's output to be much, much lower than Line 1, despite it being a mono sound source dead center panned. I pulled up a L/R balance test from YouTube, and still had the lowered output on the right. I put the mbox pro 3 into MONO mode and while the file was outputted mono on both channels, Line 2 still had this strange dip in level. I also thought it might be my Apple branded thunderbolt-to-FW800 adapter but the problem seems to happen no matter which FW input I use (the FW800 or the Thunderbolt.) Cycling through the clock sources in PT (which usually fixes any digital clock issues that show up) doesn't fix anything either. Looking at the driver, which I have not changed any settings on, it shows outs 1+2 and the master section to be both correctly hard panned and at unity, just as they should be to reproduce main mix L/R outs.

My signal path is Pro Tools ----> Mbox Pro 3 ----> Line out 1 + 2 -----> 1/4" TRS cables -----> HS7

The only other item in this system not mentioned is an iLok, and the problem happens regardless if PT is reading 44.1k, 48k, 96k, or YouTube audio.

My system is:
MacBook Pro,
OSX 10.8.3
2.7GHz Intel Core i7,
8GB 1600 MHz DDR3 Memory,
Pro Tools 11 version 11.0.2

Any help is appreciated, any more information needed just ask!

I haven't had any issues with outputs 1&2 before, and this mBox's multiple configurations is baffling compared to my old 003- which was 100% rock solid and issue free across 3 PT versions. I have several complex mixes due soon and at this point after a week of issues, I've already lost lots of hours of work, and thus pay. At this point I am stuck, can't fix it, and work has completely halted... please help!


Thanks!
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  #2  
Old 02-25-2015, 09:48 AM
Darryl Ramm Darryl Ramm is online now
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Default Re: Line Out / Monitor Imbalance Issues Mbox Pro 3 / PT11

All you need to help troubleshoot this is right I front of you. There is not much snybidy else here will be able to offer.

You can troubleshoot this independently of Pro Tools or any computer. Connect up a source like a iPod or CD player and play a known good mono input into the Mbox Pro (just take one side of the stereo signal and use the Driver Control panel/internal mixer to output that signal to output 1&2. Swap the cable connections at output 1&2 and confirm the problem follows the outputs not the monitors/cables.

Use the driver control panel to route that same signal to output 3&4 and see if they work better.

If the hardware appears bad and it is under warranty call Avid and get it fixed. Otherwise if it is just one bad output channel then for the hassle, downtime and cost of dealing with Avid service you might be better off just not using that output channel if possible, or getting a new interface from somebody like Focusrite, UAD, Apogee etc.... All have better options and provide better support than Avid.
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Old 02-25-2015, 11:26 AM
RZZube RZZube is offline
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Default Re: Line Out / Monitor Imbalance Issues Mbox Pro 3 / PT11

Hey Darryl,

Thanks so much for your response. I will try what you're suggesting, and post again when I've found the solution.

For the quick fix, I'm going to do as you suggest and try using outs 3&4 as my output. The headphone outs seem to work fine so I'll try the 2nd headphone out too, they mirror 1/2.

For the long term fix, I'll see about getting a new interface, and having my old 003 shipped from the US to me here in Europe.

Thanks so much for your advice and help! cheers!
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Old 02-25-2015, 03:01 PM
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albee1952 albee1952 is offline
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Default Re: Line Out / Monitor Imbalance Issues Mbox Pro 3 / PT11

Try swapping the cables. If the issue follows, its likely a balanced cable that has lost 1 of the 2 signal connections. In any case, losing half of a balanced signal will result in a 6db drop, so it could be a cable, the input on the speaker or the output on the Mbox. Also, make sure the TRS plugs are pushed in all the way(yep, seen this happen too)
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Old 03-04-2015, 05:20 AM
RZZube RZZube is offline
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Default Re: Line Out / Monitor Imbalance Issues Mbox Pro 3 / PT11

Thanks so much... after further testing and following all of your advice, I've determined the problem is in the hardware. Since I purchased this in the USA and brought it here with me to Europe, that takes me out of all warranties.

Fully tested the speakers and they're fine. Brought my rig to my local shop and asked for some help troubleshooting and when I used another different brand of interface and installed the drivers, there were no issues in performance or sound.

I'm thinking it has to do with the output jacks themselves. All other ins and outs function fine. The Line 1 has a slight digital distortion to it when I run a test tone out and record the signal to another device, and Line 2 is at least -12dB lower.

Any tech support I've asked has recommended that I update my OS, PT, and drivers to the latest versions. I think after I finish this project and have a day or two off to reconfigure, that is what I will do. (They are right that I am three updates behind!)

I think I'm going to have to simply invest in a new better-quality interface soon, the Mbox has been nothing but problems for my workflow- from monitoring tracks to latency and now this.

I see many mixers such as Allen & Heath and Soundcraft have direct ins & outs via USB and I am wondering if they too suffer from latency or require a strange monitoring scheme to record without problems like the Mbox Pro 3 does.



Thanks again for all of your advice, and any recommendations for a good quality interface with at least 6-in and 6-out would be welcome!
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