Do any MBox devices have adjustable pre-amp input?

[tbessie]

Hi all...

I'm digitizing my Tape and Vinyl collections, and am having problems with my turntable with it's phono-out signal. I have a preamp for it, but the line-out it generates is too energetic, and I'm getting clipping.

Does anyone know if Avid (or any of their subsidiaries) makes an A-to-D sort of box that can attenuate incoming phono signals (or at least line-in signals)?

I currently have an M-Audio FireWire 410, and it only has gain control on mic- and instrument- inputs, but not on line-level inputs.

I know there are some phono preamps that have adjustable gain on them, but there are few and not all good quality. I also don't want to go buy a full-size pre-amp box, as one of good quality could run into some high costs there. I'd LIKE to find an all-in-one A-to-D box that both does the A-to-D conversion, and ALSO provides adjustable signal gain/attenuation at the analog input source.

- Tim

[Hotcrazyfruit]

Originally Posted by tbessie

Hi all...

I'm digitizing my Tape and Vinyl collections, and am having problems with my turntable with it's phono-out signal. I have a preamp for it, but the line-out it generates is too energetic, and I'm getting clipping.

Does anyone know if Avid (or any of their subsidiaries) makes an A-to-D sort of box that can attenuate incoming phono signals (or at least line-in signals)?

I currently have an M-Audio FireWire 410, and it only has gain control on mic- and instrument- inputs, but not on line-level inputs.

I know there are some phono preamps that have adjustable gain on them, but there are few and not all good quality. I also don't want to go buy a full-size pre-amp box, as one of good quality could run into some high costs there. I'd LIKE to find an all-in-one A-to-D box that both does the A-to-D conversion, and ALSO provides adjustable signal gain/attenuation at the analog input source.

- Tim

Does your turn table have a volume control? :P

(if that was a dumb question, im not from the turn table era, i had barley got into CD's before mp3 players came out )

[tbessie]

Originally Posted by Hotcrazyfruit

Does your turn table have a volume control? :P

(if that was a dumb question, im not from the turn table era, i had barley got into CD's before mp3 players came out )

Heh. No, it's a classic-style turntable, no bells and whistles.
It's a low-end "audiophile" model, so just has a cable with phono-level output, and nothing else.

I was in college when CDs came out, and was amazed - I worked in my college's music library, and they brought some people in to demo these Newfangled CD Things.

Now I love all the new tech, but I was something of a luddite before - I didn't even want to use DVDs for a really long time, and now I have a giant collection and have built my own Home Theater PC for streaming movies and music around the house.

- Tim

[albee1952]

funny, I see GAIN knobs on all the Mboxes

[tbessie]

Originally Posted by albee1952

funny, I see GAIN knobs on all the Mboxes

Yes, but do the knobs apply to LINE inputs?
All of the gain knobs I've seen on all these boxes only apply to MIC and INSTRUMENT inputs, not LINE or PHONO inputs (and there are no dedicated PHONO inputs, as far as I know).

Check it out - do you see anywhere where GAIN 1) applies to LINE input, AND 2) allows for attenuation as WELL as magnification of signal?

- Tim

[persuader]

Dont you need RIAA converter/input to make that work?

[tbessie]

Originally Posted by persuader

Dont you need RIAA converter/input to make that work?

I have a phono preamp, which converts the signal to an RIAA-compliant LINE level signal. That's what a phono preamp DOES, if I'm not mistaken.

Not sure what you're saying - I'm suggesting that there may be an A-to-D box out there that incorporates an adjustable signal gain for signal attenuation and gain, who's center point would be RIAA standard LINE level, but which, again, is adjustable (for cases like mine where LINE level is TOO HIGH due to phono out being too strong, most likely).

I can find a device (eg. one of these: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produc...amplifier.html ) that is an adjustable phono-to-line preaamp, but I'd prefer that stage was incorporated in the A-to-D box, for convenience.

- Tim

[albee1952]

Sorry I don't own an Mbox, but the GAIN knobs on my 003 control both the mic and line inputs(can't imagine why Mbox would be different, but you would need to use inputs 1&2, since the GAIN knobs are for inputs 1&2 only). As an alternate, instead of a simple RIAA preamp, you could use any cheap/simple DJ mixer, which would give you volume/level control before the signal hits the Mbox.

[tbessie]

Originally Posted by albee1952

Sorry I don't own an Mbox, but the GAIN knobs on my 003 control both the mic and line inputs(can't imagine why Mbox would be different, but you would need to use inputs 1&2, since the GAIN knobs are for inputs 1&2 only). As an alternate, instead of a simple RIAA preamp, you could use any cheap/simple DJ mixer, which would give you volume/level control before the signal hits the Mbox.

Yeah, I was looking into some of those DJ mixers as well; my main concern is getting the best signal quality, so I wouldn't want to use anything TOO cheap.

My FW410's gain knobs are for 1/2 as well, but only when input is plugged into the front mic/instrument inputs; when plugged into the back, you push a button to switch 1 (and/or 2) to the back, and it becomes a line-level input, but can't be modified with gain.

I'll check the manual of the mbox to be sure.

- Tim

[tbessie]

Ok - to answer my own question, MBox's are just like my current M-Audio FW410, in that they don't let you modify incoming line signals. To quote the manual:

Line Input
The Mbox Pro interface is specifically optimized for desktop recording scenarios, where a user is likely to leave the line inputs plugged in at all times. A Front/Rear switch enables the user to choose between the preamp signals or line inputs on the back of the interface. The signal from the line input does not pass through the preamp; instead it connects directly to the converter, ensuring that the sound is not colored in any way. The line input features a +4/-10 switch so a user can switch between professional- and consumer-level signals. Then, users have the option of passing the signal to the soft-clip limiter, which features the same technology as our top-of-the-line Pro Tools|HD 192 I/O audio interface, enabling users to track extremely hot signals without overloading the inputs and clipping. Finally, the signal feeds directly to the premium-quality A/D converter, which delivers world-class performance.