S/PDIF Eleven Rack and MBox3?

[jimst57]

Is anyone using a 11R with a MBox3 using S/PDIF?

I have the 11R hooked to the MBox3 using S/PDIF. In-Out Out-In.

If I create a track in PT and set the input to S/PDIF I get sound. So there is no problem getting sound from the 11R.

There's a video out there by Benoni about how to ReAmp using S/PDIF and I just can't get it to work.(he uses a 003R though) Seems I can't get sound to go OUT S/PDIF to the 11R.

I'm beginning to think I have defective S/PDIF on the Mbox3. Earlier I had trouble just getting sound FROM the 11R while trying to set the clock on the MBox3 to internal, and the clock on the 11R to ext S/PDIF. Avid told me the S/PDIF IN port on the MBox3 won't turn on unless the clock on the MBox3 is set to ext S/PDIF.

That don't seem right to me. S/PDIF should work like S/PDIF on the 003R. It shold be the same right?

Anyway, I have an MBox2 also and I'm going to try it today. If that works, I'm going to assume the out going S/PDIF on the MBox3 is not working.

Anyone else with this problem?

[nst7]

Avid is right. The new mboxes are not like the 003's, etc. It won't clock internally when anything is hooked up to spidf, and must be clocked by whatever is hooked up to it.

This is stated in the manual, but was a surprise to many of us.

It's a completely idiotic limitation/crippling and I don't know why they did it.

You would think they would want you to take advantage of the improved clocking in the new Mboxes, but I guess not.

I don't know that you'll lose much by having to clock from the 11Rack, but it would be very frustrating if someone had a much older digital effects unit with inferior clocking.

[jimst57]

I'm OK with the clocking.

What it is preventing me from doing is re-amping.

It seems I can't route a signal back out the S/PDIF to the 11R as Benoni did in his video.

I suppose I can always switch to the 11R as a main interface when I want to re-amp, but it doesn't seem right.

So am I to gather that the S/PDIF on the MBox3 is not fully functional by design? Can someone from Avid confirm this? What's the point in having a S/PDIF In/Out port if it can't be used both ways?

[nst7]

On the track with the dry signal that you want to reamp, do you have the output of that track routed to the Mbox 3 spidf out? If not, that's what you would need, and then the mbox 3 spidf in to a new audio track, which you would record enable.

But honestly, it would be easier to just switch to the 11R as your interface and do it that way.

It's not like you need to unhook cables or anything, you would just choose the 11R as your interface in the Protools session. It will briefly save and close the session, then open again with the 11R as the interface.

[jimst57]

Originally Posted by nst7

On the track with the dry signal that you want to reamp, do you have the output of that track routed to the Mbox 3 spidf out? If not, that's what you would need, and then the mbox 3 spidf in to a new audio track, which you would record enable.

But honestly, it would be easier to just switch to the 11R as your interface and do it that way.

It's not like you need to unhook cables or anything, you would just choose the 11R as your interface in the Protools session. It will briefly save and close the session, then open again with the 11R as the interface.

Yes I tried it as you first describe above, and it doesn't work.

After trying several things, including having the 11R as the main interface, and hooking the MBox3 to it with S/PDIF, I'm covinced the S/PDIF Out on the MBox 3 is not working.

Maybe it's time to contact Avid. It's still under warranty.

[zedhed]

Have you tested both s/pdif cables? Obviously one is definitely working, so swap them over. If your problem switches then you'll know it's a cable problem.

[nst7]

I may not be understanding everything you're trying to do.

If you want to reamp through the 11R digitally, you don't even need it to be hooked up to the mbox. If you choose 11R as your interface, the signal will go digitally through the usb to and from the 11R with no loss of quality.

Page 94 of the 11R user guide describes how to do this.

[jimst57]

Originally Posted by nst7

I may not be understanding everything you're trying to do.

If you want to reamp through the 11R digitally, you don't even need it to be hooked up to the mbox. If you choose 11R as your interface, the signal will go digitally through the usb to and from the 11R with no loss of quality.

Page 94 of the 11R user guide describes how to do this.

Yes. I know how to do that. And it works.

I'm trying to have the MBox3 as the main interface, and the 11R hooked to it using S/PDIF. When I do this, I can get sound from the 11R as you described in an earlier post. (create a track, set the input to S/PDIF).

What I can't do is send sound BACK to the 11R when I set the output of a track to S/PDIF.

I've even tried reversing the situation....11R as main interface, MBox3 hooked to it using S/PDIF. Create a new track set the input to S/PDIF. Can't get sound from the MBox3.

I have to assume the S/PDIF out on the MBox3 is not working.

[nst7]

Have you made sure to set the "rig input" of the 11r to the digital i/o (as opposed to the guitar input, etc.)?

If that doesn't work, would it be possible to find or borrow another device with digital I/O that you can test the mbox with? It doesn't have to be an 11r, it can be an effects unit or converter, etc.

[jimst57]

Originally Posted by nst7

Have you made sure to set the "rig input" of the 11r to the digital i/o (as opposed to the guitar input, etc.)?

If that doesn't work, would it be possible to find or borrow another device with digital I/O that you can test the mbox with? It doesn't have to be an 11r, it can be an effects unit or converter, etc.

Yes to the first question.

I have a MOTU UltraLite I can try but it's not at my house. I can get it tomorrow.

Thanks for the advice. That's a good idea.