Static With Mbox 3 Mini and Macbook

[JKard]

Hey Friends,

I just picked up a Mbox 3 mini, and installed the software and hooked it up to my Macbook Pro, and it is outputting nothing but tons of static. Sounds absolutely awful.

I then installed and hooked it up to a iMac (about a month old), and it seems fine, no static when recording or listening. Everything sounds good.

I just flattened the Macbook and reinstalled OSX 10.6.6 (Same version that's on the iMac), so it's a really clean environment right now.

Any ideas of what the issue is?

Thanks
Jay

[Chris7514]

which USB socket did you plug your MBox 3 Mini to ? It's a known problem with MBox series an Mac Book Pro. You can only plug it in the USB next to the power input. The other USB outlet for some reason causes tons of problems with MBox. I hope it helps.
Chris7514

[JKard]

Thanks Chris,

I actually plugged it into both ports, and both had the exact same issue. Was there any kind of discussion on this? I did a search and am not finding anything.

Best
Jay

[JKard]

Adding System Details:

Macbook Pro 2.2 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
Macbook Version = MacBookPro 3,1 (circa late 2007)
OS = 10.6.6
Pro Tools Version = 8.0.4cs2
Memory = 4 GB 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM
Boot ROM Version = MBP31.0070.B07
SMC Version = 1.16f11
USB = USB High-Speed Bus

Digi Support, you there??

[Chris7514]

It looks like everything is fine with your setup. I have identical MacBook Pro (2.16 GHz- precisely). The only reason besides USB sockets or bad cable lies in hardware itself. Connect another MBox 3 device to your laptop ( borrow it from a friend or the local music store etc.) and check if it works fine ( use the same cable). If it does, than it eliminates your laptop. Than the "bad guy" is MBox itself.
It happens with the hardware. After all everything we use these days is chinese junk...
Welcome to 21st "corporate" century ! :-(
Chris7514
By the way, speaking of "chinese" way: my friend and I both have Mackie studio monitors. Mine are approx 9 y.o. His are brand new. Mine are made entirely in the USA, his are made in China.
The difference is tremendous ! Mine are in a completely "different league" compared to his ( we've tested back to back). Pristine !! His are just average sounding.

[JKard]

Yeah, I had thought of that, and am going to go test with a Mbox 2 to see if it works.

The only thing that makes me think it's not the Mbox is that it works fine on the iMac (which is a lot newer). I would think that if the Mbox is messed up, I would be hearing the static (hiss) on the iMac too

Getting kind of upset at the silence from Avid (even opened a paid ticket with them), and have not heard anything.