Should I upgrade my current Pro Tools system; please advise
 

Hello.

I'm using Mbox 2 Mini in my personal studio for abt. 5 years now. It originally came with Pro Tools 7 which I've later crossgraded to Pro Tools 8 LE. Lately I'm thinking about upgrading both the hardware and the software in the near future, but first I would like to hear some input from other users to help me decide. So here we go.

I'm primarily interested in composing and producing of instrumental music, ranging from solo piano work to the arrangements of various size and MIDI orchestration. I mostly work with virtual instruments, but also occasionaly use hardware synths and keyboards as well as electric and accoustic guitars. I'm not very interested in recording vocals in my home studio, though I'm planning to purchase studio-grade mic in the future.

So to summarize:

- I mostly work solo; I'm not interested in recording bands and larger ensembles;
- I work with MIDI the most often, although I do need HQ audio recording from external sources from time to time.

Taking this into consideration, do you think that upgrading to say new Mbox (non-mini) and Pro Tools 9 for a start is a good investment and will make a big difference in this case?

Thank you for your help in advance.

Re: Should I upgrade my current Pro Tools system; please advise
 

Well considering that Avid has improved the sound of it's own interfaces since the mBox 2 and you are now free to pick you own hardware it's a good move.

Probably best to go with a non-Avid interface based on some of the great options that are now available to use with PT10.

Then again if you are happy with the sound of the mBox 2 why spend the money?

Re: Should I upgrade my current Pro Tools system; please advise
 

Thank you for your response.

Like you've said, I'm weighing my decision because I'm not entirely sure if the hardware/software upgrade is justifiable in my particular case. I'm primarily thinking about the following factors:

1) Would the new gen Mbox / other interface greatly influence the sound quality when working with virtual instruments as it supports higher sampling rates and it probably has improved converters;

2) Does the Pro Tools versions higher than my current 8 LE brings so many new features considering the fact that I work with MIDI more often than recording audio from external sources;

3) Is the "bundle" option - new Mbox + newer Pro Tools version cheaper solution or the new third party interface + another Pro Tools crossgrade?

I must think about it some more.

Re: Should I upgrade my current Pro Tools system; please advise
 

There is absolutely no reason to buy any Avid interface from the range formerly known as LE.

Just purchase a crossgrade from your LE to PT10 then buy a quality interface.
You can continue to use your mBox 2 while you decide on an better interface or raise additional funds.

The feature set of 10 is well worth it if you plan to continue to use PT the hardware not so much.

While the mBox 3 sounds way better than the mBox 2 and allows for better features it also has some issues that Avid seems to not care about resolving.
Since you are no longer tied to the Avid hardware with 10 why add the additional headache?

Re: Should I upgrade my current Pro Tools system; please advise
 

Thank you for your advices, they've been helpful.

I'll probably check out the third-party interfaces and compare their price to Avid solutions. I'm guessing that there are more powerful and or better interfaces out there, and one should take advantage the fact that PT is no longer tied to Avid hardware.

I was leaning toward Mbox systems so far, because it seem to me like the best buy solution, particularly in the conjunction with PT software. Like many users, I've purchased Mbox 2 Mini as a decent starting point. It has served me well, but it's probably time to move on.

Check out: Metric Halo or Prism stuff if you want top of the line. (The MH ULN2 might be all you need.) Alternatively the current RME line or the new UA Appollo (although you might not need the dsp feature).

On the cheap side: a used Apogee Ensemble or MOTU Traveller makes a pretty decent job for the $.

Btw, the new MBox, do sound pretty decent. But the connectivity is where it hurts compared to the competition.

Also, consider hosting/running your VSTi's in VEPro or Reaper (heck, even Banstand or Bidule) rewired to PT instead of instanciating them in RTAS. There are numerous threads on the DUC about this.

I'll second the metric halo recommendation. Great boxes with superb drivers. And even if you're not recording anything the improved D/A will help you hear your mix better. And then when you do track something the built on pres of the ULN-2 are great.

And while I don't use many VI's hosting them outside of pro tools can help if you're running out of power. :)

Re: Should I upgrade my current Pro Tools system; please advise
 

Thank you all very much for your advices. Unfortunately, I've forgot to mention some limitations that I have:

1) I need the system which work with Windows. Unfortunately, here in Croatia, PC is still the "best buy" solution, so when I've built the system I use for music production, I've built a PC running Windows 7 64-bit.

2) It seems that the interfaces you've mentioned are hard to find in our local music equipment stores, and I would prefer to choose something that I can obtain here. Here you can mostly find Avid, Focusrite, M-Audio, TC Electronic, RME, Tascam and PreSonus audio interfaces.

Personally, I'm thinking that solely upgrading to an interface from one of the mentioned manufacturers which feature FW connection, more IO's, higher sampling rates and better converters and built-in MIDI interface would be a good leap from my current Mbox 2 Mini and maybe enough for my purposes. What do you guys think?

Sorry. I am using my phone and didn't realize this was in the windows section.

Re: Should I upgrade my current Pro Tools system; please advise
 

I've had great results with the Focusrite boxes (see sig below).