Basic mBox set-up help request
 

I'm trying to help someone set up their mBox rig and I've run into some problems.

Please help with some obvious (though not to me) questions:


1) How does one get audio playback from your mac directly (without hooking your computer speakers up to the headphone out on the front of the mBox)? Is there a setting that needs adjustment on the mac?

2) When plugging an sm57 into the 1st input, the only way to get signal was to move the selector on the front to "line" rather than "mic." Can someone explain this to me?

Thanks.

Re: Basic mBox set-up help request
 

1) ProTools audio will only come out the Mbox, not through the Mac.
2) If you've plugged the mic into one of the XLR inputs, the selector goes in the 'mic' position. If you've plugged into the center of the XLR combo jack with a 1/4" plug, you'd use the 'line' setting. A microphone should go into the XLR input, which goes to the mic preamp.

Re: Basic mBox set-up help request
 

Thank you, fellow Tele player.

ProTools audio will only come out the Mbox, not through the Mac

I thought maybe that was the case, thanks for the confirmation.

If you've plugged the mic into one of the XLR inputs, the selector goes in the 'mic' position. If you've plugged into the center of the XLR combo jack with a 1/4" plug, you'd use the 'line' setting. A microphone should go into the XLR input, which goes to the mic preamp.

Eureka! It was the fact that his mic cable was xlr on the mic end and 1/4 inch on the mBox end.

Still, I don't think I understand why that is...since both of the inputs are going through the same preamp. And since it is a dynamic mic...well...I'm confused on why. I figure "line" means that it's coming in at a higher level than "mic" - but why would there be different levels just because one is xlr and one is 1/4 inch?