Mbox 3 vs. Mbox 3 Pro Preamps

[ianbee]

Is there a difference between the regular Mbox 3 and the Mbox Pro 3 in terms of preamp quality?

[Eric Seaberg]

I bought a Pro because they 'claim' the pres are better. However I sent mine to Black Lion Audio and had them do a full upgrade to everything. The Pro NOW sounds as good as my SSL console!!!

[YYR123]

Originally Posted by Eric Seaberg

I bought a Pro because they 'claim' the pres are better. However I sent mine to Black Lion Audio and had them do a full upgrade to everything. The Pro NOW sounds as good as my SSL console!!!

Are they very transparent sounding or do they have color?

[Eric Seaberg]

They sound like a straight wire with gain and amazing A/D. That's my preference for working, anyway. I'd rather choose the mic for the sound and not the preamp.

[nst7]

As far as I know, the preamps are pretty similar in the 2 units, though the specs are a little different.

However, the Mbox Pro has a more substantial power supply, being AC powered, which typically lends itself to a bit more headroom and lower THD.

As was mentioned, being able to go line in and bypass the pre's (on the Pro) is a nice feature if you are using external preamps.

[philip888]

Originally Posted by Eric Seaberg

I bought a Pro because they 'claim' the pres are better. However I sent mine to Black Lion Audio and had them do a full upgrade to everything. The Pro NOW sounds as good as my SSL console!!!

Eric is this the MOD you had done?

http://blacklionaudio.com/product/mbox-3-pro/

Premium Modification
The Mbox 3 Pro Premium Modification includes everything in the Standard Mod, but goes a step beyond. In addition to the new op-amps, we also install new audio-grade electrolytic capacitors that dramatically improve bass response and tame the brittle-sounding high end noticeable with the Mbox 3 Pro. Most “affordable” audio gear use low-grade capacitors that will work okay, but just don’t sound very musical in the audio signal paths. We choose premium audio-grade caps that are MADE ESPECIALLY for processing audio signals and make a huge difference in the resulting sound. This kind of rich tone is very difficult, if not impossible, to find in low-powered recording interfaces like the Mbox 3 Pro, but can now be yours at a great price.

[Eric Seaberg]

Yup, the premium mod, along with their Micro Clock. Good stuff!!

[Swamp Turkey]

Originally Posted by Eric Seaberg

Yup, the premium mod, along with their Micro Clock. Good stuff!!

I might BE FORCED to go with this BLA mod for my Mbox 3 Pro even though Eric is the only person I have found who has actually done it (doesn't make me super confident). Why?

Well, BE WARNED MBOX 3 PRO USERS, apparently the Mbox 3 Pro's line inputs are WAY too hot when using an external preamp (which I had planned on using when I bought the interface).

I have to say, this makes me extremely disappointed in Avid's design specs and I feel like I have been fleeced. This will limit my creativity very much as I like to implement different preamp flavors on my recordings.

Has anyone heard if Avid is offering to attenuate the line input gains INSIDE the unit (as they rightly should)?

I do not want to get into using SPIDF or gerry-rigged resistor pads or Shure's separate pad. All are just a half-way patch job compared to what I want to do and what the Mbox 3 Pro PROMISED to do.

[Eric Seaberg]

Originally Posted by Swamp Turkey

I might BE FORCED to go with this BLA mod for my Mbox 3 Pro even though Eric is the only person I have found who has actually done it (doesn't make me super confident). Why?

BLA still offers it, so someone other than me MUST be doing the mod. It made sense for me because I picked up the Pro3 on eBay from some kid who never opened it, but wanted to keep the software. No problem for me as I already had PT9 or 10. I paid $500 for the Pro3 and $890 for the full mod and MicroClock. The mod alone is $550. For me it was a no-brainer since I didn't pay full pop for the device.

You can certainly ask BLA how many of those mods they've done, if you're worried about it, but they do stand TOTALLY behind all of their work, so it shouldn't be an issue, in my mind.

Originally Posted by YYR123

2010 further proves the point that the jive bird was not fleeced.

Most interfaces that you purchased 5 years ago would not be suitable for your use today as you grow and change and add hardware

Another reason to have BLA do the mod. Chances are, they've made substantial improvements on THEIR upgrades over when I did it in 2013. They can bring your old Pro3 'closer' to current technology, IMHO.

As far as using external pres... my thought, especially after doing the BLA mods, was to get a pre that had SPDIF out for two more good sounding channels, giving me a total of 6 with the Pro3. What I have externally is the Audient Mico http://audient.com/products/mico-dua...e-preamplifier which is a great addition, especiailly when using the Mico with a single-point stereo mic.

Good luck with your shopping...

[skystudios]

Originally Posted by Eric Seaberg

Yup, the premium mod, along with their Micro Clock. Good stuff!!

Specs not avid-digi commercial talk pleeeeze