Mbox not enougth...

[Samuelsson]

It seems that the Mbox will be the only portable solution of Digidesign. Well, I think it's a "very amateur" product. Two analog inputs, 24 tracks and a reduced "Poor Tools" software. I don't think this could ever compete with a RME. It's very limited. Are you guys at Digidesign developing something more? Because this is not the "Ultimate Portable Solution"
Thank's
[img]images/icons/rolleyes.gif[/img]

[Eric Bazilian]

"Poor Tools" software? I wasn't aware of limitations being added to the software. By "limitations" do you mean the lack of TDM or is there something even more "amateur" about this than the current LE version?

[PDupre]

As far as I know, it runs PTLE? If you need more, why not use a powerbook with Digi001 and a small rack?

[thermal]

Limited as in LE's limitations; 24 tracks, obviously no TDM, etc. I read that the convertors were supposed to be of the discontinued "green" series quality. I don't think it's that bad of a deal. Especially if the main in/out sound better than the 001's main bus.

All you zombies hide your faces... [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

[Polaris]

Mama always told me you get what you pay for! [img]images/icons/wink.gif[/img]

If they had only made it with four i/o's, I'd buy half a dozen right away. We are doing so much 4track field recording these days and the Mbox would have been ideal.

Has anyone had a listen to it yet? How does it actually sound?

[Barnabas]

I'd like eight inputs and a firewire connection to the Mac.

[Noiz2]

The problem is that it is not a portable solution for TDM folks. I'm not talking about DSP but the fact that you cant transfer sessions between them with out lots of work arounds. Using PT 4.3 is a better solution for many people than LE. It realy wouldn't take that much for Digi to change the situation but they have to get out of the mindset that if they make a system compatable with TDM nobody's going to buy TDM. The 4.3 vintage software realy got it right, same software w/ capabilities based on your hardware.
Right now if you work in a TDM time code environment it is realy not practical to move sessions between TDM and LE. For instance you can't put digital picture in sync with it's time code! So all your sessions have to be setup in TDM. You cant do change notes, you have to split up your sessions so tracks don't get dropped... the list goes on. When you re-open the session in TDM you have to go around and change settings back to where they were,display back to TC, short cuts on etc.
Le is fine and capable but it does not play nice with TDM. If I bought Le I would have done so knowing the limitations but I bought the "tool box" as a second limited station, I was then "upgraded" to Le. I have since abandoned Le and gone back to 4.3. I'm still waiting for a real upgrade for portable editing of TDM sessions, it's a diferent product than Le and has a diferent market. It can be limited in voices etc but must be able to open TDM sessions with out corupting them and save un corupted sessions back to disk.

[rtcstudio]

dcornutt,

Yes you can, the Powerbook has a PCMCIA slot. The Magma chassis use a CARD BUS which hooks their chassis up to the Laptop. I use this with a Magma four slot and my Titanium Powerbook. Unfortunately you can't use an Ibook because no slot.

The Card bus system is compatible with Windows laptops as well.

Granted, even a Magma 2 slot chassis is more expensive than a MOTU firewire interface, but it can be done.

[dcornutt]

PDupre,
You'd need more than a rack and a lap top to run 001 portable as there are no PCI slots in a laptop.

You'd need an expansion chassis with PCI slots..and a rack..(or just stack the 001 on something).

Expansion chassis are expensive...probably more than the 001 costs today.

When you compare this to one of the firewire interfaces...it's quite a difference, not only in costs but in bulk to carry around and hook up.

[Elfstone]

I don't see the pain in doing post with LE. Import LE tracks into the TDM session instead of opening the whole LE session in the TDM system if you are worried about that. It's LE 5.2 after all; you should be OK. Line up the sync pop in the digital picture visually, you don't need the timecode window if you have the video chasing the insert point all the time. Just drop the region's sync point where you need it. If you are conforming, use the burn in window in the picture as a guide. I've done tons of edits that way, always with great results.

Limitations plus creativity equal solutions. Whining doesn't solve anything, and it pisses off people who don't see the proverbial glass as half empty.