Using Summit Audio 2BA-221 preamp with Mbox2

[aaronson]

Hello. I am trying to use a Summit Audio 2BA-221 pre-amp without much luck. I was told to go from the XL out to a 1/4 in on the mbox (line) because the line out on the 2ba is -10db. But I have also tried going straight from the line out to the line in.

Either way I am running into difficulties. My main problem lies here: the input switch on the mbox2 goes between DI and Microphone. There is no way to tell it to use the line input. If I plug something into LINE and switch the input to DI I get no signal. If I switch it to Mic, I do get a signal but it isn't clean. I'm pretty sure the noise is coming from the mbox'2 internal preamps, because even with the gain of the 2BA all the way down, i still hear noise coming from the mbox2. I have tried a variety of cables, to that's not the problem.

Does anyone use the mbox2 with a separate pre-amp? Or (better) this preamp? Could someone tell me the right way to plug it in.

Also, what is the deal with the line in? The instructions on the mbox2 say to select "line" as the input, but that must be copied over from the instructions to the original mbox, because the mbox2 has no such switch. So what is the proper setting to use the line in (which should bypass the preamp, right?).

Thanks!
jack