Now that MBox Studio is (possibly?) discontinued... driver support?

[SixChurchStreet]

Now that the MBox Studio is (possibly) discontinued, should one be concerned much about driver/software support? I use the Control app quite a bit to change routings, and it works fine today, but in a few years, I'm fearing there's a risk this thing could lose a lot of functionality if the software stops working.

[tope d]

Hi

Not sure where you got this info from,
The device is still being sold with its current offerings from our website and resellers. Support for the product is still on going and no plans to end support for the product anytime soon.

[SixChurchStreet]

This information came directly from Sweetwater, and they no longer carry it. If the MBox Studio is in fact still in production, you should let them know.

[rnostrant]

It's now confirmed that MBOX Studio is End of Sale and it's support will reach into early 2030. I would assume like other EOL Avid products that after support ends it might still be compatible with other software (MBOX control operates independently, mostly), but it might be limited in functions. Wouldn't be surprised if Pro Tools integration would be limited, especially with Hardware Insert support. Actual I/O setup might not change though.

https://avidtech.my.salesforce-sites...-support-dates

[Darryl Ramm]

Originally Posted by rnostrant

It's now confirmed that MBOX Studio is End of Sale and it's support will reach into early 2030. I would assume like other EOL Avid products that after support ends it might still be compatible with other software (MBOX control operates independently, mostly), but it might be limited in functions. Wouldn't be surprised if Pro Tools integration would be limited, especially with Hardware Insert support. Actual I/O setup might not change though.

https://avidtech.my.salesforce-sites...-support-dates

It's not just the (very) few folks likely to be doing hardware inserts in the Mbox mixer. But given that whole DAW return/output mapping mess with this product, once the MBox Studio stops having a control software to manage that mapping it may be a boat anchor for many users, not just for folks doing hardware inserts.

End of support dates mean in practice next to nothing, as Avid has proven with the much more popular Eleven Rack. You will find out when the Mbox Studio stops having driver and/or control software support when that uh stops. Based on the Eleven Rack experience that support might well stop *before* the EOL. After Avid's behavior with the Eleven Rack, not delivering driver updates while the product was still not EOL and shipping and immediately abandoning the Eleven Rack editor, and too many hassles and poor support esp. once Chris Townsend left Avid, etc. Companies are what they do, not what they promise. I would never purchase any consumer product from Avid.

[smurfyou]

Eleven Rack and MBox 3 Pro both had driver support ended before EOL.

Which with Apple is as good as dead. Windows users historically have been OK but Microsoft could always do something stupid too.

[Darryl Ramm]

Frog: Why did you sting me Mr. Scorpion?

[JoelG]

As I understand it, the EOL date is the end of physical support (parts and repair), not software support. The Eleven Rack is an example of that.

Joel

[Darryl Ramm]

Yes, but even that is a ******** thing. Go try to get any of these products actually serviced/repaired. Once out of warranty they seem prohibitively expensive and parts and service information are not widely available to independent repair providers (which might help some at the low-end?)

So it’s not software support, it’s not real hardware support for consumer devices. And nothing matters here as regardless of what Avid says of promises they are likely to just do whatever they want, the only way you will know what happens in future is when it happens. My hope is STG is much more focused on software and makes sure Avid stops repeating these low-end hardware forays that tend to leave a trail of unhappy users.