New desktop Avid Interface - MBOX Studio

[BScout]

Originally Posted by Darryl Ramm

Can we please stop these pad-free designs. Yes RME I'm looking at you, (but will accept a free 12Mic if you want to send my way).

The Babyface Pro has an 11dBu pad. And the XTC has pads.
Looks like only ones with AutoSet don't have pads(?)

[Eric Lambert]

Originally Posted by tomhartman

I wish they hadn't used the term MBox at all though, that's not an especially great memory of mine LOL

YES! I had the same thought when I saw it this morning. The old name and its baggage cheapen this product from the get-go. I truly disliked the sound of that old desktop unit and always viewed it as cheap and chintzy. This should have an entirely new name.

[Darryl Ramm]

Originally Posted by Eric Lambert

YES! I had the same thought when I saw it this morning. The old name and its baggage cheapen this product from the get-go. I truly disliked the sound of that old desktop unit and always viewed it as cheap and chintzy. This should have an entirely new name.

And any time they get a new user who googles for some problem with their Mbox they are going to get a pile of useless information. All but the Mbox 3 Pro just leave me cold, cheap, nasty, terrible brand, I just don't get why somebody would do this.

[Evil Jack]

Originally Posted by tomhartman

I wish they hadn't used the term MBox at all though, that's not an especially great memory of mine LOL

Absolutely! What a POS that thing was...

[Darryl Ramm]

Originally Posted by BScout

The Babyface Pro has an 11dBu pad. And the XTC has pads.
Looks like only ones with AutoSet don't have pads(?)

Old stuff like the XTC and Fireface 800 sure have pads. The Babyface Pro and discontinued MADIFace Pro have the 11 db pad but they seem to be stark exceptions within the recent lineup.

It seems like besides this all the new silver face (vs blue face) design products are "pad-free".

I'm not totally sure about the Fireface 802, it does not have AutoSet obviously, but does not seem to have a pad either based on looking at the manual, I've never used one.

The 12Mic does not have pads, and it does not currently have AutoSet but RME staff have stated that's coming.

This AutoSet descriptions implies it's on non-pad systems.

"Thanks to the completely digitally controlled gain, devices with AutoSet can reduce the gain automatically, thus providing perfect protection from overload with no degradation of the audio signal, which does not have to pass any additional electronic circuitry. AutoSet also does not cause any of the control noises known from usual limiters."

None of 12Mic, Fireface UCX II, Fireface UFX II, Fireface UFX+, Fireface UCX II, MadiFace XT, seem to have pads.

Most of the new ones seem to use the same preamp, but I'm not sure on the MadiFace XT it seems to have different preamp specs (but still no pad).

I still just wish all vendors would leave a 10dB pad option. Oh well throw more XLR and TRS attenuators into the tool kit.

[Halfmoon]

There is, in fact, a -10 dB pad.
That linked feature list doesn't include it for some reason but in photos it's possible to see the button "PAD" (left side, 2nd row of buttons, 3rd from the left).

[weezul]

I mean, like most native devices really it's all about the drivers. There's a reason I won't give up my RME RayDAT. Will be interesting to see how it performs with RTL and stability

[smurfyou]

Originally Posted by Darryl Ramm

And any time they get a new user who googles for some problem with their Mbox they are going to get a pile of useless information. All but the Mbox 3 Pro just leave me cold, cheap, nasty, terrible brand, I just don't get why somebody would do this.

I agree. They might see some sort of brand continuance as positive but it's actually a downgrade. This would've been a good time to move past that name.

I still don't understand the totally disparate product lines. Each with different connection formats and distinct incompatible software. Again it would have been good time to consolidate all that. Hope they don't have a new version of PT for this. PT Artist M-Powered! (even though M-powered was weirdly not for the Mbox)

[Darryl Ramm]

Originally Posted by Halfmoon

There is, in fact, a -10 dB pad.
That linked feature list doesn't include it for some reason but in photos it's possible to see the button "PAD" (left side, 2nd row of buttons, 3rd from the left).

Good to see. At least they did not copy "pad-free" from RME. Mbox Control OTOH looks like folks sure spent some time copying RME TotalMix.

[LDS]

Originally Posted by smurfyou

I agree. They might see some sort of brand continuance as positive but it's actually a downgrade. This would've been a good time to move past that name.

I still don't understand the totally disparate product lines. Each with different connection formats and distinct incompatible software. Again it would have been good time to consolidate all that. Hope they don't have a new version of PT for this. PT Artist M-Powered! (even though M-powered was weirdly not for the Mbox)

It has been 20 years since the original Mbox, and 10 years since the Mbox Pro. I imagine there will be a whole new generation of users whose experience with Mboxes will only start with this new Studio version.

Seems like they are still very much stuck in the headspace of PT M-Powered, PT LE and PT HD, with USB, AVB and Digilink now on the cards.