Avoiding Mbox Mic Pre?

[rhinostylee]

I just got in my mic pre (Great River ME-1NV), and want to use it with my new mic (Neumann TLM 40) without getting filtered through the Mbox 2 Pro mic pre. I have it connected via the “Mic/Line in” XLR input on the back of the Mbox 2 Pro . . . is this still getting filtered through the Mbox 2 Pro Mic Pre? How do I avoid this?

Thank you in advance for your input, it is much appreciated!

[froyo]

Hello. 'Filtered' is kind of a strong word but yes you are still using both the Mbox mic pre (whether the input is mic or line), and most importantly in your case, the Mbox's Analog to Digital converters. What you want to do is bypass both of those by recording digitally through the S/PDIF inputs. However, your Great River mic pre does not have S/PDIF outputs, so you are kind of out of luck on your desired workflow.

[rhinostylee]

How much does that cut into my sound quality?

[rhinostylee]

Also, could I get XLR to RCA cables and use the S/PDIF anyway?

Thanks for the feedback, it' much appreciated.

[rhinostylee]

Hi guys,

Just checking to see if anyone has some mic-pre information they could share with me. I just got the Great River mic-pre, which I spent $1k for, because my understanding was that the mbox 2 Pro mic pres were not good. That said, it looks like I'm stuck with the mbox mic pres whether I like it or not unless the XLR to S/PDIF Cables will work.

Also, how much do the mbox mic pres degrade the sound if you have quality mic pres leading into them?

Thank you in advance for your input! This forum is such a valuable resource.

[niros]

The problem's not the mic pres, although their not great either, it's the Analog to digital conversion and thats inside the Mbox, which you have to go through to get your audio into the computer.

In your situation u have a great mic and a great preamp but your conversion is not that great. so you can have the greatest pre and mic but if the step where all that information is converted from the analog domain to the digital domain is crappy then you will loose some of that valuable information from your recordings in the conversion process.

also you cannot convert XLR to SPDIF their two different formats.

for example the SPDIF input on your Mbox is where u connect the output that comes out of a high end Analog to digital converter like the Apogee Mini Me (check out their websight they have a diagram of a Apogee MINI Me hooked up to a Mbox's SPDIF input)

http://www.apogeedigital.com/pdf/con...idac_mbox_.pdf

So what u will need is a high end Analog to Digital Converter from (Apogee, Benchmark, Mitek or Lucid)

Depending where u got your MP2NV you may be able to return it and get a Mini Me which has the mic pre in it and also is a great Analog to Digital Converter.

If you go with the other manufacturers you will have to keep the MP2NV because the other A2D Converters don't have a preamp in them. also make shure the converter has a SPDIF output so you can plug this in to your Mbox.

Hope this Helps

Niros

[mnoxious]

Have you considered a BLA mod? It'll put better pres in the mbox, but it doesn't change the A/D conversion.

[therecordinghouse]

dude, just get an xlr to trs and go in inputs 3 or 4. the conversion on the mbox 2 pro is fine. if you cant make good recordings with the mbox 2 pro converters, its not the converters that suck, its you!!!!


be done with it and stop worrying.....

[rhinostylee]

Thanks for the feedback guys, it's much appreciated.

dude, just get an xlr to trs and go in inputs 3 or 4. the conversion on the mbox 2 pro is fine. if you cant make good recordings with the mbox 2 pro converters, its not the converters that suck, its you!!!!


be done with it and stop worrying.....

How would that be different from just directly plugging in the XLR mic cable directly into the XLR Mbox 2 input? Either way, it will be converted using the mbox converters, no?

I must say that I'm not displeased with the sound of the Neumann/Great River going directly into the mbox . . . such a stark contrast from the gear I had before!

[therecordinghouse]

"How would that be different from just directly plugging in the XLR mic cable directly into the XLR Mbox 2 input?"


yes, you will still be using the mbox 2 pro converters, but you will not be using the preamps. i am, however, telling you that the converters, while not spectacular, are fine.