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KeyboardMag.com >> This Month >> Digidesign Mbox 2 Micro
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Audio Interface/Pro Tools Package (Mac, PC)
Digidesign Mbox 2 Micro| April, 2008Digidesign is very clear about who the Mbox 2 Micro is for: Pro Tools users who want to work with their sessions on a laptop without having to cart around any sort of bulky audio interface. Sure, other Mbox interfaces are compact, but for those of us who want a low-profile Pro Tools system that won’t get in the way when you’re strapped into an airplane or car, the Micro can’t be beat. The Micro is slim in design and features. It sports a single 1/8" headphone output and a volume knob. That’s it — there’s no audio or MIDI input, so although you can mix existing sessions and work with virtual instruments (by adding a USB MIDI controller), you won’t be able to do audio overdubs. Even so, the Micro is the ultimate Pro Tools dongle for musicians and engineers on the go. It supports 24-bit sessions at up to 48kHz, and its headphone out is surprisingly hot, which is much appreciated by folks like me who frequently work in noisy airplanes and concert arenas. It’s dead simple to use, too. I installed the Pro Tools LE software on my aging 1.67GHz Mac Powerbook G4, connected the Micro, and I was in business. All of my Digidesign and third-party RTAS plug-ins ran just fine, and I was able to load and mix sessions I had previously worked on using an original model Mbox. Pro Tools LE 7.4 is included, along with a selection of Bomb Factory plug-ins, and the fantastic Xpand! virtual instrument (an all-around “soft workstation” with over 1,000 sounds), so out of the gate you’ll have enough music-making and mixing tools to get you started. For those who haven’t yet become a Pro Tools convert, the Micro is the cheapest and easiest way to jump on board. Negatives? Nothing that’s a deal-breaker. I do wish the Micro could also hold iLok licenses, so you wouldn’t have to bring any additional copy protection dongles when you hit the road. If you need mic and stereo line inputs, you could get an Mbox 2 Mini (reviewed Feb. ’07), for a mere 50 bucks more. But if you’re an on-the-go Pro Tools user who doesn’t want to be bothered with a boxy USB audio interface, the Mbox 2 Micro is the ideal solution. SPECSUltra-compact USB1.1 audio interface for Pro Tools LE. PROS CONS $279 |
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