MBox Avid

If you’ve done any serious video editing, then you know how intensive video processing can be on your computer. Real-time rendering of effects, processing uncompressed video and transcoding can be long, CPU intensive processes. To combat this, some users avoid the full rendering of their video content until as late as possible in the editing process. Especially for client-based work, this can be dangerous, as you don’t have an accurate perception of what the video is going to look like at the end of the day.

The Mojo SDI by Avid aims to solve this problem. The device is a “digital non-linear accelerator,” which enables producers to work more effectively by offloading CPU intensive processing. This makes it possible to do a number of things that would otherwise

What does the Mojo Avid Do?

The Mojo Avid is designed to work with Avid’s Xpress Pro or NewsCutter XP software. It serves as an analog and digital capture device, and as a hardware accelerator. The unit takes the load off the host computer when rendering video effects and dealing with mixed-resolution video formats. This saves considerable rendering time.

The unit has a hardware DV codec that enables you to convert analog video to digital in real-time. No more waiting for hours while your CPU crunches through the A-D conversion!

A great feature of the device is that it has enough bandwidth to transfer completely uncompressed video across the FireWire interface, either into or from your editing software.

The Mojo also enables technicians to capture video / audio while simultaneously outputting from the same source. This means you can monitor the input (capture) channel while recording. A great example of this in action: you can record the voice-over part for a video while watching the video play in real-time on your monitor.

Features

• The device is compatible with Media Composer, Xpress Pro, Avid 3D, NewsCutter, Pro Tools and FX software packages.
• The Avid Mojo has a tough, anodised aluminium case.
• Highly portable, weighing only 1.5lbs. In terms of dimensions, it is 1″ thick, 6 3/4″ wide and 11 1/4″ tall.
• Powerful enough to use as a core piece of your video editing toolkit.
• The package comes with video I/O breakout cables, Component and Composite adapters, 2 cables for S-Video connections and audio I/O cable adapters (mini-jack to RCA).
• Compatible with Mac and PC

Input and Output options

The Mojo Avid has a wide range of supported I/O options. This includes (in the same order as depicted in the accompanying image):

• DC power connector
• Video output adapter (splits into Composite analog output, S-Video analog output, serial digital output, 4 channel AES output and Audio word clock out)
• Analog audio outputs (channel 3/4 and channel 1/2)
• S/PDIF optical output
• S/PDIF optical input
• Analog audio inputs (channel 3/4 and channel 1/2)
• Video input adapter (splits into Composite analog input, S-Video Analog input, Serial Digital input, Reference input and 4 Channel AES input
• Camera/Deck IEEE 1394/FireWire Port
• Host CPU IEEE-1394 / FireWire port

Summary

The Avid Mojo offers an excellent solution for producers who need the ability to convert analog video sources to digital, transcode digital video or edit and produce video in real-time. It has a wide range of input/output options, and supports many software packages. It’s powerful enough to be an essential part of your video editing set-up while maintaining a streamlined, compact physical profile, making it an ideal solution for producers who need a compact solution.

Highly recommended on all counts.

If you’re looking for a quality control surface for Pro Tools, you need look no further than the software manufacturer. Avid’s C|24 control surface is a sleek, stylish mid-sized solution for small to medium recording studios. It provides an excellent tactile control method for the recording mixing and editing features inside Pro Tools.

Want to know more? Well then, let’s investigate…

Overview of the C24

The C 24 has (as the name implies) 24 channels. Each is bankable, has a dedicated touch sensitive fader and high-quality LED-ringed rotary encoder. There is also a very legible 6 character LED strip for instant feedback on channel names, pan direction and other parameters. This makes it incredibly easy for the technician to know what is going on at any time during recording.

There are also dedicated Automation, Solo, Mute, Select, EQ, Record, Insert, Send and Dynamics buttons for each of the channels. This is particularly useful when live tracking, as it significantly simplifies the workflow for the engineer to make rapid changes to the mix without resorting to keyboard shortcuts or mouse commands.

Input and Output options

The Avid C 24 offers an extensive range of input and output options, providing a comprehensive studio solution for even professional recording technicians. It has 16 high-quality, low-noise preamps for input from Microphone, Line or Direct Inject. This is incredibly convenient, as it allows musicians to connect directly to the control surface without requiring another interface or mixing device.

There are high-pass filters and the ability to modify (limit) the gain of the input. This guarantees that you can get a clean signal out of just about any instrument that is plugged into the control surface.

Out of the box you’re given a professional quality 5.1 analog monitor output – perfect for mastering tracks destined for DVD, BlueRay or any other post-stereo destination.

The device also has a 8 channel stereo line sub-mixer, output metering and trimmable inputs and outputs.

Other features of the Avid C24

The device also comes with a number of “soft keys” – these have no hard binding. Instead, they can be configured in the software. This is incredibly important to allow an extra degree of customisability, as well as to future proof the device to make sure it supports and upgrades offered by the Pro Tools software.

The C24 also offers built-in Mics for easy remote talkback and listenback. This makes communication between technician and musician a piece of cake, even when the musician is in another room or sound-proof enclosure.

There is an external power-supply, which ensures the device is (relatively) light and slim-lined.

Summary

The C24 offers a range of great features for recording enthusiasts AND professional technicians. The key features of the device include:

• 24 bankable channels
• Dedicated touch-sensitive, motorized fader for each channel
• 24 rotary pots w/ LED rings
• 16 high-quality, low-noise preamps
• Flexible range of I/O options
• 8 channel stereo line sub-mixer with separate levels and ability to “direct route” to monitor
• Professional 5.1 analog monitor output
• Readable 6 character LED strip
• Built-in talkback Mics

In conclusion, the Avid C24 is a very powerful control surface, perfect for small to medium recording studios. It’s incredibly simple to use, while offering a degree of flexibility not often seen in this class of control surfaces. To top it all off, the device is digestibly priced for Pro Tools LE and Pro Tools HD users.

Have you used the C24 before? Do you own one? Tell us what you think of it in the comments below!

One of the biggest hurdles to achieving efficiency in the Pro Tools software is mastering the incredible number of menus, options and keyboard shortcuts. Do you wish you could navigate around Pro Tools (or any of the Avid software range, for that matter) more quickly and effectively?

Imagine how much easier it would be if, instead of having to dig around hundreds of menu items trying to find a particular option, you had a set of colour-coded and well-labeled buttons in front of you, mapped conveniently to the regularly used features of Pro Tools.

This is exactly what the Avid Pro Tools Keyboard does for you. All the primary transport and editing functions are covered, making recording and mastering tracks a breeze.

The Pro Tools custom keyboard uses the same symbols and colour coding system as the Avid control surfaces, and offers easy plug-and-play USB and PS/2 support. The keys are labeled with both the Pro Tools features as well as the standard keyboard mapping. You can also map any menu command in Avid Xpress or Media Composer to the keys.

Features

• All the key Pro Tools features right at your fingertips – increase your speed and effectiveness instantly
• Colour coding matches Avid control surfaces
• Easy Plug-and-play installation
• PS/2 adapter for
• Dimensions are 20.5″ x 9.25″

Conclusion

If you want to make navigating around Pro Tools easier, you can’t go past this keyboard. For the price of a normal middle-of-the-road computer keyboard, you get a quality device with the addition of colour coding and extensive labelling to make navigating and controlling Pro Tools significantly easier.

The Avid keyboard is not just for Pro Tools experts, but anyone who wants to improve their effectiveness in the Pro Tools software.

Introduction

The Mbox 2 by Digidesign has long been revered as the solution for musicians who want professional quality recording at home or on the road. Recently, the Digidesign business was acquired by Avid. With this, the Digidesign line of recording products is being retired – which means it’s the perfect time to snap up one of these devices at the right price!

But what makes the Digidesign Mbox a great option for budding home producers? Read on and find out!

Features

The device is compact, but feels solid enough. The Mbox2 can be positioned vertically OR horizontally, and comes with a removable handle attachment for easy portability. The controls on the device are smooth to adjust and feel very solid (no risk of breakage here).

The sound quality is definitely one of the main selling points of the device:

The device has excellent MIDI support out of the box, with 32 instrument tracks. It also supports multiple outputs, so you can trigger multiple devices from the same track (or trigger external MIDI units).

• 2 input channels
• Comprehensive built-in MIDI support
• 2 XLR Mic inputs with quality preamps and 48V phantom power circuit for condenser mics
• 2 TRS line-level jacks
• 2 digital I/O channels using coaxial
• Separate source selection and gain control on each channel
• Monitor L/R 1/4 inch outputs
• Headphone output and dedicated volume control
• Zero latency monitoring
• Includes Pro Tools LE recording software
• USB powered

Front Panel

The front panel is well laid-out and cleanly designed. On the far left, there is a 1/4 inch output jack for headphones. Right next to the input is a level control to adjust the volume of the audio to the headphones.

Next to this are two more volume controls, to adjust the volume of the output to the monitors and the mix volume.

There are then two buttons: one to switch to mono, and the other to engage or disengage the phantom 48v power supply, which is fed to BOTH microphones inputs on the back of the device.

Next are the two controls for inputs 1 and 2. For each there is: a peak light, gain control knob, 20 dB pad button (decreases the input level if it is too hot), Microphone / DI button (switches between microphone and direct inject input methods) and 2 lights to signify whether DI or Mic input is being used.

Rear Panel

The majority of the rear panel is occupied by the input ports. There are two inputs, and each has 3 jacks. These jacks support Microphone inputs (XLR), Direct Inject (Tip-Ring 1/4 inch jacks for guitars, basses, etc) as well as a 1/4 inch line level input (Tip-Ring-Sleeve for keyboards, mixers, microphones).

There are then two 1/4 inch jacks positioned vertically for the left and right channels of the monitor. These jacks feed the audio that is routed to analog outputs 1 and within the recording software.

After the monitor jacks are the two S/PDIF coaxial jacks for digital input and output. Finally there are 2 MIDI jacks for input / output and a USB port to connect the device to a computer.

Pros

• Pro-quality audio at the right price
• Portable recording – take your studio with you anywhere!
• Comprehensive MIDI support
• Extensive range of supported input / output methods
• Great sounding mic preamps
• Easy to use, great control layout and design
• Awesome software bundle, including Pro Tools LE

Cons

• Strict compatibility requirements
• Lack of low-frequency presence (not a deal breaker)
• No support from Digidesign going forwards – Avid as retired this line of products

Conclusion

In terms of desktop / laptop music production, it’s hard to fault the Digidesign Mbox 2. With a slew of great features and studio-quality audio it’s sure to satisfy even the most seasoned recording veterans.

It is unfortunate that the Digidesign line of recording products has been discontinued, but it does mean that it may be the perfect time to pick up a bargin on one of these units. If you’re after the great features of this device but want to ensure you have long-term support options, you should check out the Avid Mbox 3.

Introduction

If you have any experience in home recording, it’s likely you’ve heard of the Digidesign range of audio interfaces. In particular, the Digidesign Mbox line of devices is well known for providing professional quality recording for a fraction of the price of professional recording equipment.

After the purchase and rebranding of Digidesign by Avid there have been a number of changes to the range. Notably, the devices are no longer locked to the Digidesign platform, meaning recording software other than Pro Tools can be used (and as a side note, Pro Tools software is no longer locked to Digidesign hardware). This is great news for home recording enthusiasts, providing them with a greater degree of flexibility.

The latest in the range is the Avid Mbox 3. In this review we’ll be looking at the high-end model, the Mbox 3 Pro.

Features

The device is very solidly constructed, with dimensions of 13.7″ x 7.6″ x 2.3″ and sporting a steel case. This is a significant improvement on the prior Mbox models, which always felt rather flimsy and (in my opinion) felt breakable. This, of course, means the device is quite heavy: 6.2lbs, which may rule it out for those that require a highly portable solution.

The Mbox Pro uses FireWire (instead of USB 2.0, which the standard Mbox uses). The device uses 24-bit 192 kHz audio, offers soft limiters on inputs and comes with a built in guitar tuner reverb.

Rear Panel

The rear panel sports six analog outputs and four analog inputs. They utilise ¼ inch jacks with switchable +4dBu/-10dBV sensitivity. There are also four inserts (placed between the preamp and the A/D converter) on 1/4″ jacks. There’s also a stereo auxilary input that uses RCA or minijack. There are two microphone inputs that use XLR connections. The device has its own external power supply unit (is not powered over Firewire). There’s also a 1/4″ footswitch jack to allow you to punch in and out while recording or to trigger audio. There’s also a D-Sub for MIDI, coaxial S/PDIF and wordclock BNC connector.

Front Panel

On the front we have a pair of XLR/TRS for microphone, as well as two instrument ins. Each has two switches – one to switch between the inputs and another to activate the soft limiter. All four gain controls are push/pull potentiometers, which means you can activate -20dB pads. There are four meters with eight-LEDs each. There are also two buttons, the first of which can be assigned to different functions in your recording software. The other is used to toggle the 48V phantom power.

Pros

• Awesome sound quality from the pre-amps and converters
• Incredible range of features
• You also get two fully independent headphones outputs
• One-stop- solution for great recordings
• Excellent software – well-designed and convenient virtual mixer
• Sturdy construction and great design
• Plenty of analog connections
• Integrated reverb and delay
• Appealing bundle price with Pro Tools 9

Cons

• Price – a little expensive for casual musicians
• No problem with the Cubase / CoreAudio drivers, except the in / out numbers didn’t match the numbers displayed in the sequencer
• No ADAT connection
• No EQ / compressor in the FX section
• Heavy

Conclusion

The Mbox Pro 3 interface is a great product. With an awesome design and solid construction, you won’t be ashamed to have this device on your desk. It offers a comprehensive selection of connections and comes bundled with very usable and effective software.

It is not perfect, however. There is no ADAT in / out, and the weight and size of the device make it inappropriate for mobile recording.

The system works brilliantly with Cubase and (of course) comes bundled with the great Pro Tools package.
In summary: great performance, solid construction and flexible compatibility (when compared with previous models) – but still a little pricey. This is the perfect device if you want pro-recording quality at home.

You will not be disappointed.