newbie - pro tools question

[theNeologist]

I am looking to get an mbox 2 and pro tools LE for personal recording. pretty much i have been stuck with this quality of sound www.myspace.com/theneologist and i would like to drastically improve it. i was recommended the mbox and pro tools le.

heres my question... what is the main diff. between mbox 2 factory and mbox 2 pro.

and any other tips would be appreciated..basically you can hear the quality of the songs i have now on that myspace, and i would ideally like to improve the quality as much as possible

 

[LydonB]

The mbox 2 pro is firewire, which is better than USB (which is what mbox uses). Also, the "factory" afaik just means that it has extra plugins included. The MBox2 pro also has more inputs and word clock. Same pres though.

 

[AudioPhile777]

mbox 2 and mbox 2 pro are different pieces of hardware...

if you're going for the mbox2 pro, you can get a used digi002/rack for that price...

 

[sirscratch01]

Yea, the hardware is different and factory stands for factory bundle which is just a couple of new compressors and eq's.

 

[theNeologist]

hmm..

so what do you recommend as far as which mbox 2 to get...if even the mbox 2 setup

im basically starting with very basic recording knowledge..mostly using Cool Edit, a little bit of Adobe Audtion... im willing to put in the time to learn etc.. i just want to improve my sound as much as possible within a reasonable budget...hence the reason im looking at the mbox stuff

 

[Fox Mulder]

Why not try something else then?

 

[if6was9]

Don't go the pro tools route- thats not where the improvement in sound is going to be made.
You could easily get a much nicer audio interface and use Reaper for software and get a much better sound than going with something pro tools. The version of pro tools you're going to get at that price range is terrible for music anyways.
I'd recommend doing some more research on interfaces and DAWs and then making a much more informed decision.

 

[refreshingapathy]

if6was9 - just curious, how is PT LE terrible for music?

theNeologist - what I think is that getting ProTools alone will not make you sound better. It will enable you to more easily tweak your sound compared to CoolEdit and Audition, sure. For smaller, demo-style recordings on a lower budget, I would agree with if6was9 that PT is probably not your best option. I would buy a less expensive interface and use less expensive (but still just as good) software like Reaper or even Cubase and spend the bulk of your money on a good microphone or two - those will help your sound MUCH more than the DAW software would.

 

[theNeologist]

thanks for the input guys.. here is where im at now

ill be the first to admit, i am quite novice when it comes to recording so i know i have a lot to learn... ive been in enough studios to be recorded, but now im trying to get on the other side of the ball

from my understanding, a good sound card would make a nice quality difference. if i were to use Reaper, wouldnt my quality in essence be similar to what it is now if i am using the same sound card?

isnt the Mbox pretty much like a portable sound card for the most part?

my rough plan for right now is to record all guitars and amps direct with using either the POD or some other amp simulator, using only programmed drums, and simulator bass...i know many people are against this, but im not looking, atleast now, to become hte next rick rubin or anything. i just figured taking that route would cut my costs as far as mics go...so the only mic i would need would be a good vocal mic..

any thoughts?

 

[LydonB]

If you want to get better sounds right off the bat, the best way to do that is good microphones and getting better at micing techniques. But if you do not want to spend cash on microphones and want to get an audio interface I would suggest a used 002, 003 or MBox2 Pro...they all have FireWire. A new interface may make a small difference but getting a good sound out of your instruments is the first biggest step to improvement.

 

[if6was9]

thanks for the input guys.. here is where im at now

ill be the first to admit, i am quite novice when it comes to recording so i know i have a lot to learn... ive been in enough studios to be recorded, but now im trying to get on the other side of the ball

from my understanding, a good sound card would make a nice quality difference. if i were to use Reaper, wouldnt my quality in essence be similar to what it is now if i am using the same sound card?

isnt the Mbox pretty much like a portable sound card for the most part?

my rough plan for right now is to record all guitars and amps direct with using either the POD or some other amp simulator, using only programmed drums, and simulator bass...i know many people are against this, but im not looking, atleast now, to become hte next rick rubin or anything. i just figured taking that route would cut my costs as far as mics go...so the only mic i would need would be a good vocal mic..

any thoughts?

The m boxes are a digidesign(protools) interface- ie "portable sound card". They're NOT good value for money- ie the quality isn't great for what you pay for. What you are paying for is the pro tools compatibility- something you DON'T need. You can just as easily use reaper.
My point is that if you get a better interface other than the Mbox you will get a bigger improvement on sound. You can get better interfaces for the same money.


Pro tools Le isn't good for music recording because it has a limited number of tracks you can use, both recording in at once and while mxing. Also there is no plug in latency compensation meaning that you can't do alot of mixing techniques without going through alot of extra, unnecessary hassle. You can get Tool kits- kinda like expansion packs, that make it better for music but they cost ALOT of money.

Other than that, I also seceond what the guys say- a few good mics and alot of time spent practising micing stuff up will make a huge improvement on your sound

 

[theNeologist]

im trying to go the route of recording all instruments direct and programming drums so i dont have to buy all the mics and stuff for now... i know that technique wont get me the best sound ever, but for the time being im lookin to start small, learn production while still getting a good sound with out sinkin the money in mics etc... until i know this is something i will pursue further