Digidesign has gradually helped Pro Tools users unchain themselves from the bulky interfaces the software once required. (Anyone remember the days of hooking up an entire expansion card chassis to a laptop, back in the day? Yipes!) But until recently, you still needed an Mbox to lug along. The Mbox2 Micro has a novel twist: it packs an audio interface into an anodized aluminum USB key. You get just one audio output: an 1/8″ stereo output jack, upgrading your laptop’s headphone out jack to 24-bit, 48KHz monitoring. But that also means the Micro is all you need to carry to run Pro Tools. (In other words, it’s a dongle with a headphone jack.)

The “Mbox dilemma” continues: for new users, the Micro is a great bargain. You get Pro Tools LE, 45 plug-ins (Bomb Factory + DigiRack), and Xpand playback and synthesis, for US$279. Or, anyway, it’s a good deal if you’re not planning to record … this is an output-only interface, with no input. (It’s well worth considering Pro Tools M-Powered for use with M-Audio interfaces or the rest of the MBox line for mobile recording.) But for existing users — the ones who, according to the press release, are “seeking a greater degree of portability when using Pro Tools on the road” — you’ve got to spend $279 for what amounts to an extra dongle. Bummer. So, I’ll say again: Digidesign, why not give your existing LE (or Pro Tools HD users) an option to buy this thing for $49 or something? (I’m guessing the answer to “why not” is because it’d allow people to easily pirate Pro Tools LE, but that’s going to be little comfort to users who have invested in Digidesign’s stuff.) By comparison, Apple’s Logic Pro is $500 and doesn’t require any USB dongle at all; their entry-level $200 Logic Express includes far more built-in plug-ins. There are similar deals from Cakewalk’s SONAR on Windows, which also requires just serial numbers, not specialized hardware. Both of these will work with your existing headphone out jack or other mobile interfaces.

At the same time, I think the idea of a USB key that gives you higher-quality monitoring is a terrific idea, and I’d love to see ASIO/Core Audio-compatible alternatives. And on the Digidesign front, if you’re looking for an affordable mobile Pro Tools companion, the Micro looks promising, for those who don’t yet own LE.

Digidesign Mbox2 Micro

Digidesign has taken a minimalist approach to their latest audio interface, the USB-powered Mbox 2 Mini. The new hardware gives the mobile Pro Tools LE user the basics for on-the-go use, and nothing more:

1. One mic input (on a dedicated XLR, though only 2 inputs max can be used at once)
2. 48V phantom power
3. Two 1/4″ unbalanced ine-/instrument-level analog ins


4. Two 1/4″ unbalanced analog outs
5. 24-bit, 44.1k/48k operation
6. 5 x 6 x 1.75″, 1.12 lbs

Mbox 2 Mini [Digidesign Product Page]

The ultra-compact size, I’ll bet, will earn some fans, especially since Pro Tools won’t function without a connected Digidesign audio interface (or M-Audio interface for M-Powered). US$329 would actually be a really high price for this interface, but as with the other Mbox models, what you’re really buying here is Pro Tools LE. The Mbox 2 Mini doesn’t “mini-size” the software bundle, either: Pro Tools LE 7, the XPand! instrument, Bomb Factory plug-ins, and the usual extras are included. For a beginning Pro Tools user who only needs to plug in a single mic and doesn’t need a MIDI interface, this should be a good bargain.

That said, I’ll bet some Pro Tools users who would like to travel light will be a little disappointed, because there’s no unbundled version; why not offer a US$99 interface to existing Pro Tools LE users? LE users are forced to either (effectively) repurchase the software every time they want a new interface, or pay all over again for Pro Tools M-Powered and buy an M-Audio interface.

[tags]hardware, Digidesign, Pro-Tools, audio-interfaces, Windows, Mac[/tags]

Adding to the flood of new computer audio interfaces this summer is the Mbox 2 Pro from Digidesign, filling a gap left long ago by the old Digi 001. If you need some extra channels for Pro Tools LE and the M-Audio interfaces leave you cold, this could be a good choice, though I’d take a good look at the 002 first if you have the space. But other than Pro Tools, I can’t see a whole lot on this interface that can compete with similar interfaces in the same class. Interfaces from a number of competitors match the Mbox 2 Pro spec for spec but with additional inputs and outputs and more features.

Digidesign has unveiled the sequel to what has been its most popular interface:

Mbox 2 [Digidesign]

What’s new: In brief, same basic I/O plus new MIDI in and out, slick, new case, and huge software bundle. Still only two simultaneous ins, though, not including the digital ins. More after the jump.