MBOX 2 is a worthless chunk of plastic!!!

BassTooth · Post by **BassTooth** » Tue May 01, 2007 3:45 am

What a piece of junk!!! i've been coping with it for awhile now but i'm tired of having to keep "jerry-rigging" this piece of shit. first, the fucking left channel doesn't even work so i listen through headphones. its burnt out or somthing, or the solder joint came loose or some shit like that. and don't even think about unscrewing the bastard to diagnose and then resolder and void the warranty or blood will shoot out of your eyballs(i can't even figure out how to get the fucking thing apart, its like a fucking closed in plastic box with little tabs probably on the inside so that when you take it apart it breaks and you can never get it back together again).

and then like every 15 minutes or so the fucking audio cuts out, the MBOX 2 stays lit up and continues to draw power from my PowerBook. so what i have to do is keep going into Preferences and then "Driver Type" and selecting between "No audio" waiting a few seconds and then unplugging the USB cable and plugging it back in after waiting for it to power up again and then re-selecting "Core Audio" in "Driver Type". all this just to get the fucking piece of shit to work. but at least i can still use ProTools LE when i'm really fucking desperate.

say no to digi-design and their shit products. i have a horrible experience and will never buy another digi product again.

also, my Pre-Sonus Firepod is away for repairs and i haven't heard shit back from Pre-Sonus headquarters in Louisiana. they've got me by the short hairs as well. FUCK ME!

lunabass · Post by **lunabass** » Tue May 01, 2007 4:31 am

Sorry to hear that BassTooth. Sounds like the Mbox2 has a lot of things in common with my m-audio fast-track pro...at least they're sending me a new one!

sparklepuff · Post by **sparklepuff** » Tue May 01, 2007 6:14 am

Awesome rant, by the way, I actually enjoyed it. Sorry to have a laugh at your expense, I feel for you. I have given up on digi/m-audio products myself.

rbmonosylabik · Post by **rbmonosylabik** » Tue May 01, 2007 6:38 am

Sometimes I wonder how people can cope with digidesign's bullshit. I guess lots of audio people are dloset masochistics who think pain makes them feel alive.

aqua_tek · Post by **aqua_tek** » Tue May 01, 2007 6:56 am

wow. tough times for you man. sorry to hear.

steve-o · Post by **steve-o** » Tue May 01, 2007 7:03 am

MOTU bro (unless you can afford RME or Appogee)

My 828's been rock solid since they were first released, and are way cheap.

eyeknow · Post by **eyeknow** » Tue May 01, 2007 10:23 am

One of the THE MOST frustrating things I've gone through in the "home daw" escapades was PT mpowered.....not exactly what you are experiencing, but none the less, very simular.

See, the software just ROCKS and is something that would be my daw of choice..........

but.......

that hardware thing (mpowered/LE) just does not cut it IMHO.

I have a motu traveler right now. Here's why that is relevant....I went through a bunch of maudio cards.....but it just dawned on me that for now about 1 and 1/2 years I've had this traveler and there is nothing stability/usage that has sucked! It blows me away..........

I guess my point really is that if you can get into the motu/rme/metrichalo arena (I realize obviously that is "sans" protools) you will most likely enjoy greater stabiltiy......

Sibanger · Post by **Sibanger** » Tue May 01, 2007 11:20 am

Yep Bass Tooth,
I've also had similar issues lately, with my Mbox with sound just dropping out.
I've had to close the song and reopen it to get sound back.(which worked most of the time).
IT SUCKS ARSE !
Anyway, I have ordered me an rme replacement and am awaiting

MBox is crap. We live and learn.

theshaggyfreak · Post by **theshaggyfreak** » Tue May 01, 2007 11:33 am

Unfortunately every piece of hardware out there is going to have bad apples. I originally had an 828mkII and I had to send it in to MOTO to get fixed twice within the first 6 months. The 2nd time it went down it took MOTU a month to respond to my e-mails (I could never get in over the phone since it was always busy) and then it took them another month to fix it. I personally know other people that had hardware issues with the 828mkII as well. Two years ago I bought a Digi 002r and I've been happy ever since. Everyones mileage can vary with each experience.

rbmonosylabik · Post by **rbmonosylabik** » Tue May 01, 2007 11:33 am

A friend used to say the Mbox (original one) was made from a clip, some bubblegum and a bottle cap.

Seems digi didn't really do much of a redesign for the Mbox 2.

daniel_grieff · Post by **daniel_grieff** » Tue May 01, 2007 12:01 pm

Bump. We have to use these pieces of crap at university and they have presented me with more problems than any other piece of hardware Ive had to use.
It reminds me of the time I spend literally hours troubleshooting the mixing console trying to work out why I couldnt get a a signal from a microphone. Turns out that this particular Mbox needed to have its input switch set to 'line' when recording a microphone, and it wouldnt even touch a line input. Pretty basic stuff for an audio interface.
Plus the drivers appear to have been written by a undergrad student at the worst university in the country (mine). I think Ive met him. He looked like Peter Griffin's boss from Family Guy.
Please avoid Mbox if youre considering buying an interface, I know you dont know me or have any reason to trust my opinion, but Im genuinely trying to help you out here.

CWoodOne · Post by **CWoodOne** » Tue May 01, 2007 7:41 pm

daniel_grieff wrote:Bump. We have to use these pieces of crap at university and they have presented me with more problems than any other piece of hardware Ive had to use.
It reminds me of the time I spend literally hours troubleshooting the mixing console trying to work out why I couldnt get a a signal from a microphone. Turns out that this particular Mbox needed to have its input switch set to 'line' when recording a microphone, and it wouldnt even touch a line input. Pretty basic stuff for an audio interface.
Plus the drivers appear to have been written by a undergrad student at the worst university in the country (mine). I think Ive met him. He looked like Peter Griffin's boss from Family Guy.
Please avoid Mbox if youre considering buying an interface, I know you dont know me or have any reason to trust my opinion, but Im genuinely trying to help you out here.

anybody tried a Motu 8Pre?

BassTooth · Post by **BassTooth** » Tue May 01, 2007 7:49 pm

steve-o wrote:MOTU bro (unless you can afford RME or Appogee)

My 828's been rock solid since they were first released, and are way cheap.

i am considering MOTU. i have heard nothing but good things about them and that they are built like tanks.

aqua_tek · Post by **aqua_tek** » Tue May 01, 2007 7:54 pm

BassTooth wrote:
steve-o wrote:MOTU bro (unless you can afford RME or Appogee)

My 828's been rock solid since they were first released, and are way cheap.
i am considering MOTU. i have heard nothing but good things about them and that they are built like tanks.

do itt!

I got an Ultralite not too long ago and I am extremely happy with it.

MR Coogs · Post by **MR Coogs** » Tue May 01, 2007 8:02 pm

I've had an ok experience with my Tapco interface, though initially I was pissed that it does not support 96k recording as it falsely stated on the box/ads. It's pretty stable, never drops or burps.