Thread: WHAT THE FUCK IS A M-AUDIO BOX SHIT, AND HOW MUCH DOES IT COST??

yo i downloaded pro tools 7 M-Powered, installed it, and it wont work unless i connect my "M-audio interface" I KINDA KNOW WHAT THAT IS (NOT ENOUGH THOUGH) but i dont knoiw why the fuck i need it. if anyone else has pro tools M POWERED, can they let me know how much these things cost, and what they do, and where, and which brand/model to by so i can normally use protools m powered. and also if anything additional is needed as well, let me know about that too, cause everybody been tellin me to get that shit, and wen i finally do, i see i need more shit. just dont want nomore surprises. HELP ME!!!

Originally Posted by Drape

yo i downloaded pro tools 7 M-Powered, installed it, and it wont work unless i connect my "M-audio interface" I KINDA KNOW WHAT THAT IS (NOT ENOUGH THOUGH) but i dont knoiw why the fuck i need it. if anyone else has pro tools M POWERED, can they let me know how much these things cost, and what they do, and where, and which brand/model to by so i can normally use protools m powered. and also if anything additional is needed as well, let me know about that too, cause everybody been tellin me to get that shit, and wen i finally do, i see i need more shit. just dont want nomore surprises. HELP ME!!!

It's hardware locked homie.
In this case you'll need an M-Box or an M-Audio compatible device to get that program working.

Here's what an M-Box looks like: http://www.digidesign.com/index.cfm?...29&itemid=4893

Here's a bunch of devices that are compatible with that program (PCI):
http://www.m-audio.com/index.php?do=...=PCIinterfaces

(USB): http://www.m-audio.com/index.php?do=...=USBinterfaces

(Firewire): http://www.m-audio.com/index.php?do=...D=FWinterfaces

In all those cases above, look for the "Compatible with Pro Tools M-Powered logo".

Originally Posted by Drape

yo i downloaded pro tools 7 M-Powered, installed it, and it wont work unless i connect my "M-audio interface" I KINDA KNOW WHAT THAT IS (NOT ENOUGH THOUGH) but i dont knoiw why the fuck i need it. if anyone else has pro tools M POWERED, can they let me know how much these things cost, and what they do, and where, and which brand/model to by so i can normally use protools m powered. and also if anything additional is needed as well, let me know about that too, cause everybody been tellin me to get that shit, and wen i finally do, i see i need more shit. just dont want nomore surprises. HELP ME!!!

:laugh: LMAO!!! HAHAHAHAHAH!!!! It would take a grand total of 3 minutes (at most) on google to find what your looking for.

"If you give a man a fish he'll eat for a day........you teach a man to fish, he'll eat for a lifetime." With that being said.....google it my friend. You'll find a list of supported m-audio devices that work with m-powered pretty easily.

Originally Posted by aaronjames

It's hardware locked homie.
In this case you'll need an M-Box or an M-Audio compatible device to get that program working.

Here's what an M-Box looks like: http://www.digidesign.com/index.cfm?...29&itemid=4893

Here's a bunch of devices that are compatible with that program (PCI):
http://www.m-audio.com/index.php?do=...=PCIinterfaces

(USB): http://www.m-audio.com/index.php?do=...=USBinterfaces

(Firewire): http://www.m-audio.com/index.php?do=...D=FWinterfaces

In all those cases above, look for the "Compatible with Pro Tools M-Powered logo".

You're a good dude for that. It took you like 1 and a half minutes to dig up that much info on it, lol.

damn jaay u really think i aint do that?? i went on a site i kno called zzounds.com and i seen mbox maudio devices with usb and firewire and that type of stuff, but they ALL said for use with PT LE i couldnt find PT M POWERED written ANYWHERE that's why i got confused. dont gotta laugh at me. lolz

and your right that nigga really helped me out and i appreciate that good looks 1

just to make sure, whats the difference between the usb and the firewire devices. i dont know what firewire is, but im guessing its better, cause all computers got usb ports, but i dont got kno fuckin firewire

Originally Posted by Drape

damn jaay u really think i aint do that?? i went on a site i kno called zzounds.com and i seen mbox maudio devices with usb and firewire and that type of stuff, but they ALL said for use with PT LE i couldnt find PT M POWERED written ANYWHERE that's why i got confused. dont gotta laugh at me. lolz

LOL, Yeah, I thought u were slackassin it. My bad.

Originally Posted by Drape

just to make sure, whats the difference between the usb and the firewire devices. i dont know what firewire is, but im guessing its better, cause all computers got usb ports, but i dont got kno fuckin firewire

Both will work, but firewire is better if you can get it. The crazy thing is, firewire operates at 400MB/s , while USB 2.0 is like 480MB/s. But regardless of that, firewire is still widely considered better for audio.

Oh, and Drape check around your computer to make sure you don't have a port that has IEEE1394 around it. Or it may just say IEEE. If so, that's a firewire port.

Before you take that leap though, what kind of processor do you have in your computer? If you have a PC, you want to make sure you have the right processor that is compatible with protools or you'll get those unreasonable ass H/W buffer error or DAE error screens which drive some pro tools users crazy.

I run ProTools Le using an MBOX2 USB and I do not have any problems except for ProTools does not like/recommend using anything else on USB while using it and when I try disconnect something from USB while running, I usually get an error. May be my cheap computer but....yo, USB or Firewire, you should be good. Some say Firewire is a little faster but I do not believe it is a recognizable diff...BUT with Firewire, you free up your USB for other use...My homeboy copped a used MBOX off of Ebay for a hundred bucks...you do not have Midi on the MBOX (added with MBOX2) but it will get you humping...if you buy a new interface though, you are going to get PT LE with it as well as a plugin bundle. Plug-ins are where the real money is put out....

I use to get those errors that Jay is talking about....one thing that helped me is adjusting my configuration setup and pumping up my RAM. BUT if you can do it, get a good compatible PC/Laptop....

yo my computer is MAAAAD OLD. its a intel centrino, or celeron i forgot. im not on MY computer now so i cant check. and the ram is 512 with WinXP, and on the M audio info it said i need a 1Gig Ram MINIMUM. so what do i do?? i should try it, cause i had adobe audition, and it said the same thing, but when i use it, it works fine. and Jaay about that firewire port.. if i got that port then i should get firewire, but if i dontm that means i gotta go install it to use firewire, right? and like im not up to date with the audio info and details too much. what i mean for you to understand is that i dont really get what and audio interface is or does. and why i need it SOOO much, and how it can improve my beats.

Originally Posted by Drape

yo my computer is MAAAAD OLD. its a intel centrino, or celeron i forgot. im not on MY computer now so i cant check. and the ram is 512 with WinXP, and on the M audio info it said i need a 1Gig Ram MINIMUM. so what do i do?? i should try it, cause i had adobe audition, and it said the same thing, but when i use it, it works fine. and Jaay about that firewire port.. if i got that port then i should get firewire, but if i dontm that means i gotta go install it to use firewire, right? and like im not up to date with the audio info and details too much. what i mean for you to understand is that i dont really get what and audio interface is or does. and why i need it SOOO much, and how it can improve my beats.

Oh OK, the audio interface allows you to do more at the same time. For example, if you start running a bunch of virtual instruments at the same time, or have a lot of Reverbs and Delays and other FX running in a session, you'll eventually get those "crackles and pops" because either your computer processor can't keep up, or your soundcard isn't good enough.

You don't NEED firewire, its just better than usb, but you can get by with a usb interface.

As far as your processor, I don't think your current computer setup will run very well with pro tools. When I first got pro tools a few years back, I had a celeron and had problems. I switched it to a pentium and it worked like a charm.

Here's the requirements I think to avoid pro tools problems.

1) a computer with a Digidesign qualified processor (intel pentium, a Mac, etc.)

2)A soundcard with low latency (all the qualified ones will work just fine starting out

3) Enough RAM.

4) An external hard drive to record to

But before I get into that song and dance with pro tools tell me a little about your beatmaking process.

What program are you using now to make beats? Are you using any external synths like a Motif or Fantom. Are you using Virtual Instruments and FX?

If i knew how you worked, I could probably give you better advice to help you out.

512MB RAM. That's gonna be a nuisance. Go on newegg.com and buy some ram. I got my mother in law 2GB for like 50 of them thangs....and now she about to start makin beats.


...well not really...but she could....

ONE

Originally Posted by ONE-DERKID

512MB RAM. That's gonna be a nuisance. Go on newegg.com and buy some ram. I got my mother in law 2GB for like 50 of them thangs....and now she about to start makin beats.


...well not really...but she could....

ONE

I agree that that's gonna be a problem at some point in the future (whether you go the pro tools route or not). BUT BY NO MEANS, is that all your gonna have to do to be able to run pro tools.

Using your computer for music is like a owning a car. You can buy new tires (RAM), but that won't do you a whole lot of good with no gas in the tank, and a weak engine. Here are the 3 key factors

1) Processor Speed and Type

2) RAM

3) Audio Interface

Right now, I am running on a Celeron chip (on my desktop) with 1 Meg of RAM and I am doing OK. BUT I do not do any process intensive work at the crib...but as you start utilizing more plugins, your processing speed and RAM play a big part in proper operation. If you do not do anything else right now, pump up your RAM. My audio interface is the MBOX2 using the USB connection. The MBOX2 is my audio/midi interface. It is the "interface" by which my audio (keyboard, guitar, etc) is recorded to/playback from my computer, and my MIDI controller (keyboard) is connected to my computer....if you do choose to go with a PT setup...go to www.digidesign.com and read up on the computer/laptop system requirements before purchasing a computer....I was on a budget so had to work with what I had....

Drape i think you need to save up a couple hundred for a new/used computer, i wouldn't put any more into the one you got.... go to a music store that sells audio interfaces, have a good talk with them, and then go to another store and do the same thing.

Then check out Digidesign's website (makers of pro-tools) so that you get a better idea of what you need.

Write down shit, make notes, have questions, then go back to all the people you talked to and clear things up.

Don't make a rush purchase like i've done too many times and then regret it.

seems like you could use a little more general knowledge about what the diff is between elements that go into making a computer fit for music production and then what tools to use on it. I literally got so frustrated when i was starting out that i almost shed a few tears, cause i was doin it with nobody help and made some stupid and expensive mistakes. So you got good resources here, but like i said i think the best thing is to get into a store and see the options for yourself.

And a decent new/used pc can be had for like $300, especially if you already have a monitor. An old CRT monitor can be had for like $50 though, so you're good all round.
Not sure how you downloaded PT M-Powered without having any M-audio gear though, if it's a bootleg i got no pity for you LOL....

Get to the stores and i'm sure we'll all help you make sense of that material.

good luck, it's frustrating but worth it in the end to learn more about all this stuff.

Yeah!

Originally Posted by riotact

I literally got so frustrated when i was starting out that i almost shed a few tears, cause i was doin it with nobody help and made some stupid and expensive mistakes. So you got good resources here, but like i said i think the best thing is to get into a store and see the options for yourself.

LOL, Yeah, I feel your pain Mish. I didn't have a mentor, or a forum I could go to get CORRECT answers from. I avoided the really expensive mistakes, but I did make some along the way out of ignorance that added up. Even though I did heavy research, I didn't know what I needed to know to research the right things. But like you said, going thru that and paying dues helped me learn the things I know today so honestly i'm glad I went thru it in hindsight.

So yeah, Drape, use our mistakes as your guide so you don't make some of the same ones early on that some of us made, lol. I do cosign you considering a computer upgrade. Don't just buy any computer though, myself and other people on the forums can help decide what you'll need and what you won't need based on your production process.

I think you can find something affordable that will do the trick. Also, you can upgrade your existing computer, but remember that if you change out your processor, you also have to change out the motherboard, and if that motherboard takes different RAM, you gotta change that too. That's why Mish (Riotact) suggested you just get a whole new computer, because after you upgrade your computer and pay for labor to get it done correctly, you end up at the price of just buying a used one.

Originally Posted by Jaay Peso

But before I get into that song and dance with pro tools tell me a little about your beatmaking process.

What program are you using now to make beats? Are you using any external synths like a Motif or Fantom. Are you using Virtual Instruments and FX?

If i knew how you worked, I could probably give you better advice to help you out.

na with reason 4, i got a yamaha something (just a midi controler) and my PC. i use reason to play the instruments drums all that shit. arrange the beat, and then i solo everything one by one and export it into a 24 bit wav (as the whole song not as loops, but still seperate track-outs). then i load those .wav files into adobe audition for mixing better, adding effects, and mastering. then export thatas a wav, and then a 320kbs mp3, and then a 128 for soundclick or myspace. and that's it

Originally Posted by Drape

na with reason 4, i got a yamaha something (just a midi controler) and my PC. i use reason to play the instruments drums all that shit. arrange the beat, and then i solo everything one by one and export it into a 24 bit wav (as the whole song not as loops, but still seperate track-outs). then i load those .wav files into adobe audition for mixing better, adding effects, and mastering. then export thatas a wav, and then a 320kbs mp3, and then a 128 for soundclick or myspace. and that's it

OK, so currently your process isn't too processor intensive. To be honest with you, I don't quite know what you would need pro tools for.

When I had it, I used it for everything (beat creation, song sequencing, mixing, recording vocals, etc.) If anybody buys the exclusive rights to a beat, you can just send them the wav files and they're straight.

I do think that at some point in the future, you may want to make a computer upgrade. Add some RAM (make sure you get the right type too), and then if you have some money consider upgrading that processor (which means you'll have to upgrade the motherboard too. But here's the thing to watch out for.

1)The processor and motherboard are linked together (basically a bundle that must be compatible)

2) The type of RAM you can use depends on the motherboard

So don't buy RAM of one type then upgrade a few weeks later to another motherboard that doesn't take that type of RAM or you will have to buy new RAM.

All in all, I don't quite know why your looking to get pro tools. If you can't think of a good reason, then don't do it. Getting a new soundcard will help your computer a ton too when dealing with audio. Just be careful with your next step because you don't want to end up wasting money. Come up with a plan, do research, and if your unsure, run your plan by the DP forum. Just to make sure you aren't making a mistake or forgetting something.

well, i wanted to work with what i got until i saved up for a apple computer. and i just heard good things about protools that's why i wanted to get it. thought i could do better work with it. but if u say that i dont need it, then i shouldnt throw out so much money