Well, I'm pretty positive that you can't hook two Mbox's to the same computer, but you might get by using the Spdif for spitting time code. I'm not sure though.
If you haven't worked with Pro Tools though I would recommend finding someone to guide your session that has. It would help make things run smoother.

you might also consider buying a different sound card like the Delta 10/10 to track, then dump it to your guitarists pro tools system for mixing/editing.

anyone else with ideas?

You cannot use two MBox-es at the same time in ProTools LE. A lot of people has been down that road and tried and failed.

So if you want to record more mics at the same time you have to use other equipment, perhaps together with the MBox. One way is to use an external mixer and mix it all down to two channels. Small external mixers nowadays are not that expensive anymore.

Another way is to go with some different setup. Just perhaps you could rent or borrow a 002R for the recording session? Once the sound is in the computer you can use the MBox while mixing. Or borrow / rent a completely different setup, record the tracks and move them over to your PT LE/MBox combination. There are a few free recording programs you can use, look at the page for some PC examples
http://www.pcmus.com/Free-Software.htm

If you are going to do overdubs, the MBox is OK. Start by recording a basic rythm track. Then add each channel one by one.

As you see, there are plenty of alternatives, but as far as number concurrent input channels, the MBox is strictly limited to two.

Gunnar

well with the mbox, how hard would it be just to run two macs with two mboxes and then dumb the two tracks from one two the other computer? thats what sounds best as of now. ill be able to get 4 tracks. eh eh?

no, you can't do this. you can sync 2 002s, or 2 001s, but not the MBOX. if you want to try to sync an 001 or 002, you will need midi sync for starting and stopping, and time code sync.

the best thing to do is to get a mackie mixer, submix everything to stereo, and record the mbox as R and L.

steve

Logamos,
go ahead and try it. It might work out very well. It might also turn out to be a small nightmare. First small thing is that it is difficult to start recording at the same time (exactly) on two computers. This can be adjusted for afterwards, no big trouble. But the bigger problem is that the two machines will slowly drift out of sync. On a ten minute recording, you may very well be a full second off. The reason is that the clocks are not synched. And one second in 10 minutes is about 1/6000 or about 200ppm (parts per millioh), which is a bit on the high side, but still inside spec for a consumer grade crystal controlled oscillator. But of course, you may be lucky.

Gunnar

but if u sync them to start recording at the same time then it wouldnt matter and they would start recording at the same time

They will start at the same time but they will drift over time. It may work over a 3 -4 minute piece. Try it. If you want to do a real test put one side of a stereo recording into each mbox and then import it and see if it survives to the end of the piece.

sorry, i may be sounding dumb, but i cant figure out why if they were started at the exact same point and and then were alligned on a grid, why it wouldnt work? i have done this on cool edit pro 9 recording into another device and then transfering it and alligning it) and it actually work. but with that way, there was no grid! so in my mind, if there was a grid, with the same tempo, why wouldnt it work!?

logamos,
you might be lucky, but the problem occurs if you run two different mbox-es on two different computers. No two computers and no two mboxes run at EXACTLY the same frequency. There is always a small difference. One is going to run a little faster and the other a little slower. This might end up beeing a very small problem, or a very noticeable problem, only way to know i to test it.

So it is not the grid, it how fast the computer advances the clock behind the grid.

In a "more-professional" studio setup there are ways to compensate for this. One way is running a word-clock controlling all the sampling. Another way is SMPTE or some similar synching scenario. Sadly enough, none of them can be applied using two MBoxes.

But do go ahead, it may turn out to be no problem whatsover.

Gunnar.

allright cool. u have some good informative knowledge. thanks

logamos2001 wrote: allright cool. u have some good informative knowledge. thanks

I wouldn't waste my time. There is absolutely no way that these two systems can maintain sample-accurate synchronization. That's why there are multi-channel systems on the market.

If you can't get a multi-channel interface, then do what others in this thread said - mix in analog, and record the 2 channel output.

i just dont completely undersatand. if u have a click, and u play to the click. how could it get so out of time that u can notice. i m just really confused to how that works.

Yeah - you can do that. You'll have to take all the files and manually re-align them with each other and hope that the two click tracks aren't ever so slightly off over the length of the recording.

I'd buy or rent a Digi 002 and save the trouble each time you want to do this. Or, just overdub 2 at a time to the same click track. Won't have the same performance feel, though.

HAHAHAHHHA!!!!!!!! yes i did it. AND IT WORKED! for all tose who said i couldnt. I DID! 4 inputs, 2 mboxes, and now on one machine! i feel happy now. :)

Well, tell us how!

G.

I bet, they played to the click track on one machine, recorded into
two Macs, then transfered audio files and manually aligned them.
In this case it even doesn't really matter if you push record buttons
at the same time. Am I right, Logamos ?

yes u are! but for the band i recorded, i didnt even use a click, (theydidnt want it) i will when i do MY drums. but ya, i just traansfered the files and alligned them. super easy. 4 tracks at once. and they said it wouldnt work...

Glad you figured it out... who ever said it couldn't be done must not have known about basic audio editing. Just remember you won't be able to get EXACT phase sync, because there is a natural varying delay to all different signals... but people have been nudging tracks around to better sync into others since forever.