The M-box is 2in and 2 out only.
The 002 and 002rack gives you 8 in and out plus optical for 8 more in and outs plus spdif for 2 more in/outs, 18 total.
So...they are quite different beasts.

I would go for the 002 rack/factory bundle. Gives you a nice group of plug-ins and you don't have to pay for a completely useless control surface. Just plug it in and go.

The thing that you have to consider is your Mac. Which model is it?
At minimum you need a dual 1gHz G4 with as much ram as you can afford. Anything lesser will be frustrating at best.

Hope this helps,

Cheers,
Chris

Thanks Chris,

I do have a dual processor G4 with upgraded RAM, with room for more.
I understand the 002 has more I/O etc. Are you saying the M-Box is not worth the price? Or that it's to limiting?

And would you recommend any other system/ programs that are as easy to use/ install?

Thanks again..

Everyone here has thier favorite daw system. I prefer Protools because it has the best work-flow imho.

To answer your question: The mbox can only record 2 tracks at once. I have to believe that just about evreyone would be hand-cuffed quickly by this. I use my mbox at home just as a way to launch PT and do simple clean-up editing. I only need a stereo output for this and the mbox works perfectly for this application.

I suggest you try several daw systems out and pick the one that makes the most sense to you. I use PT all day without any major glitches, so it works for me.

My .02 Chris

i'd recommend for the beginner the emu 1820m! it get's great reviews! is basically the same price than the m-box and has much more features!

You really just need to decide how many tracks you'll be simultaneously recording. If you are only ever going to be working alone and don't need to record a real drum kit, then 2 inputs (MBox) will probably do the job for you. If you can see yourself wanting to record a drum kit or band then the extra I/O's of the 002 will be handy to have.

mtlmrx wrote: Hello RO,

After reading through the forum for a few hours...

I've been playing for years and would like to record @ home.
I have looked into the M-Box and then discovered the 002....

I would like to know from a beginner's stand point (I'm 34 yrs old)
is the Digi 002r worth the extra $500 over the M-Box w/ factory Bundle? Are either good/ great for a first timer?
Will I need to buy anything else to make them work?

Should/ Could I be looking for something better/ easier/ less expensive?

I have no other computer equipment and I'm running Mac OSX.

Thank you for your help.

I would recommend the 002 rack over the MBox, and recommend against the Factory Bundle plug-ins (unless you really feel a need for them - depends on what you'll be recording and whether the standard plug-ins will be adequate or not).

One reason is this - the MBox has been around for quite some time and is (probably) near the end of its product cycle. In ohter words, don't be surprized if DigiDesign comes out with MBox II in the near future. The 002, on the other hand, is a more recent product that will have a longer shelf life before the Digi003 comes out.

Secondly, the pres and converters in the 002 are better than the MBox pres and converters.

Third, if your every want to record more than two tracks at a time, you can do it with the 002, not so with the MBox.

There's about a $700 difference between the two systems. Whether the more expensive 002 is worth it to you will depend on these, as well as other factors.