Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Protools5LEGuy]

https://zachpoff.com/resources/digidesign-mbox-1-standalone-mod/

We can conclude that digidesign made focusrite design a USB powered Preamplifier with A/D conversion, but that option was never revealed.

Some say the Pre are atrocious, but still, is a Pre.

For guys that started with an M-Box and jumped to a TDM is a gift. Even on 16 bits 888 the SPDIF is 24 bits, and you have your first Pre, ready.

And that only with a harddrive jumper. 

[aBc]

Have only briefly scanned that mod link — but wonder if the jumper
might also include a small “switchable” switch for reversing the mod?

Still an interesting idea. Thanks.

[Protools5LEGuy]

You could put a switch in the jumper to activate standalone mode

[smilesdavis]

interesting. mbox1. made in china. 2002.

try and find a grace design lunatec v1/2/3 from the same time and you will never look back. the mbox1 cant hold its water.

[aBc]

Re-sized, burned and dodged some specific areas and opened up some shadows and mid-tones. Sharpened some images as much as possible without over doing it, hopefully.

AND as most now seem to use the new Forum theme, nine inch widths overall, display well enough I suppose to discern most small details. (For the good ol’ “Blu” Forum theme — 12” widths are the general rule-of thumb for me.) Of course I prefer the 12” wide images myself, as they provide better and clearer visible details, in most instances.

AND I converted all of your original .jpg files to .png images and retained the original big jpgs here in case another approach might be warranted. (i.e. You might want to try 12” sized files instead and allow new Forum theme users just to deal with how those might display.)

Also renamed the files to hopefully avoid my confusion here… as well as when you actually compose and post. Images A through N are in the same order you posted. Then there are the other three images from the other two additional posts. Should be pretty easily understood.

Let me know what you think and I might be able to re-work images as necessary tomorrow per your feedback or preference. I don’t consider any images final, until you say so.

*Interesting project Jorge… which might motivate even slothful me, back to looking into using the MBox.

[Protools5LEGuy]

https://zachpoff.com/resources/digidesign-mbox-1-standalone-mod/

2024 Update:

A reader (Don Brock) shared an updated mod (later confirmed by others in 2025). It requires no soldering and is easily reversible. It also enables SPDIF I/O so the Mbox can function as a standalone ADC/DAC as well as a mic preamp! Just put a 2.54mm (0.1″) jumper on the top two pins of the 3 pin header connector marked “LK1”, shown in this photo. A jumper from an old hard drive would work.

LK could mean Lock clocK. I wonder what do the other pin position/Combination. If one is for 44.1kHz and the other for 48kHz or if it only works on one or if it allows SPDIF sincying

After opening the M-Box to search for "the secret pin" I realized it was also designed to be a "500" rack standalone AD/DA converter conectable with 88x/ADAT bridge 1997 digidesign hardware via SPDIF, and that is just for the focusrite designed PREamplifier and the 2002 converters even been on the cheap side.

Different front panel or chassis could be needed, and maybe it existed but I never knew.

But aside this Digidesign jumped to over 48kHz on the HD new platform and focusrite walked from studio add-ons to developing own soundcard on with Platinum series to Saffire series. Only other collab was original Digidesign C24 board that had 8 or 16 (?) analog focusrite PREs.

I hope with this we can start a Database of the AD + Pre squeme DA + Handler chip (Ones for USB, other for Firewire and other for PCI)

[Protools5LEGuy]

Re-sized, burned and dodged some specific areas and opened up some shadows and mid-tones. Sharpened some images as much as possible without over doing it, hopefully.

AND as most now seem to use the new Forum theme, nine inch widths overall, display well enough I suppose to discern most small details. (For the good ol’ “Blu” Forum theme — 12” widths are the general rule-of thumb for me.) Of course I prefer the 12” wide images myself, as they provide better and clearer visible details, in most instances.

AND I converted all of your original .jpg files to .png images and retained the original big jpgs here in case another approach might be warranted. (i.e. You might want to try 12” sized files instead and allow new Forum theme users just to deal with how those might display.)

Also renamed the files to hopefully avoid my confusion here… as well as when you actually compose and post. Images A through N are in the same order you posted. Then there are the other three images from the other two additional posts. Should be pretty easily understood.

Let me know what you think and I might be able to re-work images as necessary tomorrow per your feedback or preference. I don’t consider any images final, until you say so.

*Interesting project Jorge… which might motivate even slothful me, back to looking into using the MBox.

Thank you. With your help this is "shareable" and not a bunch of way too big images

Last picture is from Focusrite FB page  and the last ones from the original modder.

[Protools5LEGuy]

Have only briefly scanned that mod link — but wonder if the jumper
might also include a small “switchable” switch for reversing the mod?

Still an interesting idea. Thanks.

You could put a switch in the jumper to activate standalone mode

I have removed the 3.5 mm and the 6.3 mm headphones jacks for my pictures. On any of these "holes" you can route a pair of cables with the jumper and a outside the m-box switch without soldering.

Kudos to Focusrite for designing an PRE and standalone AD/DA on +5 Volts and 0.5 Amps as USB 1.x demands