I was forced to sell my working Edirol FA-66 firewire audio interface and purchase an Avid-approved audio interface after upgrading to Pro Tools 11. After reading bad reviews about the Fast-Track I decided to shell out more money and buy the usb-only MBox 3 instead. What a mistake that was.

The first time I plugged this thing in to my 2011 macbook pro i7 it worked perfectly but that's as far as this unit's usability extends. This piece of shit will not work after the computer has been in sleep mode or after the usb cable has been removed and plugged back in. Instead I get a blinking power LED. You get one chance to use this device per boot. What infuriates me is that after searching for a remedy for this issue, all I found was countless forums of disgruntled customers complaining about the same issue dating all the way back to 2012.

Go ahead, treat yourself and google "blinking power mbox" to see what I mean.

So before I do what the majority of the forum will suggest and return this junk and move to another DAW that accepts working Audio interfaces, has anyone here faced this problem and resolved it?

Thanks.

 

oh man, this is just too funny!!!! Still raging about it from yesterdays chat

But of course, I respect and understand you're frustration, definately a very messed up experience...

Wish I could help but never used Avid or any of what you've mentioned...

 

OK after writing an equally hysterical post on the Avid forum demanding that an official representative post the official solution to this bug I have found the answer but of course it was not from an Avid employee. The issue is that their audio driver hangs when your computer goes to sleep so they recommend that you "optimise" your computer by disabling sleep. Yeah, I'll also replace the hinge on my laptop with a fixed L bracket while I'm at it you tools - pun intended.

Anyway, the solution is to unplug this device from the usb port before allowing the computer to go to sleep and in failing that, reboot or kill the driver in task manager and hope that it reopens when you plug the device back in.

Avid, pull your finger out.

 

I got some of their cheap-o line of devices up to a C400 so I could use MP9, the pres were so bad.. I was constantly
getting background hum. I went to a Steinberg interface with decent pres, and never looked back...

I did get an eleven rack which seemed to be ok, but mainly so I could try out a full featured version of PT,
don't expect to ever buy another Avid interface, unless it's just to get a version of the software
(may as well get some hardware with it when the DAW itself is around 600 - 700 clams...)

 

When I seen how S L O W the freeware Protools was on my Windows system I took that shit right off....I even manually went into folders and the registry and cut the left overs out myself. I could not believe how S L O W protools freeware version was on my 8 core AMD system...I'd rather keep my PreSonus Studio One 3.

 

BTW, have you installed the 2 AMD hotfixes? https://www.google.com/search?q=amd+windows+hotfix

 

I made an account just to answer to this.. You should have also put an option that said "the user sucks" and very much so. You actually are ruining your interface!!! Read the instructions about the computer going to sleep, how to turn it off etc. You CAN NOT hot plug an interface like that on a computer, it's not a usb stick or a mouse. You are being totally retarded and I am not really a person to attack someone even if they are mega derps but what annoys me is you attacking anybody else but yourself!!! I am not a mega fan of avid.. but you are ruining your own interface and not avid! Spend some time with your gear and learn to use it.

 

hello, aggrotech, audio lovemaker fellows too,

exceptionally promiseful beginning, making one account rushing just for the purpose of penning this response.

supposing, in your pressing urgency, you did not have the time to read that, there exists one quite important site rule, asking every member for being nice to each other.

even in the case you are right about reading the user manuals of our gear pieces, programs, etc., do you need to express this in such evaluative, not to assert, devaluative, modus?

are such responses warranted, justified, in your allegedly humble opinion, or is this the genuinely unimitable aggro style?

wish all the best for all of us, wish you all the best too...

 

Last edited: Sep 3, 2015

Sorry, Aggrotech but it appears that you wasted your time signing up to this forum if your goal was to impart your wisdom on others and belittle me in the process. While your writing style dictates that you are quite familiar with retardation, I'm afraid you have no grounds to throw that title around in this thread. Why? Because you have not stated a single fact in your rant, in fact you could not have been more wrong.

Here is the user manual for the MBox 3: http://akmedia.digidesign.com/support/docs/Mbox_User_Guide_v90_69709.pdf . You were right about one thing - it pays to read the user manual, which you clearly haven't even done yourself before falsely referencing it. It's a USB device and as such it is powered by the bus so "hot plug"ing is literally the only way you can power the device. In fact, the only mention of any powering procedure in the manual is where it describes that the unit should be connected to the usb port after booting. The whole point of USB is that it is plug and play so it is exactly like a mouse or usb stick in that respect.

Sorry but time to get off your high horse. This thread was meant to be humorous and informative and while you certainly haven't helped with the latter you have greatly added to the humour.

 

Last edited: Sep 3, 2015

calling pluging something "hot" means you plug it to something that already is on. You are meant to plug your device, turn it on, THEN turn your computer on. If you keep plugging audio equipment like this in the future you may as well bbq the thing :P lots of love <3 The only time it might say that you plug the interface after booting is probably when you first install the device and probably after the drivers installation. No way does it say turn the computer on.. then at any time turn the interface on! Pay focus on what you read!

 

Last edited: Sep 3, 2015

http://duc.avid.com/showthread.php?t=330108

you can fry both the FW/usb port on your computer as well as fry your interface too.

 

Aggrotech, you're missing one important fact: this device does not have a power button. It is powered by the bus. I will reiterate that you cannot fry a usb port by plugging a device into the usb port while the computer is running. This is hilarious.

Anyway I'm far too new to this forum to be getting caught up in arguments like this so I'll just leave it there.

 

You know, there's this thing called short circuit protection .

 

There is some power protection in the USB standard. Nevertheless, it is still possible to fry your PC using a USB device which is specifically built to fry, and you should safe-remove your USB devices, if it's possible.

 

Last edited: Sep 4, 2015

Actually, I have seen the USB sticks that some jerk designed that blow your motherboard. Hilarious but why!?

 

I did get an eleven rack which seemed to be ok, but mainly so I could try out a full featured version of PT,
don't expect to ever buy another Avid interface, unless it's just to get a version of the software. May be i ll get some hardware also.

circuit board assembly

 

Last edited: Oct 5, 2015

here is a direct quote from the product manual:

"After the computer has restarted, connect the small end of the included USB cable to the USB port on Mbox and connect the other end to any available USB port on your computer"

so it turns out that you are not only a jerk, but you are also an idiot.

 

I logged in on my phone just to answer this. AS should have a rating that says "the user sucks". You are actually ruining your argument!! Read the rules about the forum, how to behave etc. You CAN NOT just show up on AudioSex And act like a total snatch napkin. You are being totally retarded and I'm not one to attack someone even if they are mega douches but what annoys me is calling anyone stupid but yourself. And I'm not even a mega fan of ratings but you are making yourself look stupid and not lukeallison! Spend some time with reading and learn how to do it

 

How? It's true that the power distributor usually start up seconds later after switching on the laptop, however it's always well-balanced to provide no more than 5.15V on output. Only the data channels are prone to errors, but that's software/firmware thing, definitely not a power issue.
To "fry" any of those ports, short circuit and current limit protection would have to be switched off, which is for the user, quite impossible to do on their own.

Anyway to answer the poll - Avid sucks, because iLok. No need to say more.

 

Last edited: Sep 29, 2015

Avid sucks. Don't use it. I had bought Pro Tools 10 via an iLok license transfer. 3 years later, it got INVALIDATED without any specific reason. I provided documents that I bought the program, including a PayPal invoice. I got NO reply from Avid nor from Pace.

They are THIEVES. Stay away from them.