The reason I purchased this was for a USB power and the zero-latency monitoring amoung other things. The real beauty of the Mbox2 is the overall complete package. Hardware, software, and bundled plug-ins.

As a voice actor, all of these areas are big plus' for the work I do. Although I use Adobe Audition 3.0 as my DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) its hard to ignore the power and range of the included Pro Tools LE software.

I mean what doesn't this package include. There is no shortage of plug-ins here for sure. Pro Tools LE plug-in list includes:

In addition to M-Audio Torq LE DJ software and an incredible 8 GB collection of pro-quality loops from industry sound heavyweights Big Fish Audio, Pro Tools software includes a comprehensive bundle of amazing virtual instruments, effects, and utility plug-ins.

Virtual Instruments

• Boom drum machine and sequencer
• DB-33 tonewheel organ emulator with rotating speaker simulation
• Mini Grand acoustic grand piano
• Vacuum monophonic vacuum tube synthesizer
• Xpand!2 multitimbral synth and sample workstation
• Structure Free sample player
• FXpansion BFD Lite acoustic drum module

Effects, Sound-Processing, Utility Plug-ins

• 1-Band EQ III
• 4-Band EQ III
• 7-Band EQ III
• AIR Chorus
• AIR Distortion
• AIR Dynamic Delay
• AIR Enhancer
• AIR Ensemble
• AIR Filter Gate
• AIR Flanger
• AIR Frequency Shifter
• AIR FuzzWah
• AIR KillEQ
• AIR Lo-Fi
• AIR MultiChorus
• AIR Multi-Delay
• AIR Nonlinear Reverb
• AIR Phaser
• AIR Reverb
• AIR Spring Reverb
• AIR StereoWidth
• AIR Talkbox
• AIR Vintage Filter
• BF76 Compressor
• BF Essential Clip Remover
• BF Essential Correlation Meter
• BF Essential Meter Bridge
• BF Essential Noise Meter
• Celemony Melodyne Essential
• Chorus
• Click
• Compressor/Limiter
• D-Verb
• DC Offset Removal
• De-Esser
• Delay
• DigiReWire
• Dither
• Duplicate
• Eleven Free
• Expander/Gate
• Extra Long Delay II
• Flanger
• Gain
• Invert
• Lo-Fi
• Long Delay II
• Maxim
• Medium Delay II
• Multi-Tap Delay
• Normalize
• Ping-Pong Delay
• Pitch
• Pitch Shift
• POWr Dither
• Recti-Fi
• Reverse
• SansAmp
• Sci-Fi
• Signal Generator
• Short Delay II
• Slap Delay II
• Time Compression Expansion
• Time Shift
• TL AutoPan
• TL InTune
• TL MasterMeter
• TL Metro
• Trim
• Vari-Fi

I mean, really?? I've been playing with these plug-ins for a week now and still have yet to get through all of them. For you tech savvy folks, it's got all the bells and whistles you could ask for. For us non-tech engineers it has an ease of use factor that really sells itself.

For those interested here are specifications as listed at degidesign.com

• Analog Inputs — 2 Misc.
• Separate source selection and gain control per channel
• Mic: XLR with 48V phantom power
• Mic preamp: >120 db EIN @ > 50 dB gain
• Line: 1/4"
• DI: 1/4"
• Maximum Input: 8.7 V RMS (balanced), or +21 dBu
• 24-bit clean to/from the computer
• USB type B socket (v. 1.1); cable included (does not support passive USB hubs)
• Analog Line Outputs — 2 Dimensions — measured with Mbox 2 in horizontal (handle-down) configuration
• Maximum Output: +4 dBV into 1 kohm
• Unbalanced output connectors
• Height, box: 4.9cm; with handle: 7.7cm; with handle cover: 5.6cm
• Width: 22.4cm
• Depth: 18.4cm (includes knobs)
• Weight: 1.23 kg.
• Headphone Output A/D
• Separate volume control—1/4" output
• > 6 mW into 50 ohm
• Sample Rate: 44.1, 48 kHz
• Dynamic Range: 106 dB (A-weighted), 103 dB (unweighted)1,2
• THD+N (line input): 0.00079% (-102 dB) @ 1 kHz1,3
• THD+N @ 40 dB gain (mic input): 0.006% (-84 dB) @ 1 kHz1
• Mic EIN (unweighted): -120 dB @ 40 dB gain, 150 ohm source
• Frequency Response: +0/-0.5 dB, 20 Hz – 20 kHz3
• Maximum Input: +21 dB
• Input Impedance (pad off): Mic=3.5 kOhm; Line=10 kOhm; DI= >1 MOhm
• Digital I/O D/A
• S/PDIF I/O (24-bit)
• RCA jacks
• Sample Rate: 44.1, 48 kHz
• Dynamic Range: 106 dB (A-weighted), 103 dB (unweighted)1,4
• THD+N: 0.003% (-90.4 dB); -1 dBFS @ 1 kHz1,3
• Frequency Response: +/-0.5 dB, 20 Hz – 20 kHz3

1. Measurement made using balanced connectors
2. ADC measured -60 dBFS method with minimum gain setting
3. Measured relative to level at 1 kHz
4. Measured with digital input at -60 dBFS @ 1 kHz

The other beautiful thing about the MBox2 is the online support and training that's available online. It's an industry standard that takes some time to master, but well worth the money.

To learn more about this product or other degidesign products, check out http://www.digidesign.com/index.cfm?itemid=4893

If you have the MBox2, what do you think about it?

I've collected about a dozen microphones in the past few years but seem to always go to one that fits me pretty well. That microphone happens to be the Rode NT1-A. The reason I bought it was because it was sold and marketed as the worlds quietest studio microphone.

By far the quietest microphone in my arsenal for sure. So which is yours? Let me know...because I'm always in the market for another great microphone. Here are some of the interesting specifications on the Rode NT1-A below.

It's specifications are:

• Power P48 (48V), P24 (24V) phantom supply
• Acoustic Principle Pressure gradient
• Directional Pattern Cardioid Frequency range 20 Hz - 20 kHz
• Output impedance 100?
• Signal noise ratio >88 dB SPL (A - weighted per IEC651)
• Equivalent noise 5 dB SPL (A - weighted per IEC651)
• Maximum SPL 137dB SPL (@ 1kHz, 1% THD into 1K? load)
• Maximum output voltage +13.7dBu (@ 1kHz, 1% THD into 1K? load)
• Sensitivity -32 dB re 1 Volt/Pascal (25 mV @ 94 dB SPL) +/- 2 dB @ 1kHz
• Weight 326gm
• Dimensions 190mmH x 50mmW x 50mmD (as listed on RodeMic.com)

When you're searching for that special voice for your project, you really want a voice that fits a certain niche for that particular type of read, right? I mean on some projects you need that hard sell "3 easy payments of only $19.95", or that soft, no pressure type read like "Kids love to learn, play and explore with..."

I guess it all depends on the emotion you are looking to sell to your audience. As voice actors we are very aware of this fact and do our best to be all things to all clients. Sometimes it's easier said than done.

For instance some voice actors who have worked their entire life doing radio imaging, and radio commercials may not be as effective doing an audio book for the first time. From personal experience I can tell you that this is true. Now on the other hand a voice artist who does a nice mix of reads daily can offer you more flexibility when it comes to helping you create that certain sound, if you and your company are still deciding.

That's where the coffee analogy that I mentioned at the beginning of this Blog come into play. Coffee is coffee, right? Wrong! Although most people go down the mainstream, center of the road black coffee, many find comfort in one sugar, two creams, or maybe one cream and one sugar sweetener. The point is, much like coffee drinkers, those looking for a certain voice can and do find that if they've never tried a cappuccino before...find that it's a change they grow to enjoy.

Depending on the script, the consumer, or the target market, finding the right "coffee blend" can be a challenge for many people searching for the voice that will carry their message. In todays marketing world we as voice over artists/actors try our best to be all flavors, including double mochas, and grande' house blends. Very few times have I found myself sending business to others because a client was looking for a different blend I could not make for them. I mean if you sold great coffee that you believed in, why would you send customers down the block for something else? The answer is, because sometimes it's just the right thing to do.

So, if you're looking for that perfect cup of coffee (voice over) and my corner store doesn't have that particular blend you were looking for then let me point you down the street for other places where I'm sure you'll find something you like. So if we can't do the specific job you're looking for, ask us and we can help point you in another direction.

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