About Brad Lyons Expertise Anything related to studio recording either home or professional level, live sound, television broadcast, MIDI and Keyboards, Drums, Studio and Live gear of all levels. I'm a real-world audio engineer for both studio and tv broadcast, as well as live sound production. Visit my personal website @ www.theaudioprofessional.com for further background information.
Experience I'm a Sr. Sales Engineer for Sweetwater, the world's leader in professional and experienced sales consultants. I have over 20-years experience in everything audio-related from large-scale touring and recording to church production and tv broadcast. It is my career to know and understand ALL audio gear.
Organizations Sr Audio Engineer for UPAF
Publications several, contact for information
Education/Credentials Studied Music Composition and Theory @ Bowling Green State University and Spring Arbor University, toured as the lead keyboardist for Andrew Lloyd Webber's "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat", "South Pacific" and a few other shows.
Past/Present Clients Let's just say I work with some of the biggest names in this business, as well s those just startin out.
Home Recording - What to get - Mbox 2 Pro? Digirack 003?
Expert: Brad Lyons - 5/12/2009
Question Hey Brad,
Ok.. i'm investing in some recording equipment. I was all for getting a mixer but I've been reading about all of this DigiDesign equipment - MBox 2, MBox 2 Pro, Digirack 003. I really fancy investing in one of these. I'm just pretty confused about it all!
This is what I want to do:
Record each instrument separate - electric guitar, bass, and vocals.
If I bought an MBox Pro 2, am I right when I say you plug your electric guitar and bass straight into it?.. and then the MBox to the computer? Will I get a professional sound from this? and what about the guitar effects..distortion, reverb, etc? Am I supposed to plug my electric guitar into my guitar amplifier and then into the MBox 2? Or do you add all the guitar effects in Pro Tools?
I'm just so confused and want to know what i'm buying before I actually do!
Thanks alot,
Matt.
Answer Matt,
Thank you for your email. I'm a professional recording engineer who uses the big ProTools system known as ProToolsHD. However with ProToolsLE, the software is more or less the same. Being new to this, I can understand that it's hard to understand---therefore making things even harder to understand what's not yet understood, understand what I mean? :) Seriously, it's not that difficult---but it is new, therefore it can be over-whelming. I actually represent Digidesign's largest and most experienced retailer, so you're welcome to contact me directly if you wish. But in the mean-time, check out my personal website @ www.theaudioprofessional.com and click on the DIGIDESIGN SUPER SITE. While I'm still working on that area of my site, it should explain A LOT OF THINGS on an "Audio 101" level to help clear it up further.
But to answer your question will you get pro quality? Well, understand there are many parts to making a pro recording that comes down to your equipment. This is why big studios cost so much money is that they have so much GOOD gear. There are things to consider such as the quality of outboard mic-pres, do you have good microphones, direct boxes, how good are your instruments, what plugins are you willing to invest in, studio monitors, can your computer handle the real processing, etc?
Again, check out my website---and my contact information is up there as well. I think it will be highly beneficial to investigate that further.
