The new MBOX Studio demonstrates why Avid remains at the top of the heap for music production professionals. After spending several weeks with this interface, I can attest that it brings unparalleled professionalism to gear at a project studio price point. The team at Avid truly addressed every feature of this interface/monitor controller. As a USB 2.0 interface, the MBOX Studio supports up to 21 audio inputs and 22 outputs, plus MIDI in and out. As a monitor controller, this MBOX supports two sets of monitors, two independent headphone outputs, and talkback. It also features a built-in tuner, customizable hardware buttons and footswitch jacks, loopback functions, re-amping capabilities, and standalone monitor controller functions. The included MBOX Control app mirrors and expands upon the hardware controls and offers low-latency cue-mixing with onboard EQ and effects. Whew!
Describing this feature-rich box will undoubtedly result in skipping over some details, so I urge anyone interested to take a look at Avid’s official introduction videos on YouTube or the Avid website. To begin with, the MBOX Studio presents a bold new look for AVID, with its sleek tabletop design highlighted by colorful lighted buttons, meters, and encoders. However, these lights serve a purpose beyond aesthetics, indicating audio levels, routing, tuning, and user-defined functions. The sturdy console-shaped hardware measures 11.5-inches x 9-inches x 5-inches, and provides large and easy-to-use controls, buttons, and indicators that supply visual feedback and convenient access for functions like phantom power, polarity, high-pass filters, and pads. Power comes from the included AC adapter, and the device connects to your computer via USB-C (or with an included USB-C to USB-A adapter). It supports Mac (Core Audio) and Windows (ASIO) and works with Pro Tools and other third-party audio and MIDI apps.
My dream USB interface includes control for more than one pair of monitors, and cue sends with talkback: the MBOX Studio over-delivers on both counts. It offers monitor control for two sets of analog outputs (Main/Alt), a Bluetooth transmitter, and a S/PDIF stereo digital output. The monitor section includes Mute and Dim functions, and the monitor levels can be linked or independent. Most monitor functions can be controlled from both the hardware and the MBOX Control app, while some preferences and options, like mirroring the main output to the S/PDIF output, are set via the app. Two independent headphone jacks on the front panel can supply cue mixes for artists or the engineer, and the headphone mixes may be customized via the MBOX Control app. The headphone mixes can handle custom levels, panning, and signal processing, such as EQ, reverb, and delay. The app also allows its monitor control section to detach and float on top of the DAW window, giving full software and hardware control of your monitors even when the MBOX Control app is hidden.
The MBOX Studio features a built-in microphone and a Talk button to engage talkback to headphones. Talkback can be adjusted independently for both headphone mixes, and yes, the talkback signal also shows up as a dedicated input to the DAW for recording or further routing options. In addition, the talkback mic can feed the built-in tuner for acoustic sources, while electric guitar or bass route to the tuner through the instrument input jacks. When in tuner mode, both the MBOX Studio’s hardware and software cleverly display the note played and its tuning. The rear panel has two jacks for footswitches, expression pedals, or momentary pushbutton switches. These switches can be programmed for various functions, such as activating talkback, turning on the tuner, switching between monitors, dimming/muting monitors, enabling loopback functionality, or controlling continuous MIDI devices in the DAW. Additionally, it has 5-pin MIDI In and Out ports, allowing for use as a traditional MIDI interface, which frees up a USB port on your computer.
Analog inputs 1-4 accept microphones, instruments, or line-level signals via two XLR combo jacks on the front panel and two on the rear. Analog inputs 5-6 use 1/4-inch TRS jacks for analog synths, DJ setups, or other line-level signals. Mic inputs provide not only phantom power, a -10 dB pad, high-pass filter, polarity reverse, and a soft limiter, but also include variable impedance settings. The line and instrument inputs offer similar features, including variable impedance, with the instrument input sporting 14 options of impedance and capacitance settings. If re-amping intrigues you, a dedicated front-panel jack provides a high-Z send for sending to a stompbox or instrument amp.
Additionally, two rear panel FX loop connections (2 outs/2 ins) can be used as either additional line outputs, high-Z re-amp send/returns for guitar pedals or sends to outboard effects units. I/O assignments appear in your DAW as with any other interface, while monitor and headphone routing options, preamp settings, monitor control settings, and other user-defined controls can be saved as presets in the app to recall different tracking or mixing setups quickly. The last-recalled setup remains loaded up even when your computer is not powered, allowing the MBOX Studio to function as a standalone monitor controller.
Digital signals route into and out of the interface via a TOSLINK optical connection capable of 8-channel ADAT or 2-channel S/PDIF, as well as a dedicated stereo S/PDIF connection on phono jacks. The onboard loopback function routes signals from applications on your computer, such as OBS (Open Broadcaster Software), a browser, or another audio application, directly into your DAW, monitors, or headphones. All of this, of course, is controlled via the MBOX Control app. In case this point was missed, the MBOX Studio can not only receive a stereo Bluetooth signal from a phone or other device, it can also transmit to a Bluetooth-enabled device, such as a speaker, soundbar, TV, or even your car if it's within range. What a convenient way to perform a car check or check a mix on your home system! I could send the Bluetooth signal about 100 feet from my second story living room out to my car on the street!
The top panel of the MBOX Studio sports four lighted and color-coded action buttons that may be programmed to perform up to eight unique functions via short and long presses. These buttons can perform similar actions as the footswitches and offer some DAW-related functions in a future firmware update. Despite this extensive feature list, the hardware controls are well organized, and the software is easy to configure, making the process of learning the MBOX Studio enjoyable and not a burden. Reading the manual is time well spent, but I was able to get up and running without reading it. The MBOX Studio runs at sample rates from 44.1 kHz up to 192 kHz though, at high sample rates its maximum I/O count will decrease due to the limitations of the ADAT optical digital format.
Audio quality and specs of the preamps are excellent – as good or superior to other interfaces at this price point, and better than some more expensive units. They provide 60 dB of gain, ruler flat frequency response, and very low noise. These built-in preamps are of high enough quality to record voice and instruments for music, post-production, and podcasting. I wouldn’t hesitate to use the onboard pres unless I needed the specific flavor or processing of a particular signal path. I do wish the MBOX Studio provided analog inserts for adding a compressor of my choice to the mic input, as on my aging Avid HD OMNI interface. In my studio, I used the onboard preamps with mics ranging from my trusty Shure SM7B [Tape Op #36] to an Audio-Technica lavalier to my Cathedral Pipe tube and FET mics, and I felt the preamps were transparent and accurate, providing a natural and unhyped sound. I didn’t hear much fluctuation in tone when switching between the variable impedance options with my mics and sources. However, I’m sure the impedances would make more difference in some mic’ing situations. As the manual recommends, when in doubt, start with the 5 kiloohm impedance setting.
The Hi-Z instrument inputs sound fantastic on electric guitar, bass, and acoustic guitar pickups. The variable impedance and capacitance on the instrument inputs offer a wide range of tonal options that are particularly effective when playing through amp simulator plug-ins. I found settings that emulated the warmth and musicality of a transformer DI, as well as the punchiness and tight low end of the 2 megohm instrument input on an API-styled preamp. When I’m mixing, I keep a SansAmp Bass Driver DI and a Mad Professor Deep Blue Delay pedal handy for re-amping bass and effecting vocals. The MBOX Studio provides I/O to these devices without the spaghetti mess of my usual PEDALpUNK [#117] re-amp setup.
The built-in headphone amps provided ample power to cleanly drive my Sennheiser HD 650s [Tape Op #43] as loud as I would ever require. The headphone amps sound clear and accurate and are more than adequate for providing cue mixes to performers and powering headphones for engineering duties. I would rate this headphone amp’s power and clarity above average for a USB interface. In comparison, my Class A headphone amp sounds a bit fuller and more musical than the MBOX Studio, but that headphone amp alone costs more than the interface.
All-in-all, the MBOX Studio provides more features at a professional quality level than any other interface I’ve seen at a price equal to (or even double) its price point. Regardless of the DAW you use, the MBOX Studio is a highly recommended investment if you're in the market for a new interface. The purchase price includes a one-year subscription for Pro Tools Studio, Sibelius Artist, and a handful of third-party plug-ins.
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