Avid’s Mbox Pro is the most expensive luxury model of the Mbox: a long-revered recording interface for musicians and studio technicians alike. But with the success and great features of the regular Mbox, is it really worth paying the extra money to get the ‘Pro’ model, or is it just bragging? Read on to find out.

One of the main differences between the standard Mbox and the Pro is the 4 extra channels (the regular Mbox only has 4, the Pro has 8). So right off the bat, if you have a need to simultaneously record more than 4 channels of audio, you’ll have to go with Mbox Pro.

But this is not the only differentiator. Another significant difference between the units is that the Pro has better quality converters and preamps, a great selling point for those audiophiles obsessed with high recording quality.

The Pro is also capable of recording at 192 kHz (although at the time of writing, Pro Tools only supports 96 kHz recording, which is the same as the standard Mbox).

A great feature is the 2 line inputs (1/4″ TRS), which are perfect for connecting high-gain active input sources, such as keyboards, to the device.

One of the things that might put off would-be Mbox Pro users is that it uses FireWire to interface with your PC/Mac and has a separate power supply (unlike the standard model, which uses USB 2.0 and doesn’t have a separate power supply). separated). This means that the device is not as portable as cheaper models. If you want a highly portable solution (for laptop-based recording, for example) then you should probably avoid the Pro.

Another great feature of the Pro is that it natively supports 5.1 surround stereo, which cheaper models don’t. If you intend to do any recording and/or mixing for videos, this may be of interest to you.

The Pro also has a jack for a footswitch, allowing you to quickly and easily toggle between Pro Tools functions while recording live. This is particularly useful for 1-man operations where you are simultaneously playing the role of studio technician and recording artist.

Of course, the big question is: is the device worth the increase in price? After all, it is almost 50% more expensive than the standard model. And the answer to this question will lie in whether or not you will need the additional features. If you can get by with 4 or fewer channels of audio, don’t need 5.1 surround sound, or want a portable solution, the standard device is probably the way to go. It may even be worth looking at the ‘Mini’ which has 2 input channels and is significantly cheaper.

In short, Mbox Pro is a very powerful recording device and has enough features to act as the centerpiece of a professional recording setup. Along these same lines of thought, if you don’t need the extra features the Pro offers, it’s much more cost effective to opt for one of its cheaper cousins ​​- the standard Mbox or the Mini.