I Gotta Crazy Mbox And I Need Some Help!, MBox/PTLE Not operating properly Options

[lushbudget]

Hi
I am just starting my 1st HD recording project. I spent about 3 months learning my Mac, trying to learn PTLE 6, toying with my MBox.My system consists of the following: PowerBook G4 Ti (867Mhz), OS 10.3.3, PTLE 6.4, Edirol PCR-30 kybd contrl, a 250Gb USB 2 HD (via cardbus adpt.) and some MA-20D monitorz.
Now, I got everything all plugged in and running, started a new session to lay down some acoustic guit and some strings using SampleTank and when I begin to play I get this horrific static! i mean it's bad! I can't seem to quiet any of the gain stages enough to cut it out. I know I'm new at this, and maybe I don't have it set up right, but I just used the "Stereo Mix" option when I made the new session, and I haven't changed any of the Bus stuff (Don't know what that does, really) Sometimes it works for a while, then all the sudden BZZZZZZZ!!!
Anybody know what I've done wrong or how to help me?
Maybe I just need to take a ProTools class or something.
Any help would be so very appreciated!

[scrambles]

While I am still new to DAWs and recording, I've run into a similar problem when my audio output was not set correctly. I believe you need to set the Mbox to receive output in Protools as well as in Sound section of the System Preferences. i am also running PT6.4, Panther, and the Mbox.

I think its when the Mbox sends a signal that tries to play through the built in sound output that the feedback buzz kicks in.

Anything deeper than that I can't tell you. Still figuring it all out here, but hopefully thats all it is. Good luck.

[fingers]

One thing that may help is to mute the track you are recording too. Also when tracking - i am on a TiBook too - disconnect the mains it helps cut down the noise floor a little. It should be pretty silent.
Check out the Digidesign User Conference too - very helpful

MacIDOL Mac Music Collective

[lushbudget]

Well, I was able to record my acoustic guitar parts. I muted the track I was recording to and instead monitored my playing from the Mbox's headphone jack. The track sounds good, but I want to be able to use a 'click' and when I set up an aux track w/click insert I get the same problem with the feedback again!

I must be doing something wrong here.
Can someone please walk me through a hookup/configuration of the hardware I have? Maybe my monitors are plugged into the wrong jack or something?
Once again, any help would be much appreciated.
Thanks,
lushbudget

[StevieBoy]

The only suggestion I can make is that the headphones output is coming almost straight from the input - 'hardware monitoring' - and so you won't get your click track that way.

I don't have an answer to the static problem, I'm afraid.

[jamiep]

You might want to try fiddling with the settings in the Audio Midi Setup utility in the Utilites folder (OS X 10.3.3). In particular the Format setting in the Audio Output panel. This seemed to be the solution when I had similar issues with static.