Firebox/mic/garage Band Set Up, Cannot record from mic Options

[brianjones]

Hi

I have an iMac G%, Garage Band, Presonus Firebox and a Microphone and am setting it up for the first time, but after doing it I cannot get the mic to record in Garage Band.

I am new to all of this, but I changed the audio in system preferences to Firebox and changed it in Garage Band as well, but I cannot get any sound coming from the mic, which is brand new as well.

I am going to have the mic checked, but am wondering if I have missed something basic. The Firebox came with Cubase LE which would have showed me how to test the system, but unfortunately Cubase would not install because of some error, so I couldn't check it that way.

The iMac recognized Firebox and the lights go to blue correctly, although if I push the button on the front of Firebox, the blue light disappears and I have to unplug the firewire and plug it in again to get the blue light on again.

Any suggestions as to what I should check in Firebox or Garage Band that I may be missing.

In the Firebox manual it states to right click on the Control Panel icon to change some settings, but right clicking does nothing. Is that for PC?

Thanks

Brian

[mazza_lives]

Out of interest what version of Cubase LE did they give you. If youre using Cubase LE 1.07 and you have Tiger 10.4 it wont work you have to email them and they should send you version 1.08. However, I have 1.08 and it doesnt work with my version of Tiger.

For your question I might recommend you going into Audio Midi Setup (Applications>Utiities>) and just check it out there see if everythng is checked. Are you sure you have confgiured your output channel? In other words you might be getting a signal in but if you have your output set to the Presonus and you have no speakers, well you wont hear anything. The other thing is have you checked that when you create a new track it is a Real instrument track and a vocal track? Oh and make sure if your mic is 48V phantom power and check your mic input levels.

Let me know how your Firebox goes. I have an Inspire and using it with a G5 iMac and having few problems with it draining my CPU. Apparently Tiger and firewire dirvers dont go well together at the moment.

[brianjones]

Thanks for the reply. I got Cubase 1.07, so it looks like I have to email the company for a new version. Do I contact Personus or the makers of Cubase?

I got things to work for a brief period by going to garage band audio/midi and changing some settings from automatic. Then after things worked for awhile, I shut the computer down and now the blue buttons on the Firebox do not light up.

I tried following the manual but I don't have the the screen they show for no sync in the book and do not have a place for "format sample rate speed" as the books says in troubleshooting.

How do I get the thing in sync and the blue light on again?

I have configured the output channel and used a vocal track in garage band and have the 48V phantom power on and mic levels are good. I just need the blue lights.


Thanks
Brian

[brianjones]

I finally got the Firebox blue lights to come on and stay on by "jump starting", the Firebox with the AC plug in.

I plug the AC plug in and the lights come on. I can then uplug the AC plug and they will still stay on.

Now the only time I lose the lights and cannot get them back and have to jump start it, is after I have unplugged the iMac. The firewire cable just won't power the lights on start up, but does keep the lights lit after being jump started by the AC plug. Go figure.

Brian

[gdoubleyou]

Is there a setting to switch from the adapter to firewire bus power?

Macs support right clicks, get yourself a 3rd party scroolwheel mouse.

[rounik]

Brian,

i got the firebox recently and have had no prob's setting it up. I'm using logic pro 7 - not garage band.

The switch on the front on the right of the 2ns xlr input is for phantom power. Basically, in order for the mic i've plugged in to the firebox to be heard it needs to be powered by the firebox. that's what that switch does.

in garage band do you need to 'arm' a track? in logic i need to arm a track to tell logic that it is set up to receive audio input. the next thing you need to do is tell garage band which input to read. e.g. input 1, 2, 3, 4...etc.

sorry if this is stuff you already know.

oh, btw, have you installed the firebox control and mixer? they will display the audio input signal. you might wanna try using those to boost the signal cos' the firebox inputs are quite quiet!

hope this helps.

rounik
www.rounikmusic.net

[brianjones]

Thanks for the advise. I can use all I can get.

I boosted the signal on the Firebox Control but can't get the signal on the mixer although it is coming through on garage band. I find I have to have all the gain/input (I don't know the difference) turned up to the max just about all the time.

The blue light seems to be staying on now. I kind of think I have a bad firewire cable or connection. Right now I am happy to have it working.

Now to figure out the Firebox Mixer. Can I increase the levels with the Mixer or only on the Control box. I have to try to get the signal on the mixer still.

Thanks a lot.

Brian

[brianjones]

I contacted Presonus and they told me the iMac firewire doesn't work well and I have to use the AC power?????

Anyway, it seems to have settled down and the blue lights work as they are supposed to with only the firewire connection.

Brian