Mbox 2 mini - can I modernise by changing the usb chip?

Hi All,

First of all forgive me if I have oversimplified this as I'm a bit of a novice. I've got an mbox 2 mini which is a great budget unit and works fine on windows 8.1 but it has been dropped from support some time ago. This will work on linux but Windows 10 and Mac its not supported at all.

Ideally I'd like to swap the usb chip (Texas Instruments TUSB3200) for something more modern in order to keep using the device. I've seen on the TI forums they suggest using the TMS320C5533 but that IC is of a completely different design.

Ideally I'd love to swap in something class compliant which wouldn't require me writing drivers (I am a software dev so not the worst case if I have to write my own)

Now I doubt it, but is there such a thing as an adapter which could be soldered in place for replacement?

Also for anyone wondering the ADC is Cirrus Logic CS5361-KSZ and the DAC is Cirrus Logic CS4392-KZZ

I was using an Mbox 2 mini with windows 10 until very recently.  No issues at all.

I am currently using it with Windows 10 with some older drivers. The ones on their site do not work and official support was dropped years ago.

Its the mac compatibility that I'm most interested in to be honest as I use a mac for work

You need to search Facebook.

There's a few people on FB who have patched drivers for most of the old M-Audio range. I'm using a M-Audio FireBridge fi.

This is one of these groups:

M-Audio Firewire 410, 1814, Solo, Audiophile, and ProFire users
https://www.facebook.com/groups/411587505697756

There are several others.

cyrano said:

You need to search Facebook.

There's a few people on FB who have patched drivers for most of the old M-Audio range. I'm using a M-Audio FireBridge fi.

This is one of these groups:

M-Audio Firewire 410, 1814, Solo, Audiophile, and ProFire users
https://www.facebook.com/groups/411587505697756

There are several others.

Click to expand...

An Mbox mini is a pro tools interface not an M audio interface.

I have been seeing Teensy 4.1 there is already people doing audio interfaces with usb audio compliant. I think it is just matter of time to have 96khz 24bits drivers.

I have a whole box full of mbox'es, some 10-12 pcs, that are rendered completely unusable by "updates"  :

These guys make new drivers for mbox 1(and other obsolete interfaces)
https://www.usb-audio.com/download/

59€ for a driver locked to a hardware mac address?

Rob Flinn said:

An Mbox mini is a pro tools interface not an M audio interface.

Click to expand...

Thx, Rob.

gyraf said:

59€ for a driver locked to a hardware mac address?

Click to expand...

That's not so bad, keeping in mind that they probably also developed the driver that came with the hardware.  The hardware manufacturer took your money and ran...

They also change that lock if you change computer. Have done that in the past. They're nice to deal with.

Without them, my Sound Devices USB Pre would have landed in the recycling box.

gyraf said:

59€ for a driver locked to a hardware mac address?

Click to expand...

Jakob, you know that there is a lot of R&D and work in these kind of projects, specially considering that they might be a one or two man operation, who knows?  I don't think its outrageous..

gyraf said:

I have a whole box full of mbox'es, some 10-12 pcs, that are rendered completely unusable by "updates"  :

Click to expand...

Planned Obsolescence

I had 3 Mboxes over the years, all of them still work today, never had a failure. All of them still do their job but updates want to kill them and put them out of service. Actually making me spend money again on a product that i already have to do something I was already sorted of.

gyraf said:

59€ for a driver locked to a hardware mac address?

Click to expand...

That PLOYTEC driver is really good and works really well.
https://www.usb-audio.com/download/

I recommend to check the try before buy version to test it out and see if you like it