M-Audio black box User Manual page 9

Tremolo
This is a classic effect where the volume pulses up and down slightly at a selected speed. With a slow speed (8N) and low depth (30)
you can achieve a nice mellow effect that can give a guitar track some character. With a high speed (16N) setting and a full depth
setting (99) you can get an extreme machine-gun sound. There are two different Tremolo effects to choose from—normal tremolo
and "pulse" tremolo, in which the sound is switched fully on or off instead of a gradually pulsing.
Filter Tremolo
This is similar to a standard tremolo, except rather than the volume pulsing up and down, the filter frequency (tone) will pulse,
sounding similar to a wah-wah pedal automatically rocking back and forth. Try 1/4 note triplets (4T) with a depth of (40) for a cool
sound. There are two filter tremolo effects to choose from.
Flanger
Flanging imparts a whooshing, "jet airplane" sound that slowly cycles up and down over time. Try a speed of two measures (2M) and
a Depth of (-4). This will give you a long sweeping flange over two measures. There are two Flanger effects to choose from.
Chorus
This effect adds a subtle doubling effect to your sound. With a speed of one measure (1M) and a depth of (4) you'll get a nice, mellow
chorus sound. Extreme settings like (8N) with a depth of (99) will make you seasick! There are two chorus effects to choose from.
Random Filter
In this effect, the instrument tone changes to a randomly chosen filter frequency at every new 1/8, 1/8 triplet or 1/16 note. The
Frequency parameter allows you to set a base frequency value. The Depth parameter determines how far above and below the
base frequency the random frequencies will be. For tempo settings of 110BPM or less, try the (16N) effect. For tempo settings above
110BPM, try the (8) or (8T) effect. A depth setting of (15) is good for both. There are three different Random Filter effects to choose
from: 8 (1/8 notes), 8T (1/8 note triplets) and 16 (1/16 notes).
Random Flanger
This effect is similar to the classic Flanger effect except that instead of slowly sweeping up and down, it generates a new, random
flanger tone at every 1/8, 1/8 triplet or 1/16 note. The Frequency parameter allows you to set a base frequency value. The Depth
parameter determines how far above and below the base frequency the random flanger frequencies will be. For tempo settings of
110BPM or less, try the (16) effect. For tempo settings above 110BPM, try the (8) or (8T) effect. A depth setting of (15) is good for both.
There are three different random flanger effects to choose from: 8 (1/8 notes), 8T (1/8 note triplets) and 16 (1/16 notes).
Tremolo Sequence
Similar to the classic Tremolo effect, but here the volume pulses in pre-programmed two-measure looping rhythmic patterns. There
is no speed control for this effect as is simply follows the current tempo or incoming MIDI Clock. The depth should be set at (99) for
best results. There are six different Tremolo Sequence effects, using 6 different sequences. At first, try holding sustained chords in
time to the drumbeat in order to get the best effect.
Filter Sequence
This is one of the effects that really makes the Black Box unique. You'll probably be writing a new song based around this sound
within minutes of trying it. In this effect, your instrument tone changes in two-measure looping rhythmic patterns of filter tones. As
with the Tremolo Sequences, try playing sustained chords at first in order to get a feel for how the rhythm of the sequences best
complements your playing. There are six different Filter Sequence effects for you to try, each with a unique pre-programmed filter
sequence. Instead of a Speed control, this effect has a "Frequency" control. You can think of Frequency as a "brightness" control.
Lower values create a deeper tone while higher values create a brighter tone. Try a setting of about (15) to start with. Higher depth
settings (about 60 to 99) produce best results. There are 6 different filter sequence effects to choose from.
Arpeggiator
This effect definitely pushes the weird/cool meter to the limit. It accentuates specific musical notes in two-measure patterns. Even
if you play muted strings on the guitar, you'll still hear the generated note sequence because the sequence's notes are actually
generated in response to your playing. This effect from Roger Linn Design's AdrenaLinn was used on John Mayer's 2003 hit "Bigger
Than My Body." The note sequence is fixed and does not change depending on what you play, however you can transpose it up or
down. You can choose from six different Arpeggiator effects, each with a different pre-programmed note sequence, all in the key of
E by default. There is no speed control for this effect as it simply follows the current tempo or incoming MIDI Clock. Instead of a Depth
control, this effect has a "FX Key" control, which allows you to transpose the sequence to a different musical key from its normal key
of "E." Changing the Key value transposes the arpeggio sequence in semi-tone steps numbered 0 to 99. Simply change the Key
value up or down to transpose the sequence to match your song. For example, the normal Key value for a sequence in the key of "E"
is usually 24; to transpose 3 semitones up to "G, change the value from 24 to 27. The Arpeggiator will also react to MIDI note values,
which will transpose the key of the sequence in real time.
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