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BLACKBOX RECORDER
User Manual
V 3.0 rev 1
Date: October 2013
Congratulations on your purchase of the JoeCo BlackBox Recorder. This document
will lead you through the basics of how to set up and use the product. The BlackBox
Recorder (BBR) has been designed to be as simple as possible to set up and operate.
Consequently you will find that this user manual is not a long document and can be
read from cover to cover in a short while. However, we strongly recommend that you
do read it just in case there are some aspects of the product that are not immediately
obvious.
This manual covers all 24 channel variants of the BlackBox Recorder: BBR1B; BBR1D;
BBR1A; BBR1U and BBR1US and should be read in conjunction with the Quick Start
Guide.
More information is available in the LOGIN area of the JoeCo Website
www.joeco.co.uk
. Visitors can gain immediate access to more detailed information
whilst EndUsers, once approved, are eligible for software upgrades and other
downloads.
IF YOU NEED INFORMATION IN A HURRY, REGISTER AS A
VISITOR AND UPGRADE TO AN ENDUSER LATER ON.
© JoeCo Limited 2009 - 2013. E&OE. All rights reserved. All trademarks and names are
recognised as the property of their respective owners
BLACKBOX RECORDER - User Manual v3.0
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Table of Contents
Related Manuals for JoeCo BlackBox BBR1US
Summary of Contents for JoeCo BlackBox BBR1US
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Page 1: Blackbox Recorder
IF YOU NEED INFORMATION IN A HURRY, REGISTER AS A VISITOR AND UPGRADE TO AN ENDUSER LATER ON. © JoeCo Limited 2009 - 2013. E&OE. All rights reserved. All trademarks and names are recognised as the property of their respective owners BLACKBOX RECORDER - User Manual v3.0... -
Page 2: Table Of Contents
Using a PS2 keyboard ..................... 33 Troubleshooting ..................... 34 Safe’n’Sound Record Recovery ................36 Summary of Alert Messages ................36 JoeCo Conditions of Use ..................38 Software Licence Agreement ................. 40 Warranty Information .................... 44 Product Returns ..................... 46 Product and End User Registration ................ 47 Page | 2 BLACKBOX RECORDER - User Manual v3.0... -
Page 3: Important Safety Information
Important Safety Information WARNING - Read the following before proceeding : Read instructions: Retain these safety and operating instructions for future reference. Adhere to all warnings printed here and on the equipment. Follow the operating instructions printed in this User Guide. Do not remove covers: Operate the equipment with its covers correctly fitted. -
Page 4: Copyright Warning
Copyright Warning JoeCo’s recorder products are designed to enable you to record and reproduce material to which you own the copyright, or material which the copyright owner has granted you permission to record and/or reproduce. -
Page 5: Opening The Box
Opening the Box Box Contents Inside the box you will find the following: BlackBox Recorder Power Supply User Manual Quick Start Guide 3 x Input /Output (i/o) cables (only included with the unbalanced BBR1U, otherwise available separately) The BlackBox Recorder is not a standard multitrack recorder nor is it a digital audio workstation (DAW). -
Page 6: Controls And Interfaces
Playback Lockout which can prevent you from accidentally entering playback during the performance. To the right of the JoeCo logo is the control wheel which has a number of functions explained later. Then there are the main Transport controls [PLAY, STOP, RECORD] with the four other control buttons above [L-R: BACK, MARK, LOOP, MENU]. -
Page 7: Rear Panel
BBR1U, BBR1A and BBR1D. The cable looms conform to the TASCAM standard for analogue i/o (N.B. all pin outs are available on the visitor page of the JoeCo website Login area) On the BBR1B with Balanced i/o, these lower 3 D-type connectors* are the balanced inputs and the upper row are the balanced outputs. - Page 8 The rest of the rear panel is fairly self explanatory we hope and is explained in greater detail later in this manual. There are more technical details on the JoeCo website (www.joeco.co.uk) should you require them. Page | 8 BLACKBOX RECORDER - User Manual v3.0...
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Page 9: Installation
Installation Deciding where to install In a live situation, it depends on whether the live engineer wants to be able to see the BBR interface or not and whether you intend to utilise the Virtual Sound Check facility. The analogue cable looms supplied with the standard unbalanced unit are 3m long so if you’re planning on mounting the unit in a rack close to your console then that will be the deciding factor. -
Page 10: Deciding On A Disk Drive
analogue outputs of the BBR1 and are disabled on the balanced BBR1B i/o and when using digital i/o. The BBR1B (balanced i/o) accepts the same levels as the BBR1U but uses electronically balanced signals. Its balanced inputs are the lower row of three 25-way D-type connectors and its balanced outputs are the upper row. -
Page 11: Connecting A Disk Drive
480Mbits/s of data and for recording 24 tracks of 96kHz/24bit the maximum data rate we need is less than 60MBits/s so there’s normally plenty of headroom. JoeCo has already tested numerous USB2 drives from Western Digital, Glyph, Seagate, Verbatim, Samsung, Buffalo and others and found them to work well. -
Page 12: Checking That Everything Works
Checking that everything works Once you have powered the unit up and the disk drive is connected and powered up you should be ready to record. Press the record button and away you go! The basic screen should look something like this when first powered up with a drive attached. -
Page 13: Recording
Recording On power up, the BBR is ready to record within seconds of logging the drive – just press the REC button and it will begin recording. The record button flashes to show that it’s creating the files and then turns solid once in record. Once the unit is recording, the STOP button must be held down for a couple of seconds to end the recording. -
Page 14: Playback
Playback Normally, the last recording made will be immediately available for playback. However the BBR may be set to “PLAYBACK LOCKOUT” indicated by the LED in the Metering area of the front panel in which case the play button will have no effect. “PLAYBACK LOCKOUT”... -
Page 15: File Names
Next / Previous Song When the BBR is in STOP, the MARK and LOOP buttons will move you to the previous and next song respectively in the current folder. Recent Songs As Songs are recorded or replayed, they will automatically be placed into the Recent Songs list which is located in the Song Select menu. - Page 16 where “Song Name” is the new name that you typed. This will rename all the tracks [01 - 24] of this song in this folder with this new Song Name. [Note: It is important for the BlackBox to keep the nnn-tt prefix so that it knows which audio files belong together as a Song and which track is to be played out of which output.
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Page 17: Virtual Sound Checking
automatically. All Songs that you record subsequently will use these Track names. The Track names will be stored in the Flash memory so you can use them time after time. So for example, assuming that channel 1 on the console is a bass guitar and channel 2 is a kick drum, you would use “Ctrl-01T”... -
Page 18: Monitoring
back the MARKED section of the Song. If the LOOP button is pressed between Markers, the BlackBox will continue in playback until it reaches the next Marker, Loop back to the previous Marker and then recommence playback. There will be a short break in playback while the BlackBox loops back to the earlier Marker (i.e. -
Page 19: Summary Of Combined Controls
and right). The Monitor... section of the menu controls the level and pan settings in the MIX mode. The Monitor Menu allows you to set the BACK button to toggle the data wheel function between selecting the PFL / solo channel and controlling the headphone volume. -
Page 20: Using The Menu
To enter the menu, press the MENU button in the Control section of the front panel. Setting up adjustable parameters This list may not be exhaustive as JoeCo is constantly improving its products and may have added features to the software since this document was authored. However, Page | 20 BLACKBOX RECORDER - User Manual v3.0... - Page 21 this will give you a good idea of the basics and you can always get the most up to date information from the website. The currently selected Menu item is highlighted in Yellow. When a Menu item to be adjusted is selected, the display changes to yellow text on a red background.
- Page 22 Recent Songs... Provides a list of the most recently played Songs – useful if you’re on tour and want to use the same songs in each venue for sound checking Select Song Folder... Allows you to navigate to a particular folder. This automatically loads... Select Song...
- Page 23 FAQs on the JoeCo website. Timestamp Broadcast WAV files include a timecode stamp which marks the time of the first sample of the file and helps re-sync the files in the post production process. This can be derived from a source of Linear Timecode (LTC) or MIDI timecode (MTC) or from the real-time clock built into the BBR.
- Page 24 JoeCo website WiFi setup is used to configure the WiFi operation with the JoeCoRemote. Again, more details are available on the JoeCo website Line-In Mon: This adjusts how the unit monitors the Line-In signals on all 24 channels. The default position will be Relay (Thru) which automatically routes each analogue input signal via the built-in relays to its respective output.
- Page 25 means that when plugged into the Insert points on an analogue console the signal path cannot be accidentally interrupted, even by a power failure on the BBR1. Setting Line-In Mon to E-E (via DSP) may be more appropriate when the BBR is plugged into (say) Group Outputs from the console and is not in the direct signal path to the PA.
- Page 26 Display Song TC on Play This setting forces the main time display to show the timecode embedded in the file during playback. The BBR will also display the incoming timecode on the main display when in Record or Stop. It will show “--:--:--:--“ when no timecode is present Adjusting the real-time clock The real-time clock is used to create folders on the drive with a logical name so that you can find your recording again later.
- Page 27 key PS2 keyboard. The “^” character in the following list indicates a keyboard “hotkey”. Holding the Ctrl key on a keyboard whilst pressing the following letter will allow you to change that field. Most hotkeys can be used during a Recording Next (^p): will prename the next Song that you record Reuse next songname will use the same song name for each subsequent recording Folder (^f): Displays the current folder’s name and allows you to rename it.
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Page 28: Software Updates
Software updates It should be noted that JoeCo may release software upgrades from time to time, either to add features or to cure bugs that have been found in the software – though we have endeavoured to remove all that we’ve found. - Page 29 Download the new update file from the JoeCo website directly into the root folder of a USB2 hard drive or a FAT32 formatted memory stick (note small memory sticks or Pen drives are often formatted with FAT16 which will not work).
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Page 30: Linking Multiple Blackbox Recorders Together
This allows you to license certain chargeable options, more details of which are available on the JoeCo website. You will need to advise JoeCo of the machine key along with your payment details before JoeCo can enable any optional software. You... - Page 31 As stated earlier in this manual, ensuring that the units are synchronised, with both the clocking and starting sample of each recording being locked together, is vital for being able to replay the material later in a DAW environment. The BBR1 achieves this link using the “Ext Clk” RCA sockets on the rear panel. The Master unit will output a sample clock signal to the other units embedding the control data and timecode into the sub-code of the SPDIF data stream.
- Page 32 output from Slave 3 back into the Master unit as this will create a feedback loop which may cause the clocking to become unstable. (The link signal between Master and Slave units is proprietary and does not conform to the SPDIF protocol) You then operate the Transport Controls of all the linked BBRs from the Master unit.
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Page 33: Using A Ps2 Keyboard
Using a PS2 keyboard The BlackBox Recorder can accept a standard 102 key PS2 style keyboard. Most mini keyboards are not currently supported, especially those that require some set up drivers to be installed on the PC. The most consistently reliable keyboards we have found are the Microsoft 500 style PS2 keyboards which can be obtained in most countries for around US$10 (£6). -
Page 34: Troubleshooting
Return / Enter complete and accept edit abandon edit, no change to text NB. the return / Enter key is the character key not the keypad enter; the cursor arrow keys are the dedicated cursor keys, not the keypad keys Keyboard navigation These are the cursor keys (not keypad) Right arrow ... - Page 35 Problem Things to try Check that the USB connector is plugged in BBR boots ok but does not log / find disk correctly to both the BBR and the disk drive Check disk drive power supply as above ...
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Page 36: Safe'n'sound Record Recovery
If the above list does not solve the problem you are having, please contact your dealer in the first instance and then your local distributor to help you resolve the issues. Safe’n’Sound Record Recovery The BlackBox Recorder software includes the Safe’n’Sound Record Recovery feature. This software feature endeavours to protect your recording against every eventuality such that even if the drive is unplugged, or the power is removed from the drive or the BlackBox during a recording, Safe’n’Sound will try and recover the files as soon as... - Page 37 "DISK TOO SLOW"; displayed if requests to the DISK have not been serviced in time. "NEW SONG" displayed if the user presses RECORD during record to start a new song "NO SONG SELECTED"; displayed if someone presses PLAY but no song is selected "SELECT VALID DISK";...
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Page 38: Joeco Conditions Of Use
You, the User, expressly acknowledge and agree that: To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, use of the JoeCo Software is at your sole risk and that the entire risk as to satisfactory quality, performance and accuracy is with you. - Page 39 JoeCo Products must not be used for purposes that could infringe a copyright held by a third party or could, in any other way, be illegal. Any such use is entirely at the risk of the User and JoeCo and its authorised distributors and resellers have no responsibility or liability whatsoever for any claim arising from such use.
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Page 40: Software Licence Agreement
Product under a temporary evaluation arrangement with its owner (which may be JoeCo or one of its authorised distributors or resellers), for a period determined by the owner, where the owner has... - Page 41 JoeCo software or services could lead to death, personal injury, or severe physical or environmental damage. Any such use is entirely at the risk of the user and the user must hold JoeCo harmless for any claim arising from such use.
- Page 42 Upon termination you will cease all use of the Software and destroy or return any copies of the Software to JoeCo. Sections 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10 and 11 of this Licence shall survive any such termination.
- Page 43 You acknowledge that, in agreeing to the terms of this Licence, you have not relied on any representation, undertaking or promise given or implied from anything said or written by JoeCo or by an authorised JoeCo distributor, reseller or representative prior to entering into this Licence except as expressly stated in this Licence.
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Page 44: Warranty Information
Claims Under Warranty To make a claim under Warranty, the purchaser must first call, email or write to JoeCo (see the JoeCo website at www.joeco.co.uk for contact details) to provide a description of the problem and to obtain a Returned Materials Authorisation (RMA) number. - Page 45 A waiver by JoeCo of any default shall not constitute a waiver of any subsequent default. No waiver by JoeCo of any of the terms of this Warranty shall be effective unless it is expressly stated to be a waiver and is communicated to you in writing.
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Page 46: Product Returns
Please note that any Product returned due to incorrect delivery must be in a resalable condition to receive a credit note. Any Product which is returned to JoeCo or to one of its distributors or resellers without authorisation, i.e. one for which an RMA number has not been issued by JoeCo, will be returned to the purchaser at the purchaser’s expense. -
Page 47: Product And End User Registration
Once your registration has been submitted it will be forwarded to JoeCo personnel who will need to approve your application before issuing you with a password. JoeCo can only provide support for the current release of software. It is therefore imperative that you download and use the latest software release We hope you enjoy using your BlackBox Recorder –...
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