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1010music Blackbox 3.0 User Manual

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Blackbox 3.0
User Manual
This manual still needs another editing and technical review pass. Please
excuse the typos and small inconsistencies.
Apr 21, 2023

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  • Page 1 Blackbox 3.0 User Manual This manual still needs another editing and technical review pass. Please excuse the typos and small inconsistencies. Apr 21, 2023...

  • Page 2: Table Of Contents

    Blackbox 3.0 User Manual Table of Contents WELCOME SET UP BLACKBOX MicroSD Card for Storage ........................ 9 Power..............................9 Standard Power Outlet ......................9 USB Power Outlet ........................9 Output Connections........................10 Control the Volume ...........................11 Test Your Setup ..........................11 Connect an Audio Input for Sampling ..................11...
  • Page 3 Blackbox 3.0 User Manual Global Pad Parameters........................27 Main Parameters ........................27 Conf Parameters ......................... 28 LFO Parameters .......................... 30 Set Up a Sample Pad ........................31 Single Sample Pads ........................31 Pos Parameters Specific to Sample Pads................31 Conf Parameters Specific to Sample Pads................ 33 Loop Fading..........................
  • Page 4 Blackbox 3.0 User Manual Trim WAV Files ..........................57 Use Clipboard Functions with Pads...................58 Manage WAV Files ...........................59 Working with WAV Files on the MicroSD Card..............59 To Delete, Save As or Rename a WAV File..............60 To Pack a Preset........................61 WORK WITH KEYS Use the KEYS Screen to Play Individual Pads ................62...
  • Page 5 Blackbox 3.0 User Manual WORK WITH SONGS Parts of a Scene ..........................78 To Manage Scenes ....................... 79 To Reorder Scenes........................ 79 Keep ..............................80 To Record a Sequence during Song Playback ............80 APPLY EFFECTS To Route a Pad to an Effect ....................81 To Modify Effect Parameters ....................
  • Page 6 Blackbox 3.0 User Manual USE MIDI DEVICES WITH BLACKBOX Work with MIDI Inputs ........................96 To Trigger Pad Hits and Sequences with MIDI ............97 To Play Notes and Use Common MIDI Modulation Commands on a Pad: ..98 To Record Sequences in Keys Mode with MIDI............99 To Map MIDI Control Changes to Pad and Effect Parameters ......
  • Page 7 Blackbox 3.0 User Manual POWERING MIDI DEVICES CREATE PRESET TEMPLATES FOR RE-USE To Configure a Pad without a WAV file ...............116 To Add a WAV file to a Template Pad ................116 REDUCE ALIASING WHEN PLAYING PADS CHROMATICALLY To Use HighQ Mode to Reduce Aliasing...............117...

  • Page 8: Welcome

    Blackbox 3.0 User Manual WELCOME Welcome to the blackbox user manual. Thanks for taking the time to read this. If you want to get a quick overview of the basic features of blackbox, please check out the Quick Start Guide. You can find it in the box with your blackbox, or on the blackbox support page at: https://1010music.com/blackboxdocs...

  • Page 9: Set Up Blackbox

    Blackbox 3.0 User Manual SET UP BLACKBOX You have probably already plugged in your blackbox and started to play with it. Let’s make sure you have everything set up properly so you can follow along with the manual. Blackbox stores all of the samples and presets on the microSD card. Before you can use the blackbox, you will need to insert the microSD card, connect to power and connect to one or more outputs.

  • Page 10: Output Connections

    Blackbox 3.0 User Manual NOTE: ► Not all USB power supplies are created equal. Make sure your power supply can provide 2 amps of power. The USB power supply included with blackbox will do this. ► Not all USB Type B cables are the same. Some are made only for data, while others are designed to carry power.

  • Page 11: Control The Volume

    Blackbox 3.0 User Manual Control the Volume If you are using the PHONES jack, you can control the volume of the output: Press the TOOLS button and then touch the Main tab. Turn the top knob to select the Headphone parameter, then turn the bottom to adjust the level.

  • Page 12: Overview

    Blackbox 3.0 User Manual OVERVIEW blackbox BACK INFO Blackbox is a compact sampling studio. With blackbox, you can record and play samples, sequence those samples into patterns and riffs, and then record those sequences into scenes, which together can form a song. Use blackbox to record...

  • Page 13: Display Highlights

    Blackbox 3.0 User Manual Pads Screen Display Highlights The black bar along the top of the screen displays the blackbox playback state and recording context. The number pair on the left displays the overall playback time in measures and beats. The text in the middle displays the recording context. In Song Mode, this will display the name of the scene that you are recording into.

  • Page 14: Quick Start

    Blackbox 3.0 User Manual QUICK START Blackbox comes with a number of presets on the included microSD card. Let’s explore one to see how blackbox works. We will dive into more detail later. We will start by loading a preset: Push the white PSET button to see the preset loader screen.

  • Page 15: Explore Keys

    Blackbox 3.0 User Manual While on the Pads screen, turn the lower right knob to access the Clipboard menu, where you can cut, copy, paste and clear pads. Turn the knob the other way to bring back the Velocity slider.

  • Page 16: Explore Songs

    Blackbox 3.0 User Manual Select a sequence by touching the cell or turning a knob. The currently selected sequence is highlighted pink. The number of this sequence is displayed in the context bar above the grid. This is visible on all of the top-level screens. This is the sequence that will capture the notes and pad triggers you play while recording.

  • Page 17: Song Mode And Rec | Stop | Play Buttons

    Blackbox 3.0 User Manual The Loop button at the top of the screen has three settings: off (button is gray), Loop1 (blue; loops the current scene), and LoopA (blue; loops all scenes in the song, in order). Push STOP to end playback.

  • Page 18: Explore Presets

    Blackbox 3.0 User Manual Explore Presets A Preset is the master file that stores a blackbox composition. It holds the pad assignments, sequences, song scenes, effects settings, Mix settings, and the detailed parameters for each of these. To Load a Preset 1.

  • Page 19: To Create And Name A Preset

    Blackbox 3.0 User Manual To Create and Name a Preset: 1. Push the PSET button and touch File to open the File menu. 2. Press New. A menu will pop up with the name “New Preset” and a typewriter keyboard with familiar controls like numerics, shift lock, space, and delete.

  • Page 20: Screen Navigation Map

    Blackbox 3.0 User Manual SCREEN NAVIGATION MAP The diagram below shows the primary navigation paths through blackbox. Waveform Pads Pad Parameters Modulation Parameters "New Rec" “1X”→”MX” "Load" Load and Record Load and Record Multi Mode Presets KEYS Keys Grid Parameters...

  • Page 21: Work With Pads

    Blackbox 3.0 User Manual WORK WITH PADS Each pad in blackbox can be assigned a WAV file or a folder of WAV files. You can configure playback options, such as trigger mode and looping, individually for each pad. Once a pad is loaded, you can touch the pad on the main Pads screen to trigger it. If the pad is in Clip mode, it won’t trigger unless Play is engaged.

  • Page 22: To Load A Wav File Into A Pad

    Blackbox 3.0 User Manual Reverse Beat Loop Play Poly- Icon Pad Mode Description Playback Sync Points Slices phony Slicer Use with a WAV file with different sections that Notes. you want to trigger Does √ independently. not pull from Pool.

  • Page 23: To Set Pad Mode, Loop And End Points On The Wav Form Screen

    Blackbox 3.0 User Manual If you are on the WAV Load and Record screen, touch Load in the top menu bar. If you are on the Waveform screen, touch the name of the WAV file at the top of the screen (SY Chord1 LF in the example). You will now be on the WAV File Selection screen.
  • Page 24 Blackbox 3.0 User Manual On the Waveform Screen, you can control play position and loop points. You can also adjust slices for pads in Slicer mode. We’ll cover that later when we talk about slicers. WAV Overview Start and Length...

  • Page 25: To Configure Pad Parameters

    Blackbox 3.0 User Manual To Configure Pad Parameters To access the pad parameters screen, push PADS, touch a pad to select it, and then push INFO twice. You can press INFO again to toggle between the Pad Parameter screen and the Waveform screen.

  • Page 26: To Add Modulation To A Parameter

    Blackbox 3.0 User Manual To Add Modulation to a Parameter The way you manage modulation of parameters looks slightly different now, but it still works the same way. A parameter can be modulated or controlled through MIDI if it has a three section bar to the right of the knob or row.

  • Page 27: Global Pad Parameters

    Blackbox 3.0 User Manual Global Pad Parameters The table below describes the parameters that are used with pads in Sample, Multi- Sample, Clip, Slicer and Granular Mode. We will cover the mode specific parameters later. Main Parameters Parameter Description Range of Values...

  • Page 28: Conf Parameters

    Blackbox 3.0 User Manual Conf Parameters Parameter Description Range of Values Target? Launch This controls how a note trigger Trigger: Activate the Pad by touching the Mode affects the playback of a pad. pad or through MIDI note on. Blackbox will start playback of the WAV file and play through to the end.
  • Page 29 Blackbox 3.0 User Manual Parameter Description Range of Values Target? MIDI In Specifies a MIDI channel to be used None, Ch1 through Ch16. to play this pad chromatically or sliced across keys. This channel is also used for MIDI modulation of some parameters.

  • Page 30: Lfo Parameters

    Blackbox 3.0 User Manual LFO Parameters Each pad has one Low Frequency Oscillator (LFO) running for use in modulating parameters for that pad. Each time you trigger a note for a polyphonic pad, a new LFO is started for that note. Set the Trig parameter of the LFO to On to restart the oscillator each time a note is triggered.

  • Page 31: Set Up A Sample Pad

    Blackbox 3.0 User Manual Set Up a Sample Pad Use a sample pad when you only want to play or loop through a WAV file with no slicing and no beat synchronization within the playback. This can be useful for playing one-shots like drum sounds, or playing melodies using samples for the notes.
  • Page 32 Blackbox 3.0 User Manual Parameter Description Range of Values Target? Loop Fade The amount of cross-fading that will be applied 0 to 100% when transitioning from the end to the beginning of the loop. This parameter is only active when Loop Mode is Forward. This is a percentage of the loop length.

  • Page 33: Conf Parameters Specific To Sample Pads

    Blackbox 3.0 User Manual Conf Parameters Specific to Sample Pads Parameter Description Range of Values Target? Interp The interpolation algorithm used Normal, High Q. when pitch shifting pads. In Normal Set to Normal mode unless you mode, blackbox may introduce some...

  • Page 34: Loop Fading

    Blackbox 3.0 User Manual Loop Fading Let’s talk a little more about loop fading. Loop Fading is a good way to smooth the transition when looping a sample. The diagram to the right shows how the loop cross- fading is applied at three different settings for the Loop Fade parameter. The colored bars in the diagram represent different equal length sections of the WAV file.

  • Page 35: Multi-Sample Pads

    Blackbox 3.0 User Manual Multi-Sample Pads When you pitch shift a single sample across the entire range of the keyboard you may get less than stellar results. A better approach is to record multiple samples across the range of the keyboard and let the sampler interpolate the sounds between the available notes.
  • Page 36 Blackbox 3.0 User Manual Blackbox will now load all of the files in the current directory into this pad and map the files to notes across the keyboard based on the root notes defined in the WAV files. Now, use the KEYS screen or an external MIDI controller to play notes for that pad. Blackbox will play the sample with the root note that is closest to the note played, and pitch shift as needed to achieve the necessary tone.
  • Page 37 Blackbox 3.0 User Manual Note: ► Multi-sampling can quickly use a lot of samples. In order to prevent potential issues, blackbox limits you to loading 80 WAV files at a time. If you hit that limit, it won’t load any more wav files until you free up some slots by clearing out a pad.

  • Page 38: Work With A Clip Pad

    Blackbox 3.0 User Manual Work with a Clip Pad Use Clip Mode for WAV files where you want to use synchronized loops and quantized playback for the entire WAV file. Clip Mode works well with drum loops between one and eight measures long, but there is no hard limit to the length.

  • Page 39: Pos Pad Parameters Specific To Clip Mode

    Blackbox 3.0 User Manual Pos Pad Parameters Specific to Clip Mode Parameter Description Range of Values Target? Loop Mode Controls whether the WAV file plays in a loop. On, Off The whole WAV file will be played in the loop for clip pads.

  • Page 40: Clip Mode And Quantization

    Blackbox 3.0 User Manual Clip Mode and Quantization Let’s talk some more about Quant Size and Sync. When a Quant Size other than None is selected, the playback of the wave file will be delayed until the next selected unit of music as specified in Quant Size.

  • Page 41: Tips For Synchronizing Clips

    Blackbox 3.0 User Manual Tips for Synchronizing Clips ■ Make sure your WAV file starts at the beginning of a measure and ends at end of a measure. There should be no blank space at either end and it should loop cleanly at full length.

  • Page 42: Pos Pad Parameters Specific To Slicer Mode

    Blackbox 3.0 User Manual Pos Pad Parameters Specific to Slicer Mode Parameter Description Range of Values Target? Loop Mode Controls whether the slice playback is ON, OFF looped. This does not work with Launch Mode of Trigger. Use Launch Mode of Gate or Toggle if you want to loop slices.

  • Page 43: To Manually Create Or Remove Slices

    Blackbox 3.0 User Manual Parameter Description Range of Values Target? Slice Indicates which slice will be played 1 through the number of slices in the pad. Yes when a note is triggered. You can use modulation to vary this value over time.

  • Page 44: To Use Auto Scan To Create Slices

    Blackbox 3.0 User Manual To Use Auto Scan to Create Slices From the Waveform screen for the slicer pad, touch the menu item with the three dots “. . .”. This will display the Waveform Slicing menu. Touch Scan and then use a control knob to select a Threshold percentage for the sensitivity of the scan.

  • Page 45: Work With Granular Pads

    Blackbox 3.0 User Manual Work with Granular Pads The final pad mode is granular mode. Granular is similar to sample mode, but with the additional ability to use multiple grains when playing back your sample. You can use granular to facilitate loop cross fading and to generate new sounds from your samples. In this mode, the sample is played back in small portions about 10 to 200ms in length, called grains.

  • Page 46: Record New Wav Files

    Blackbox 3.0 User Manual Record New WAV Files Blackbox comes with over 800 WAV files loaded on the microSD card and allows you to load your own WAV files on the microSD card. You can also record new WAV files to create your own custom sound.
  • Page 47 Blackbox 3.0 User Manual Parameter Description Range of Values RecToPlay When to set to On, blackbox will On, Off automatically start to play the new sample when recording ends if the Length parameter was used for recording. Length This parameter allows you to specify a...
  • Page 48 Blackbox 3.0 User Manual Send a signal to the audio Input. The source will play through the selected output if the Rec Mon setting is ON or Auto. The VU meters at the top of the screen display the input levels. Adjust the gain as needed.

  • Page 49: Work With Wav Files Recorded On Blackbox

    Blackbox 3.0 User Manual Work with WAV Files Recorded on Blackbox How you will work with these files depends on whether you are recording samples to build a library to use in presets in the future, or whether you are recording WAVs specifically for the current preset.

  • Page 50: Advanced Recording Techniques

    Blackbox 3.0 User Manual Advanced Recording Techniques To Record a Single WAV File while Sequences or Song Scenes are Playing You can record WAV files while you are also playing sequences or song scenes. Set up the sequences or song scenes you want to play, and start playback.
  • Page 51 Blackbox 3.0 User Manual To Manually Record a Multi-sample Pack Create a preset for the multi-sample pack. Let’s call it MyBank. Record the files into the new MyBank preset. Delete any extra files that are not needed. Assign root notes to each of the files if you want to ensure blackbox maps the files to the correct note.

  • Page 52: To Record A Multi-Sample Bank Using Midi Or Cv + Gate Automation

    Blackbox 3.0 User Manual To Record a Multi-Sample Bank using MIDI or CV + Gate Automation You may have a MIDI or CV controlled instrument that you want to sample so you can take the sounds with you on your blackbox. Maybe you just created a great sounding patch on your eurorack and you want to capture that sound so you can use it again after you change your patch.
  • Page 53 Blackbox 3.0 User Manual At the top of the Load and Record screen, look at the button to the right of the selection grid. It should say either 1x or Mx depending on how you got to this screen. If it says 1x, you are set up to record a single file.
  • Page 54 Blackbox 3.0 User Manual Recording Description Range of Values Parameter Release Len In seconds, the length of time that recording will 1 through 15 continue after the note length is over. This will record the tail of the note. MIDI Chan...
  • Page 55 Blackbox 3.0 User Manual Save and Load Parameters in WAV Files There are several pad parameters that blackbox can read from and write to WAV files. These parameters are: Parameter Description Supported Pad Modes Root Note When you use Notes to play this sample, the base sample will play for Sample this root note.

  • Page 56: To Save The Values You Have Configured For A Pad Back To The Wav File

    Blackbox 3.0 User Manual Note: ► These parameters are saved in a format that is commonly used by other music products. This means you can set these values in the other product and then use them in blackbox, and the reverse.

  • Page 57: Trim Wav Files

    Blackbox 3.0 User Manual Trim WAV Files When recording new samples, you sometimes get some unwanted material at the start or the end of the WAV file. Here’s how to trim the file: Open a pad with a WAV file you want to trim.

  • Page 58: Use Clipboard Functions With Pads

    Blackbox 3.0 User Manual Use Clipboard Functions with Pads Blackbox has a slightly hidden set of clipboard buttons on the Pad screen. You can use these buttons to Cut, Copy and Paste between pads and to Clear a pad. To access these functions, turn the lower right knob while on the Pads screen.

  • Page 59: Manage Wav Files

    Blackbox 3.0 User Manual Manage WAV Files Blackbox comes with hundreds of WAV files bundled with the firmware. You can load WAV files into pads in order to add them to a preset. We talked about how to configure pads previously in this document. Here we will discuss what tasks you can perform to manage the WAV files themselves.

  • Page 60: To Delete, Save As Or Rename A Wav File

    Blackbox 3.0 User Manual Note: ► If you delete, move or rename a WAV file, it will no longer be available for use by presets that were previously using it. The name of the WAV file will still appear in the Preset, but the Waveform screen will be blank until you load a new WAV file into the pad.

  • Page 61: To Pack A Preset

    Blackbox 3.0 User Manual Note: ► If you delete, move or rename a WAV file, it will no longer be available for use by presets that were previously using it. The name of the original WAV file will still appear in the preset, but the Waveform screen will be blank until you load a new WAV file into the pad.

  • Page 62: Work With Keys

    Blackbox 3.0 User Manual WORK WITH KEYS The Keys screens provide two alternative ways for you to play WAV files that have been configured on the PADS screen and to enter notes into a sequence. There are two Keys input modes. The first time you push the KEYS button, blackbox will display a traditional black and white keyboard.
  • Page 63 Blackbox 3.0 User Manual Parameter Value Explanation Launch Trigger This will cause the WAV slice to play from beginning to Mode end when a trigger is received. Other values will work, but let’s use this for the example. Loop Mode We will turn off looping for this example.

  • Page 64: To Select A Scale On The Grid Keyboard

    Blackbox 3.0 User Manual To Select a Scale on the Grid Keyboard Push the KEYS button until you see the Grid keyboard. Touch the left Scale Selector button to display a list of values for the Root Note. Touch an option to select it.

  • Page 65: Use The Keys Screen With Sequences

    Blackbox 3.0 User Manual Use the Keys Screen with Sequences You can use the Keys screen to record a Keys or MIDI sequence. You can either set the Keys screen to play the Pad that is mapped to the selected sequence (only for Keys sequences), or you can use SEQ mode.

  • Page 66: Work With Sequences

    Blackbox 3.0 User Manual WORK WITH SEQUENCES Now that you’ve placed samples on your pads, you can record Sequences with them. Push the SEQS button to bring up the Sequences Grid. It contains 16 cells, each with a tiny piano roll view of the sequence events. (Don’t worry, you don’t have to edit sequences on them!)

  • Page 67: To Record A Sequence

    Blackbox 3.0 User Manual To Select the Active Pattern for a Sequence from the Sequencer Screen Push SEQS to open the Sequencer Grid. Touch a square in the grid to select the sequence you want to work with, then push the INFO button.
  • Page 68 Blackbox 3.0 User Manual Touch pads or keys to add notes to the sequence you are recording. A Keys sequence will only record notes from the pad assigned to the sequence. Push REC to continue playing but stop recording. Push STOP to stop recording and stop playing the loop.

  • Page 69: To Play Sequences

    Blackbox 3.0 User Manual To Play Sequences Push SEQS to see the sequences grid. Touch sequence cells to toggle their active state. Active sequences have a white frame. You can play multiple sequences at once. Push PLAY to start playing the active sequences.

  • Page 70: To Edit And View The Notes And Pad Triggers In A Sequence

    Blackbox 3.0 User Manual To Edit and View the Notes and Pad Triggers in a Sequence You can use the INFO button with a selected sequence cell to view and edit the sequence. Touch a sequence cell to select it.

  • Page 71: To Copy And Clear Sequences

    Blackbox 3.0 User Manual Note: ► While recording a sequence, if you play something in blackbox that doesn’t match the mode or pad assignment of the selected sequence, the pads will play but will not be recorded. ► When the Sequencer Screen reloads, it zooms horizontally to display the number of steps that have been selected in Step Count, and scrolls vertically to display the entered notes.

  • Page 72: To Edit Sequence And Pattern Settings

    Blackbox 3.0 User Manual Edit Menu Action Option Copy all of the notes and pad triggers and parameter settings the currently selected pattern in this sequence and clear the piano roll of this sequence. The cut information is now in the clipboard for pasting into a sequence.
  • Page 73 Blackbox 3.0 User Manual Parameters that apply to the entire sequence cell include: Range of Values Duty Cycle The duration of the note events, where is 0% is 0% to 100% inaudible, and 100.0% is playing the full duration of the note.

  • Page 74: To Use Sequence Quick Action Buttons

    Blackbox 3.0 User Manual To Use Sequence Quick Action Buttons On the Sequence Grid screen, the buttons in Quick Actions panel along the right side allow you to perform actions that apply to the entire sequence. Turn the lower right knob to switch between the Quick Actions panel and the Pattern Selector panel.

  • Page 75: To Import A Mid File Into A Sequence

    Blackbox 3.0 User Manual Turn the bottom left knob to adjust the velocity for the selected note event. The VEL parameter in the bottom left corner of the screen shows the current value. Turn the bottom right knob to adjust the probability of playback for the selected note event.
  • Page 76 Blackbox 3.0 User Manual Push INFO to see the Sequence Parameters screen. Adjust the Step Length and Step Count to match the imported sequence if needed. Note: ► Blackbox will only import the first track in a MIDI file. ► The sequence will be mapped to the pad selected in the pad selection grid at the time of import.

  • Page 77: Work With Songs

    Blackbox 3.0 User Manual WORK WITH SONGS Now that we’ve created some sequences, we can put them together to make a complete arrangement, which we call a Song. A Song is a collection of up to 32 Scenes in a set order.

  • Page 78: Parts Of A Scene

    Blackbox 3.0 User Manual Parts of a Scene Each line in Song Mode shows the information about a particular scene. The currently selected scene is pink. First, there’s a name for the scene. Names are assigned automatically by default: Scene 1, Scene 2, etc.

  • Page 79: To Manage Scenes

    Blackbox 3.0 User Manual To Manage Scenes Select the scene you wish to edit. Touch the Edit button. You will be presented with a menu of the following operations: Edit Menu Action Option Copy a song scene and remove it. All sequence and pad events, the scene name and the play count will all be copied.

  • Page 80: Keep

    You may have noticed that both the pad and cell grids have a button in the bottom right corner labeled Keep. This function is new for blackbox 3.0, and offers the ability to “keep” a pad or pattern playing over a scene change. This has a variety of uses.

  • Page 81: Apply Effects

    Blackbox 3.0 User Manual APPLY EFFECTS Blackbox has two effects that can be applied to as many pads as you want. You apply an effect by selecting the send amount for the pad for each of the desired effects (FX1 or FX2) and then configuring the parameters for that effect.
  • Page 82 Blackbox 3.0 User Manual Effect Parameter Settings Target? FX1 = DELAY Determines the delay length. When Beat Sync is On, Delay delay is specified in musical intervals: 1/64, 1/32, 1/16, 1/8T, 1/16D, 1/8, 1/4T, 1/8D, 1/4, 1/2T, 1/2, 1 bar When Beat Sync is Off, delay is specified as a percentage from 0% to 100%.

  • Page 83: To Apply Modulation To Effect Parameters

    Blackbox 3.0 User Manual Note: ► The same effect parameter values are applied to all pads that are sending signals to that effect. ► The Reverb effect is very processor intensive. Blackbox does not limit what you can do based on anticipated processor needs. As a result, it is possible to overdrive the processor, causing crackling and drop outs.

  • Page 84: Eq Control

    Blackbox 3.0 User Manual EQ CONTROL You can now adjust the frequency response for the master output using a 4-band Parametric EQ. With the EQ, you can adjust the frequency response for 4 nodes. To access the EQ screen, push the FX button twice. You will then see the EQ grid. Here’s how to use...

  • Page 85: To Adjust The Eq

    Blackbox 3.0 User Manual Each of the four knobs controls the EQ parameter displayed in the corresponding corner of the EQ grid for the selected filter band. To Adjust the EQ To adjust the EQ, you will select a filter band to adjust, select an EQ type for that filter band and then adjust the corresponding settings for that filter type.

  • Page 86: Adjust The Mix

    Blackbox 3.0 User Manual ADJUST THE MIX On the Mixer screen you can independently adjust the volume and pan of each pad. The number on the pad represents the dB level of the audio output. The bar at the bottom of the grid cell represents the pan position for the pad.

  • Page 87: Manage Presets

    Blackbox 3.0 User Manual MANAGE PRESETS Blackbox stores a set of pad configurations, sequences and song scenes as a preset. You can save as many presets as you want, as long as there is room for the files on your microSD card.

  • Page 88: To Save Changes To A Preset

    Blackbox 3.0 User Manual Note: ► All of the preset folders are gathered under one \Presets folder at the root. ► Before you Pack a preset file, the .xml file lives in its own sub-folder under \Presets which is created as soon as you create a preset, but the WAV files stay in their source folders until you pack them.

  • Page 89: To Load A Preset

    Blackbox 3.0 User Manual To Load a Preset Press PSET to display the Preset Management screen. Use the knobs to scroll through the list of presets. The blue highlight indicates the currently selected preset. Touch Load to load into blackbox the information that was previously saved for this preset.

  • Page 90: To Clean Unused Wav Files Out Of A Preset's Folder

    Blackbox 3.0 User Manual To Clean Unused WAV Files Out of a Preset’s Folder If you change which WAV files are loaded in your Pads, you may want to remove any unused WAVs from the preset folder. Load the preset you want to clean.

  • Page 91: To Rename A Preset

    Blackbox 3.0 User Manual To Rename a Preset Push the PSET button to view the Preset Management screen. Use the control knobs to scroll through the list of presets. The blue highlight indicates the currently selected preset. Touch File to display the Preset File Menu.

  • Page 92: Work With Preset Files On The Microsd Card

    Blackbox 3.0 User Manual Work with Preset Files on the MicroSD Card Preset files can be backed up on your computer or shared with other blackbox users. The presets are saved as XML files on the microSD card. Each preset is saved in a preset.xml file in a folder with the name of the preset under the \Presets folder.

  • Page 93: When Will My Legacy Wav Files Get Cleaned Out Of The Root Folder

    Blackbox 3.0 User Manual When will my legacy WAV files get cleaned out of the root folder? We won’t move them automatically. We recommend that you pack up all of your presets one by one, which will copy all of the files used by the presets into their respective folders.

  • Page 94: Tools

    Blackbox 3.0 User Manual TOOLS The Tools screen is the home for global parameters that apply across presets. This is where you can adjust the Headphone volume and control the metronome. Touch the page buttons along the bottom of the screen to find appropriate lists of parameters, then use either top knob to scroll through them and either bottom knob to adjust their values.
  • Page 95 Blackbox 3.0 User Manual Page Parameter Description MIDI Global In Specifies which MIDI channel is used to trigger pads and sequences as well as perform other functions. See Work with MIDI Inputs below for more information. When set to Omni, these functions will be triggered by all MIDI channels –...

  • Page 96: Use Midi Devices With Blackbox

    Blackbox 3.0 User Manual USE MIDI DEVICES WITH BLACKBOX The blackbox’s capabilities “in the (black)box” can be extended greatly by connecting it to MIDI devices. You can use external devices to control blackbox and play sounds, and it can be used as a MIDI sequencer/controller that either generates or syncs to external clock signals.

  • Page 97: To Trigger Pad Hits And Sequences With Midi

    Blackbox 3.0 User Manual MIDI Seq: This MIDI Channel is used to play notes into a sequence for recording. It can also be used to play MIDI through to an external MIDI Device. ■ For a sequence in MIDI Mode, notes played on this channel will be recorded into the selected sequence.

  • Page 98: To Play Notes And Use Common Midi Modulation Commands On A Pad

    Blackbox 3.0 User Manual Sequences can be triggered from the Global In channel using a slightly higher range of 16 notes. The table on the right shows how the MIDI note numbers map to the blackbox sequences. The range for triggering sequences is Note 52 (usually E3) through Note 67 (usually G4).

  • Page 99: To Record Sequences In Keys Mode With Midi

    Blackbox 3.0 User Manual To Record Sequences in Keys Mode with MIDI Keys sequences work a bit differently than Pad Mode when it comes to recording. Notes on a pad’s MIDI In channel can be used to record Keys Mode sequences, as long as the sequence is selected and mapped to that pad.
  • Page 100 Blackbox 3.0 User Manual Note: ► Different parameters work differently with MIDI CC inputs. For example, for the Filter parameter, the values are bipolar with 0 at the middle of the range for the control by default. However, for the Start parameter, the values only move in one direction.

  • Page 101: Midi Triggered Recording

    Blackbox 3.0 User Manual MIDI Triggered Recording The Global In channel also contains notes mapped to help you record into pads, but before we can get into those operations, first we have to set up blackbox to allow them. MIDI triggered recording can help streamline the workflow for live looping, field sampling, and more.

  • Page 102: To Trigger Recording To A Specific Pad Using Midi

    Blackbox 3.0 User Manual To Trigger Recording to a Specific Pad Using MIDI: Set up blackbox for MIDI Triggered Recording as described above. Press the MIDI Note that maps to the pad you want to record into, as shown in the map on the right.

  • Page 103: To Use Midi Notes Actions To Record Or Clear A Pad

    Blackbox 3.0 User Manual To Use MIDI Notes Actions to Record or Clear a Pad Blackbox has allocated a range of MIDI Notes that map to actions that control pads. If you don’t want to use the entire range of notes for triggering and clearing pads as described above, these five notes at the high end of the keyboard range will still prove useful.

  • Page 104: Using Song Mode With Midi

    Blackbox 3.0 User Manual Using Song Mode with MIDI The Global In channel lets you trigger pads and sequences by playing particular MIDI notes on that channel. When set to Omni, blackbox will respond to input on all MIDI channels, but you can configure a specific channel by changing the value of the Global In parameter on the Tools screen.

  • Page 105: Summary Of Midi Global In Channel Note Mappings

    Blackbox 3.0 User Manual Summary of MIDI Global In Channel Note Mappings Here’s a summary of all of the note mappings that blackbox will respond to when notes are received on the Global In: MIDI Note Range Action 2-33 (D-1 - A1) Select and trigger a scene.

  • Page 106: To Disable Midi Triggered Recording And Pad Clearing

    Blackbox 3.0 User Manual To Disable MIDI Triggered Recording and Pad Clearing Push TOOLS. Touch the MIDI tab at the bottom of the screen. Scroll to Global In and set it to None. Sharing of MIDI Input Channels How do all of these MIDI Input channel assignments interact? Basically, they all stay out of each other’s way.

  • Page 107: Use Midi Program Change To Open A Preset

    Blackbox 3.0 User Manual Use MIDI Program Change to Open a Preset Some MIDI controllers can transmit a MIDI command to trigger a program change. Blackbox can be configured to load presets in response to MIDI Program Change messages, with the program number assigned to presets in alphabetical order, just as they are listed on the Preset screen when you push the PSET button.

  • Page 108: Work With Midi Outputs

    Blackbox 3.0 User Manual Work with MIDI Outputs In addition to all these functions controllable via MIDI input, you can also use blackbox sequences to send note events to drive other MIDI instruments. Connect your blackbox to a MIDI device via the MIDI Out TRS jack. We recommend using the TRS-to-DIN MIDI...

  • Page 109: Use Midi Out To Play An External Midi Instrument Along With Blackbox

    Blackbox 3.0 User Manual Use MIDI Out to Play an External MIDI Instrument Along with blackbox You can enhance the sound from a sequence in Keys or Pads mode by sending the sequence notes out to a MIDI instrument. Here’s how.

  • Page 110: To Setup A Midi Sequence And Add Notes Via The Touchscreen

    Blackbox 3.0 User Manual To Setup a MIDI Sequence and Add Notes via the Touchscreen Connect your MIDI instrument to the blackbox MIDI TRS Output jack and configure it to use the desired MIDI channel. Push SEQS to open the Sequences page and select an empty sequence.

  • Page 111: To Record A Midi Sequence Using An External Midi Controller

    Blackbox 3.0 User Manual To Record a MIDI Sequence Using an External MIDI Controller Connect a MIDI controller to the TRS MIDI In port or the USB Device port. Set the controller to send MIDI out on the desired channel. Let’s call this channel A.

  • Page 112: Synchronize Playback With A Clock

    Blackbox 3.0 User Manual SYNCHRONIZE PLAYBACK WITH A CLOCK Blackbox can either run on its own internal clock or follow an external clock. It can also provide a clock signal for other devices to follow. Time Units for Display and Sync Blackbox displays the current clock time in the top left corner of most screens in the format <bar>: <beat>.

  • Page 113: Configure Blackbox To Follow An External Clock

    Blackbox 3.0 User Manual Configure Blackbox to Follow an External Clock There are a few different musical clock sources that you can use with blackbox: Name Description Priority Clock In Blackbox gets a Clock signal from an input to the CLOCK IN jack First on the back of the case.

  • Page 114: Reset The Clock

    Blackbox 3.0 User Manual Reset the Clock You can use the following methods to reset the clock counter back to 1:1: ■ Press Play. ■ Stop the Clock input for a few seconds and then restart it. ■ Receive MIDI play and MIDI clock signal.

  • Page 115: Powering Midi Devices

    Blackbox 3.0 User Manual POWERING MIDI DEVICES When you are using an external USB MIDI device with blackbox, you will need to ensure you have an adequate power supply to drive both blackbox and the MIDI device. Use the provided USB power cable with one of the following to ensure adequate power: ■...

  • Page 116: Create Preset Templates For Re-Use

    Blackbox 3.0 User Manual CREATE PRESET TEMPLATES FOR RE-USE Preset template support was added in blackbox 1.2 in response to requests from some users who like to set up their presets a certain way each time, and other users who want to configure a preset in preparation for a live performance.

  • Page 117: Reduce Aliasing When Playing Pads Chromatically

    Blackbox 3.0 User Manual REDUCE ALIASING WHEN PLAYING PADS CHROMATICALLY Blackbox offers two choices for the interpolation algorithm used to play sample pads chromatically. The first algorithm is called Normal mode. In this mode, blackbox may introduce some aliasing with some WAV files when pitch shifting notes to play sample, multi-sample and granular pads chromatically.

  • Page 118: Processor Management Tips

    Blackbox 3.0 User Manual PROCESSOR MANAGEMENT TIPS If you have experienced drop outs or crackling sounds with blackbox, you have most likely pushed the processor to its limits. Blackbox does not limit what you can do based on anticipated processor load. We have tried to balance the design of the system to optimize what you can do without over driving the processor while still giving you room to make creative choices.

  • Page 119: Update Firmware, Audio Files And Presets

    Here are the steps required: Download the desired firmware onto your computer. You can find the latest firmware images on the forum at https://forum.1010music.com. You must be a registered user of the forum to access the download files. Forum registration is free.

  • Page 120: Reset A Blackbox Preset To Factory Settings

    Download the blackbox firmware onto your computer. You can find the available firmware images on the forum at https://forum.1010music.com. You must be a registered user of the forum to access the download files. Forum registration is free.

  • Page 121: Technical Specs Onboard Memory

    Blackbox 3.0 User Manual TECHNICAL SPECS Onboard Memory Blackbox has 64MB of onboard RAM. However, this is a cache, not a hard limit to what can be loaded at once. That’s because blackbox streams content directly from the microSD card in real time.

  • Page 122: Pin Mapping For Mini Trs Jack To Midi 5 Pin Din Connectors

    MIDI connector and the labels of the connection components of a mini TRS jack. 1010music products are compatible with cables that use the following mapping of MIDI signals between female MIDI connectors and mini TRS jacks:...

  • Page 123: Stay Up To Date

    Connect with Other Blackbox Users There is a very active community of users of 1010music products at forum.1010music.com. If you have a question about blackbox that isn’t answered in this manual, this is your best source for help.

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