blackbox 3.0 beta feedback (current version is 2.9.1)

[Aaron]

Please check our our major update to blackbox here.

Please let us know your thoughts below.

[dr.snuggles]

Wow! What a nice early Christmas present, Thank you 1010music!

"This new method connects inbound MIDI directly to the currently selected sequence. Use it for playing and recording pitched sequences internally." sounds exactly what i have been asking for. I hope final 3.0 adds monophonic mode with glide, that would truly turn this beauty of a box into a real masterpiece.

Installing...

[toupeira]

Very awesome news, looking forward to giving this a try! The revamped song mode and the sequence layers both sound like they'll open up many new possibilities.

Recording MIDI sequences was one of my biggest gripes, so I'm very glad to see this becoming more seamless! One thing I can already see myself missing is the ability to record and clear sequences through MIDI as well, just like with pads. Right now I think it's only possible to trigger sequences? Hopefully it wouldn't be too much work to define two more note ranges for recording/clearing, which can then be mapped on a Launchpad or other controller.

I also wonder if you've considered some kind of "Omni" mode, where any MIDI channel can be freely recorded without having to set it up first on the Blackbox. My dream workflow would be:

- Select synth on my master keyboard (where I use presets to switch the MIDI channel)
- Start recording any sequence on the Blackbox, and start playing on the keyboard.
- The Blackbox automatically detects the MIDI input channel, and also sets the sequence's output channel to the same.

The implementation for this could be something like:

- Add an "Omni" option for the MIDI Seq Channel setting.
- Record/listen on all MIDI channels, except the ones used by the Blackbox itself (MIDI Pads Channel, and any assigned per-pad channels).
- Use the channel of the first recorded note to determine the output channel.

But this is probably a lot more complicated than I'm imagining it

[Christine]

MIDI Seq does support Omni mode. However, you cannot set the sequence MIDI out to Omni mode. Can you help us understand why you want OMNI or auto-detect on the output?

[fruitnut]

Very nice update! It makes more sense to use BB as an midi out sequencer now. Easy to understand.

Would be nice to add modulation for switching between layer A, B, C and D. Then I could use a LFO to add randomness.

[dr.snuggles]

Would be nice to add modulation for switching between layer A, B, C and D. Then I could use a LFO to add randomness.

Yes!! I love this idea Having a even more "modular" approach to it, would be an awesome feature.

[jayneural]

Blown my expectations in terms of song-mode & advanced sequencer ! Once again congrats and thanks to the 1010music teams !

A bit confused with the versioning is it 2.3 or 3.0 ? I guess would mean room for more features until V3 ?

Stem export would be the next logical step now we’re getting to a true song mode.

Then, I’ll just keep be begging for a few more FX and… side-chaining !

That would be a massive V3

Here are the specific threads I had posted for my remaining expectations :

- Blackbox "punch-in FX" implementation

- (Revamped SONG mode with) project and audio export (obviously, only the the stem export part is still relevant)

- LFO sidechained waveform based on sequence events (or simply side-chain compression if possible)

- More efficient waveform and note editor zooming gesture

BONUS, the most crazy one :

Trackbox : a tracker-type workflow on the Blackbox ? \o/ \O/ \o/


Best case scenario : 1010music implements all these features on V3
Worst case scenario : 1010music sues me for "Feature request harassment"

[Christine]

Hi Jay,
It's great to get your input. We are focused on MIDI, sequences and song mode for this release, with a few bug fixes thrown in.
Regarding the sequence zoom, we are already using all the knobs and hardware buttons. I can't find room on the screen for it. What do you suggest?

[jayneural]

Thank you for your answer.

For the sequence zoom, could the touch action on the screen be used as a MOD function for the knobs having any of them zooming into the GRID (with your finger as center point) ? As long as you have a finger on the screen they zoom/unzoom, when you don't, it they behave like they do now.

[dr.snuggles]

Well previous version was 2.1.5, so 2.3 makes sense since i guess they have quite a few things left to add for (final) 3.0.

[jayneural]

If it is so they intend it, it’s another good news, we can still keep dreaming on some more wished features

[fitzgibbon]

Thank you! It’s really special to own this piece of equipment. Have really appreciated the design and development journey.

[dixienarco]

Looking forward to this wonderful update, cheers ma dears x

[Klaustrophil]

Blown my expectations in terms of song-mode & advanced sequencer ! Once again congrats and thanks to the 1010music teams !

A bit confused with the versioning is it 2.3 or 3.0 ? I guess would mean room for more features until V3 ?

Stem export would be the next logical step now we’re getting to a true song mode.

Then, I’ll just keep be begging for a few more FX and… side-chaining !

That would be a massive V3

Here are the specific threads I had posted for my remaining expectations :

- Blackbox "punch-in FX" implementation

- (Revamped SONG mode with) project and audio export (obviously, only the the stem export part is still relevant)

- LFO sidechained waveform based on sequence events (or simply side-chain compression if possible)

- More efficient waveform and note editor zooming gesture

BONUS, the most crazy one :

Trackbox : a tracker-type workflow on the Blackbox ? \o/ \O/ \o/


Best case scenario : 1010music implements all these features on V3
Worst case scenario : 1010music sues me for "Feature request harassment"

I never thought that I (mr. suggestion) would say this but damn... :P Aaron just released a new major release adding stuff which was in high demand and you keep asking for even more things which aren't even related to the new features.

For the versioning, I guess 3.0b1 would be correct when using semantic versioning but it was always a bit odd here

For the sidechaining I'd be totally fine if the bluebox would do that to have some kind of product diversification.

[jayneural]

I didn’t add any new feature request lol, just some free harassment on my previous requests

I got to reckon though, 1010music implemented so many of the features I asked since v1, just those I remember asking and were added :
- resonant filter,
- shared polyphony pool (used to be 4 voices per pad)
- improved project/file management (PSET folders)
- multi-sampling / multi-sample recording robot
- scale input and manual pad velocity input
- ext MIDI control pad type
- Standard MIDI File import
- other I backed as Granular, LFO, step probability, loop recorder.
- and now the revamped song mode I was so much begging for.

It’s quite crazy, almost feel like getting custom made product !

Most important encouraging and supporting, not criticising, and of course, keep making music and not wait for any feature to do so.

But you won’t change me, I can’t just keep the ideas for myself

[toupeira]

Minor request: Please make a new sticky thread in the firmware forum for all the updates since 2020. Right now if you just follow the stickies you might think that the latest firmware is 1.6.5

[puffycaps]

So far so good. The slow PSET screen load bug is gone now so that's huge. Big thumbs up to the extra sequences, though it would be really cool if ABCD SEQs could be played simultaneously within a sequence pad; I mistakenly assumed it would work that way. Song mode operations make sense but I doubt I'll use it very often. I feel like I'm noticing some jumpiness of the encoder values on some params now but need to inspect further.

I use blackbox more as a sound design tool than as a song builder though. I believe sound design is blackbox's great strength, so I'm still holding out for things like single cycle LFOs or an extra envelope, increased modulation destinations, improved handling of default pad settings, quantized sample editing (especially for looping), etc.

One of my favorite things about owning 1010 gear–aside from the fact that they're great instruments–is the fairly regular firmware updates that incorporate user requests. It's almost like getting a new instrument every year, which keeps things fresh. I wish more companies shared this philosophy and I hope 1010 never abandons it.

Thank you and well done, 1010.

[jayneural]

From the company’s name I expect them to reach v10.10 firmware ;-)

[puffycaps]

Haha, agreed

[shankiphonic]

yay!
I basically mothballed the blackbox waiting for this fix. (and hopefully fixes for the other issues discussed here: https://forum.1010music.com/forum/pr...mode-mono-only )

[stuartm]

Generally, the Beta is working fine for me, still need to dive deeper into the new functions, though.

Unfortunately, the issue with the Launch Control XL losing connection is still there :-(
I've posted some more info in the related thread:

https://forum.1010music.com/forum/products/blackbox/support-blackbox/33879-laucnhcontrol-xl-not-recognized-anymore?p=39049#post39049

[dr.snuggles]

using beta firmware and hoping for no bugs makes no sense :P Wait for 3.0 (likely 3.0.1 to fix bugs introduced...), they share this so we can test it, report bugs...

[sirshannon]

Who said anything about “using beta firmware and hoping for no bugs”? We’re talking about “existing known bugs”, not bugs introduced in this beta.

[Christine]

We are actively trying to chase down the Launch Control XL bug. It has taken us a while to find a consistent way to reproduce this bug. We think we found a way to make it happen: If you move a couple of controls on the Launch Control rapidly for a couple of seconds, it seems to cause issues. Does this sound like what is happening for you?

[dr.snuggles]

edit: sorry replied to wrong topic

[Aaron]

Thanks for the early feedback. Let me address one concern I have seen posted a few different places: Why did we focus so much on song mode and sequencing?

There are really two reasons: First, the sequencer including song mode is a big chunk of interrelated functionality. It required our full attention for a certain amount of time. I believe we spent more time on this update doing planning, reviewing, and reconsidering than actual coding.

Second, we haven't updated song mode since 1.0. That part of the product had become the weakest link. Updating it was long overdue and we're happy to have finally advanced it. We're now looking forward to doing something else next.

Thank you for your support.

[jayneural]

I believe it was the right choice of priority, the BB has a dedicated "SONG" button after all, it needed to have some more advanced song editing.

And... it is also a good foundation for... stem export ? :-D

[robertdryer]

Lol I’m glad someone is keeping the stem export thing alive lol. I get it’s a small form sampler and a linear way of doing work flow isn’t practical but going out of the box into another system-linearly- as an option would be convenient (specifically for pro tools, studio one, and FL studio wave stems in a drag and drop fashion would be dope). But I’m ok without it just like bugging lol