blackbox 3.0.1 feedback

[Aaron]

We've made some major improvements to blackbox based on your input. Please check it out here.

Highlights include:

• Expanded the scene count to 32
• Option to MIDI Thru to the MIDI output
• Dedicated MIDI channel per MIDI sequence
• Loop entire song mode
• Lots of bug fixes and refinements.

Please let us know your reaction below. Thank you for your support.

[Pdelon1]

My unit won't update, I download new one, put the card in my unit hold both buttons down turn on, it says erasing then said it installed but when it turns back on it still has 2.1.5 at the bottom of screen, I tried 3 different sd cards?

[Lucas1010]

Delete any other .BIN files and make sure your file is named exactly BLACKBOX.bin

[Sonarman]

Had a similar issue..Mac named the download Bin BlackBox_2.Bin since I still had an earlier update in my downloads file. so of course nothing happens..check the file name and ensure it say BlackBox.Bin

[blobby]

congrats on the release.

I did notice some stability issues / reboots when using 2.9.1 presets but these seem to have gone away once loading a new present from scratch.

midi IN via usb now seems pretty stable, I hope whatever issue there has been fixed, BUT I can’t get any midi OUT via usb now, not even clock. works fine same settings via trs out.

when switching between keys and midi sequences, all the notes are cleared. this happened before as well, not sure if feature or bug at this point. I would prefer it remained.

[Kaaareeegar]

I can confirm the usb midi out issue, does not send the clock also. In the beta it seemed to be fine.

[horisonten]

Just tried this firmware. It felt buggy unfortunately.
Is this the live release or is this still a beta? Please change the topic name so that people know that is still a beta in that case. I'm glad there are people who have the time, but I do not have time to beta test things and was expecting this to be a stable version because the name does not say beta.

Things I found when messing around for 20 minutes.

- Timeline for sequence progress not showing sometimes, or being fully white.

- Sequences filled up with random notes, and sometimes filled the whole pad row with notes (when I tried to record 16th notes live). It looked like one note filled the whole sequence length and was on top of what i actually played. This was without anything connected to the midi ports. Only headphones, line in and usb power connected.

The most disappointing thing is that the sequence editor seems to have no improvements in workflow in this version. I spend more time trying to remove accidental notes I put in the piano roll than to add the correct ones (it happens because I accidentally add notes when trying to hit the wrong ones with a stylus). Kind of ironic.

Suggestion: A simple press and hold to move notes around would be deeply needed as a bare minimun. And also a push, hold and drag for a select box to appear for the possibility to highlight multiple notes and also move them like first suggestion.

[Sonarman]

I just got my device and learning curve is expected but editing in sequencer is frustrating. I see a pink bar and it disappears when I did not want this action. Ok UNDO!!! NO Undo? Please add..

And I second these.
The most disappointing thing is that the sequence editor seems to have no improvements in workflow in this version. I spend more time trying to remove accidental notes I put in the piano roll than to add the correct ones (it happens because I accidentally add notes when trying to hit the wrong ones with a stylus). Kind of ironic.

Suggestion: A simple press and hold to move notes around would be deeply needed as a bare minimun. And also a push, hold and drag for a select box to appear for the possibility to highlight multiple notes and also move them like first suggestion.

[Kaaareeegar]

Hi, thank you for this update.

i have a roland midi interface um one, its usb end connected to bb. The midi in end of the interface is connected to korg volca drum midi in port.

Just before in the beta update, and all previous updates i was able to send midi out and clock signal to volca drum with this cable setup. I mainly used this method to sync bb and volca drum, bb acting as a master and volca drum a slave. I could pause and play my bb and it will in sync pause and play the sequencer on the volca drum.

this doesnt seem to work in this update, for master slave combination i tried to cable the clock out of bb to clock in of drum machine, while the clock was in sync and play and pause worked fine, the issue was there with the volca sequencer that everytime i push stop on the bb the sequencer would stop at the step, and as i push play again on bb the sequencer began from the same step rather than a reset and play from step one again. With the usb clock out method on the bb, i could make sure the sequencer on the volca drum machine stop played everytime from the first step only.

what should be my combination in settings on Bb for this to work with such external devices, what am i missing here ?

[jayneural]

Will test this for sure over the weekend.

I wonder if the recording behaviour was reverted to recording the notes to the last selected pad sound by default.

[mojod20]

Only been testing for 10 mins using my Le Strum with a Widi Master, going in to the Blackbox USB midi in with a Nektar Widiflex and 3.0.1 is not liking it at all. Either held or missing notes all over the place... compared to 2.9.1 which was working perfectly except the issues others were having of needing to reboot after a while to reconnect the midi.

[nuemerik]

The most disappointing thing is that the sequence editor seems to have no improvements in workflow in this version. I spend more time trying to remove accidental notes I put in the piano roll than to add the correct ones (it happens because I accidentally add notes when trying to hit the wrong ones with a stylus). Kind of ironic.

Suggestion: A simple press and hold to move notes around would be deeply needed as a bare minimun. And also a push, hold and drag for a select box to appear for the possibility to highlight multiple notes and also move them like first suggestion.

^ This 100%. The Blackbox is a wonderfully powerful machine and I'd love to use it more, but in practice all the simple stuff tends to be a giant chore (writing and editing in the sequencer). I've even resorted to using a dedicated stylus, but doesn't work as well as you'd think. I've had the Blackbox for over 2 yrs now and I mention this with nearly every update. I keep it in hopes one day the sequencer screen will get a revamp and be on par with iphone/ipad apps from over a decade ago. I hate being a Negative Nancy, but I feel this has been overlooked for far too long.

[Andrie]

love the blackbox. but again no midi LED support for sequences. i do not understand why it is not implemented, bummer

[bahamaaal]

thanks for the update! i found one little bug, though: if i delete the last preset with file > delete in the preset manager the new last preset in the list cannot be loaded until the next restart of the bb

[Steve]

When you delete the current preset, the blackbox will auto-load the next preset. That is why 'Load' is not active for that preset.

[spltunes]

Thanks for the great update!!! Most problems are now solved for me - very nice. And most of my reported bugs are fixed - this feels very satisfying. But some strange behaviours still exist.

- I can't record Pad sequences with external Midi - Set Global Channel to Omni and tried all different variations- it won't record. Over tapping Pads on screen I can record PAD sequences.

- When I record Key Sequences with Step Mode OFF on Layer A everything is fine. On Layer B-C-D the notes are shown as a line but play as separate notes.

- Switching from Keys to Midi Sequences removes all notes.

- Clear sequence clears all layers A-B-C-D. Would be nice if only the selected layer is cleared.

- Last used folder for MIDI import get's lost when loading a wave file in pads - would be nice if there where two saved "last used" folders, one for audio and one for MIDI

- Still not possible to connect Torso T-1 over USB - no Clock or notes are transferred. Is that a problem of Torso or 1010?


Not tested so far: Midi thru, Song Mode Changes

[focal sounds]

100% same issues here.

[mojod20]

Had a longer play and having a huge amount of issues with this version. Some lingering from the older versions and also some have mentioned...

- Notes layering on top of one another in the sequences. Have to double delete notes that are layered... and with my chubby digits, I keep adding more to do so, so ends up like Conways game of life
- Sequences A to D getting cleared instead of just the one your currently on and want cleared.
- Going from Keys to Midi clearing everything.
- Going through samples to load in 'play' mode doesnt let me listen to the sample.
- Loading new sample changes launch mode from gate/trigger/toggle to something else, usually back to trigger if im on gate
- Midi out through usb doesnt work
- Midi in though usb holds or misses notes with multiple notes
- Missing arpeggiator

[blobby]

yeah i can confirm all those as well

[focal sounds]

I'll confirm those too.

[Steve]

- Notes layering on top of one another in the sequences. Have to double delete notes that are layered... and with my chubby digits, I keep adding more to do so, so ends up like Conways game of life

Please share more details regarding connections and sequence settings.

- Sequences A to D getting cleared instead of just the one your currently on and want cleared.

This is intended if you clear from the sequence home page.

- Going from Keys to Midi clearing everything.

Keys to MIDI or MIDI to Keys should retain notes. Keys or MIDI to Pads should not.

- Going through samples to load in 'play' mode doesnt let me listen to the sample.

I'm not seeing this. Video?

- Loading new sample changes launch mode from gate/trigger/toggle to something else, usually back to trigger if im on gate

This has always been the case and depends on the metadata (wavtags) in the file.

- Midi out through usb doesnt work

This is intended

- Midi in though usb holds or misses notes with multiple notes

Please share more details about your setup and settings[/QUOTE]

[WhatDennisDoes]

Does this mean I can no longer use the arpeggiator on my Launchkey mini mkiii?

[plonga]

@Steve It sounds from your post that it is intended behavior, that notes are getting cleared when switching from pad to keys. What is the reasoning behind this? I'm a brand new user and I found this very confusing, so I switched back to 2.9.1. when I noticed this. I just don't want to mess up my project when I'm still in the learning phase and do a lot of experimenting.

[Steve]

Pads and Keys sequences are not compatible.

[Tonemod]

Got my finger on the trigger to acquire another BlackBox after being an early adopter and moving on. Very interested in compatibility with T-1. I've used T-1 with a few other USB midi hosts - rock solid hosted by OP-1 Field and Expert Sleepers FH-2.

Does T-1 power up when connected to Blackbox?

- Still not possible to connect Torso T-1 over USB - no Clock or notes are transferred. Is that a problem of Torso or 1010?

[byrdinbbylon]

Just downloaded and started messing with the new firmware.

I was very happy to see that the lead in count was working on both pads and sequences. Now this works how I'd previously hoped for recording guitar/bass audio layers into pads one at a time without having to sequence them. I can either sequence a beat or use a loop underneath and arm several clips while recording a new one and such.

I'm excited for the possibilities with the audio outs new level controls. That should make using external effects pedals smoother. I'll report back how that goes.

While I don't yet totally love the new KEYS or PADS per sequence thing compared to the old many on a single sequence approach, I can live with it for now. It would be nice if when switching between KEYS mode and PADS mode on the sequence screen, it wouldn't clear the existing sequence until you actually sequence in a note. Accidentally switching and then switching right back could too easily wipe out a sequence (and UNDO doesn't bring it back). For now, I'm just being sure to save after any new sequence is recorded, just in case.

Adding the label to designate sequence of pad on the grid is a useful addition.

I've yet to mess with song mode or using the layer sections on sequence. Will report back on those aspects later.