1010music BLACKBOX 1.5 User manual

BLACKBOX 1.5
USER MANUAL

BLACKBOX USER MANUAL v 1.5
5/6/2020 8:54:00 PM Copyright 1010music LLC 2020
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
WELCOME........................................................................................................................................ 6
OVERVIEW ....................................................................................................................................... 7
SET UP BLACKBOX ............................................................................................................................ 8
Control the Volume.....................................................................................................................................................................................8
Test Your Setup ............................................................................................................................................................................................8
Connect an Audio Input for Sampling..................................................................................................................................................8
Working with a Battery.............................................................................................................................................................................8
QUICK START ................................................................................................................................. 10
Explore PADS.............................................................................................................................................................................................. 10
Explore KEYS .............................................................................................................................................................................................. 10
Explore Sequences ...................................................................................................................................................................................11
Explore Song Sections............................................................................................................................................................................. 11
Song Mode and REC | STOP | PLAY Buttons ....................................................................................................................................11
To Save a Preset: ........................................................................................................................................................................................................12
CREATE A NEW PRESET................................................................................................................... 13
To Create and Name a Preset:..............................................................................................................................................................................13
WORK WITH PADS ......................................................................................................................... 14
To Select WAV Files and Assign Pad Modes: ................................................................................................................................................14
Set Up a Sample Pad.................................................................................................................................................................................19
Single Sample Pads....................................................................................................................................................................................................19
Multi-Sample Pads.....................................................................................................................................................................................................21
Work with a Clip Pad....................................................................................................................................................................................................24
Work with Slicer Pads..................................................................................................................................................................................................26
To Manually Create or Remove Slices: ............................................................................................................................................................28
To Use Auto Scan to Create Slices:.....................................................................................................................................................................28

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To Use Slice to Grid:..................................................................................................................................................................................................28
To Use Slices to Synchronize Playback of Clip Pads: ................................................................................................................................28
Work with Granular Pads...........................................................................................................................................................................................28
Record a New WAV File .......................................................................................................................................................................... 30
To record a WAV file:...............................................................................................................................................................................................30
If you are recording WAVs for the current preset: ........................................................................................................................................31
If you are recording WAVS to build up a library of sounds: ......................................................................................................................31
To Record a WAV File while Sequences or Song Sections are Playing: ...........................................................................................32
To Record a Multi-sample pack onto blackbox:..........................................................................................................................................32
Save and Load Parameters in WAV Files.........................................................................................................................................32
Trim WAV Files.......................................................................................................................................................................................... 34
Use Clipboard Functions with Pads................................................................................................................................................... 34
Manage WAV Files .................................................................................................................................................................................... 34
Working with WAV Files on the microSD Card................................................................................................................................................34
To Delete, Save As or Rename a WAV File:....................................................................................................................................................35
Packing Presets ...............................................................................................................................................................................................................36
To Pack a Preset:........................................................................................................................................................................................................36
USE KEYS TO PLAY PADS CHROMATICALLY OR TO PLAY SLICED WAV FILES ...................................... 37
To Play a Sample, Clip or Granular Mode Pad With the Traditional Keyboard: ..........................................................................37
To Play a Sample, Clip or Granular Mode Pad With the Grid Keyboard:.........................................................................................37
To Play Slicer Mode Pads With Keys:...............................................................................................................................................................37
To Select a Scale on the Grid Keyboard:..........................................................................................................................................................38
WORK WITH SEQUENCES................................................................................................................ 39
Record and Play Sequences..................................................................................................................................................................39
To Toggle Song Mode On and Off:......................................................................................................................................................................39
To Record a Sequence: ............................................................................................................................................................................................39
To Play Sequences:....................................................................................................................................................................................................40
To Edit and View the Notes and Pad Triggers in a Sequence:..............................................................................................................40
To Edit Sequence Settings:....................................................................................................................................................................................41
To Use Sequence Quick Action Buttons: .........................................................................................................................................................42
WORK WITH SONG SECTIONS......................................................................................................... 43
To Toggle Song Mode:..............................................................................................................................................................................................43
Record and Play Song Sections............................................................................................................................................................ 43
To Record a Song Section: .....................................................................................................................................................................................43
To Play Song Sections:.............................................................................................................................................................................................44
To Edit Song Sections: .............................................................................................................................................................................................44
To Reorder Song Sections:.....................................................................................................................................................................................44

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To Change the Playback Speed of a Song: ......................................................................................................................................................45
To Add Swing to a Song: .........................................................................................................................................................................................45
APPLY EFFECTS............................................................................................................................... 46
To Route a Pad to an Effect:..................................................................................................................................................................................46
To Modify Effect Parameters: ..............................................................................................................................................................................46
ADJUST THE MIX ............................................................................................................................ 48
To Adjust the Sound Level and Pan of a Pad: ...............................................................................................................................................48
To Mute and Unmute Pads:...................................................................................................................................................................................48
MANAGE PRESETS.......................................................................................................................... 49
To Save Changes to a Preset:................................................................................................................................................................................50
To Load a Preset:........................................................................................................................................................................................................50
To Pack a Preset:........................................................................................................................................................................................................50
To Clean unused WAV files out of a Preset’s folder: .................................................................................................................................50
To Delete a Preset:.....................................................................................................................................................................................................51
To Rename a Preset:.................................................................................................................................................................................................51
To Save Current Changes as a New Preset: ...................................................................................................................................................51
Work with Preset Files on the MicroSD Card.................................................................................................................................51
Upgrading from Previous Firmware Versions ..............................................................................................................................52
What will happen to my legacy presets? How do I convert them to the new file structure? ....................................................52
When will my legacy WAV files get cleaned out of the root folder? ......................................................................................................52
USE TOOLS TO CUSTOMIZE YOUR BLACKBOX.................................................................................. 53
USE MIDI DEVICES WITH BLACKBOX ............................................................................................... 55
Work with MIDI Inputs........................................................................................................................................................................... 55
To Trigger Pad Hits and Sequences with a MIDI Device:........................................................................................................................55
To Play Notes and Use Common MIDI Modulation Signals with a Specific Pad or Pads:........................................................56
To Play Notes and Use Common MIDI Modulation Signals with the Currently Selected Pad: .............................................56
To Configure MIDI modulation for a parameter using named MIDI sources:..............................................................................57
To Use MIDI CC in Learn mode to Modulate Pad and Effect Parameters: ......................................................................................57
To Remove MIDI Modulation from a Parameter:.......................................................................................................................................58
Sharing of MIDI Input Channels ..............................................................................................................................................................................58
Use MIDI Program Change to Open a Preset.....................................................................................................................................................58
To Enable or Disable MIDI Program Changes:.............................................................................................................................................59
Work with MIDI Outputs........................................................................................................................................................................ 59
To Send MIDI Notes from a Sequence to an External MIDI Device: ..................................................................................................59
To Send MIDI Notes from a Pad to an External MIDI Device:...............................................................................................................59

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Use MIDI Notes to Play Slices...............................................................................................................................................................60
To Use MIDI Notes to Play Slices:.......................................................................................................................................................................60
Synchronize Playback with a Clock...................................................................................................................................................60
Configure Blackbox to Follow an External Clock ............................................................................................................................................61
Send the Blackbox Clock Signal to External Devices.....................................................................................................................................62
Reset the Clock ................................................................................................................................................................................................................62
Powering MIDI Devices .......................................................................................................................................................................... 62
CREATE PRESET TEMPLATES FOR RE-USE ........................................................................................ 63
To Configure a Pad without a WAV file:..........................................................................................................................................................63
To Add a WAV file to a Template Pad:.............................................................................................................................................................63
REDUCE ALIASING WHEN PLAYING PADS CHROMATICALLY............................................................. 64
PROCESSOR MANAGEMENT TIPS.................................................................................................... 65
UPDATE FIRMWARE, AUDIO FILES AND PRESETS ............................................................................ 66
Switch to a New MicroSD Card While Operating Blackbox ...................................................................................................... 66
Backup Your Presets and WAV Files.................................................................................................................................................66
Install New Firmware ............................................................................................................................................................................. 66
Reset Blackbox Presets to Factory Settings ...................................................................................................................................66
TECHNICAL SPECS........................................................................................................................... 68
On-Board Memory....................................................................................................................................................................................68
Maximum Sample Length...................................................................................................................................................................... 68
Samples Supported..................................................................................................................................................................................68
Maximum Number of Voices Supported.......................................................................................................................................... 68
Pin Mapping for Mini TRS Jack to MIDI 5 Pin DIN Connectors................................................................................................ 68
STAY UP TO DATE........................................................................................................................... 69
Demonstration Videos and Latest Documentation..................................................................................................................... 69
Connect with Other Blackbox Users.................................................................................................................................................. 69

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Contact Us.................................................................................................................................................................................................... 69
APPENDIX A - SUMMARY OF CHANGES........................................................................................... 70
Changes in V 1.5 ........................................................................................................................................................................................ 70
Changes in V 1.4 ........................................................................................................................................................................................ 70

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Welcome
Blackbox by 1010music 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 sections, which together can form a
song. Use blackbox to record complete compositions from the comfort of your studio or, with the help of a USB
power block, from the seat of your train or the park bench. You can also use blackbox to create materials to play in
the background while you sing or perform with other instruments. We can’t wait to see what you create with it!
Pads
Keys
Sequences
Song Sections
FX
Mixer

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Overview
Blackbox has a fairly simple set of input controls. You choose which
functional area you are controlling by pushing the white navigation
buttons. You control playback and recording of clips, sequences and
songs using the black transport buttons. You select and trigger sound
elements and configure parameters using the touch screen and the
knobs. The INFO button allows you to drill into an item on the screen to
edit more details. Push it repeatedly to access detailed information about
the item. The BACK button takes you to the previous screen.
Blackbox was designed so that you build your song by working through
the navigation buttons from left to right. You can certainly jump around
and do things in any order, but the general flow is to start on the left and
move to the right.
1. On the PADS screen, play, record, and organize a bank of samples. Blackbox comes with prerecorded
samples and allows you to record or transfer over your own WAV files.
2. The KEYS screen lets you play samples chromatically. You can also connect a MIDI device to blackbox to
trigger pads.
3. On the SEQS screen, record sequences as you play pads or keys. Each sequence can record any one or
more of the pads.
4. On the SONG screen, enable Song Mode to record Song Sections as you turn sequences on and off.
5. On the FX screen, adjust the parameters for the delay and reverb effects.
6. On the MIX screen, adjust the volume and pan of each pad.
7. On the PSET screen, save your work and start a new creation.
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 section that you are recording into. When
not in Song Mode, this displays the number of the sequence that will be recorded. You can toggle the state of Song
Mode by pushing the SONG button, then touching the on-screen Song button. Song Mode is active when the on-
screen button is blue. In the top right-hand corner, a progress bar displays the current playback progress of the
sequence or section that has recording context.
In this manual, we will first briefly make sure you have blackbox set up correctly and can make some sound with it.
Next, we will explore one of the provided presets so that you can see what blackbox is capable of doing. After
that, we will quickly create a new preset so you have a blank slate to use as we next walk through the basic use of
the screens behind each of the navigation buttons. That will be followed by a discussion of how to use MIDI devices
with blackbox, along with some more advanced usage features. Lastly, we will delve into managing blackbox
firmware and files, touch on a couple of technical specs and finally tell you where you can find more information
about blackbox and other 1010music products.
This manual was written for version 1.5 of the blackbox firmware.

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Set Up Blackbox
To get started with blackbox, simply insert the microSD card in the front slot,
plug it in, and connect it to speakers or headphones. The microSD card slot is
along the short front panel. The power jack and audio outputs are on the
back panel. To start, we recommend connecting external speakers or
headphones to the PHONES jack, since all outputs are routed to the PHONES
jack.
When connecting to power, be sure to use a well rated USB cable like the
one provided with blackbox. The cable should be at least 24 gauge or
better. The smaller the gauge number, the bigger and better the cable. One
example to look for is a USB 28/24 AWG cable. A standard printer cable that
you can find at an office store is probably not going to reliably power the
blackbox.
All of the audio jacks are stereo 3.5mm connectors. This makes for a total of 6
audio outputs (3 Audio Out jacks x2), stereo headphones, and a stereo input.
The audio output will be at Eurorack levels which is +/- 5 volts. This is louder
than a consumer electronics line level, so you may need a mixer to connect
with consumer electronics gear.
A microSD card must be inserted into blackbox before you can get started.
All presets are stored on the microSD card and all wav files are streamed from the card. Preset changes are only
saved when you choose to save them.
Control the Volume
If you are using the phones jack, you will want to control the volume of the output:
1. Press the TOOLS button.
2. Turn the knob next to the Headphone parameter in the top right.
Test Your Setup
Let’s make sure you are getting some sound out of your blackbox before we go any deeper.
1. Press the PADS button. You will see a grid of samples that have been assigned to the current preset.
2. Touch one of the pads on the touchscreen to trigger playback of the pad. You should hear the sample
playing out through the connected audio output.
If you don’t hear anything, try a different pad. Some pads may be assigned to different outputs. But all pads will
play out through the PHONES output.
Connect an Audio Input for Sampling
Blackbox assumes Eurorack level audio is coming in to the AUDIO IN jack at +/-5V. If you are using a line level signal
of +/- 1V you may need to adjust the input gain on the recording screen. You could also use a mixer or pre-amp
with your microphone or other input to adjust the level of the incoming signal.
Working with a Battery
You can plug blackbox into a USB power bank when you are away from a power outlet. However, these power
banks do not send information to blackbox about how much power is remaining. There may be a low power
indicator light on the power bank itself. Blackbox will not give you a warning when power is low. So be sure to save
your presets before the power bank runs out.

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Some batteries may not be sufficient to support a USB MIDI device in addition to blackbox. See Powering MIDI
Devices below for more information.

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Quick Start
Blackbox comes with a number of presets preinstalled on the 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:
1. Push the white PSET button to see the preset loader screen.
2. Turn any knob to scroll through the list of presets until you have SL BASS MUSIC KIT highlighted in blue.
3. Touch the Load button at the top of the screen to load the preset and go to the PADS screen. If this preset is
already loaded, the Load button will be disabled.
Explore PADS
Touch the PADS button to go to the Pads screen with a grid of 16 WAV files. Touch a
pad to trigger it. Depending on how the pad is configured, the sample might play all
the way through each time you press it, it might play only while you are touching the
pad, or it might play until you touch it again. A blue progress bar appears at the
bottom of the pad while it is playing. You can trigger multiple pads at once.
The pink box indicates which pad is currently selected. Use the touch screen or a
knob to select a pad. Push INFO to cycle between the WAV screen and the
parameters screens for the selected pad. Touch the page names at the bottom of
the parameters screen to access additional parameter pages. Touch the name of
the WAV file at the top of the waveform screen to select a different WAV file for this
pad. Touch the grid icon in the top left corner to select a different pad to edit. The colored square in the grid
indicates the selected pad.
While on the Pads screen, turn the lower right knob to access the Actions menu where you can cut, copy, paste
and clear pads. Turn the knob the other way to bring back the Velocity slider.
Please select one of the pads labeled SY Chor so we can have fun with it on the Keys screen.
Explore KEYS
With SY Chor selected on the Pads screen, push the KEYS button. Blackbox displays a
keyboard on the screen. Touch some of the keys on the keyboard to hear the
selected pad play pitch shifted by key. You can adjust which octave is playing by
touching the arrow buttons above the keyboard or by turning a knob. The C keys are
numbered so you can quickly identify which octave will be playing.
Push INFO to access the Grid Based keyboard. Use the two buttons in the top right of
the screen to select the Key and Scale that will be used by the grid keyboard. Now
you can play without worrying about hitting an off-key note.
Pads
Keys
Grid Keyboard

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Explore Sequences
Now that we know how to trigger the pads, let’s play some sequences. Before we do that, let’s take a minute to
turn off Song Mode. Push the white SONG button. You will see a list of sections that
have been created for this song. Touch the on-screen Song button to toggle the state
of Song Mode. The on-screen Song button is blue when Song Mode is active, but for
now let’s make it gray for inactive so we can focus on sequences.
Push SEQS to go to the Sequences screen with a grid of 16 sequence cells. The cells
that have sequences have dots in the mini-piano roll icon on the cell. Touch one or
more filled cells to make them active. A white box appears around the active
sequences. Push the black PLAY button to play the active sequences. Touch
sequences to turn them on and off. There may be a delay in response as the
blackbox waits for the next quantization point before triggering the sequence. Playing sequences have a blue
progress bar at the bottom of the cell. Sequences that are queued and waiting for a quantization break to play
have a white box in place of the blue progress bar. Push STOP when you are done. Push STOP a second time to
interrupt any pads that continue to play out after the sequence ended.
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. Push the INFO button
repeatedly to cycle through the piano roll and parameter pages for the sequence.
Select an empty sequence cell and we will record into it. Push PADS to go to the Pads screen. Hold down the REC
button and push PLAY to start recording a sequence. After the 4 beat count down, tap some pads to create a
sequence. By default, the sequence is one bar long. Blackbox will play the sequence in a loop as soon as you
finish recording it. If you tap some more pads, you will add more pad triggers to the sequence. Push REC to stop
recording while the sequence still plays. You can choose different sequences to record into while the other
sequences are playing. Press STOP when you want the sequences to stop.
Before we move on to song sections, go back to the SEQS screen and touch OFF on the right. This will deactivate all
sequences.
Explore Song Sections
Push the SONG button to go to the Song screen with its list of song sections. Touch the
on-screen Song button to enable Song Mode. Notice that the context bar at the top
of the screen now displays the name of the currently selected section. Now press
PLAY to play the song sections in order starting with the selected section. You can
jump around between the sections by touching a section to make it the next section.
You can play a section on loop by touching the Loop button at the top of the screen.
While a song section is playing, push the SEQS button to watch as blackbox plays the
sequences in the section. You can play additional sequences by making them active.
This will not add to the song section because you aren’t recording yet.
While a song section is playing, push the PADS button to watch pads being triggered by the sequences in the song
section. Touch a pad to trigger it and play along. On the Song screen, turn the top left knob to adjust the BPM of
the internal clock. The song will slow down or speed up in real time as you adjust this. Turn the top right knob to
adjust the amount of swing in the notes.
Push STOP to end playback of the song section.
Song Mode and REC | STOP | PLAY Buttons
Let’s talk about Song Mode and the transit buttons. When Song Mode is disabled, the PLAY, STOP and REC buttons
generally control the sequences. The one exception is when you are recording a new sample on the Sample
Sequences
Song Sections

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Recording screen. When Song Mode is enabled, the PLAY, STOP and REC buttons control the song sections. The text
in the top middle of the top-level screens always indicates what will be the target of a recording action. If Song
Mode is disabled, this text will indicate which sequence cell is currently selected, e.g. Seq 8. When Song Mode is
enabled, this text will indicate which Song section is currently selected, e.g. Inspiration. Here’s what happens when
you use the transit buttons in the different modes:
Song
Mode?
Button
Pressed
Action
Enabled
PLAY
Play the currently selected section plus any active sequences.
Enabled
REC + PLAY
Record start and stop events for sequences and save this in the selected
section. This information is recorded as an overlay, so you can add to a
section over time.
Enabled
STOP
Stop playing and recording all sections and sequences.
Disabled
PLAY
Play any active sequences. You can start and stop sequences while
playing. The sequences will play in a loop until you press STOP or deactivate
them.
Disabled
REC + PLAY
Play any active sequences and record any PADS or KEYS entries into the
currently selected sequence. This is recorded as an overlay so you can
add to a sequence over time. The sequences will play and record in a
loop until you press STOP or deactivate them.
Disabled
STOP
Stop playing and recording all sequences.
To record a song section, select the section you want to record into and then hold REC while you press PLAY. Any
sequences that are active at this time will start to play and be recorded into the section. Touch sequence cells to
activate and deactivate them and add them to the section. If you record on top of a previously recorded section,
it will add to the content that is already there.
To Save a Preset:
If you want to save the work you have done so far, push PSET, touch File and then touch Save or Save As. If you
choose Save As, you will have a chance to save to a new preset so you don’t overwrite the original preset. Note that
blackbox does not automatically save changes as you work. If you don’t save your changes, the preset will remain
in its original state on your microSD card when you load a different preset, create a new preset or power down
blackbox.
Hopefully, that’s enough to give you a feel for what blackbox can do. We will dive into more detail about each of
the functional areas of blackbox next.

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Create a New Preset
A preset is the master file that stores a blackbox composition. It holds the pad
assignments, sequences, song sections, FX settings, Mix settings and the detailed
parameters for each of these. Blackbox does not automatically save your work. You
must save the preset to avoid losing your work when you change presets or turn off the
unit.
To Create and Name a Preset:
First, you will create a new preset that will be used to store your creation. Follow these
steps to create and name your preset:
1. Touch the PSET button below the screen to display the Preset Management screen. This screen shows a list
of the presets stored on the microSD card with a menu across the top. The currently selected preset is
highlighted in blue.
2. Touch File then New in the top menu. Use the onscreen keyboard to enter a
name for the preset. Touch Enter to save the name and return to the Presets
screen with the new preset selected.
3. Push the PADS button to start working with your new preset from the Pads
screen.
Note:
•When blackbox first starts up, it loads the last preset you used on this microSD card.
Preset File Menu
Preset Management
Screen

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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. You can also use the Keys screen to play the currently selected pad. When you
trigger a pad from the Keys screen, a pad with a single WAV file is pitch shifted to correspond to the note played.
Multi-sample pads play the WAV file with a root note closest to the played note, with pitch shifting if needed. We’ll
talk more about multi-samples later.
To Select WAV Files and Assign Pad Modes:
From the Pads screen you will choose WAV files to assign to pads and assign a mode to each pad. The main screen
has a 4x4 grid of 16 light gray pads. A WAV file can be assigned to each of these pads, and each pad is assigned a
Pad Mode.
Blackbox supports the following pad modes:
Icon
Pad Mode
Description
Reverse
Playbac
k
Beat
Synch
Set Loop
Points
Play
Slice
s
Polyphony
Sample
Use to play single notes or drum hits. You
can control start and end points for
playback and looping. Supports reverse
playback, along with forward and
bidirectional looping.
4 notes
Sample –
multi-sample
mode
Spread a folder full of wav files across the
keyboard to get more realistic instrument
pitch shifting or to map different sounds to
each key on the keyboard.
4 notes
Clip
Use for synchronized loops and quantized
playback, e.g. drum loops and guitar tracks
between one and eight measures long.
2 notes
Slicer
Use with a WAV file with different sections
that you want to trigger independently.
2 notes
Granular
Generate new sounds from your samples.
The sample is played back in small portions
about 10 to 200ms in length, called grains.
Mono
New
Recording
Use to start recording a new WAV file or
clear a WAV from a pad.
Each pad can have a different Pad Mode. You can use the same WAV file in different pads in different Pad Modes.
To load a WAV file into a pad:
1. Push the PADS button to bring up the Pads screen.
2. Select a pad by touching it or using the control knobs to cycle through the pads. (The top control knobs
move the selection horizontally. The bottom left control knob moves the selection vertically.) The selected
pad is highlighted pink. Touching a pad that is loaded with a WAV file will also trigger playback of that
WAV file.
3. Press the INFO button. If the pad was empty, the WAV Load and Record screen will be displayed. If the
pad already had a WAV file assigned, the Waveform screen will be displayed.

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4. 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.
5. From the WAV file selection screen, use the control knobs to scroll through the list of files. Blackbox displays
the directories at the top of the list followed by the individual files in alphabetical order. The selected file or
directory name has a blue highlight. Touch Play to preview the highlighted file. The Play button will turn blue
to show that auto-preview is enabled. Blackbox will play each WAV file once when you pause on it while
scrolling. If you have a sequence or a MIDI input trigger playing for this pad, blackbox will play the
selected WAV file whenever a trigger is received for this pad. Touch the Play button again to disable auto-
preview mode. Touch Load to assign the selected WAV file to this pad. When looking at the list of files, list
items that start with a slash \ are directories. Load a directory to see its contents. The file path is displayed
above the list of files (e.g. SoundtrackLoops\SL Bass Mu in the example above.) Touch the caret ^to navigate
back up the directory tree. Touch the back arrow to go back to the previous screen.
Note:
•There may be considerable differences in volume levels of WAV files depending on how they were
originally recorded. Be careful when previewing the WAVs on the load screen or you could get a rude
surprise if you switch between soft and loud WAV files.
Once you have loaded a WAV file, you will be on the Waveform screen. There are a number of important features
on the Waveform screen. The grid icon in the top left of the screen, immediately below the clock counter, provides
a graphical representation of which pad in the grid you are configuring. You can touch it to bring up a pad
selection grid. Touch a square in the grid to change which pad you are working with. The icon just to the right of
that is a button that allows you to select the Pad Mode. The text in the top bar displays the first characters of the
name of the loaded WAV file, and can be touched to choose a different file. Trigger playback by touching the
arrow button on the right.
There are two views of the waveform displayed on the screen. The top view always displays the full waveform with
a blue square indicating the subsection of the waveform that is displayed in the bottom, bigger waveform. You
can use pinch and stretch touchscreen gestures to zoom in and out of the waveform, then swipe to scroll along the
length of the waveform. You can quickly jump to a different section of a long waveform by touching that section of
the wave in the top view.
If the pad is in Sample or Granular mode, the bottom waveform shows a pink bracket that indicates the portion of
the WAV file that will be played by this pad. Turn the top left knob to adjust the start position, and the top right
knob to adjust the length. If this pad uses looping, a white bracket is displayed to show the loop points. Turn the
bottom two knobs to adjust the loop start and loop end points.
If the pad is a Slicer you will see pink bars that indicate the position of the slices. If a wav has slices embedded in it,
you may also see slices when the pad is in Clip mode.
WAV Load and Record
Screen
Waveform Screen
WAV File Selection Screen

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The next step is to configure general pad parameters including choosing a Pad
Mode.
1. Touch the icon immediately to the left of the WAV file name at the top of
the screen to display the Pad Mode menu. Touch one of the options,
Sample, Clip, Slicer or Granular,to set the Pad Mode. The icon changes to
represent the selected Pad Mode. See the table on the previous page for
a description of each of these modes.
2. From the waveform screen, press the INFO button to display the Pad
Parameters Screen. Touch the buttons across the bottom to access the
different pages of pad parameters. You can press INFO again to toggle
between the Pad Parameter Screen and the Waveform Screen.
3. On the Main Pad Parameters page, there are four menu items below the
measure and beat count. The left most item is the grid icon and pad
selector. Touch this icon to change which pad you are editing. The pink
square in the grid indicates which pad you are currently editing. The
second menu item is the output selection button (Out1 in the example
screenshot). Touch this menu item to display the list of output options:
Output
Option
Description
Out1, 2,
3
The output of this pad is sent to selected output in stereo.
Out1L,
1R, 2L,
2R, 3L,
3R
The output of this pad is sent to the left or right stereo
channel of the selected output.
Note:
•The PHONES output will always contain a mix of all of the outputs.
4. Touch the desired output option to select it.
5. The next menu item (Mono in the example screenshot) controls the polyphony of the pad. Touch the menu
option to select Polyphonic or Monophonic playback for this pad. Sample pads support 4-note polyphony.
Clip mode and Slicer mode support 2-note polyphony. Granular mode is monophonic.
6. The last menu item displays an abbreviated version of the WAV file name (PC O and NAS_9 in the
screenshots). Touch this menu item to start playback of the pad. The playback functionality will depend
on the other parameter settings. The WAV file is playing when this menu item is highlighted blue. For Clips,
when this square is filled in white the clip is queued up to begin when the Play transport button is pushed.
7. As you push the buttons across the bottom of the Pad Parameters screen, blackbox will cycle through the
Pad Parameter pages. Some of the pad parameters are the same for all Pad Modes, while others vary by
mode. Touch the control knob closest to each parameter to set its value. Here are the parameters that are
the same for all Pad Modes:
Paramet
er
Description
Range of Values
Mod
Target?
Level
Adjusts the loudness level of the pad
-96.0 to +12.0 dB
Yes
Pitch
Adjusts the pitch of the pad up or down
-24.0 to +24.0 semitones
Yes
Main Pad Parameters Screen
Output Selector
Pad Mode Selector Screen

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Paramet
er
Description
Range of Values
Mod
Target?
Filter
Applies either a high pass or low pass
filter to this pad.
-100% to +100%
Negative values apply a low pass filter.
Positive values apply a high pass filter.
Yes
Launch
Mode
This controls how a note trigger affects
the playback of a pad.
Trigger: Activate the Pad by touching
the pad or through MIDI note on.
Blackbox will start playback of the
WAV file and play through to the end.
Gate: Begin the WAV file playback in
the same manner as Trigger mode. But
in Gate mode, playback will stop when
you release the touch or the MIDI note
is released.
Toggle: Begin the WAV file playback in
the same manner as Trigger mode.
When another trigger event happens,
the playback will stop.
No
Attack
The time it takes for the sound to reach
its loudest level
0.0 to 100.0% The attack percentage is
a logarithmic scale between 0 and 9
seconds.
No
Decay
How long it takes for the sound to go
from the initial peak to the sustain level
0.0 to 100.0% The decay percentage is
a logarithmic scale between 0 and 38
seconds.
No
Sustain
The volume level that the sound
maintains when you hold a note
0.0 to 100.0%
No
Release
The release specifies how long the note
will continue to play and fade out when
the note is released. In Gate mode, the
release begins when the touch ends, the
gate signal goes low, or the MIDI note
off event occurs. In Toggle mode, the
release begins when the toggle off
occurs. In Trigger mode with sample pads
the release begins when reaching the
Loop End point in loop mode, or the
Start + Len point when not looping. In
Trigger mode for Clips and Slicers, the
release has no effect.
0 to 100% The release percentage is a
logarithmic scale between 0 and 38
seconds.
No

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Paramet
er
Description
Range of Values
Mod
Target?
MIDI In
Specifies a MIDI channel to be used to
play this pad pitch shifted or sliced
across keys. and for some MIDI
parameters.
When a value other than None is
assigned to this parameter, this sample
will respond to all notes played on this
MIDI channel. The response depends on
the pad mode. If the pad mode is
Sample, Clip or Granular, the sample will
be played back pitch shifted based on
the distance from the root note of the
sample. The root note will play the note
as recorded. Each note above or below
the root note will transpose the pitch the
corresponding number of semitones. If
no root is specified in the WAV file or the
pad parameters, the root note defaults
to Note 60, typically middle C.
If the pad mode is Slicer, blackbox will
play the slice that corresponds to the
note played. Slice 1 is played for note
C2, and each subsequent slice is
assigned to the next semitone.
If you want to use MIDI controls (other
than MIDI CC) to modulate parameters
for this pad, you will need to specify the
source MIDI channel here.
More than one pad can be assigned to
the same MIDI channel. In this case, all
assigned pads will be triggered.
Any MIDI channel that is mapped to a
pad using this parameter no longer
triggers any events for MIDI parameters
set to OMNI.
Modulation sources PTCH (pitch bend),
MODW (Modulation Wheel), MVOL
(Volume control), and MPAN (Pan
control) also follow this channel
assignment.
Note that MIDI Input channels can also
be assigned globally on the MIDI In tab
of the Tools page. See the section Use
MIDI Devices with Blackbox below for
more information about how all of these
MIDI parameters interact.
None, Ch1 through Ch16.
No

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Paramet
er
Description
Range of Values
Mod
Target?
MIDI Out
Specifies a MIDI Channel that will be
used to send out notes when this pad is
triggered. When this pad is triggered using
notes, the corresponding note will be sent out on
the specified MIDI channel. If this pad is
triggered as a pad hit, note 64 will be sent out
on this channel. Please note that
Sequences can also be assigned to MIDI
Outputs. See the section Use MIDI
Devices with Blackbox below for more
information about MIDI Outputs.
None, Ch1 through Ch16.
No
Pad Note
Controls which MIDI note on the MIDI
Pads channel will trigger playback of this
pad.
Default,C#-1 through G9.
C#-1 maps to MIDI Note Number 0.
No
The remaining parameters are specific to the Pad Mode (sample, multi-sample, clip, slicer or granular). We
will discuss each Pad Mode individually in the next sections.
8. At the top of the Attack, Decay, Sustain, and Release parameters page, the
menu option to the right of the grid icon allows you to control exclusive
grouping of pads. Touch this menu option, Excl C in the screenshot, to see the
options. Touch an option to select it. When Excl X is selected, there will not be
an exclusive behavior for this pad. When a pad is assigned to Exclusive Group
A, B, C or D, any other pad in this group will stop whenever a pad in the group
is triggered.
9. To the right of the exclusive grouping option is the Playback quality option, set
to Normal in the screenshot. For most WAV files, the normal mode provides high quality playback with a
moderate draw on the processor. If you hear aliasing during playback of your WAV file, touch this button
and select HighQ mode. HighQ mode has a higher draw on the processor, so it is recommended that you
use Normal mode unless you are having issues.
Several of the pad parameters have three black boxes below them. These pads are potential modulation targets,
and these boxes are used to control the modulation parameters. We will discuss modulation later in the Work with
MIDI Inputs section.
The remaining configuration options for a pad vary based on which Pad Mode is selected. We will walk through the
configuration of each of the Pad Modes next.
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. You can also use this mode when you have a bank of samples that you want
to map across the keyboard. We will first discuss Sample mode pads loaded with a single sample, and then explain
the special case of multi-samples.
Single Sample Pads
A sample pad loaded with a single sample supports reverse playback, along with forward and bidirectional
looping. You can also use the Start and Len parameters to play a portion of the WAV file.
Pad Exclusive Groupings