Black Box BBR64-MADI User manual

BLACKBOX BBR64MADI & BBR DANTE RECORDER - User Manual v2.2 Page | 1
BLACKBOX RECORDER
BBR64-MADI &
BBRDante
User Manual
V 2.2 rev 0
Date: July 2011
Congratulations on your purchase of the JoeCo BlackBox Recorder. This document
will lead you through the basics of how to set up and use the product. The BlackBox
Recorder (BBR) has been designed to be as simple as possible to set up and operate.
Consequently you will find that this user manual is not a long document and can be
read from cover to cover in a short while. However, we strongly recommend that you
do read it just in case there are some aspects of the product that are not immediately
obvious.
This manual covers the following variants of the BlackBox Recorder: BBR64-MADI and
BBR-DANTE and should be read in conjunction with the Quick Start guide.
More information is available in the LOGIN area of the JoeCo Website
www.joeco.co.uk . Visitors can gain immediate access to more detailed information
whilst EndUsers once approved are eligible for software upgrades and other
downloads.
If you need information in a hurry register as a Visitor and upgrade to an EndUser
later on.
© JoeCo Limited 2009, 2010, 2011. E&OE. All rights reserved. All trademarks and
names are recognised as the property of their respective owners

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Contents
BLACKBOX RECORDER.................................................................................................. 1
BBR64-MADI & BBRDante ........................................................................................... 1
Important Safety Information .................................................................................. 3
WARNING - Read the following before proceeding :........................................... 3
Copyright Warning ................................................................................................... 4
Opening the box....................................................................................................... 5
Box Contents........................................................................................................ 5
Controls and interfaces ............................................................................................ 6
Front Panel .......................................................................................................... 6
Rear Panel........................................................................................................... 7
Installation................................................................................................................ 9
Deciding where to install ..................................................................................... 9
Wiring the BBR into your console........................................................................ 9
Deciding on a disk drive..................................................................................... 10
Connecting a disk drive...................................................................................... 11
Power connection.............................................................................................. 12
Checking that everything works ........................................................................ 12
Normal operation................................................................................................... 13
Recording........................................................................................................... 13
Playback............................................................................................................. 14
File Names ......................................................................................................... 15
Virtual Sound Checking...................................................................................... 18
Monitoring......................................................................................................... 19
Summary of Combined Controls in MAIN Screen .............................................. 20
Using the Menu...................................................................................................... 20
Menu Structure and operation.......................................................................... 21
Setting up adjustable parameters...................................................................... 21
Software updates............................................................................................... 30
Linking multiple BlackBox Recorders together....................................................... 32
Safe’n’Sound Record Recovery.......................................................................... 34
Using a PS2 keyboard ............................................................................................. 35
Troubleshooting ..................................................................................................... 36
Summary Of Alert Messages.............................................................................. 38
JoeCo Conditions of Use......................................................................................... 40
Software Licence Agreement ................................................................................. 42
Warranty Information ............................................................................................ 45
Product Returns ..................................................................................................... 47
Product and End User Registration ........................................................................ 48

BLACKBOX BBR64MADI & BBR DANTE RECORDER - User Manual v2.2 Page | 3
Important Safety Information
WARNING - Read the following before proceeding : N:
Read instructions: Retain these safety and operating instructions for future
reference. Adhere to all warnings printed here and on the equipment. Follow the
operating instructions printed in this User Guide.
Do not remove covers: Operate the equipment with its covers correctly fitted.
Refer any service work on the equipment to competent authorised technical
personnel only.
Power sources: Connect the equipment using the mains power adapter supplied.
Power cord routing: Route power cords so that they are not likely to be walked on,
stretched or pinched by items placed upon or against them.
Grounding: Do not defeat the grounding and polarisation means of the power cord
adapter or plug. Do not remove or tamper with any ground connection in the power
cord.
Water and moisture: To reduce the risk of fire or electric shock do not expose the
equipment to rain or moisture or use it in damp or wet conditions. Do not place
containers of liquid on it which might spill into any openings.
Ventilation: Do not obstruct any ventilation. If the equipment is to be operated in a
flight-case ensure that it is constructed to allow adequate ventilation.
Heat and vibration: Do not locate the equipment in a place subject to excessive
heat or direct sunlight as this could be a fire hazard. Locate the equipment away from
any devices which produce heat or cause excessive vibration.
Servicing: Unplug the power immediately if the unit is exposed to moisture, spilled
liquid, the power adapter becomes damaged, during lightening storms, or if smoke,
odour or noise is noticed. Refer servicing to qualified technical personnel only.
Installation: Install the equipment in accordance with the instructions printed in
this User Guide. Use the equipment connections for their intended purpose only.
Precautions
Environment: Protect from excessive dirt, dust, heat and vibration both when
operating and storing. Avoid drinks spillage, tobacco ash, smoke, and exposure to
rain and moisture. If the equipment becomes wet, remove power immediately. Allow
to dry out thoroughly before using again.
Cleaning: Avoid the use of chemicals, abrasives or solvents. The equipment is best
cleaned with a dry lint-free cloth. Do not remove the cover to clean the unit.

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Damage: To prevent damage to the equipment cosmetics, avoid placing heavy
objects on the unit, scratching the surface with sharp objects, or subjecting the unit
to rough handling and vibration.
Transporting: The equipment should be transported in the original packing or
purpose built flight case to protect it from damage during transit.
Cables: Plan the location of the equipment so that the connecting cables are not
fully extended. Full extension of the cables can stress the equipment and cables and
may result in undesired performance. Ensure that all cables are located such that
they cannot be stood on or tripped over.
Copyright Warning
JoeCo’s recorder products are designed to enable you to record and
reproduce material to which you own the copyright, or material which the
copyright owner has granted you permission to record and/or reproduce.
It is illegal to record, reproduce, distribute, sell, hire, lend, perform or
broadcast all or part of a work (written or musical composition, broadcast,
performance or similar) whose copyright is held by a third party without
permission of that third party.
Do not use this Product for purposes that could infringe a copyright held by a
third party. JoeCo and its authorised distributors and resellers assume no
responsibility whatsoever with regard to any infringements of third-party
copyrights arising through your use of this Product.

BLACKBOX BBR64MADI & BBR DANTE RECORDER - User Manual v2.2 Page | 5
Opening the box
Box Contents
Inside the box you will find the following:
BlackBox Recorder
Power Supply
User Manual
Quick Start Guide
The BlackBox Recorder is not a standard multitrack recorder nor is it a digital
audio workstation (DAW). It has been designed specifically for Live
applications and will not necessarily be appropriate for use in a studio
situation. It will typically be used to record audio material onto a USB2 drive
for subsequent editing and processing in a DAW.
A number of specific features have been added to make it suitable and safe
in a Live environment; playback lockout, protection against accidentally
ending a recording, virtual sound checking, no general purpose operating
system, etc.
Some features often found in other multitrack machines are not present in
the BlackBox Recorder such as overdubbing and punch in facilities.

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Controls and interfaces
Front Panel
The front panel of the BlackBox Recorder contains all the user controls for
the unit. The buttons are all touch sensitive which prevents them wearing
out through constant use –just place the flat of your finger on the button to
operate.
BBR64-MADI
BBR-DANTE
The left hand side of the unit contains the metering and channel status
section. Each channel or Track [1 through 64on the MADI system] [1 through
32 on the Dante system] has a bicolour LED to indicate the track status
(armed for recording; recording; rough level meter; ready for playback; Pre
Fade Listen, etc.). To the right of this are two columns of metering LEDs
comprised of Green, Yellow and Red LEDs. These metering LEDs show the
levels on the Pre Fade Listen (PFL) bus inside the BlackBox Recorder. The
monitoring section of this manual described the PFL function in more detail.
There are also indicators for Disk activity and Playback Lockout which can
prevent you from accidentally entering playback during the performance.
Channel Status and
Metering
Transport
Controls
Control buttons
Display
Data
Wheel
Channel Status and
Metering
Transport
Controls
Control buttons
Display
Data
Wheel

BLACKBOX BBR64MADI & BBR DANTE RECORDER - User Manual v2.2 Page | 7
To the right of the JoeCo logo is the control wheel which has a number of
functions explained later in this manual.
Then we have the main Transport controls [PLAY, STOP, RECORD] with the
four other control buttons above [L-R: BACK, MARK, LOOP, MENU].
Finally, at the right hand side of the front panel is the colour LCD display.
Rear Panel
The rear panels of the BBR64-MADI and BBR-DANTE BlackBox Recorders are
as follows: The areas indicated in the diagram below are explained in more
detail later in this manual.
BBR64-MADI
Audio i/o on the BBR64-MADI utilises either optical or coaxial (BNC)
connections and both variants are provided for, selectable in software (see
above).
Audio Clocks may be extracted from the incoming MADI data stream, from
the separate word clock input or from the BBR link RCA input (ext clk in).
The rightmost of the lower 3 D-type cut outs provides for an additional 8
channels of balanced analogue input .The cable loom should conform to the
TASCAM standard for analogue i/o (pin out is available in the visitor section
of the LogIn area of the JoeCo website www.joeco.co.uk ).
A stereo TRS ¼” headphone socket provides the output of the Pre Fade
Listen bus.
MADI i/o
Balanced
Analogue
inputs
BBR Link
USB2 Disk
Keyboard
Headphones
Timecode
and Control
Power
Word Clock

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The power connector is a 4pin mini XLR connector. Linear Timecode (LTC)
and MIDI Timecode (MTC) can be used to time stamp recordings. Remote
Control can be via Sony PII protocol (9-pin), MIDI Machine Control (MMC),
Qwerty Keyboard or a simple contact closure.
BBR-DANTE
Audio i/o on the BBR-DANTE utilises the Ethernet RJ45 connector and should
be connected using high quality CAT5E Ethernet cable (see above).
Audio Clocks may be extracted from the incoming DANTE data stream, from
the separate word clock input or from the BBR link RCA input (ext clk in).
The rightmost of the lower 3 D-type cut outs provide for an additional 8
channels of balanced analogue input .The cable loom should conform to the
TASCAM standard for analogue i/o (pin out is available in the visitor section
of the LogIn area of the JoeCo website www.joeco.co.uk ).
A stereo TRS ¼” headphone socket provides the output of the Pre Fade
Listen bus.
The power connector is a 4pin mini XLR connector. Linear Timecode (LTC)
and MIDI Timecode (MTC) can be used to time stamp recordings. Remote
Control can be via Sony PII protocol (9-pin), MIDI Machine Control (MMC),
Qwerty Keyboard or a simple contact closure.
The rest of the rear panel is fairly self explanatory we hope and is explained
in greater detail later in this manual. There are more technical details on the
JoeCo website (www.joeco.co.uk) should you require them.
DANTE
Ethernet
Balanced
Analogue
inputs
BBR Link
USB2 Disk
Keyboard
Headphones
Timecode
and Control
Power
Word Clock

BLACKBOX BBR64MADI & BBR DANTE RECORDER - User Manual v2.2 Page | 9
Installation
Deciding where to install
In a live situation, it depends on whether the live engineer wants to be able
to see the BBR interface or not and whether you intend to utilise the Virtual
Sound Check facilities. If possible, it’s best to install it at eye level for ease of
operating the menus.
Wiring the BBR into your console
When recording MADI, your choice of coaxial or optical SC cables will most
likely be dictated by the console. The BBR64-MADI provides for both types
so it’s easy to plug in. Make sure you wire the console’s output to the BBR’s
input and vice versa.
You will need to configure the sample rate to be the same as the rest of your
system. Use the MENU button and then use the wheel to select SETUP; Press
MENU again to enter the Setup menu and then use the wheel again to select
SAMPLE RATE. Pressing MENU again will now allow you to use the wheel to
select which sample rate to use and MENU again confirms your choice. The
BACK button takes you back a MENU level.
To configure the input to the BlackBox, you will need to use MENU;
INPUT/OUTPUT… to select the input source: [Electrical (Coax) or Optical];
select the Reference Clock: [MADI, Wordclock, SPDIF or Internal].
At the bottom of the INPUT MENU the Input Status bar turns green when
the BBR is locking to a good, valid input signal; a yellow bar indicates that the
BBR cannot lock to the incoming signal or that it has been instructed to lock
to a clock signal that is not synchronous with the incoming data; a red bar
shows that no input signal is being received.
The Output Setup screen similarly configures the output of the BlackBox.
If you’re using a DANTE system then you’ll have an appropriate CAT5
Ethernet cable to plug into the BlackBox Recorder. The CAT5 cable is

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bidirectional and you’ll need to use the Dante Controller software to
configure the network connections.
In certain circumstances, you can supplement the digital inputs with up to 8
analogue inputs. This is primarily aimed at capturing the ambience of the
venue or the audience itself. These additional 8 analogue inputs are
balanced line level inputs and will normally be fed from separate
microphone pre amps or spare channels on the console.
On a BBR64-MADI, these additional 8 analogue inputs are only available
when the MADI input is set to receive 56-channel (legacy) MADI signals.
On a BBR-DANTE system these additional 8 analogue channels will always be
available and you can decide whether to insert them into the outgoing Dante
data stream or not. If you do want to access these channels elsewhere on
the Dante network, insert them as channels 1-8, bumping all the other
channels up.
The additional analogue inputs can be monitored on the internal PFL bus,
two channels at a time
These balanced analogue inputs can be switched between Low and Pro
levels in the Setup Menu (page 26).
Setting
LOW
PRO
Nominal level
-10dBu
+4dBu
Headroom above nominal level
14dB
18dB
0dBFS (when digital clipping will occur)
+4dBu
+22dBu
Pay special attention to the clocking signals to ensure that the BlackBox
Recorder is being clocked correctly. There is more on this subject later, in the
clocking section (page 23).
Deciding on a disk drive
Both the BlackBox MADI Recorder and the Dante Recorder require modern
fast USB2 drives. We cannot guarantee that every drive in the world will