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Dolphin ID: 5557
Product SKU: 9900-40459-08
The award-winning Black Box is designed for guitar players who want to stretch the creative potential of the guitar. With an inspiring array of unique effects that automatically beat-sync to your song tempo or the included drum patterns, the Black Box allows you to quickly access intricate delay lines, randomized filters, pulsing feedback effects and countless other ways of jumpstarting the songwriting process. Co-developed by M-Audio and Roger Linn Design, the Black Box is the first creative tool for guitarists that combines amp modeling, powerful beat-synced effects and a drum machine with a Pro Tools M-Powered compatible audio interface for computer-based recording.
With new version 2 firmware, the Black Box features 40 amp models—including spot-on emulations of many of the greatest guitar amps of all time. The unit also incorporates over 120 unique inspiring effects, many of which beat-sync to the internal drum patterns or to an external sequencer. 100 built-in drum patterns with tap tempo make it easy to try out different grooves and tempos. A built-in microphone preamp is also included for recording and processing vocals and acoustic instruments. One simple USB connection sends the output directly to your favorite computer-based recording software—and syncs the Black Box’s drums and effects to your tracks. The Black Box gives you killer tone, groundbreaking effects, huge beats, and it’s the only dedicated guitar product in the world that gives you access to Pro Tools M-Powered.
Amp Modeling—Vintage to Modern
The Black Box with new version 2 firmware tears it up with 40 virtual amp models (based on AdrenaLinn™ technology) that span the gamut of the tools needed by the modern guitarist. You get killer models based on classic and modern amps from* Fender, Marshall, Vox, Mesa Boogie, Hiwatt, Soldano, Roland, Bogner. Budda, Matchless, Deizel, and more, plus four classic bass amps, two fuzz tones and a clean preamp. These virtual amp models are so realistic that you won’t know the difference when you close your eyes—but your back and wallet will.
Beat-Synced Effects
Unique and distinctive effects are one of the hallmarks of AdrenaLinn II™ technology. All effects are beat-synchronized to the drums or external MIDI clock, so they’re always in sync with your grooves and sequences. In addition to standards like tremolo, delay, chorus, auto-wah and talk box, the Black Box has a variety of unique effects such as filter sequencing and arpeggios that let you create sounds nobody’s heard before. There’s also an independent beat-synced delay with controls for note division, number of repeats and volume. You can also process your guitar, microphone or drum patterns through the DSP effects for some truly “out there” original sounds. And for a truly polished sound, the unit also includes a compressor/sustainer and reverb with five selectable room types.
Drummer on Call
You can get your grooves and songs started instantly with the 100 built-in drum patterns. You’ll find all kinds of inspiring styles to choose from. Best of all, the Black Box’s unique beat-synced effects are automatically locked to the drums. Just tap the tempo you want with the footswitch or front panel button to set the desired master tempo. You can even run them through the on-board effects for some very unique sounds.
The drums and effects can also lock to the tempo of incoming MIDI Clock from your sequencer. It’s pretty much impossible to avoid playing something new and cool every time you turn the Black Box on.
Instant Inspiration
The Black Box ships with 100 great presets that get you rockin’ as soon as you power up. These smoking combinations of amp models, beat-synced effects and drum grooves will have you jamming instantly every time you turn the Black Box on. There are also 100 user preset locations so you can store all your favorite variations and unique creations. Everything is super-simple and intuitive so that you can focus on what’s important—your music.
Record Now
You’ve turned a lot of people’s ears with the Black Box alone… and there’s even more power available to you when you plug it into a Mac or PC. We’ve built our highly acclaimed mobile interface and mic/instrument preamp technology right into the Black Box. Just connect a USB cable between Black Box and your computer and your creative output goes right to your tracks—and your mix is available for monitoring at the Black Box’s headphone and balanced outputs. Included drivers for WDM, ASIO and CoreAudio gives you the flexibility of working with most popular sequencing software, including Pro Tools M-Powered, Ableton Live, GarageBand, SONAR, Digital Performer, Logic and more. In fact, Black Box is the only dedicated guitar product in the world that gives you access to the world of Pro Tools M-Powered.
Convenient
We’ve thrown in just about everything you might think of to make the Black Box easy to work with. Inputs for momentary and expression pedals give you tons of control. We’ve built a tuner in so there’s one less thing to worry about. The included mic stand adapter lets you position the Black Box within easy reach. There’s even a Kensington lock slot for security and peace of mind.
Digital Outs
Need to record to a digital device like a hard-disk recorder or a different computer audio interface? No problem. The Black Box features S/PDIF output of 24-bit/44.1kHz. The output of the Black Box’s DSP amp and effects section goes to your other device without any analog degradation.
Features
Specifications
Szega
October 12, 2008
Rating: 8/10
Sound quality is around the line6 POD 2.0.
The mid can be set guys. You only have to learn to read.
Than read the manual...
I\'ve bought it for 100 euros used.
For that price it\'s great.
Andre Craford
July 5, 2007
Rating: 8/10
Vast improvement on my UA25. Sounds dead good when plugged straight into the PA's at giggs.
Randall
July 9, 2005
Rating: 1/10
The amp simulations are to date, the most unrealistic that I have ever heard. With only two EQ settings (bass and treble), no reverb, no cabinet modelling, no editing software and the worst gain spectrum that I've ever encountered, the Black Box failed to recreate even a modicum of realism in every possible tonal area for me.
My second hand Zoom 505 has more sophisticated amp models than this.
Largely in part to it's overly bright tonal nag and desperately limited EQ system, every nuance of my playing felt saturated in an audible digital polish so bright and toneless that I found myself tweaking this unit for hours in an effort to squeeze just an ounce of life out of it.
I failed.
The Effects:
Even after turning off the ridiculously aggressive noise gate, I still found myself playing against this device rather than with it and without an expression pedal (which isn't included) many of the effects related presets sound totally pointless and left me baffled as to their alleged usefulness.
The Talk Box is laughable, the Wah's tinny and unresponsive and everything else sounded far too gimmicky to my ears to find any kind of use in my studio.
The internal drum machine sounds like something I once heard on a Casio keyboard 20 years ago with a sound quality so "rink'a'dink" that I couldn't help but laugh when playing along with it.
It's hard to believe that this thing has been made in this decade.
As a USB soundcard.
Limited to 44.1 kHz, the Black Box is arguably not up to a professional standard and it became progressively apparent that this device is nothing more than a pricey DI box with an unbelievably unfounded ad campaign.
To top everything off the Black Box doesn't have a power switch so you have to power down from the mains rather than from the device itself. Professional quality? I dont think so.
Conclusion.
If the advertizers had been honest in their claims then I would have approached this device for what it is - something I wouldn't usually ever use as a guitarist.
Dean
July 5, 2005
Rating: 4/10
Doesn't have a power switch.
It has the most aggressive noise gate I've ever experienced and is best left turned off (otherwise the nuances of your playing will simply be cut off)
Doesn't come with any editing software.
The amp models are more on a par with my Behringer V-Amp 2 than that of my Pod XT (atleast you can adjust Mids on a V-amp 2, the Black Box has two EQ settings, Bass and Treble, absolutely useless for rock guitarists)
The FX sound gimicky and without an expression pedal (not included) are pointless and frustrating to use.
The drum machine sounds like something I once heard on a cheap Casio keyboard from 10 years ago.
The instruction manual doesn't cover everything so you're left guessing alot of the time.
Conclusion, an expensive over glamorised DI box disguised as an attractive package for guitarists.
If you take music seriously, avoid this product and dont let M-Audio rip you off.
Dolphin Music's Buying Guide to Soundcards
You’ll need to get sounds into and out of your computer when producing music, so some kind of ‘interface’ should be on your shopping list. You might think that you already have the necessary connections, but many of today’s interfaces come with multiple inputs and outputs (for recording bands and outputting to multi-channel surround systems), bundled software, on board sounds and, in some cases, much more, so really are worthy and cost-effective additions to your computer music set-up. In this part of the Dolphin Computer Music guide we’ll discuss all of the interfacing options currently available…
Now you can get even more out of your Black Box experience by simply downloading the easy-to-install firmware update. This update delivers enhanced sound for the 12 guitar amplifier models, so you’ll find them to be even more present and accurate than before. This update also improves the unit’s noise gate and the bass control of the “British Heavy” amp model.
Pro Tools 7 software introduces new MIDI and audio capabilities, enhanced efficiency, greater mixing flexibility, and improved ease of use, providing a new creative environment for the industry-standard digital audio workstation. Pro Tools 7 is a cross-platform release (Windows XP and Mac OS X 10.4) available for Pro Tools|HD, Pro Tools LE, and Pro Tools M-Powered systems.
Join the Black Box user community and get your hands on downloadable tones, tips and tricks, documentation and much more.
Combines amp modeling, effects, drums and audio interface
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