Blackbox Portastudio Workflow

This video is about a workflow or playing style on the Blackbox inspired by the old multi-track tape recorders (such as the Tascam Portastudio) and they way they are used with tape loops by various artists.

[@WildernessMusic_GentleSerene]

...and the learning curve for using this sampler is about one day or less.....This is a sampler made for the musician who doesn't want to use other peoples samples, search for samples, or waste time transferring samples. I play in my samples from analog sources, whether one note for sequencing or playing from a keyboard, or a clip of something like guitar stumming through a chord progression. Add these samples during my keyboard performance for added acoustic instruments with complete originality and all the nuances of the acoustic instrument.

[@minimal.camera]

Agreed! I think the Blackbox is the best sampler option for someone who plays other non-electronic instruments, and wants to record and sample from them.

[@sonfx]

Very happy to have found this video. It's such a great way of using the Blackbox. Recently got one and this has been very inspirational, thank you!

[@peacefulpigeon7254]

Thanks so much! Very inspiring use of the blackbox

[@monomakes]

How cool! This is how I use my BB. It's a strange little beast, but very cool. I like your idea of having knobs as macro controls! With the BB's power of modulation destinations, that could have some very interesting and surprising results!

[@moolder]

Thanks for showing this! I am checking all the cool stuff the BB can do prior to getting one. I can tell it will be fun 🙂

[@mcpu40]

GREAT VIDEO! Just got a Blackbox and this was helpful to me - appreciated!

[@MrCallingoccupants]

Thank you for this content, Great to see the different ways the Blackbox can be used and explanantions of how to set it up. Please post more! Bluebox useage videos would also be great to see, Thanks buddy - Subbed and looking forward to more videos.

[@minimal.camera]

Thanks so much, I definitely have more BB videos planned!

[@MrCallingoccupants]

@@minimal.camera Hey buddy, regarding cable connections, how did you connect the Korg to the BB? Did you connect the USB cable thru a computer first or directly to the BB?

[@minimal.camera]

@@MrCallingoccupants just a direct connection!

[@MrCallingoccupants]

@@minimal.camera Sweet! Looks like there's been a recent update. More vids when you're ready my good Sir!

[@voidisplace]

This is amazing! You gave me some advice on the Blackbox a while ago on reddit and I finally got one. This is exactly the kind of thing I was hoping to do - can't wait to try this soon. Would love to see you do more videos on it, especially incorporating a send/return for any effects.

[@minimal.camera]

Awesome to hear! I'm definitely going to be making more Blackbox videos, I'm really digging the new (beta) firmware and exploring multisampling at the moment. I want to work more on looping workflows as well.

[@tiffanzsolti]

Very good idea thanks! Appreciate your channel. And your comments on reddit, in general all the time!😊

[@CaidicusProductions]

Ooh, I love grooveboxes. Thanks for the presentation!

[@jeffryarchambeau5441]

Way cool! I velcroed mine onto a small guitar pedal board, with a USB power bank to run them. Cheap 5v to 9v cable from Amazon. Super easy to swap out Volcas or Roland compacts. TONS of fun!

[@minimal.camera]

Totally! I've got dual lock tape on the back of mine, and do something similar with a lap desk!

[@fallprecauxionsmusic]

this is brilliant!! very thorough, & greatly appreciated. bravo, sir!!

[@metaphoricalsoundeffects1400]

Was great, very cool !!

[@thepiratelol]

Awesome video! Thx man!

[@sirm01]

Love it, sounds great

[@untoldstory176]

Very Nice!

[@jimshannononsounds]

This setup is dope. Add Studio for even more goodness.

[@minimal.camera]

Thanks! what is Studio?

[@MrCallingoccupants]

@@minimal.camera I think he's referring to the larger "Korg NanoKontrol Studio" which has more knobs & buttons that you can use for controlling the Blackbox.

[@minimal.camera]

@@MrCallingoccupants Oh right, I always forget about those ones, thanks! I found my nanokontrol2 in a music thrift store for $30, its been a great little unit for me :)

[@mike_qbik]

Great video. How is the Korg controller conected to BB? Really inclined to buy the BB. Also there is a Tangerine but it looks like more stabd alone sampler then full groovebox like BB is.

[@minimal.camera]

Thanks! The KORG is connected with the USB cable it comes with, to the BB's USB device port. I agree that the Tangerine is more specialized, it is a multi-sample player, whereas the Blackbox is a multi-sample player plus a lot more. The main benefit of the Tangerine is the much higher polyphony count, but for my purposes, I haven't felt limited by the BB's polyphony. So the BB is a lot more versatile. You'll find that the DNA of the other Nanoboxes can be found in the Blackbox as well, such as the granular synth engine being expanded into the Lemondrop.

[@muzykaprzestrzeni8425]

Hey, I'm thinking about buying a blackbox. Your film has taken a big step forward in my plan. I have mc 707 but somehow this equipment does not attract me. I still have model samples and I feel that together with it they will create a nice duo. Regards, Bart

[@minimal.camera]

The Blackbox and Model:Samples is indeed an excellent duo! They each have different strengths. I would lean on the Model:Samples more for sound design and sequencing 1-shots, and the Blackbox more for playing with loops and long samples.

[@duncan-rmi]

the way the mod matrix works in the BB is wrong- they're not multiplying the two mod values together & dividing by 100 to get proper scaling, they seem to be adding them & then attenuating the result back to 100% max.(with three sources, you'd multiply them all together & divide by 10,000) so if your values were 50 on the CC & 50 internally, you'd get 2500/100 = 25, which is what you'd expect. what I'm seeing is more like 50 + 50 = 100 then divided by 2 back to 50. try adding an LFO to the filter or pitch... see what I mean? I was trying to build a leslie simulation with it- nightmare! & setting up crossfades with a single midi CC controlling the levels of two pads gives you a huge dead-band because you can't achieve a log/antilog relationship between the one that's a positive percentage of the mod value & the one that's negative. I've mentioned this far less clearly on the forum; I should head back there & elaborate.

[@minimal.camera]

Interesting! I'll have to experiment with this, and yes definitely take this to the 1010 forum!

[@danselmix]

7:23 a "2-pole filter" is a filter with a slope of 12 db/oct, no matter its type (LP, HP) so it´s not the proper term for what you wanted to describe

[@minimal.camera]

You are correct, what I meant to say was a 'bipolar filter', or what's often called a 'DJ Style' filter. Both LP and HP mapped to one knob.