Starting thread for 1010Music Blackbox 2.
has anyone got it yet?
I ordered one direct from their website. Hopefully will have it this week.
And hopefully a better out of the gate launch compared to Bento that I do not own.
I have the original Blackbox and like the compact size. So getting the Model 2 for portability and traveling.
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This looks pretty cool, and it’s got a 3 hour internal battery, nice.
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Its a shame that there’s no synth engine. I get that its supposed to be beneath the bento but its already smaller and has less tracks. A sampler and synth would be crazy in that form factor, especially with the looper.
look very very cool indeed with the screen and knobs giving you control in ways the old 1010 lacked - sort of like the old Korg effect sampler things but much deeper and more capable
I think this is unique to have a legitimately small, portable and powerful device like this with built-in battery and USB-C power. The sheer convenience alone. Usually this small size means toy-level gear such the funky new Casio sampler, but this will actually be useful beyond having a bit of fun.
You can move it very easily anywhere between set ups and different pieces gear, helping you actually create.
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Very interested to hear how this differs from the og blackbox.
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very hard to beat the OG … particularly if you’ve done the internal battery mod!
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Yes, but if I read this correctly, one track on the blackbox2 is like an entire project on the blackbox1 bar the global sequencer. THAT is interesting.
But if it’s more true to the 3.X firmware song mode, then that doesn’t matter to me. The long-form structure of the 2.X (and older) firmware is essential for how I write. If this is close to classic batch clip launching with resets by each clip progression, this won’t work for me.
But try as I might, I can’t figure it out from reviews or the manual. I don’t think people use the blackbox much in the way I used to.
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Could be wrong, but isn’t the BB 2 more simply a cutdown Bento in the BB form factor rather than a linear development of the BB ?
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This is what confuses me.
The name implies otherwise, but the actual product aligns with what you’re saying.
For those truly wanting a blackbox mk2, this might not just be what they’re expecting. But I’ve reached out to 1010 to ask them directly.
With this said, it still looks like a great sampler on its own. So maybe it’s the blackbox for those who never clicked with the previous one.
Although 1010 says in the marketing the mk2 is the heir to their own portable sampler throne, which would imply they think it’s the one to beat and hence therefore being quite popular. And thus, not making a true mk2 seems like an odd decision.
But we’ll find out soon enough. It’s in the wild now. User and sales will tell the final tale.
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I see it as having the same functions as the OG but borrowing some functions from the Bento. The layout of the knobs and them being labeled will help me. I will use it for multi-sampling to share with other machines. And for using the looper as it’s great at that. Should have it in a couple of days and will see how it goes.
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I think I already shared my view on this in the original BB thread.
I feel it loses a lot of flexibility compared to the BB 1.
It’s great for anyone looking to combine one-shots and loops. But for anyone wanting to create synths using SCWF, it’s a total loss. It’s also a total loss for anyone wanting multiple tracks with slices combined with other track types. The effects haven’t really improved at all (I even read that the reverb algorithm is the same). Sequencing loses a lot of flexibility, and it actually has fewer sequences than the original (32 vs. 64). Same number of inputs and outputs, same number of knobs—but plastic instead of metal—and it costs 100 euros more.
It still lacks sufficient modulation options.
The only advantages I see are the built-in battery, MIDI CC support, and more loops and drum samples for those who enjoy that style of composition.
I’m not sure what the USB audio will be like.
Overall, I see it as several steps behind the original.
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For now at least, BB2 is pretty much a 4-track small form factor Bento minus the hardware pads and the 3 synth engines.
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They shouldn’t have called this Blackbox 2 looks like.
Having bought multiple products of theirs and being subjected to the chaotic and mandatory at home beta testing I have been turned off from future purchases since I can’t really trust what they say it will be by the end of the road map.
BB1 was worked on randomly over the years and just sort of left as it sits with vague memories and murmurs of possible additions to round out its feature set. But that’s about what I expect from this lil’ Bento.
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I’d like to hear @KF6GPE 's take on this …
Good question, and thanks for @'ing me. I have generally stepped back from social media discussions of our products now, if only to protect my sanity and let cooler heads at the company prevail. 
It’s true that a lot of the UI draws from bento — in fact, there’s a lot of shared code between blackbox 2 and bento, and there will always be some interplay in features between the two. (Note that I am explicitly not saying that “because it’s on x, it is coming to y”, though. There are lots of product, user interface and business decisions involved in whether or not to carry a feature over.)
We are definitely aiming them at different slices of users — the blackbox 2 is squarely aimed at people who want a powerful sampler in a small form factor, where bento is more about people who want a portable music making device that includes both good sampling and good synth/sound design capabilities (hence pads, the additional synth engines, etc).
We’ve put together a sampler chart for our products Sampler Comparison Chart - 1010music LLC that tries to sum it up. And one of the to-do items for the team I hope we get to closely is a series of short videos that compares/contrasts the original blackbox, the blackbox 2, and the bento to help our customers know which fits their needs the best.
Of course, for a lot of people (myself included!) those overlap quite a bit, which makes the decision as to which to buy a little harder.
Edit: My boss just reminded me to remind people about our Discord 1010music Official as the current source of truth and support. )
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I guessed as much Thanks for your input.
Nice
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